CONCORD, Mass. – The Coastal Property Owners Association is seeking a permit from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New England District to conduct work in waters of the United States in conjunction with placing dredged sand to support a coastal dune on Plum Island in Newbury, Mass.
The Coastal Property Owners Association is proposing to perform work and discharge dredged material below the high tide line (HTL) of waters of the U.S. in order to bulldoze sand from the intertidal zone and place it in front of the coastal dune that exists just above the high tide line in the Atlantic Ocean at Plum Island Beach in Newbury.
This activity is referred to as beach scraping. The area being reviewed is directly in front of 29, 31, 35, 37 and 39 Annapolis Way in Newbury. The total area below the HTL where beach scraping is proposed is approximately 43,000 square feet. Sand would be bulldozed in layers ranging in thickness from 1 to 2 feet. The five properties listed have been identified by the Newbury Building Commissioner as in danger of losing occupancy permits due to erosion of the coastal dune in front of their properties.
The purpose of the project is storm protection. The permit would be valid for a one-time beach scraping event only. Future beach scraping proposals will require a permit reauthorization. Plum Island Beach is a high energy barrier beach consisting of shifting sand. There are no significant environmental resources in the intertidal area of the beach. Therefore, no mitigation is proposed and none will be required.
The application for the federal permit was filed by the Coastal Property Owners Association with the Corps of Engineers in compliance with Section 404 of the Clean Water Act, which regulates the discharge or fill of material in United States waters, including wetlands; and with Section 10 of the Rivers and Harbors Act, which provides for federal regulation of any work in, or affecting navigable waters of the United States.
The public notice, with more specifics on the proposed work can be viewed on the Corps website at http://www.nae.usace.army.mil. Select Regulatory and then public notices or go directly to http://www.nae.usace.army.mil/Regulatory/Public%20Notices/.
Public comments on this work proposed by the Coastal Property Owners Association (file # NAE-2008-3213) should be forwarded no later than Sept. 5, 2012 to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New England District, Regulatory Division (ATTN: Kevin Kotelly), 696 Virginia Road, Concord, MA 01742-2751. Additional information is available from Permit Project Manager Kevin Kotelly at 978-318-8703 or toll free 800-343-4789 or 800-362-4367 (if calling from within Massachusetts) or by email to: kevin.r.kotelly@usace.army.mil.