The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New England District received a permit application to conduct work in waters of the United States from Running Tide Technologies for proposed work in the Atlantic Ocean, 65 nautical miles off the coast of Massachusetts at Fippennies Ledge.

The proposed work involves the placement of 30 vertical kelp lines for the purpose of advancing research on the use of kelp for carbon sequestration. The kelp lines would be moored approximately 500 feet apart along two transects. Each experimental kelp line would be a discrete unit and would be anchored to the seafloor with a 600-lb. concrete block and 30 feet of chain.

Each line would have kelp growing on the upper 50 feet with underwater sensors located at the surface as well as 50 feet below the surface. The sensors would collect environmental and
locational data, which would be sent to Running Tide Technologies daily via a surface telemetry buoy. The kelp would not be sold commercially or dumped at sea, but would be brought back to shore for analysis and disposal USACE is soliciting comments from members of the public; federal, state and local agencies; American Indian Tribes; and other interested parties to consider and evaluate the impacts of this proposed activity. The public notice with more detailed information is available for review on the District website at https://www.nae.usace.army.mil/Missions/PublicNotices, file # NAE-2021-02096.

Public comments on this proposed work should be forwarded no later than Feb. 24, 2022 to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New England District, Attn: Ruth Ann Brien, Regulatory Division, 696 Virginia Road, Concord, MA 01742 or by email to ruthann.a.brien@usace.army.mil. Please reference file # NAE-2021-02096.