[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 101 (Friday, May 24, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Page 36579]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-13048]


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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Department of the Army; Corps of Engineers


Intent To Prepare a Draft Environmental Impact Statement for a 
Dredged Material Management Plan for the Port of Baltimore, Chesapeake 
Bay, MD

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

ACTION: Notice of intent.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act 
(NEPA) of 1969, the Baltimore District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers 
(USACE) will conduct a study to evaluate the dredged material placement 
needs and opportunities for the Port of Baltimore, Maryland and develop 
a Dredged Material Management Plan (DMMP). The study area encompasses 
the Baltimore Harbor and the Chesapeake Bay approach channels, which 
extend from the mouth of the Bay in Virginia to Chesapeake and Delaware 
Canal, in the upper Bay, Maryland/Delaware. The purpose of the plan is 
to develop a long-term strategy for providing viable placement 
alternatives that meet the dredging needs of the Port of Baltimore 
Federal channels and include consideration of state and local dredging 
needs. The DMMP study will be evaluated through the preparation of a 
tiered EIS. As part of the process, the goals and objectives of the 
study will be clearly determined by all study participants. The DMMP 
will identify the quantity of material to be dredged from the Federal 
channels and how the dredged material can be managed in an economically 
and environmentally acceptable manner. Priority will be given to 
beneficial uses of the material. Beneficial uses include, but are not 
limited to, restoration of underwater grasses, islands, wetlands, 
shorelines, or fish and shellfish habitat. The DMMP will 
identify,evaluate, screen, prioritize, and ultimately optimize 
placement alternatives resulting in the recommendation of a plan for 
the placement of dredged materials for at least the next 20 years. The 
Baltimore District is actively seeking public opinion and advice to be 
incorporated into the plan. To this end, three public scoping meetings 
are planned throughout the study area. The meetings are tentatively 
scheduled at 7:00 p.m. for the following dates, in the following 
locations: Wednesday, June 12, 2002 at Queen Anne's County Library in 
Stevensville, MD; Tuesday, June 18, 2002 at Community College of 
Baltimore County, Dundalk Campus, Campus Community Center, in 
Baltimore, MD; and Thursday, June 20, 2002 at Anne Arundel Community 
College, Lecture Hall 101, in Arnold, MD.
    The study will be conducted in compliance with Section 404 and 
Section 401 of the Clean Water Act, Section 7 of the Endangered Species 
Act, the Clear Air Act, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Coordination Act, 
Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act, Prime and Unique 
Farmlands, the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management 
Act, and National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System Act. All 
appropriate documentation (i.e., Section 7, section 106 coordination 
letters, and public and agency comments) will be obtained and included 
as part of the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Questions about the proposed action 
and draft EIS can be addressed to Ms. Michele Bistany, U.S. Army Corps 
of Engineers, ATTN: CENAB-PL, 10 South Howard Street, PO Box 1715, 
Baltimore, MD 21203-1715, telephone 410-962-4934; e-mail address: 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    1. The Baltimore District Corps of Engineers is responsible for the 
maintenance of navigation channels in the Chesapeake Bay and Patapsco 
River known as the Baltimore Harbor and Channels project. Maintenance 
of these channels requires the annual placement of approximately 4.5 
million cubic yards of dredged material. The DMMP study will include an 
associated programmatic tiered EIS to allow for identification of a 
suite of options or projects for future detailed study in order to 
provide for long-term optimized capacity of dredged material. The 
tiered EIS allows all interested parties the opportunity to participate 
in the process from inception. It also includes adequate environmental 
analysis so that future NEPA documentation can be based on a solid 
foundation.
    2. The USACE, Engineering Regulation (ER) 1105-2-100 mandates that 
the Corps Districts develop DMMP plans for all Federal harbor projects 
where there is an indication of insufficient capacity to accommodate 
maintenance dredging for the next 20 years. The ER further states that 
the Districts are encouraged to consider options that provide 
opportunities for beneficial uses of dredged material for environmental 
purposes including habitat restoration. The DMMP process began with a 
Preliminary Assessment that was completed in September 2001. The 
Preliminary Assessment identified placement option shortfalls within 
the next 8-10 year time frame.
    3. As part of the EIS process, recommendations of placement sites 
and options for dredged material management 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, will be 
balanced against its reasonably foreseeable detriments. All factors 
that may be relevant to the proposal will be considered, among there 
are wetlands; fish and wildlife resources; cultural resources; land 
use; water and air quality; hazardous, toxic, and radioactive 
substances; threatened and endangered species; regional geology; 
aesthetics; environmental justice; and the general needs and welfare of 
the public.
    4. The draft EIS for the DMMP is expected for public release in 
late 2004.

Mr. Kevin Bunker,
Assistant Chief, Planning Division.
[FR Doc. 02-13048 Filed 5-23-02; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3710-41-M