EPA Region 1 published its Final Rule to designate an Ocean Dredged Material Disposal Site Isles of Shoals North (IOSN)

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region 1 has published its Final Rule to designate an Ocean Dredged Material Disposal Site Isles of Shoals North (IOSN), as described below, for the Southern Maine, New Hampshire, and Northern Massachusetts Coastal Region, pursuant to the Marine Protection, Research and Sanctuaries Act, as amended (MPRSA). The Final Rule was published in the Federal Register, Today, September 25, 2020 at 85 FR 60383. EPA has also released a Final Environmental Assessment and Evaluation Study for Designation of an Ocean Dredged Material Disposal Site for the Southern Maine, New Hampshire, and Northern Massachusetts Coastal Region, September 2020 (Final EA) which includes our response to comments and Site Management and Monitoring Plan (SMMP).  

The IOSN is located in the Gulf of Maine, approximately 10.8 nmi east of Portsmouth, New Hampshire, 9.55 nmi southeast of Kittery, Maine, and 6.04 nmi northeast of Eastern Island, the closest of the Isles of Shoals. The site is delineated as an 8,530 ft diameter circle on the seafloor with its center located at 70° 26.995′ W and 43° 1.142′ N. Water depths at the IOSN range from 295 ft on the western edge of the site to 328 ft on the eastern edge as the seafloor gradually slopes from west to east. The surficial sediments at the site are predominately soft, fine-grained silts and clays. The seafloor within the site is generally a smooth, soft-textured surface with topographic highs present outside the western, northern, and southeastern, boundaries of the site.

Scarborough, ME Sediment Tracking Results

Surveying Beach and Bathymetry Changes near the Scarborough River, Scarborough, Maine

Slovinsky, Peter A., 2018, Surveying Beach and Bathymetry Changes near the Scarborough River, Scarborough, Maine: Maine Geological Survey, Geologic Facts and Localities, Circular GFL-229, 8 p. Maine Geological Survey Publications. 533. http://digitalmaine.com/mgs_publications/533

Status of Beach and Dune Restoration at Western Beach, Scarborough

Slovinsky, Peter A., 2014, Status of Beach and Dune Restoration at Western Beach, Scarborough: Maine Geological Survey, Geologic Facts and Localities, Circular GFL-204, 22 p. Maine Geological Survey Publications. 495. http://digitalmaine.com/mgs_publications/495

Massachusetts Dredging Program

The Executive Office of Housing and Economic Development (EOHED) is pleased to announce the opening of the inaugural round of the Massachusetts Dredging Program. This is the Commonwealth’s first standalone grant program to offer focused funding for saltwater dredging on a competitive, annual basis. All Massachusetts coastal communities are eligible to apply.

The Massachusetts Dredging Program offers construction-phase funding to coastal municipalities for saltwater dredging projects. Grants are awarded on a competitive basis, with a focus on shovel-ready projects that contribute to the economic significance, recreational value, public safety, and/or coastal resiliency of the Commonwealth’s coastal harbors.

Applications for the Massachusetts Dredging Program 2019 grant round are due May 1, 2019. Potential applicants are invited to attend an information session on April 17, 2019, at 11:00 AM at One Ashburton Place, 21st Floor, Conference Room 3, Boston. Please RSVP to eohedgrants@mass.gov with the subject line “Dredging Info Session.”

For complete program requirements and application instructions, please refer to the RFP available at mass.gov/how-to/apply-for-a-massachusetts-dredging-grant.

JALBTCX’s 2018 National Coastal Mapping Program (NCMP) Planning Meeting Materials (March 2018)

Joint Airborne Lidar Bathymetry Technical Center of Expertise’s (JALBTCX’s) 2018 National Coastal Mapping Program (NCMP) planning meeting was held March 6, 2018 in Concord.

The meeting slides include

Charlene Sylvester, USACE Mobile District

Operations | Spatial Data Branch | JALBTCX

7225 Stennis Airport Rd. STE 100

Kiln, MS 39556

228.252.1115 (o) | 228.265.0156 (m

Implementation Guidance for Section 1122(a)-(h) of the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) of 2016, Beneficial Use of Dredged Material

WRDA 16 Section 1122 (a)-(h) Implementation Guidance 3 January 18.docx

This posting includes the guidance document for  WRDA 16, Section 1122(a)-(h) – Beneficial Use of Dredged Material Pilot Project Implementation Guidance (UNCLASSIFIED) and is posted on behalf of

Ed O’Donnell,Chief, Navigation Section
USCAE, New England District
696 Virginia Road
Concord, MA 01742-2718
978-318-8375

Below is some additional info on the 1122 program Ed O’Donnell received Tuesday, January 9, 2018.

Getting the Federal Notice out for the nominations is a priority for HQ. The notice will include directions on how to nominate. Notice is anticipated in February.

HQ is discussing how this notice is going to get out regionally and within Districts – how to point our sponsors to it when they aren’t used to watching for these notices and responding to them.

It is not for the Corps to come up with the pilot nominations. This is for non-fed sponsors and other sources to do. HQ will work with whatever they get as responses to the Federal Register notice.

The statement that shows up in Paragraph 8 of the attached PDF is a change from past O&M guidance, “Section 1122(e)(2) provides that the incremental costs above the Federal Standard for transporting and depositing such dredged material will be borne entirely by the federal government.” This is a big change, but will only be applicable to the RSM Pilots not across the board for O&M and federal projects.  Secretary may not charge Non-federal sponsor extra cost for transport and deposit. The ASA and committees intent is for the Corps to depart from business as usual for transport, so HQ will have to come up with a work plan or budget work packages to address this extra cost. Corps would only pay for extra transport and deposit cost not additional costs.

