November 13, 2006 -
Supplemental Environmental Impact
Statement Scoping Report
(PDF 117 KB)
Louisiana is losing coastal wetlands at an alarming rate. Restoring these wetlands
is imperative to protecting the state’s abundant resources from devastating storms
and hurricanes. A very promising option for restoring coastal wetlands and reducing
land loss is the beneficial use of dredged material. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers,
New Orleans District (USACE-MVN) has the largest annual channel Operations and Maintenance
(O&M) program in the nation and dredges an average of 70 million cubic yards
(mcy) of material annually during maintenance dredging of navigation channels. Not
all of this material is available for beneficial placement in the coastal ecosystem;
however, there is the potential to use up to 30 mcy annually to enhance coastal
wetlands through marsh creation, wetland nourishment, barrier island restoration,
ridge restoration, and other techniques.
During the first two weeks of September 2006, the New Orleans District, U.S. Army
Corps of Engineers, and the Louisiana Department of Natural Resources, hosted a
series of National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) scoping meetings to solicit public
comments and provide information on the Beneficial Use of Dredged Material (BUDMAT)
Program Study, a component of the Louisiana Coastal Area, Louisiana (LCA) – Ecosystem
Restoration.
September 1, 2006
Meeting Press Release
(PDF 77 KB)
Project Information
Scoping Questions
(Note: Click image to expand.)