NORFOLK, Va. – Norfolk District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers regulatory employees returned to work today after the enactment of a continuing resolution to fund the government until January 15.
The employees, environmental scientists and administrative support staff assigned to the Norfolk District’s Regulatory Branch, will restart regulatory operations immediately, said Kimberly Prisco-Baggett, acting chief of the branch.
The Norfolk District issued furlough notices to 48 employees and closed regulatory offices Oct. 15 due to the lack of an appropriations bill.
The closure suspended work on more than 650 pending actions, but Prisco-Baggett anticipates little or no delay on the actions because of the short closure.
Norfolk District’s Regulatory Branch’s mission is to protect the nation’s aquatic resources while allowing reasonable and necessary development. The office issues permits for regulated activities proposed throughout the commonwealth of Virginia.
In Virginia, USACE regulators, operating from the Norfolk headquarters and from field and home offices throughout the commonwealth, cover 42,767 square miles and complete an average of 5,000 actions each year.