The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Jacksonville District has opened public comment on the Draft Environmental Assessment (EA) and proposed Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) for construction of a dredged material management area (DMMA) at Site O-23 located in Martin County, Florida.
“ Maintaining safe navigation on federal waterways is one of the Corps’ key missions ,” said Ashleigh Fountain, Project Manager . “ Construction of an additional Dredged Material Management Area in Martin County to provide adequate capacity for dredged material is an important step in preparing for the future maintenance needs of the Intracoastal Waterway and the Okeechobee Waterway .”
The Corps has prepared a Draft EA to assess environmental effects of the construction of a DMMA at the O-23 site in Martin County, Florida. The Preferred Alternative includes construction of a DMMA within the approximate 31-acre O-23 site to accept dredged material from maintenance of the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway (IWW) or the Okeechobee Waterway (OWW).
Approximately 21 acres will be used for construction of the DMMA, of which, approximately 14 acres will be used for the confined disposal facility.
Currently, there is one DMMA for dredged material from the OWW, and limited capacity for the IWW north of the Stuart Causeway.
The proposed O-23 DMMA site is being proposed to handle the estimated shoaled material to be removed from portions of the OWW over the next 50 years.
Due to its relatively close proximity to the IWW (approximately 5 miles), the proposed O-23 DMMA site may also receive dredged material from portions of that waterway as well.
Public comment will be accepted through June 18, 2020.