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Federal Government Releases Final Document Proposing Two Sites in Long Island Sound for Disposal of Dredged Material

Release Date: 04/12/04
Contact Information: Contact: David Deegan, EPA Press Office, (617) 918-1017

For Immediate Release: April 12, 2004; Release # 04-04-06

(Boston, MA - April 12, 2004) A Final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) recommending the designation of two dredged material disposal sites in the western and central regions of the Long Island Sound is being released by EPA. The EIS was prepared in cooperation with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New England District. Interested members of the public may review and comment on these materials for 30 days.

Following a multi-year process that has included much public participation, the Final EIS recommends designating two open-water dredged material disposal sites, one in Western Long Island Sound and one in Central Long Island Sound. The EIS evaluates the potential environmental impacts associated with the designation of these sites as long-term disposal sites for dredged material. Both sites are existing dredged material disposal sites that have been in use for several years.

The Final EIS being released today includes a Response to Comments document and Final Site Management and Monitoring Plans (SMMPs), which were all prepared in consideration of comments received on the Draft EIS published in Sept. 2003. The comments received on the Draft EIS included suggestions concerning alternatives to open-water disposal of dredged material in the Sound, potential impacts on fisheries and other marine resources, composition of dredged material and dredged material/disposal site management and monitoring.

The Draft EIS and SMMPs were available for public review and comment for 95 days. EPA and the Corps held a total of six public hearings, on four days, in New York and Connecticut to ensure opportunity for public participation. EPA is soliciting public comment on the Final EIS for 30 days, beginning Friday, April 16. The comment period will end on Monday, May 17 at 5:00 p.m.

EPA and the Corps will hold two additional public information meetings, at which the public may provide comment on the Final EIS. The meetings will be on:

• May 4, 2004, 4:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. (registration begins at 3:00 p.m.) at the Islandia Marriott Long Island Hotel, 3635 Express Drive North, Islandia, N.Y. Directions available at: http://marriott.com/property/propertyPage/ISPIS .
• May 5, 2004, 4:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. (registration begins at 3:00 p.m.) at the Westin Stamford Hotel, One First Stamford Place, Stamford, CT. Directions available at: http://www.starwood.com/westin/index.html .

The final EIS identifies the Western Long Island Sound and Central Long Island Sound sites as the preferred long-term open water disposal sites for dredged material from Long Island Sound. The two sites are located in Connecticut waters approximately 2.5 nautical miles south of Stamford and 5.6 nautical miles south of East Haven, respectively. The sites were selected from among four alternative disposal sites and methods that were evaluated in the EIS.

The Final EIS was prepared EPA's New England regional office in cooperation with the New England District of the Corps, in response to the need for a long-term disposal site for dredged material from rivers and harbors in the central and western regions of Long Island Sound. The report was prepared in accordance with Federal laws requiring an evaluation of the potential environmental impacts of designating open-water dredged material disposal sites in Long Island Sound and evaluating alternatives for disposing dredged material.

Work on the EIS began in 1999 when the federal government published a Notice of Intent to designate one or more dredged material disposal sites in Long Island Sound. Periodic dredging and disposal of dredged material is necessary to maintain safe navigation and marine commerce. There presently are no disposal sites in Long Island Sound designated for long-term use.

General information on Long Island Sound is available at: https://www.epa.gov/ne/eco/lis/index.html. Electronic copies of the Final EIS and various other materials related to dredge material disposal site designation are available at: https://www.epa.gov/ne/eco/lisdreg. Copies of the Final EIS will be available at the following locations:

EPA New England Library 11th Floor One Congress Street Suite 1100 Boston, MA 02114-2023	New London Public Library 63 Huntington Street New London, CT 06320-6194
Boston Public Library 700 Boylston Street Copley Square Boston, MA 02116	Norwalk Public Library 1 Belden Ave. Norwalk, CT 06850-3397
New York State Library Cultural Education Center 6th Floor Empire State Center Albany, NY 12230	Acton Public Library 60 Old Boston Post Road Old Saybrook, CT 06475-2200
Information Service Division CT State Library 231 Capital Ave. Hartford, CT 06106	Ferguson Library 752 High Ridge Road Stamford, CT 06905-2308
Mamaroneck Public Library Inc. 136 Prospect Ave. Mamaroneck, NY 10543 Port Jefferson Free Library 100 Thompson Street Port Jefferson, NY 11777	Riverhead Free Library 330 Court Street Riverhead, NY 11901
Bridgeport Public Library 925 Broad Street Bridgeport, CT 06604-4871	East Hampton Library 159 Main Street East Hampton, NY 11937
Milford City Library 57 New Haven Ave. Milford, CT 06460-3345	Montauk Library 871 Montauk Highway, P.O. Box 700 Montauk, NY 11954
New Haven Free Public Library 133 Elm Street New Haven, CT 06510-2057

Related information:
Long Island Sound
Study Web Site
Long Island Sound
Dredging