News Release
| Release Number: | 02-015 |
| Dated: | 2/4/2002 |
| Contact: | Matt Rabe, 503-808-4510 |
Portland, Ore.-The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers today announced it would remove from consideration two ocean disposal sites from the list of possible locations for placing material dredged from the mouth of the Columbia River this year.
The Corps had proposed eight sites when its annual maintenance dredging public notice hit the street in mid-December. The sites being dropped from the list at this time are the near shore site on the southwest Washington coast and the site just south of the south jetty. The sites could be considered again in future years.
"Based on the questions and comments received so far, we decided that additional evaluation and design work are necessary before using either of these sites," said Eric Braun, project manager for the mouth of the Columbia River work. Six sites, including on-shore disposal at Benson Beach, remain as possible disposal locations for this year.
The Corps has been taking public comments on its proposal since December 21, 2001. The Corps will continue taking written comments through Feb. 22.
The Corps will host a public hearing Feb. 12 in Astoria at the Red Lion Inn, 400 Industry St., from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. An open house session will begin at 6 p.m. The public is invited to provide formal testimony on the proposed work at the public hearing.
The hearing is being held in cooperation with the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality, Oregon Department of Land Conservation and Development, Washington Department of Ecology and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
A copy of the public notice is available on the Corps' website at https://www.nwp.usace.army.mil/issues/mcr/pubs.htm.