Engineers Corps February 9, 2005 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

In accordance with the requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), Baltimore District has prepared a Draft Tiered Environmental Impact statement (TEIS) and Dredged Material Management Plan (DMMP) to analyze dredged material placement for the Port of Baltimore for 20 years of maintenance and new work dredging. USACE is making the document available to the public for review and comment through a Notice of Availability published in the Federal Register. The overall goal of the DMMP is to develop a plan to maintain, in an economically and environmentally sound manner, channels necessary for navigation for the Port of Baltimore, conduct dredged material placement in the most environmentally sound manner, and maximize the use of dredged material as a beneficial resource. The recommendations which will provide a minimum of 20 years of dredged material placement capacity for the Port of Baltimore are: Continued use of open water placement in Virginia (Dam Neck Open Water Placement; Rappahannock Shoal Deep Alternate Open Water Placement; and Wolf Trap Alternate Open Water Placement). Optimized use of existing dredged material management sites in Maryland, including Pooles Island Open Water Site, Hart-Miller Island Dredged Material Containment Facility, Cox Creek Confined Disposal Facility and Poplar Island Environmental Restoration Project (PIERP). Multiple confined disposal facilities for harbor material in Patapsco River. Large Island Restoration-Middle Chesapeake Bay. PIERP Expansion. Wetland Restoration-Dorchester County. We are making the Draft TEIS available to the public for a 45-day review and comment period.