Public Affairs

Week in Review

District hosts public scoping meeting on wind turbine proposal

Comment sought until April 2, 2010

Manteo, North Carolina: Wind turbines in Pamlico Sound. Is that a good idea? A bad idea? Something that needs more detailed exploration?

What do you think Duke Power and UNC should do to meet the needs of the natural and human environment before they undertake a demonstration project to place up to three wind turbines in the Pamlico Sound? Those are the questions the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers asks the public as it prepares to oversee the NEPA process and an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS).

The proposed project is intended to test the viability of wind power in coastal North Carolina waters. Duke Power and its partner, UNC, seek to learn whether this is a good way to move toward renewable energy, whether our coastal hurricanes and nor’easters are an obstacle to success, and whether the technical and operational challenges of placing such large structures in our coastal waters can be met.

Dave Lekson, Chief of the Washington, North Carolina, Regulatory Office, is the project manager for this Corps oversight of the EIS effort. “We are at the very beginning. The first people we hear from are the public and the natural resource agencies who must comment in any EIS.”

About seventy five citizens from the surrounding area came to the public meeting. They heard brief presentations from the Corps and from Duke Power, but most of the evening was devoted to hearing their comments and concerns. The public articulated wide-ranging and well-thought-out questions. How would the one to three structures, up to 440 feet tall from the base to the tip of a rotating blade, affect fisheries, bird life, human aesthetic values, electromagnetic fields? How would they be maintained? What would the cables coming ashore do to affect the local ground water? How much electricity would they generate, and what effect would this have on a local electric co-op?

These and dozens more questions were aired during a two hour session. All those concerns were carefully recorded, and all will be addressed as part of the EIS. The Corps will continue to seek scoping comments until April 2, 2010. To comment or to find complete information about the project, go to http://www.saw.usace.army.mil/WETLANDS/Projects/Duke_Wind/index.html

Dredging update

• AIWW Dredging FY 2010 contract: Southwind Dredging continues to perform maintenance dredging in various locations along the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway (AIWW). Below are the remaining dredging areas and associated beach disposal locations:
  • New River Inlet Crossing and Channels to Jacksonville with disposal to North Topsail Beach - 18 Feb through 22 March 2010
  • Carolina Beach Inlet Crossing with disposal to Carolina Beach (Freeman Park) – 15 Feb through 30 March 2010
  • Shallotte Inlet Crossing with disposal to Ocean Isle Beach – 30 March through 30 April 2010
  • Lockwoods Folly Inlet Crossing with disposal to Holden Beach – 02 April through 30 April 2010
• Beaches contract: Great Lakes Dredge and Dock has completed all work at Wrightsville Beach, Masonboro Island and Kure Beach. Sand placement for storm damage reduction at Carolina Beach and Ocean Isle Beach are scheduled to commence and be completed in April 2010.
• Wilmington Harbor Channel Outer Ocean Bar: Great Lakes Dredge and Dock Company dredge DODGE ISLAND is performing maintenance dredging at the Wilmington Harbor Ocean Bar. All work associated with this contract is scheduled for completion by 31 March 2010.
• Silver Lake Harbor & Smith's Creek Breakwater Repairs: The Silver Lake Harbor (Ocracoke Harbor) and the Smith's Creek (Oriental Harbor) breakwater rehabilitation projects are both nearing completion. Final inspections of the structures are scheduled for the week of 22 March 2010.

Continue to check this space for regular updates on dredging projects.

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