CONCORD, Mass. – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New England District will hold an open house on Dec. 4, 2013 in Concord, Mass., to discuss the proposed New England General Permit (NE GP) that would authorize certain activities that require Department of Army permits under Section 404 of the
Clean Water Act, Section 10 of the Rivers and Harbors Act of 1899, and Section 103 of the Marine
Protection, Research and Sanctuaries Act.

The proposed NE GP would replace the existing individual general permits in each of the six New England states. It would authorize activities in waters of the U.S. within the boundaries of and/or off the coasts of the six New England states (Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New Hampshire, Vermont and Maine), including activities occurring within the boundaries of Indian tribal lands that have no more than minimal adverse effects on the aquatic environment. The NE GP would be issued in accordance with Corps regulations at 33 CFR 320-332.

A public notice was issued on the proposed NE GP on June 13, 2013 and the comment period was extended to Aug. 28, 2013. The open house will be held on Wednesday, Dec. 4, 2013 from 2 – 7 p.m. in the Corps of Engineers office at 696 Virginia Road in Concord, Mass.

Registration is required to attend the open house. Contact Greg Penta at 978-318-8862 or by email to gregory.r.penta@usace.army.mil by Nov. 29, 2013 to register to attend.

The open house will provide another opportunity for the public, stakeholders and agencies to discuss the proposal in an informal setting and for the Corps of Engineers Regulatory Division staff to acquire information which will be considered in evaluating the proposed New England General Permit.

The public notice with the proposed New England General Permit (NAE 2013-00714) can be reviewed on the Corps website at: http://www.nae.usace.army.mil/Missions/Regulatory/PublicNotices.aspx. The direct link is http://www.nae.usace.army.mil/Portals/74/docs/regulatory/StateGeneralPermits/NEGP/NEGP-PN.pdf.

For more information, or to request an open house in another New England state, contact the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New England District, Regulatory Division (ATTN: Greg Penta), 696 Virginia Road, Concord, MA 01742-2751; or call Project Manager Greg Penta at 978-318-8862 or toll free 800-343-4789 or 800-362-4367 (if calling from within Massachusetts) or by email to gregory.r.penta@usace.army.mil.