News-Herald, PUBLIC NOTICE NOTICE OF RECEIPT OF 401 APPLICATION Public notice is hereby given that the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency (Ohio EPA) Division of Surface Water (DSW) has received an application for, and has begun to consider whether to issue or deny, a Clean Water Act Section 401 water quality certification for a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) maintenance dredging project located in Fairport Harbor. The application was submitted by U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Buffalo District. The project is located within the limits of the Federal navigation channel of Fairport Harbor, which is located on the southern shore of Lake Erie at the mouth of the Grand River (a major tributary to Lake Erie), and within the Grand River. The Buffalo District Corps of Engineers Public Notice Number for this project is FAIRPORT-14. The Ohio EPA ID Number for this project is 134275. As required by the Antidegradation Rule, rule 3745-1-05 of the Ohio Administrative Code (OAC), three alternatives have been submitted for the project. The applicant’s proposed preferred alternative, if approved, would dredge an estimated 650,000 cubic yards of sediment from the harbor with placement of the dredged material at the existing open-lake and near shore areas in Lake Erie. The applicant’s proposed minimal degradation alternative, if approved, would dredge an estimated 350,000 cubic yards of sediment from the harbor, with placement of the dredged material at the existing open-lake and near shore areas in Lake Erie. The proposed project is scheduled to occur between June 15 and September 15 in an effort to minimize impacts to local environmental resources, primarily fisheries. Dredging will not occur during Lake Erie storm events. The applicant’s proposed non-degradation alternative, if approved, would have no direct impacts on waters of the state. Discharges from the activity, if approved, would result in degradation to, or lowering of, the water quality of Lake Erie and the Grand River. Ohio EPA will review the application, and decide whether to grant or deny the application, in accordance with OAC Chapters 3745-1 and 3745-32. In accordance with OAC rule 3745-1-05, an antidegradation review of the application will be conducted before deciding whether to allow a lowering of water quality. All three proposed alternatives will be considered during the review process. No exclusions or waivers, as outlined by OAC rule 3745-1-05, apply or may be granted. Starting December 12, 2013, copies of the application and technical support information may be inspected on Ohio EPA-DSW website: www.epa.ohio.gov/dsw Persons wishing to 1) be on Ohio EPA’s interested parties mailing list for this project, 2) request a public hearing, or 3) submit written comments for Ohio EPA’s consideration in reviewing the application should do so in writing to Ohio EPA-DSW, Attention: Permits Processing Unit, P.O. Box 1049, Columbus, Ohio 43216-1049 within thirty days of the date of this public notice. 187327/December 12, 2013
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