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Fact Sheet #2 - April 2000
United States US Army Corps fnFjl
Environmental of Engineers l!,a,!|
Protection Agency New England District (L...JJ
LONG ISLAND SOUND
DREDGED MATERIAL DISPOSAL EIS
EIS Work Plan and Process
BACKGROUND
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and
the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (the Corps) are
preparing an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS)
that will consider the potential designation of one or
more dredged material disposal site(s) in the waters of
Long Island Sound (LIS). This proposed action is
required under Section 102 (c) of the Marine Protection.
Research and Sanctuaries Act (MPRSA) and 40 CFR
230.80 of the regulations of the EPA under Section 404
of the Clean Water Act (CWA). The EIS will be
prepared in accordance with the National
Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), and the Council on
Environmental Quality (CEQ) Regulations (40 CFR
1500 et. seq.).
Dredged material has been disposed of at the existing
sites known as the Western Long Island Sound (WLIS).
the Central Long Island Sound (CLIS), the Cornfield
Shoals (CSDS), and the New London Disposal (NLDS)
sites pursuant to programmatic and site designation
EIS's released by the Corps in 1982 and 1991. This
site-designation EIS will provide the information
needed for EPA's decision on whether one or more
dredged material disposal sites will be designated under
the MPRSA and identified in advance under the CWA.
The EIS will include analyses applying the five general
and eleven specific site selection criteria for designating
ocean disposal sites presented in 40 CFR Parts 228.5
and 228.6 and the CWA Section 404(b)(l) guidelines.
In addition, the impact criteria in 40 CFR 228.10 will
be used to assess impacts of the current use of the
existing sites and alternative open water sites.
WHAT'S IN THE EIS
An EIS provides information on the effects of the
proposed action and alternatives on environmental and
socioeconomic resources. This enables the decisionmaker
(in this case, the EPA) to make an informed decision as
required by NEPA. To arrive at a decision on site
designation, the following information will be included in
the EIS:
• The purpose and need for designation of one or more
dredged material disposal site(s) in the waters of LIS
• A description and evaluation of alternatives to
disposal of dredged material at the existing open
water sites
• A description of the affected environment, including
the general setting of LIS and for each site evaluated
• An assessment of the environmental and socio-
economic effects, including direct, indirect and
cumulative impacts of alternatives to dredged
material disposal at the existing open water sites
• A ranking of the disposal site alternatives
• A review of the proposed action's compliance/
consistency with environmental laws, regulations
and programs
• Site management and monitoring plans for open
water sites
• A summary of the EIS public involvement process.
WORK PLAN
The Work Plan includes tasks to be conducted before the
EIS document is prepared. These tasks are listed below.
Many already have been initiated.
• Public involvement plan preparation and
implementation
• Dredging needs inventory
• Identification of alternatives
• Alternative site screening process
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• The boundaries of the study area (called the
Zone of Siting Feasibility, or the ZSF)
• Data review to identify gaps and initiation
of a field program to collect data needed to
characterize the existing environment within
the ZSF.
• Preparation and distribution of the document
for public review and comments, first as a draft
and then as a final
• Record of Decision (ROD) and a Final
Rulemaking on the decision.
These steps are further described below.
Public Involvement Plan
The public involvement activities have begun on
this EIS. A Notice of Intent announcing the EIS
process was published in the Federal Register on
June 3, 1999. Three public scoping meetings were
held in June 1999 in Stony Brook, NY and Groton
and Stamford, CT. A report titled "Long Island
Sound Site Designation, Environmental Impact
Statement: Summary of Scoping Meetings"
provides an overview of the comments and issues
presented at the meetings. Public workshops were
also held in Port Jefferson, NY and Stratford, CT in
October 1999. Four fact sheets (October 1999)
were produced on the topic areas titled as follows:
• Dredging Needs and Alternatives
• Data Review and Recommendations
• Site Screening Process
• Evaluation Factors for Site Screening.
These topics were the focus of small group
discussions to get public input on these issues.
