USACE awards $9.3m contract for environmental review of four harbour dredging projects

The US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Savannah District has awarded a $9.3 million contract to support the preparation of four separate environmental impact statements (EIS) under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), the agency announced.

The EIS reports will cover the operation and maintenance dredging activities at Brunswick Harbor (Georgia), Charleston Harbor (South Carolina), Wilmington Harbor (North Carolina), and Morehead City Harbor (North Carolina). According to the USACE, the work is being undertaken to address requirements of the 2020 South Atlantic regional biological opinion issued by the National Marine Fisheries Service.

Due to the level of site-specific review required, the USACE stated that individual EISs will be prepared for each harbor. The agency said the studies will be conducted in accordance with NEPA, as amended by the Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023, and USACE policies and procedures. The process is expected to take approximately three years.

In May 2024, the USACE held a series of science workshops involving federal and state agencies and academic experts. The discussions focused on the species potentially affected by dredging and identified knowledge gaps to help inform the EIS analyses, the agency said.

Each EIS will include a structured decision-making process to evaluate the environmental effects of dredging and assess potential risks to species and habitats. The agency said the assessments will result in a preferred alternative for each harbor, which will then be documented in a record of decision.

According to the USACE, public engagement opportunities will be offered throughout the process, including webinars, workshops, meetings, and formal comment periods.

Once complete, the selected alternatives will be implemented into each district's dredging operations.