WILMINGTON, N.C. – The Wilmington District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), will hold a public meeting from 4 – 6 p.m. on Aug. 7, 2012 at the Coastline Convention Center, Room D, to solicit comments and concerns from the public, and federal, state and local agencies on the Wilmington Harbor Navigation Improvements Feasibility Study.
The Wilmington Harbor project is a 42-44-foot-deep draft port in the Cape Fear River near Wilmington on North Carolina’s southeastern coast. The feasibility study will examine the potential for making improvements to three areas of the existing navigation channel that are posing problems and creating inefficiencies for ships transiting the Port of Wilmington. These three areas are: (1) entrance channel near Bald Head Island; (2) Battery Island Turn; and (3) Anchorage/Turning Basin.
The state of North Carolina supports this project and signed a Feasibility Cost Sharing Agreement on April 25 to participate in the cost-shared study.
An environmental assessment (EA) or environmental impact statement (EIS), depending upon the environmental impacts of the potential project, will be prepared in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). This public meeting initiates the NEPA scoping process. Comments received at the public meeting as well as written comments will be considered during preparation of the NEPA document.
Written comments may be submitted at the meeting or can be mailed to: Mr. Frank Yelverton, Environmental Resources Section, Wilmington District, USACE, 69 Darlington Ave., Wilmington, NC 28403-1343. Comments can also be emailed to frank.yelverton@usace.army.mil or to Public Affairs at SAWWEB-PAO@usace.army.mil.
The study will examine all relevant economic, environmental, cultural and social benefits and costs related to any proposed improvements. Significant environmental resources known to occur in the study area include fisheries resources, threatened and endangered species, and terrestrial resources. Potential impacts on these resources, as well as water quality, flood plains, air quality, wetlands, water supply, shore processes, potential hazardous and toxic waste (HTW) sites, and safety in the project area will be addressed in the NEPA document.
The Wilmington District completed the reconnaissance phase of the project in 2011 which showed federal interest in conducting a feasibility study for the Wilmington Harbor Navigation Improvements project.
The final product will be an integrated U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Feasibility Report and National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) document which will contain recommendations to Congress. There will be more opportunities during this process for public comments.