Comments provided at those workshops are
summarized in a report titled "October 1999
Workshop Proceedings". The October series of
fact sheets are available for downloading at EPA's
LIS Web Site: www.epa.gov/region01/eco/lisdreg/.
At the workshops scheduled for April 2000 in Port
Jefferson, NY and Groton, CT, the public is invited
to learn more about the specific plans for the EIS and
to provide comments and suggestions as the Work
Plan goes forward. The Work Plan is a flexible,
evolving document that will be continually modified
and detailed as the EIS progresses. The Work Plan is
available on the EPA's LIS Web Site.
The public is invited to actively participate in the
preparation of the EIS as well to provide review and
comment at critical points during the process.
Depending on individuals' time constraints and degree
of interest in specific topics, there are varying levels
of input and involvement available to the public.
• Fact sheets are being prepared and distributed
to a wide-reaching distribution list to inform the
public as the project progresses.
• Workshops are being held at critical points
in the process to receive input on tasks recently
completed and on recommendations regarding
the next step in each task
• Working groups will be established for input
on the selection of alternatives and ultimately
the screening and selection of sites for analysis in
the EIS. These groups will also be actively
involved in providing input and
recommendations to the information gathered
for the EIS. These groups will include
representatives from EPA, the Corps, other
federal, state and local agencies, and members
of the public who volunteer and commit to rolling
up their sleeves in resolving critical issues
associated with key decisions as the EIS process
continues.
LIS EIS
Public Involvement Process
EIS
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Final
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Site Monitoring
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Public Meeting & Review
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Dredging Needs Inventory
The dredging needs inventory is important to characterize
both the volume and quality of dredged material in need
of disposal over the next 20 years. This inventory will
address historic trends and will project future volumes.
A review of historic projects has been initiated and an
assessment of future volumes will be conducted based
on interviews with harbor users within the coastal
communities of LIS. Each harbor in Connecticut.
New York and Rhode Island (east to Point Judith) will be
included in the analysis. Data/projections will be
described by source (e.g. federal civil works, other
federal, state and municipal, and private) with
assumptions made as to the anticipated quality of the
material and suitability for alternative disposal
sites/methods.
Alternatives
As required by NEPA, the EPA and the Corps will
evaluate the existing disposal sites, and additional
alternatives including other open water disposal sites,
other types of dredged material disposal and
management, and the no action alternative. Specifically,
four types of disposal alternatives are under
consideration: open water disposal; beneficial reuse;
upland disposal; and treatment technologies. Also
considered will be the "no action" (or "no designation")
alternative.
The alternatives section of the EIS will discuss and
contrast alternative disposal sites and methods,
including those which are not considered reasonable or
feasible. Different types of disposal (e.g. containment
islands, nearshore sites, borrow pits, confined aquatic
disposal sites, and beach nourishment) will be evaluated
and a matrix prepared comparing benefits, impacts and
costs of each. Each alternative site resulting from the
screening process will be evaluated and ultimately
ranked based on environmental factors, economic
feasibility and engineering feasibility.
Affected Environment
The affected environment is defined as the Zone of
Siting Feasibility (ZSF). Since the October 1999
workshops, the ZSF has been defined for each of the
alternative disposal options.
• Open Water Disposal - From Hell's Gate eastward
through LIS, to Fishers Island, Gardiners Bay,
Peconic Bay, the waters adjacent to Montauk, NY, to
Block Island Sound as far east as Point Judith, RI.
• Upland Disposal - All lands within the following
political jurisdictions:
* New York - Westchester, Bronx, Queens,
Brooklyn, Suffolk and Nassau counties
* Connecticut - All counties in the state
* Rhode Island - Washington county
• Beneficial Uses - The area within both the Open
Water Disposal ZSF and the Upland Disposal ZSF
The ZSF for Confined Disposal Facilities (CDF) is a
subset of the beneficial use areas and includes the open
waters of LIS and upland areas to the inland boundary
of the states' respective coastal zones.
For each of the ZSF's, biological, physical, chemical,
socioeconomic and cultural resources will be described.
