Posted on June 30, 2022
The U. S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Galveston District is inviting all affected federal, state, and local agencies, affected Native American Tribes, other interested parties, and the general public to review and comment on the Port of Corpus Christi Authority’s (PCCA) Channel Deepening Project Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) for Department of the Army Permit SWG-2019-00067. The DEIS is available on the Galveston District’s Project webpage [www.swg.usace.army.mil/Missions/Regulatory/Special-Projects-Environmental-Impact-Statements.aspx].
The PCCA Channel Deepening Project (CDP) is located near Port Aransas, Nueces and Aransas Counties, Texas. The proposed action would deepen the existing channel from its currently authorized depth of -54 feet to -77 feet and extend the existing offshore channel limits an additional 29,000 feet into the Gulf of Mexico. The CDP channel alignment is within the existing channel bottom of the Corpus Christi Ship Channel starting near the southeast side of Harbor Island and traverses easterly through Aransas Pass and extends beyond the currently authorized terminus. The proposed action would span approximately 13.8 miles from Harbor Island to the Gulf generating approximately 47 million cubic yards of new work dredge material. PCCA has proposed to use suitable dredged material for beneficial use by constructing nearshore berms and beach nourishment on San Jose and Mustang Islands, as well as restore eroded shorelines on Harbor Island and near the Port Aransas Nature Preserve impacted by Hurricane Harvey. Dredged material determined not to be suitable for beneficial use will be placed in the Corpus Christi New Work Ocean Dredge Material Disposal Site located offshore Corpus Christi.
Written comments regarding the DEIS should be addressed to Mr. Jayson Hudson, USACE, Galveston District, Regulatory Division, 2000 Fort Point Road, Galveston, Texas 77550. Individuals who would like to provide comments electronically should submit them by electronic mail to: SWG201900067@usace.army.mil. Emailed attachments should be provided in docx, .jpeg, or .pdf formats.
Comments received during the comment period will be considered by the Corps to assist in determining whether to issue, modify, condition, or deny a permit for the proposed Action. Comments will be considered in the Final EIS analysis pursuant to NEPA. All comments must be received or postmarked by Monday, July 25, 2022, (33 calendar days following the public meeting).
