Posted on September 18, 2026
SUBJECT: Norfolk Harbor Federal Navigation Project, Thimble Shoal Channel Proposed Dredged Material Transport and Placement at the Dam Neck Ocean Disposal Site.
Pursuant to Section 103 of the Marine Protection, Research, and Sanctuaries Act (MPRSA) of 1972 and USACE policy 33 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) 337.1, this Public Notice serves as the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Norfolk District (Corps) notification relating to proposed transport for the purpose of disposal of suitable dredged material from the Norfolk Harbor Federal Navigation Project, Thimble Shoal Channel (TSC) at the Dam Neck Ocean Disposal Site (DNODS). The DNODS was designated by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) pursuant to Section 102(c) of MPRSA for the ocean placement of suitable dredged material. The final rule was promulgated by EPA on March 31, 1988 (FR. Vol. 53 No. 62), effective March 31, 1988. Dredged material proposed for transport for the purpose of discharge in ocean waters must be evaluated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in accordance with part 227 of MPRSA, Section 103 and processed in accordance with 33 CFR 324. The use of DNODS is contingent upon USEPA, Region 3 independent review and concurrence that the dredged material meets MPRSA criteria (40 CFR 227).
ACTIVITY: Approximately 1.5 million cubic yards (MCY) of maintenance dredged material from the Norfolk Harbor Federal Navigation Project, TSC is proposed for transport and placement at the DNODS.
LOCATION: The TSC is approximately 13.6 miles long and is located near the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay, north of the shoreline for the cities of Norfolk and Virginia Beach. The channel is maintained at -56 ft deep Mean Lower Low Water (MLLW) with a maximum dredging depth of -61 ft MLLW. TSC is 1,300 ft wide east of the CBBT for 4.9 miles, narrowing to 1,000 ft wide for 3.1 miles, then widening to 1,400 ft west of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel (CBBT) for 5.6 miles.
The DNODS boundary coordinates are as follows [40 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) 288.5]:
Latitude Longitude
36º 51’ 24.1” N 75º 54’ 41.4” W
36º 51’ 24.1” N 75º 53’ 02.9” W
36º 46’ 27.4” N 75º 51’ 39.2” W
36º 46’ 27.5” N 75º 54’ 19.0” W
36º 50’ 05.0” N 75º 54’ 19.0” W
DNODS has an area of approximately 9 square nautical miles located in federal waters due east of the Dam Neck/Virginia Beach section of the Virginia coast and approximately 7 nautical miles south and east of the Chesapeake Bay. Water depth within the DNODS averages approximately 40 feet. The DNODS is divided into seven placement cells; cells 2, 5, 6, and 7 are designated for mixed and fine-grained materials and cells 1, 3, and 4 are reserved for sandy material. The site was designated by USEPA for suitable dredged material from three federal navigation channels: the Atlantic Ocean Channel (AOC), the Cape Henry Channel (CHC), and the TSC.
DNODS has been in use since 1967 when the Corps initially deepened the TSC to 45 feet. Since that time, most new work and maintenance dredged material from CHC, AOC, and TSC have been deposited at the DNODS. These deposits included a variety of naturally occurring marine sediments, ranging from silts and clays to fine, medium, and coarse sands. The CHC and TSC are maintenance dredged approximately every 2 to 3 years, and the DNODS is utilized for placement of suitable dredged material. Since 2018, Cape Henry Channel was dredged during the period of April 10, 2018, through September 9, 2018, removing 2,414,992 cubic yards (CY); during the period of December 15, 2021, through May 24, 2022, removing 2,240,276 CY; and during the period of December 7, 2025, through March 31, 2026, removing 1,820,007 CY and placed at DNODS each cycle. The Norfolk Harbor Navigation Improvements Project involved the deepening and widening of channel segments. These new work channel elements commenced construction and included the following channel segments: TSC – West, Meeting Area 1, TSC – East and Meeting Area 2, and AOC Phase 1 and 2. TSC – West, between Hampton Roads and the CBBT, was dredged during the period of January 19, 2019, through December 4, 2023, removing approximately 6,846,219 CY and the dredged material placed at DNODS. The TSC – East and Meeting Area #2 project element is located between the CBBT and the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay. This channel segment was dredged during the period April 29, 2022, through October 30, 2023, removing approximately 3,247,132 CY and dredged material placed at DNODS. Meeting Area #1 is a widening of the channel located between Hampton Roads and the CBBT. This channel segment was dredged during the period March 29, 2023, through February 16, 2024, removing approximately 5,141,766 CY and dredged material placed at DNODS. The AOC Phase 1 and 2 project elements are located in the Atlantic Ocean east of the CBBT. The AOC Phase 1 channel segment was dredged during the period July 10, 2023, through present day removing approximately 102,768 CY to date and dredged material placed at DNODS. The AOC Phase 2 channel segment was dredged during the period July 29, 2025, through present day removing approximately 2,411,314 CY to date and dredged material placed at DNODS. TSC-W has since been maintenance dredged during the period July 30, 2025, through November 9, 2025, removing approximately 1,220,615 CY and dredged material placed at DNODS. There have been no documented effects from the authorized discharges that have been made in the placement area.
