[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 131 (Wednesday, July 9, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Pages 36779-36780]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-17923]


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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Department of the Army
Corps of Engineers


Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the 
Evaluation of Proposed Placement of Dredged Material at Site 104, 
Chesapeake Bay, Queen Anne's County, MD

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

ACTION: Notice of intent.

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SUMMARY: Pursuant to Sections 313 and 404 of the Clean Water Act of 
1977 (33 USC 1323 and 1344), the Baltimore District, U.S. Army Corps of 
Engineers will evaluate the placement of dredged material at Site 104, 
Chesapeake Bay, Queen Anne's County, Maryland. Pursuant to Section 102 
of the National Environmental Policy Act, the Baltimore District will 
prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for Evaluation of the 
Proposed Placement of Dredged Material at Site 104, Chesapeake Bay, 
Queen Anne's County, Maryland. The dredged material to be placed at 
Site 104 would be clean material from Federal navigation channels in 
the main stem of the Chesapeake Bay leading to Baltimore Harbor and the 
Port of Baltimore. Site 104 is located in the main stem of the 
Chesapeake Bay, north of the William Preston Lane Jr. Memorial Bridge, 
and west of Kent Island and encompasses approximately 1,800 acres. The 
Section 404 Evaluation will investigate the use of alternative 
placement equipment and methods for the placement of approximately 18 
million cubic yards of additional dredged material in the deepest part 
of the site. To facilitate the Evaluation, the Baltimore District will 
also prepare and

[[Page 36780]]

circulate an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) evaluating the 
suitability of Site 104 for placement of dredged material. The EIS will 
include descriptions of the existing site conditions, dredged material 
placement alternatives, probable impacts of dredged material placement, 
public involvement, and the recommended determination and/or activity. 
The scheduled completed date for the draft Section 404 Evaluation and 
EIS for the Proposed Placement of Dredged Material at Site 404, 
Chesapeake Bay, Queen Anne's County, Maryland is early 1998.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Questions about the proposed action 
and EIS can be addressed to Mr. Mark Mendelsohn, U.S. Army Corps of 
Engineers, ATTN: CENAB-PL-PC (104), P.O. Box 1715, Baltimore, MD 21203-
1715, telephone 410-962-9499. E-Mail address: mark.mendelsohn@
ccmail.nab.usace.army.mil

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

    1. Site 104 is located in the main stem of the Chesapeake Bay, 
north of the William Preston Lane Jr. Memorial Bridge, and west of Kent 
Island. The site was used for dredged material placement during a 
period of approximately 50 years, beginning in 1924 and ending in 1975. 
The original placement area extended 2.7 nautical miles, from its 
northern boundary northwest of Love Point (Kent Island), in a south 
southwestward direction along a natural deep channel of the Bay to a 
position due east of the Sandy Point Light. The southern boundaries of 
the site were extended twice to increase the length by about 1\1/2\ 
miles and the southern 1.1 nautical miles of the site were widened by 
approximately 1,000 feet, increasing the total acreage to approximately 
1,800 acres. Records for the period are not complete, but suggest that 
during the thirty-year period ending in 1975 more than 70 million cubic 
yards of dredged material were placed at the site. These dredged 
sediments resulted from widening and deepening the project channels (at 
least 44 million cubic yards) and from maintenance dredging of the 
authorized channels (at least 26 million cubic yards).
    2. The proposed open-water placement would use clean dredged 
material removed from Federal navigation channels in the main stem of 
the Chesapeake Bay leading to Baltimore Harbor and the Port of 
Baltimore. The specific channels to be dredged are Craighill Entrance, 
Craighill Channel, Craighill Upper Range, Cutoff Angle, Brewerton 
Channel Eastern Extension, Swan Point Channel, Tolchester Channel, and 
the Approach Channel to the C&D Canal. Placement of approximately 18 
million cubic yards would fill the deepest parts of the site to a depth 
of 45 feet MLLW.
    3. Because different dredging and placement methods might carry 
significantly different water quality impacts, the Baltimore District 
will evaluate alternative dredged material placement equipment and 
methods. Information on the alternatives will be analyzed, a 
recommended placement plan formulated, and the results presented in the 
Section 404 Evaluation and the EIS. The District will prepare and 
circulate a draft EIS (DEIS) evaluating the suitability of Site 104 for 
placement of dredged material. The EIS will include descriptions of the 
existing site conditions, dredged material placement alternatives, 
probable impacts of dredged material placement, public involvement, and 
the recommended determination and/or activity.
    4. The decision on the suitability of the proposed site for 
placement of clean dredged material described in this public notice 
will be based on an evaluation of the probable impact of the proposed 
activity on the public interest. The decision will reflect the national 
concern for the protection and utilization of important resources. The 
benefit which may reasonably be expected to accrue from the proposal 
must be balanced against its reasonably foreseeable detriments. All 
factors which may be relevant to the proposal will be considered; among 
these are conservation, economics, aesthetics, energy needs, general 
environmental concerns, fish and wildlife values, historic values, 
navigation, water quality, recreation, safety, food production, and in 
general, the needs and welfare of the people. Site 104 will not be 
found suitable for open-water placement of clean dredged material 
unless it's found to be in the public interest.
    5. As part of the EIS public involvement process, the Baltimore 
District is conducting a scoping process to identify issues and areas 
of concern. Any person who has interest in the proposed placement of 
dredged material at Site 104, or who may be adversely affected by the 
proposed placement activity, may make comments or suggestions or 
request a public hearing. A series of three public meetings has been 
scheduled whereat concerned persons may comment or make suggestions. 
The time and dates for the three meetings are given below:
    a. July 15, 1997 at 7:00 pm--Kent County Court House, Commissioners 
Hearing Room--First Floor, 103 North Cross Street, Chestertown, 
Maryland 21620.
    b. July 17, 1997 at 7:00 pm--Queen Anne's County Office Building, 
Second Floor Meeting Room, 208 North Commerce Street, Centreville, 
Maryland 21617.
    c. July 22, 1997 at 7:00 pm--Broadneck High School, 1265 Green 
Holly Drive, Annapolis, Maryland 21401.
    6. Please communicate the foregoing information concerning the 
proposed work to any person known by you to be interested and, not 
being known to this office, does not receive a copy of this notice.
Gregory D. Showalter,
Army Federal Register Liaison Officer.
[FR Doc. 97-17923 Filed 7-8-97; 8:45 am]
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