[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 126 (Friday, June 30, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Page 37545]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 06-5918]



[[Page 37545]]

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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Department of the Army; Corps of Engineers


Availability of a Supplement to the Draft Environmental Impact 
Statement for the Proposed Construction of a Dredged Material 
Containment Facility in the Patapsco River, at Masonville, Baltimore 
City, MD

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

ACTION: Notice of availability.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with requirements of the National Environmental 
Policy Act (NEPA), the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), Baltimore 
District, has prepared a Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) 
for the proposed construction of a dredged material containment 
facility (DMCF) by the Maryland Port Administration (MPA). This DEIS 
was prepared as part of the submission of MPA's application for a 
Department of the Army permit to construct the facility in the Patapsco 
River, Baltimore City, MD. This application will be evaluated pursuant 
to Section 10 or the Rivers and Harbors Act of 1899 and Section 404 of 
the Clean Water Act.
    The preferred alternative is for the construction of a stone, sand, 
and cofferdam structure that would impact approximately 131 acres of 
waters of the United States, including jurisdictional wetlands. The 
structure would be initially constructed to 10 feet above the mean lowe 
low water (MLLW) elevation, with a future temporary elevation to 42 
feet above MLLW, and an ultimate elevation of 36 feet above MLLW. The 
project would also include mechanical dredging of approximately 1.7 
million cubic yards of overburden material within the footprint of the 
proposed disposal site, and the placement of this material at the Hart 
Miller Island disposal site, Baltimore County, MD. On-site and off-site 
borrow material would be used for the construction of the containment 
facility. This proposal was advertised in the Federal Register on May 
19, 2006 (71 FR 29128). The need to prepare a Supplement is due to the 
applicant's proposal to change the source of borrow material for the 
proposed construction of the preferred alternative. The applicant 
wishes to use suitable material dredged from the channel at the Seagirt 
Marine Terminal for the construction of a portion of the containment 
structure. Approximately 0.5 to 0.8 million cubic yards of sand and 
gravel obtained from dredging to a maximum of 54 feet below mean low 
water at Seagirt Marine Terminal would be used at the proposed 
Masonville DMCF. Detailed description of the proposed modifications and 
effects to the human environment are discussed in the supplement to the 
DEIS for the Masonville DMCF.

DATES: The Baltimore District must receive comments on or before August 
14, 2006 to ensure consideration in the final action. A public hearing 
on the DEIS has been scheduled for 7 p.m. on Monday July 31, 2006 at 
the St. John Lutheran Church, 226 Washburn Ave., Baltimore, MD 21225. 
Displays will be available and representatives of the project team will 
be present at 6 p.m.

ADDRESSES: Please send written comments concerning this proposed 
project to U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Baltimore District, Attn: Mr. 
Jon Romeo, CENAB-OP-RMN, P.O. Box 1715, Baltimore, MD 21203-1715. You 
may submit electronic comments to [email protected]. Your 
comments must be contained in the body of your message; please do not 
send attached files. Please include your name and address in your 
message.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Jon Romeo, (410) 962-6079.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The EIS and Supplement to the EIS integrate 
analyses and consultation required by the National Environmental Policy 
Act (NEPA), Section 10 of the Rivers and Harbors Act of 1899, Section 
401 and Section 404 of the Clean Water Act, Section 7 of the Endangered 
Species Act, the Clean Air Act, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Coordination 
Act, Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act, and the 
Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act. All 
appropriate documentation (i.e., Section 7 and Section 106 coordination 
letters and public and agency comments) will be obtained and included 
as part of the EIS. The decision on whether or not to issue a 
Department of the Army permit for this project will reflect the 
national concern for the protection and utilization of important 
resources. The benefits 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 these 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, navigation, cumulative 
impacts, and the general needs and welfare of the public.

Vance G. Hobbs,
Chief, Maryland Section Northern.
[FR Doc. 06-5918 Filed 6-29-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3710-41-M