JOINT INFORMATIONAL PUBLIC NOTICE
Issue Date: Sept. 14, 2012
Expiration Date: Nov. 17, 2012
Notice
Interested parties are hereby notified that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Northwestern Division, and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency-Region 10 (EPA) are hosting the 2012 Regional Sediment Evaluation Team (RSET) Meeting. The meeting will be held on October 17, 2012, in the Galaxy Conference Room at the Corps’ Seattle District Office, 4735 E. Marginal Way S, Seattle, WA 98124-2255 (Federal Center South). The meeting will start promptly at 9:30 a.m. and conclude at 3:00 p.m. Please allow time for parking and arrive at least 15 minutes in advance to allow time for registration. Please refer to Exhibit A for directions to the RSET Meeting facility. You will need picture ID to access the building and will be required to sign in at the security desk.
Purpose and Background: The purpose of the meeting is to update the public on the implementation of the May 2009 Sediment Evaluation Framework for the Pacific Northwest (SEF), and provide an opportunity to comment on SEF implementation and request clarification where questions or issues arise. The SEF provides a framework for the assessment and characterization of freshwater and marine sediments dredged in Idaho, Oregon and Washington. Though the 2009 SEF was published as “final,” the RSET agencies made a commitment to update the document as new information becomes available and procedures are improved; and to seek public input on updates and improvements. To assist these agencies in improving the SEF, the public is also invited to submit papers or present information that is relevant to sediment evaluation in the Pacific Northwest.
Meeting Sessions: The meeting will cover three general topics:
1. District summaries of dredged material evaluations conducted over the last year and updates on available and proposed local guidance.
2. Ongoing work to update the SEF, including related studies.
3. Members of the public, including the public ports, industry consultants and other users of the SEF to provide feedback and are invited to prepare papers or provide brief presentations pertaining to sediment evaluation issues in the region.
Meeting materials and the agenda are available on the RSET webpage:
http://www.nwp.usace.army.mil/Missions/Environment/DredgedMaterialManagement.aspx.
(The RSET consists of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) Northwestern Division, Portland, Seattle and Walla Walla Districts; National Marine Fisheries Service; U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service; U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Region 10 (EPA); Oregon Department of Environmental Quality; Washington Department of Ecology; Washington Department of Natural Resources; and the Idaho Department of Environmental Quality. The Corps and EPA chair the RSET.)
Meeting Contact Information and Regional SEF Implementation: Submit questions regarding this meeting and public comments regarding the regional implementation of, and proposed updates to, the SEF in general to:
Submit questions regarding this meeting and public comments regarding the regional implementation of, and proposed updates to, the SEF in general to:
Eric Braun
eric.p.braun@usace.army.mil
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Northwestern Division
CENWD-PDS Attn: Eric Braun
P.O. Box 2870
Portland, OR 97208-2870
or
Jonathan Freedman
freedman.jonathan@epa.gov
EPA, Region 10
ETPA-083
1200 6th Ave., Suite 900
Seattle, WA 98101-101
Submit public comments pertaining to District-specific implementation of the SEF to the respective District point-of-contact:
Portland District
James McMillan
james.m.mcmillan@usace.army.mil
US Army Corps of Engineers CENWP-EC-HR
P.O. Box 2946 Portland, OR 97208-2946
Walla Walla District
Russ Heaton
russ.d.heaton@usace.army.mil
US Army Corps of Engineers
CENWW-EC-H
201 North Third Avenue
Walla Walla, WA 99362-1876
Seattle District
David Kendall
david.r.kendall@usace.army.mil
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
CENWS-OD-TS-DM
P.O. Box 3755
Seattle, WA 98124-3755
All comments on regional and/or district implementation of the SEF and on papers/topics presented at the meeting must be received by the closing date of the comment period of this notice. An opportunity to present oral public comments will be provided at the end of the meeting.
Request for Papers and Presentations: The RSET agencies are interested in hearing from the public about their experience with the SEF. Limited time is reserved on the agenda for presenting papers pertaining to sediment evaluation within the Pacific Northwest. Send papers and presentations to Mr. Eric Braun by email or U.S. Mail (addresses above).
The RSET agencies are interested in hearing from the public about their experience with the SEF. Limited time is reserved on the agenda for presenting papers pertaining to sediment evaluation within the Pacific Northwest. Send papers and presentations to Mr. Eric Braun by email or U.S. Mail (addresses above).
Papers and presentations from the public will be accepted no later than 4:30 p.m., Monday, Oct. 8, 2012 to be considered for presentation at the meeting.
Due to the number of speakers, only five, 10-minute public presentation slots are available and will be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis. All papers submitted by the public (on or before the due date) will be posted to the RSET webpage; a list of papers and preparers will be provided at the meeting.
Exhibit A - Driving directions:
From the north:
Take I-5 south to James Street; turn right on Columbia and follow road down to the viaduct/Hwy. 99 south; street turns into E. Marginal Way S.; Federal Center South will be on the right.
From the south:
Take I-5 north to exit #162 (on left), Corson/Michigan St.; go to Michigan and turn right and follow to E. Marginal Way S./Hwy. 99; turn right and follow several blocks; Federal Center South will be on the left. All day visitor parking is available in the lot across the street from the building. 2-hour visitor parking is available on the north end of the building. Entrance to FCS and the Galaxy Auditorium is at the north end of building. All visitors subject to security screening, and should have picture identification card.
Galaxy Conference Room:
Located on the North end of Federal Center South near the First Floor Security Desk