ST.
PAUL, Minn. – The U.S. Army Corps of
Engineers, St. Paul District, is seeking public comments on its plans to move
dredged material from its temporary placement site on Lost Island to its
permanent placement site at West Newton Chute. Both placement sites are located
in Pool 5 of the Upper Mississippi River near Wabasha, Minnesota.
The
project is necessary for the Corps to maintain the 9-foot navigation channel in
the river. Work would begin with site preparation in the fall of 2016 and the
transfer of materials in the spring of 2017. Operations would continue through
most of the navigation season in 2017 and potentially into 2018.
This
project requires a review of environmental effects under the National
Environmental Policy Act. A copy of the draft Environmental Assessment with a finding
of no significant impact was coordinated with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service and state resource agencies prior to posting of the public notice. A
final determination on the draft Environmental Assessment will be made
following a 30-day public review period. A copy of the draft Environmental Assessment
can be viewed and downloaded from the St. Paul District’s website at: http://www.mvp.usace.army.mil/Home/PublicNotices.aspx.
The
public review and comment period on the draft Environmental Assessment ends May
26. Questions and comments concerning the project should be directed to Dan
Kelner, Corps biologist, at 651-290-5277 or daniel.e.kelner@usace.army.mil. Please
address all correspondence on this project to the St. Paul District, U.S. Army
Corps of Engineers, Attention: Regional Planning and Environment Division North,
180 Fifth St. E., Suite 700, St. Paul, Minnesota 55101-1678.
The
nearly 600 U.S.
Army Corps of Engineers, St. Paul District, employees working at more than 40
sites in five
upper-Midwest states serve the American public in the areas of environmental enhancement,
navigation, flood
damage reduction, water and wetlands regulation, recreation sites and disaster
response. Through the Corps’
Fiscal Year 2015 $100 million budget, nearly 1,600 non-Corps jobs were added to
the regional economy
as well as $155 million to the national economy. For more information, see www.mvp.usace.army.mil.
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Release no. 16-036