Notice of Availability of Draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for Proposed Open-Water Placement of Dredged Material at Site 104, Queen Anne's County, Maryland

DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Department of the Army; Corps of Engineers

Notice of Availability of Draft Environmental Impact Statement

(EIS) for Proposed Open-Water Placement of Dredged Material at Site

104, Queen Anne's County, Maryland

AGENCY: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, DoD.

ACTION: Notice of availability.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act

(NEPA), the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Baltimore District, is

initiating a 45-day public review and comment period of the draft EIS

for the Proposed Open-Water Placement of Dredged Material at Site 104,

located in Queen Anne's County, Maryland. The EIS was prepared to (1)

identify and evaluate the potential environmental impacts associated

with the proposed project and (2) to develop a document for the public

to use to participate in the District's decision making process.

Specifically, the EIS identifies existing conditions, identifies any

anticipated changed environmental conditions, re-examines previously

collected data in light of new or updated methodologies, collects new

environmental data, and evaluates alternatives to address the purpose

and need of the project.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Questions about the proposed action

and the draft EIS can be addressed to Mr. Wesley E. Coleman Jr.,

Baltimore District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, ATTN: CENAB-PL-P,

P.O. Box 1715, Baltimore, Maryland 21203-1715, telephone (410) 962-4713

or 1-800-295-1610. E-mail address: [email protected]

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION

1. The Maryland Port Administration (MPA) and the U.S. Army Corps

of Engineers (USACE) are responsible for maintaining, through periodic

dredging, the 126 miles of Federal navigation channels that serve the

Port of Baltimore. Continued maintenance dredging is required to ensure

the efficiency and safety of the approach channels to the Port of

Baltimore. Maintenance dredging of the Chesapeake Bay approach channels

requires the removal of approximately 3.5 million cubic yards (mcy) of

material per year, excluding material from the Virginia channels,

Baltimore Harbor channels, and additional channels north of the

Sassafras River that are dredged by Philadelphia District (CENAP).

Several new-work dredging projects are currently proposed to improve

navigation safety and efficiency for the Chesapeake Bay approach

channels over the next several years. These new-work projects would

require the removal of an additional 18 mcy of dredged material from

the Chesapeake Bay approach channels over that time period. The

Baltimore District is evaluating Site 104 as a potential open-water

placement area for this maintenance and new work material. Therefore,

the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Baltimore District, is now preparing

an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the Proposed Open-Water

Placement of Dredged Material at Site 104, Queen Anne's County,

Maryland.

2. In accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA),

the Corps of Engineers, Baltimore District, is initiating a 45-day

public review and comment period for the draft EIS for the Proposed

Open-Water Placement of Dredged Material at Site 104, located in Queen

Anne's County, Maryland. Site 104 is a previously used 1,800-acre open-

water placement site located approximately 2,000 feet north of the

Chesapeake Bay Bridge, east of the navigational channel, and 1 mile

west of Kent Island. Site 104 was established in 1924 by the U.S. Army

Corps of Engineers, and was used for the placement of dredged material

through 1975. Currently, the site is approximately 6.8 km (4.2 miles)

long and 1.1 km (0.65 miles) wide. The depth ranges from-12.8 to -23.3

meters (-42 to -76 feet) mean lower low water (MLLW). If a decision is

made to use Site 104, placement would be restricted to areas deeper

than the -14 meter(-45 foot) contour interval to achieve a final site

elevation of approximately -14 meters (-45 feet) MLLW. Placement would

occur only between October 15 through April 15, thus avoiding the most

sensitive periods for most natural resources of concern in the area and

minimizing nutrient and water quality impacts. Two potential types of

placement are proposed for the site: bottom release scow of

mechanically dredged materials or controlled bottom pipeline placement

of hydraulically rehandled dredged materials.

3. Studies to date indicate that open-water placement of dredged

material at Site 104 would have both negative and positive

environmental impacts. The

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majority of negative effects are short-term, temporary, and of minimal

environmental significance. The positive effects and overall benefits

of the project are expected to be long-term. The Proposed Action is not

expected to adversely impact setting, geology, hydrology, groundwater,

sediment quality, SAV, terrestrial or avian resources, cultural

resources or archaeological resources in the region. Nor will the

proposed project involve the use, storage or transport of hazardous,

toxic or radioactive materials during or after placement. Although some

short-term adverse impacts are anticipated for water quality, aquatic

resources, air quality, noise, socioeconomics, aesthetics, and

recreational resources, adverse cumulative impacts to these resources

are not expected. The proposed action is in full compliance with NEPA

regulation 40 CFR 1500-1508, Corps of Engineers Regulation 200-2-2, the

Endangered Species Act, the Clean Water Act, and all other applicable

laws and regulations.

4. Any person who has an interest in the project is asked to

provide comments within 45 days of the date of publication of this

notice to the address in the following paragraph. Written comments

should be submitted by Monday, April 12, 1999. Comments must clearly

set forth the interest that may be affected by this proposed action and

the manner in which the interest may be affected.

5. Individuals who want to review the draft EIS may examine a copy

at any of the following locations:

Queen Anne's County Free Library, 121 South Commerce Street,

Centreville, Maryland 21617.

Queen Anne's County Free Library, 200 Library Circle, Stevensville,

Maryland 21666.

Kent County Public Library, 408 High Street, Chestertown, Maryland

21620.

Anne Arundel County Public Library, North County Branch, 1010 Eastway

Drive, Glen Burnie, Maryland 21060.

Frederick Douglas Library, University of Maryland, Eastern Shore,

Princess Anne, Maryland 21853-1299.

Miller Library, Washington College, 300 Washington Avenue, Chestertown,

Maryland 21620.

The document has also been distributed to Federal, state, and local

regulatory agencies, known interested organizations, and those

individuals who have requested it. Individuals may obtain a copy of the

document by writing to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Baltimore

District, ATTN: CENAB-PL-P (Mr. Wesley E. Coleman Jr.), P.O. Box 1715,

Baltimore, MD 21203-1715, or by telephone at (410) 962-4713 or 1-800-

295-1610. Written comments or inquiries may also be sent by fax to Mr.

Coleman at (410) 962-4698 or by electronic mail to cenab-pl-

[email protected]. The EIS is also available on the Baltimore District's

Internet website as an Adobe Acrobat file at www.nab.usace.army.mil.

6. A Public Workshop to enable interested persons to learn about

the proposed project and to ask questions of technical experts is

scheduled for Thursday, March 11, 1999, from 12:00 noon to 8:00 p.m. at

Queen Anne's County Free Library, Kent Island Branch, 200 Library

Circle, Stevensville, Maryland. Formal Public Hearings to receive

comments from the public on the draft EIS are scheduled in three

locations:

March 22, 1999 at 7:00 p.m., Kent Island High School, 900 Love Point

Road, Stevensville, Maryland.

March 25, 1999 at 7:00 p.m., Kent County High School, 25301 Lambs

Meadow Road, Worton, Maryland.

March 30, 1999 at 7:00 p.m., Annapolis Senior High School, 2700 Riva

Road, Annapolis, Maryland.

The purpose of these hearings will be to record public comments

only; those who have questions about the project should plan to attend

the Public Workshop described above or contact Mr. Wesley Coleman, at

(410) 962-4713 or 1-800-295-1610.

Robert F. Gore,

Acting Chief, Planning Division.

[FR Doc. 99-4731 Filed 2-25-99; 8:45 am]

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