Draft EA: Wahkiakum Ferry Federal Navigation Channel realignment and widening
NWP-PM-E-14-07
Issue Date: June 20, 2014
Expiration Date: July 19, 2014
Interested parties are hereby notified that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Portland District is seeking public comment on the Wahkiakum Ferry Federal Navigation Channel Realignment and Widening, Wahkiakum County, Washington, Draft Environmental Assessment. The Wahkiakum Ferry Federal Navigation Channel is at approximate River Mile 43.5 of Columbia River, completely within Wahkiakum County of Washington State.
This draft Environmental Assessment addresses two alternatives for the WF FNC; the No Action and the Proposed Action alternative. The No Action alternative would continue to implement operations and maintenance within the existing alignment and width of the WF FNC. The Proposed Action would realign and widen the existing WF FNC and provide subsequent O&M dredging and dredged material placement of sediment from the realigned and widened channel. The purpose of the Proposed Action is to provide a realigned and widened channel for the continuous, safe, and reliable use of the navigation channel by removing restricting shoals. The purpose of widening the WF FNC is to accommodate Wahkiakum County’s new ferry, M/V Oscar B. The M/V Oscar B is wider and longer but drafts shallower than the currently operating ferry, Wahkiakum. Since M/V Oscar B is longer and wider, the WF FNC needs to be realigned and widened in order provide the new, larger ferry a wider turning radius to and from the Puget Island ferry berth.
The draft EA has been prepared for the proposed Federal action in accord with the Council on Environmental Quality’s National Environmental Policy Act regulations [40 Code of Federal Regulations 1508.9(a)]. At the end of the public comment period, the Corps will consider all comments received or post marked by the expiration date of this public notice and make a determination of significance of impacts resulting from the Proposed Action.
Environmental document The draft EA is available on the Corps’ website, in the Announcements section at: http://www.nwp.usace.army.mil/Media/Announcements.aspx.
Questions and comments regarding the draft EA should be directed to Greta Smith, Environmental Resources Branch, gretchen.v.smith@usace.army.mil, or to the postal address below. Mailed comments on this notice must be postmarked by the above expiration date and sent to:
District Engineer
U.S. Army Corps of Engineer District, Portland
Attn: CENWP-PM-E / Greta Smith
P.O. Box 2946
Portland, OR 97208-2946
In your response, please refer to the above public notice number (CENWP-PM-E-14-05), title and date. Should no response be received by the above closing date, a “no comment” response will be assumed.