NOTICES
DEPARTMENT OF
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION
Federal Consistency under the Coastal Zone Management Act; United States Navy Proposed Maintenance Dredging at Philadelphia Navy Yard Annex Reserve Basin in Philadelphia
[54 Pa.B. 7634]
[Saturday, November 23, 2024]This notice is published under section 306(d)(14) of the Federal Coastal Zone Management Act of 1972 (CZMA) (16 U.S.C. § 1455(d)(14)), regarding public participation in consistency determinations. The Department of Environmental Protection (Department), Coastal Resources Management Program has received notice that the United States Navy (applicant) is proposing to conduct maintenance dredging of the Reserve Basin at the Philadelphia Navy Yard in Philadelphia (Project).
The applicant proposes to perform maintenance dredging to maintain adequate water depths for safe navigation within the Reserve Basin, which is currently used as a storage area for decommissioned ships. The Project footprint has been disturbed through previous dredging events. The applicant proposes to include maintenance dredging in the entrance and western portion of the basin, as well as along the northern boundary of the basin and upland placement of the dredged material. Approximately 100,000 cubic yards of sediment would be mechanically dredged from the basin. Within both dredging areas, the maximum maintenance depths would be 30 feet below the mean lower low water and include 2 feet of overdredge allowance. The total area to be dredged covers approximately 19.8 acres of subaqueous bottom within the entrance channel and basin and 5,500 linear feet of basin length. The proposed dredging would not involve any return water discharge back to the basin or any nearby waters. The applicant will evaluate the dredged material prior to dredging and placement to determine that the materials are appropriate for placement at either Biles Island Confined Disposal Facility (CDF) in this Commonwealth or White's Rehandling Basin and CDF in New Jersey. The expected start date for in-water work is July 1, 2025, with completion by December 31, 2025. The applicant further proposes to minimize impacts through compliance with any time-of-year restrictions or environmental windows specified in the dredging permit and other avoidance and minimization measures, including turbidity minimizing operational controls of clamshell bucket dredging and other best management practices based on results of sediment testing. The applicant is seeking a Federal authorization from the United States Army Corps of Engineers under section 10 of the Rivers and Harbors Act of 1899 (33 U.S.C. § 403) and section 404 of the Federal Clean Water Act (33 U.S.C. § 1344) to perform this work.
This Project is subject to Department review for Federal consistency because it is a Federal agency activity and will have reasonably foreseeable interstate effects on this Commonwealth's coastal resources or uses.
In accordance with section 307 of the CZMA (16 U.S.C. § 1456) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) regulations at 15 CFR Part 930, Subpart C (relating to consistency for Federal agency activities) and Subpart I (relating to consistency of Federal activities having interstate coastal effects), the applicant has determined that the proposed activity will be conducted in a manner consistent with the applicable enforceable policies of the Commonwealth's NOAA-approved Coastal Resources Management Program. Interested parties may request a copy of the Federal Consistency Determination from the Department contact listed as follows.
Questions regarding this review should be directed to Matthew Walderon, Federal Consistency Coordinator, at (717) 772-2196 or by e-mail to RA-Fed_Consistency@ pa.gov.
The Department will consider all comments received on or before Monday, December 9, 2024. Commenters are encouraged to submit comments using the Department's online eComment tool at www.ahs.dep.pa.gov/eComment. Written comments can be submitted by e-mail to ecomment@pa.gov or by mail to the Department of Environmental Protection, Policy Office, 400 Market Street, P.O. Box 2063, Harrisburg, PA 17105-2063. Comments, including comments submitted by electronic mail, must include the originator's name and address.
JESSICA SHIRLEY,
Acting Secretary
[Pa.B. Doc. No. 24-1678. Filed for public inspection November 22, 2024, 9:00 a.m.]
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