Public Notice
U S Army Corps
of Engineers
Huntington District
Norfolk District
Pittsburgh District
In reply refer to Public Notice No. Issuance Date: December 20, 2022
LRH-2015-00592-GBR, LRP-2015-798,
NAO-2015-0898
STREAM: Elk, Gauley, Greenbrier, Roanoke, Closing Date: February 10, 2023
Blackwater Rivers (Section 10 waters) and various other streams
Please address all comments and inquiries to:
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Huntington District
ATTN: CELRH-RDE Public Notice No. (referenced above)
502 Eighth Street
Huntington, West Virginia 25701-2070 Phone: (304) 399-5610
NOTICE OF COMMENT PERIOD EXTENSION: The United States Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) published on December 12, 2022 for public comment a supplemental Public Notice to Mountain Valley Pipeline, LLC’s proposal to discharge dredged and/or fill material into waters of the United States associated with the construction of the Mountain Valley Pipeline and can be accessed on our website at https://www.lrh.usace.army.mil/Missions/Regulatory/Public-Notices/Article/3243440/lrh-2015-00592-gbr-lrp-2015-798-nao-2015-0898/. This Public Notice solicits comments related to supplemental information provided by the applicant. The public comment period on this proposal has been extended until February 10, 2022. The information provided in the December 12, 2022 Public Notice remains valid.
DESCRIPTION OF THE SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION: The applicant has provided supplemental information which overall reduces impacts. The provided information also includes a detailed stream and wetland restoration plan, a voluntary proposal to provide additional compensatory mitigation for longer-term temporary impacts to waters of the U.S., a cumulative effects assessment, minor corrections, and refinements to the amount of discharges of dredged and/or fill material into waters of the U.S. necessitated by the proposed project to further avoid and minimize effects to waters of the U.S. As a result, the Corps is providing notice to the public of this supplemental information and refinements. The application, as well as this supplemental information may be accessed on the applicant’s webpage at https://www.mountainvalleypipeline.info/news-info/ by selecting “IP Applications – Supplemental Information and Refinements December 2022” from the menu on the right-hand side of the page[1].
PUBLIC INTEREST REVIEW AND COMMENT: This application will be reviewed in accordance with 33 CFR 320 332, the Regulatory Program of the Corps, and other pertinent laws, regulations, and executive orders. The decision whether to issue a permit will be based on an evaluation of the probable impacts, including cumulative impacts, of the proposed activity on the public interest. That decision will reflect the national concern for both the protection and the utilization of important resources. The benefit that reasonably may be expected to accrue from the proposal must be balanced against its reasonably foreseeable detriments. All factors that may be relevant to the proposal will be considered, including the cumulative effects thereof; among those factors are conservation, economics, aesthetics, general environmental concerns, wetlands, historic properties, fish and wildlife values, flood hazards, floodplain values, land use, navigation, shoreline erosion and accretion, recreation, water supply and conservation, water quality, energy needs, safety, food and fiber production, mineral needs, considerations of property ownership and, in general, the needs and welfare of the people.
SOLICITATION OF COMMENTS: The Corps is soliciting comments from the public, federal, state and local agencies and officials, Indian Tribes and other interested parties in order to consider and evaluate the supplemental information provided by the applicant. Reference the text of the March 29, 2021 Public Notice for additional details. The Corps will only consider comments pursuant to the scope of the supplemental information.
CLOSE OF COMMENT PERIOD: The Huntington District has been designated as the lead Corps district, thus all comments pertaining to this Public Notice must reach their office on or before the close of the comment period listed on page one (1) of this Public Notice. If no comments are received by that date, it will be considered that there are no additional objections related to the supplemental information. Comments should be submitted electronically to Mr. Adam Fannin by email at CELRP-MVP@usace.army.mil. If you do not have internet access, comments may be submitted through the United States Postal Service (USPS) to the following address:
United States Army Corps of Engineers, Huntington District
ATTN: CELRH-RD-E
Public Notice: LRH-2015-00592-GBR
LRP-2015-798, NAO-2015-0898
502 Eighth Street
Huntington, West Virginia 25701-2070.
Copies should only be provided through the USPS when electronic transmission is not possible. Precautionary internal mail handling procedures may be instituted to protect our workforce, which may result in longer than normal times to process and receive hard copy submissions. To be considered in our evaluation, comments submitted through the USPS should have a postmark dated on, or prior to, the close of the comment period listed on page one (1) of this Public Notice.
Please note names and addresses of those who submit comments in response to this Public Notice become part of our administrative record and, as such, may be available to the public under provisions of the Freedom of Information Act. Thank you for your interest in our nation’s water resources. If you have any questions concerning this Public Notice, please contact Adam Fannin of the Energy Resource Branch at (304) 399-5610, by mail at the above address, or by email at: CELRP-MVP@usace.army.mil.
______________________
Michael Hatten
Chief, Regulatory Division
Huntington District
______________________
Scott Hans
Chief, Regulatory Division
Pittsburgh District
______________________
Jennifer Serafin
Chief, Western Virginia Regulatory Section
Regulatory Branch
Norfolk District