Interested parties are hereby notified that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Portland District (Corps) intends to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) to analyze the potential environmental effects of approving the Oregon International Port of Coos Bay’s (OIPCB) proposed Coos Bay Channel Modification Project. The OIPCB proposes to widen and deepen the Coos Bay Federal Navigation Project from the ocean to river mile (RM) 8.2 to improve navigation efficiency, reduce shipping transportation costs and facilitate the shipping industry’s transition to larger, more efficient vessels. The Corps is seeking public comment on the scope of the draft EIS. The Corps expects to make the draft EIS available to the public in March 2018.
SCOPING PROCESS AND PUBLIC COMMENTS: The Corps will conduct public scoping (40 CFR 1501.7) to determine the scope of issues (40 CFR 1508.25) to be addressed in the draft EIS and to identify the significant issues related to the proposed project. All interested parties including individuals; organizations; local, state, and federal agencies; and tribes and tribal governments are invited to participate in the scoping process for the draft EIS, which will analyze numerous issues in depth. These issues include, but are not limited to: navigation, socioeconomics, fish and wildlife, water quality, safety, shoreline erosion and accretion, recreation, and cultural and historic resources. Scoping comments will also be used to develop possible project alternatives. Additional project information is available online at
www.nwp.usace.army.mil/coast/coos-bay/channel-modification. All parties are invited to attend the scoping meeting for the draft EIS.
SCOPING MEETING:
Date and Time: Wednesday, September 13, 2017, from 3 to 7:30 p.m.
Location: Coos Bay Public Library, Myrtlewood Room, 525 Anderson Ave, Coos Bay, OR 97420
All interested parties are invited to submit written comments on or before October 3, 2017 to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Portland District (PM-E), P. O. Box 2946, Portland, OR 97208-2946, or by email at
coosbaychannelmodEIS@usace.army.mil. All comments should include
“Coos Bay Channel Modification Project EIS” in the subject line. Written comments may also be submitted at the scoping meeting.
Questions about the proposed action and draft EIS may be directed to: Dr. Ann Hodgson be telephone at
(503) 808-4663 or by email at
coosbaychannelmodEIS@usace.army.mil.