Jacksonville District Releases Draft Assessment for Maintenance Dredging at Miami Harbor
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers released a draft environmental assessment and proposed finding of no significant impact (FONSI) for the operation and maintenance dredging and dredged material placement for the Miami Harbor Navigation Project inner harbor.
The draft information is available for public review until August 19.
The Corps surveyed existing conditions and determined that only the inner harbor cuts of the Miami Harbor project warrant maintenance dredging at this time. The preferred alternative project proposes dredging approximately 100,000 cubic yards of material to be placed in the Miami Ocean Dredged Material Disposal site.
The Corps said the associated National Environmental Policy Act documentation is expected to consider new available information relevant to the effects associated with dredging the outer channel, including recent sediment tracer analyses conducted in the area. Because the current maintenance event only addresses the inner channel cuts, the scope of work avoids dredging within 1,000 feet of the outer channel, minimizing potential adverse effects to corals and hardbottom habitats to the maximum extent practicable. The Corps continues to review the new information.
Details on the Preferred Alternative can be found in the draft environmental assessment (EA). The draft EA, associated appendices, and proposed finding of no significant impact are available for review at http://www.saj.usace.army.mil/About/Divisions-Offices/Planning/Environmental-Branch/Environmental-Documents/. (Click on the “+” next to “Dade” and scroll down to the project name.)
Interested parties can submit questions or comments via email to CESAJ-MiamiHarbor@usace.army.mil or by letter to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Attn: Coastal Environmental Branch, P.O. Box 4970, Jacksonville, FL 32232-0019.
