PUBLIC NOTICE
DRAFT Section 401 Water Quality Certification # 2019-404I-001 for
Maintenance Dredging of Hampton Harbor and Seabrook Harbor
is available for public comment
Dear Interested Party or Stakeholder: In accordance with Section 401 of the Clean Water Act (33 U.S.C. 1341) and NH RSA 485-A:12, III, a draft Water Quality Certification (WQC) for the Activity described below is now available for public review and comment on the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services (DES) website at;
https://www.des.nh.gov/organization/divisions/water/wmb/section401/coe_ind.htm
The draft certification states that based on the facts, findings and conditions in the certification, NHDES has determined that there is reasonable assurance that construction and operation of the proposed Activity will not violate State surface water quality standards.
Activity Description: The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Applicant) is proposing maintenance dredging of the Hampton Harbor Federal Navigation Project and state anchorage in Hampton Harbor and Seabrook Harbor to improve navigation. Approximately 152,500 cubic yards (cy) of sandy material will be dredged. Most of the work will be performed with a hydraulic pipeline however, it is likely that approximately 700 cy in the entrance harbor will be dredged using a hopper dredge. Where hydraulic pipeline dredging occurs, the dredge material will be placed along areas of Hampton Beach, Seabrook Beach, an area beneath the southern end of the Rt. 1A bridge and within and adjacent to an existing composite sheet pile wall built in 2005 to protect the Middle Ground sand flat. If a hopper dredge is utilized, the material will be placed at one of the nearshore sites in the vicinity of the project.
INSTRUCTIONS FOR SUBMITTING COMMENTS: Comments will be accepted until 4 pm on March 14, 2019. Only written comments will be accepted. Comments may be sent by postal mail, email or fax. Please include the project name/certification number, your name, and organization; mailing address, email address and telephone number with your submittal.
By Mail: 401 Certification Program (Attention: Gregg Comstock)
NHDES Watershed Management Bureau
P.O. Box 95
Concord, NH 03302-0095
By Fax: 401 Certification Program (Attention: Gregg Comstock)
(603) 271-7894
By email: [email protected]
If you have any questions about the draft certification or have difficulties accessing a copy, please contact Gregg Comstock, Supervisor of the NHDES Water Quality Planning Section at (603) 271-2983 or via email at [email protected].