Existing data will be used as well as information
gathered through field investigations and interviews.
A general section will be included in the EIS that
describes the setting for the entire LIS region. For the
existing and alternative open water sites, the description
will be specific to each candidate disposal site. For
upland and beneficial use sites, a general setting
description will be followed by a description of the
range of sites considered. The following is a list of
topics to be addressed in the section describing the
entire LIS region.
• Physical setting: water quality, geology,
meteorology, physical oceanography
• Biological resources: plankton, benthos, fish and
shellfish, wildlife, endangered and threatened
species
• Socioeconomic resources: general fishing
activities, shipping/navigation, beaches,
parks/natural areas, historic and archaeological
resources, other human uses (swimming, recreation
diving, cable pipeline locations, military, mining
activities).
For the existing and alternative open water sites, the
following resources will be described.
• Physical setting: water quality, sediment quality,
side scan sonar data, bathymetry, current speed and
direction
• Biological resources: benthos, fish, shellfish and
fishing activities
• Socioeconomic resources: other human uses,
including potential for historic shipwrecks.
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For upland and beneficial use sites, the following
resources will be described:
• General setting and land uses and zoning
• Soils, vegetation
• Water resources (surface and ground)
• Biota (wetlands, aquatic life, wildlife,
endangered species)
• Historic and archaeological resources
• Socioeconomic resources
• Human uses.
The analyses will be supported with graphic output
from the geographic information system (GIS)
database for the region.
Environmental and
Socioeconomic Consequences
The impact analyses will be highly analytical and in
depth, based on a thorough review of the scientific
literature and studies both through research and data
collected by the Disposal Area Monitoring System
(DAMOS) program and the field efforts, and through
studies and current research. The analyses will be
based on the site selection (228.5 and 228.6) and
impact criteria (228.10) in the MPRSA and, as
applicable, Section 404(b)(l) guidelines and other
pertinent federal and state laws and regulations. Any
applicable models will be used to quantify impacts as
much as possible.
For each type of disposal method and candidate sites
(open water, beneficial, upland and treatment
technologies) the temporary, short-term and long-
term direct, indirect and cumulative effects will be
assessed, applying the same categories described for
the affected environment.
Compliance/Consistency with
Environmental Laws, Regulations
and Programs
For the preferred disposal alternative, the appropriate
federal, state and local environmental laws,
regulations and programs will be reviewed, including
the following:
• Clean Water Act, Section 404 (b)(l) guidelines
• MPRSA site selection criteria
• Coastal Zone Management Act (for Connecticut,
New York and Rhode Island, if applicable)
• Endangered Species Act
• Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation
and Management Act
• National Historic Preservation Act
• Fish and Wildlife Coordination Act
• Marine Mammal Protection Act
• Clean Air Act
• Appropriate Federal Executive Orders
and Memorandums
• Appropriate state or regional comprehensive
conservation and management plans.
Preparation of the Draft
and Final EIS
The above-described analyses will be presented in a
Draft EIS and distributed for public review and
comment as required by NEPA. Following a public
meeting and review, all comments will be considered,
and a response to comments will be prepared. A Final
EIS will be prepared based on the comments received
on the Draft EIS.
Development of Draft and Final Site
Monitoring and Management Plans
(SMMP)
For any open water site proposed for designation,
a draft and final Site Monitoring and Management Plan
(SMMP) will be prepared as required under Sections
102 (c)(3) of the MPRSA. The SMMP(s) will be
prepared as stand-alone document(s). Summaries of the
plan(s) will be included in the EIS.
Record of Decision and
Final Rulemaking
The Record of Decision (ROD) will be published in the
Federal Register along with the Final Rulemaking.
For more information, please contact Ann Rodney, US EPA, 1 Congress Street,
Suite 1100, CWQ, Boston, MA 02114-2023, 617-918-1538 (tel), 617-918-1505 (fax),
rodney.ann@epa.gov (email), or visit our Web Site at
www.epa.gov/region01/eco/lisdreg/.
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