There will be webinars to explain the nomination process.

 

Draft Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement for the Designation of Dredged Material Disposal Sites(s) in Eastern Long Island Sound (ELIS DSEIS)

On Wednesday, April 27, 2016, EPA released a proposed rule for the designation of a dredged material disposal site in the eastern region of Long Island Sound (81 FR 24748) and a Draft Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement for the Designation of Dredged Material Disposal Site(s) in Eastern Long island Sound (ELIS DSEIS). The ELIS DSEIS is available on EPA’s Dredged Material Management in Long Island Sound page and on Regulations.gov (Docket # EPA-R01-OW-2016-0239). The 60-day comment period for the proposed rule and the ELIS DSEIS ends June 27, 2016. Comments may be sent through the Federal Register, Regulations.gov, or to ELIS@epa.gov. There will also be four public hearings to provide an opportunity to submit oral and written comments:

 

Wednesday, May 25, 2016
1:00 – 3:00 p.m. (Registration begins at 12:30 p.m.)
Suffolk County Community College Culinary Arts Center
20 East Main Street
Riverhead, NY 11901

Wednesday, May 25, 2016
5:30 – 7:30 p.m. (Registration begins at 5:00 p.m.)
Mattituck – Laurel Library
13900 Main Road
Mattituck, NY 11952

Thursday, May 26, 2016
1:00 – 3:00 p.m. (Registration begins at 12:30 p.m.)
University of Connecticut – Avery Point
Academic Building, Room 308
1084 Shennecossett Road
Groton, CT 06340

Thursday, May 26, 2016
5:00 – 7:00 p.m. (Registration begins at 4:30 p.m.)
University of Connecticut – Avery Point
Academic Building, Room 308
1084 Shennecossett Road
Groton, CT 06340

 

For more information, visit Dredged Material Management in Long Island Sound. Please feel free to forward this information to any interested parties. If you have questions, please don’t hesitate to contact Alicia Grimaldi at ELIS@epa.gov.

Alicia Grimaldi. Ocean & Coastal Protection, Environmental Protection Agency, Region 1,

5 Post Office Square, Suite 100, Mail Code: OEP06-01, Boston, MA 02109

Tel:  (617)918-1806

Fax: (617)918-0806

Outreach for Department of the Army General Permits for Massachusetts

The New England District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, 696 Virginia Road, Concord, MA 01742-2751 issued statewide General Permits for Massachusetts (GPs for MA) for minimal-impact activities subject to Corps jurisdiction in waters of the U.S. within the boundaries of, and off the coast of, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts excluding work within the boundaries of Indian tribal lands. The GPs for MA replaced the 2010 Massachusetts GP that expired on January 21, 2015. The GPs for MA became effective on February 4, 2015.

You can view the GPs for MA by following this
path: www.nae.usace.army.mil/missions/regulatory >> State General Permits >> Massachusetts.

The Corps conducted 12 outreach webinars to explain the GPs for MA in March 2015. The Corps will present similar material on the inland and tidal aspects of the GPs for MA at the following outreach workshops:

REGION DATE & TIME
Cape Cod Mon., April 27th, 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
Southeast Tue., April 28th, 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
Northeast Wed., April 29th, 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
Western Thr., April 30th, 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Central Fri, May 1st, 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.

The Cape Cod workshop will occur in the Innovation Room (Room E), Building 7, Barnstable County Complex, Rt. 6A, 3195 Main St, Barnstable, MA.  See attached Barnstable County Campus Map.

The Southeast workshop will occur at the Southeast MassDEP Office, 20 Riverside Drive, Lakeville, MA.

The Northeast workshop will occur at the Billerica Public Library, 15 Concord Road, Billerica, MA.

The Western workshop will occur at the Holyoke Boat House, Mount Holyoke College, 50 College Street, South Hadley, MA.

The Central workshop will occur at the Central MassDEP Office, 8 New Bond Street, Worcester, MA.

This public notice is located at:
www.nae.usace.army.mil/missions/regulatory >> State General Permits >> Massachusetts, and >> Public Notices.

General Permits for Massachusetts Issued

Dear Massachusetts Stakeholders,

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New England District, has issued General
Permits for Massachusetts (GPs for MA).  The previous Massachusetts GP (MA
GP) expired on January 20, 2015. The 23 GPs for Massachusetts issued
continue the expedited review process for activities in Corps
jurisdiction under Section 404 of the Clean Water Act, Section 10 of the
Rivers and Harbors Act of 1899, and Section 103 of the Marine Protection,
Research, and Sanctuaries Act.

You can view the Public Notice at:
http://www.nae.usace.army.mil/Missions/Regulatory/PublicNotices.aspx.
You can view the GPs for MA at:
http://www.nae.usace.army.mil/Missions/Regulatory/StateGeneralPermits/MassachusettsGeneralPermit.aspx

For more information, please contact Mr. Greg Penta at (978) 318-8862 or
gregory.r.penta@usace.army.mil.  If you wish to have your address changed or
removed from this mailing list, please contact Ms. Tina Chaisson at (978)
318-8058 or bettina.m.chaisson@usace.army.mil.

We sincerely thank you for your help and input,

Greg Penta
Policy, Analysis and Technical Support Branch, Regulatory Division U.S. Army
Corps of Engineers, New England District
696 Virginia Road
Concord, MA  01742-2751
(978) 318-8862