PUBLIC NOTICE
Draft Supplemental Environmental Assessment for Dredge Material Placement Network Modifications:
Rice Island shoreline placement and Howard Island in-water dredged material re-handling site.
Public Notice Number: CENWP-PM-E-19-02
Issue Date: March 7, 2019
Expiration Date: April 3, 2019
14 Day Notice
Interested parties are hereby notified that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Portland District (Corps) is seeking public comments on the Draft Supplemental Environmental Assessment for Columbia River Federal Navigation Channel Operations and Maintenance Dredging and Dredged Material Placement Network Update: Rice Island Shoreline Placement and Howard Island In-Water Dredged Material Re-handling Site (Sump) (SEA). The Corps proposes to revise the current location of the Howard Island in water dredge material re-handling site. The current footprint was established in 2015, and the site has not been used. Subsequent to its designation in 2015, the Corps determined an area immediately adjacent to the current location is more suitable due to its increased hydraulic stability. Therefore, the Corps has supplemented the original Environmental Assessment with information related to the revised re-handling site location.
Agency Coordination:
The Corps is coordinating the proposed activity with Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ), Washington Department of Ecology (DOE), the National Marine Fisheries Service (NOAA Fisheries), and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS). The following tribes were also notified of the proposed action via letter dated January 2019.
• Confederated Tribes of Siletz
• Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde
• Confederated Tribes of the Warm Springs
• Cowlitz Indian Tribe
• Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation
• Nez Perce Tribe
• Confederated Tribes of the Yakama Nation
Assessment of the Need for an Environmental Impact Statement:
The Corps has preliminarily determined the proposed action is not likely to result in significant effects on the human environment; therefore, an environmental impact statement was not prepared.
Additional Information and Comments:
Questions or comments regarding the draft document should be directed to Ms. Chanda Littles, (503) 808-4784, Chanda.J.Littles@usace.army.mil, or at the address below. Mailed comments must be postmarked by the above closing date and sent to:
District Engineer
U.S. Army Corps of Engineer District, Portland
Attn: CENWP-PM-E/Chanda Littles
P.O. Box 2946, Portland, Oregon 97208-2946
In your response, please refer to public notice number CENWP-PM-E-19-02, title, and date. A “no comment” response will be assumed if no response is received prior to or postmarked by the above expiration date.