DREDGED MATERIAL CHARACTERITICS AND COMPOSITION: Sediments proposed for dredging consist of maintenance dredged material from the TSC. Grain size of the dredged material in the channel transitions from west to east with primarily fine-grained (60-80% silt/clay) sediments in the western portion of the channel, transitioning to a mix of fine grained sediments and sand (40-60% sand, 60-40% silt/clay), followed by transition to predominant sands (65-95% sand, 35-10% silt/clay) in the eastern reach of the channel east of the CBBT. The dredged material proposed for placement at DNODS does not meet the testing exclusionary criteria set forth under 40 CFR 227.13(b). Dredged material testing of the TSC detected the presence of metals, dioxin/furan congeners PCB congeners, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon compounds, chlorinated pesticide (4,4′-DDT), and Phenol in the bulk sediments from TSC, and therefore further testing of the liquid, suspended particulate and solid phases was completed.
Dredged material from TSC was tested for liquid phase (e.g. numeric water quality criteria, liquid and suspended particulate phase (e.g. water column toxicity), and solid phase (e.g., benthic toxicity and benthic bioaccumulation) using criteria and procedures developed by the Administrator of the USEPA in accordance with 40 CFR 220-228. Evaluation of the liquid phase has determined the material from TSC complies with the Limiting Permissible Concentration (LPC) at the DNODS and is in compliance with 40 CFR 227.6(c)(1) and 227.27(a)(1). Evaluation of the liquid and suspended particulate phase has determined the material from TSC complies with the LPC at the DNODS and is in compliance with 40 CFR 227.6(c)(2) and 227.27(b). Evaluation of the benthic toxicity solid phase has determined the material from TSC complies with the LPC and is in compliance with 40 CFR 227.13(c)(3), 227.6(c)(3) and 227.27(b) for placement at the DNODS. The dredged material from TSC meets the LPC for benthic bioaccumulation and complies with the benthic criteria of 40 CFR Part 227.13 (c) (3) for placement at DNODS. The dredged material as described from the TSC meets the MPRSA criteria (40 CFR 227).
ENVIRONMENTAL DOCUMENTATION: The environmental impacts of the Norfolk Harbor Federal Navigation Project, TSC, have been evaluated in National Environmental Policy Act and regulatory documents including: (1) the Final General Reevaluation Report and Final Environmental Assessment/Finding of No Significant Impact dated June 2018; and (2) the Finding of No Significant Impact was executed on 16 October 2018.
COMMENT PERIOD: Comments on this project should be in writing and can be sent by either email to Shannon.J.Reinheimer@usace.army.mil, or by regular mail, addressed to the Norfolk District, Corps of Engineers (ATTN: Shannon Reinheimer, CENAO-WR-O), 803 Front Street, Norfolk, Virginia 23510-1011, and should be received by the close of business on October 15, 2026.
PRIVACY & CONFIDENTIALITY: Comments and information, including the identity of the submitter, submitted in response to this Public Notice may be disclosed, reproduced, and distributed at the discretion of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Information that is submitted in connection with this Public Notice cannot be maintained as confidential by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Submissions should not include any information that the submitter seeks to preserve as confidential.
If you have any questions about this project, contact Shannon Reinheimer at 757-201-7074 or by email at Shannon.J.Reinheimer@usace.army.mil.
