Interested parties are hereby notified that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), Norfolk District has received an application for a Department of the Army (DA) permit pursuant to Section 404 of the Clean Water Act (33 U.S.C. § 1344). The purpose of this public notice is to solicit comments from the public and information necessary to evaluate the probable impact on the public interest regarding the proposed activity as described below and as shown on the enclosed drawings.
LOCATION OF PROPOSED ACTIVITY: The proposed activity, known as Project Skye Data Center, would affect waters of the United States associated with Deep Creek a tributary of the James River. The project/review area is located south of Genito Road, east of Moseley Road, and north of Duval Road; at Latitude 37.4398 and Longitude -77.75901; in Chesterfield County, Virginia.
PROPOSED ACTIVITY: The applicant is requesting a DA permit to construct five data centers, three substations, parking, roads, utilities, and stormwater management facilities that will impact 17.99 acres of palustrine forested wetlands (PFO), 8,115 linear feet of stream channel, convert 7.23 acres of PFO to palustrine emergent wetlands (PEM), and temporary impacts to 125 linear feet of stream channel as shown on the drawings entitled "Figure 4: Wetlands and Waters Impacts map" Sheets 1-10 prepared on behalf of the applicant by Timmons Group dated October 10, 2025, revised March 30, 2026, revised May 15, 2026, revised June 12, 2026 and Corps date stamped as received June 19, 2026. The applicant's stated purpose is to construct a Google mission-critical data center campus, of no less than five data center buildings, associated substations, and supporting infrastructure to serve the growing regional and national need for high-capacity digital infrastructure.
MITIGATION: The applicant has provided the following information to explain how impacts to waters of the United States associated with the proposed activity are to be avoided, minimized, and compensated for.
The applicant proposes to compensate for unavoidable impacts to waters of the United States by purchasing 43.31 wetland credits from an approved wetland mitigation bank and 9,213 stream credits from an approved stream mitigation bank.
The applicant reported demonstration of avoidance and minimization by crossing stream channels perpendicularly to reduce impacts. Stormwater basins were positioned to capture adequate drainage and discharge to downstream waterbodies to maintain the hydrologic regime comparable to predevelopment conditions. The project will avoid 121 acres of wetlands out of a total of 147 acres on-site and will avoid 23,723 linear feet of stream channel of a total of 32,045 linear feet.
The USACE will determine the type and amount of compensatory mitigation necessary to offset losses of waters of the United States which may result from the proposed activity in accordance with 33 CFR § 332.
A copy of the application can be found on the Virginia Marine Resources Commission’s website https://webapps.mrc.virginia.gov/public/habitat/additionaldocs.php?id=20260360
HISTORIC PROPERTIES/CULTURAL RESOURCES: Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, as amended (54 U.S.C. § 306108), requires Federal agencies to consult with the appropriate State and/or Tribal Historic Preservation Officers to take into account the effects of actions they undertake or permit on historic properties listed in or eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places.
The USACE is evaluating the undertaking for effects to historic properties as required under Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act. This public notice serves to inform the public of the proposed undertaking and invites comments including those from local, State, and Federal government agencies with respect to historic resources.
The USACE’s final eligibility and effect determination relative to historic resource impacts may be subject to additional coordination with the State Historic Preservation Officer, federally recognized tribes, and other interested parties, and with full consideration given to the proposed undertaking’s potential direct and indirect effects on historic properties within the USACE-identified permit area.
ENDANGERED SPECIES: Section 7 of the Endangered Species Act (ESA) (16 U.S.C. § 1536) requires federal agencies to consult with the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) and/or U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) on all actions that may affect a species listed (or proposed for listing) under the ESA as threatened or endangered or that may adversely modify designated critical habitat (or critical habitat proposed such designation).The USACE has performed an initial review of the application, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) Information for Planning and Consultation (IPaC), to determine if any threatened, endangered, proposed, or candidate species, and the proposed and final designated critical habitat may occur in the vicinity of the proposed project. Based on this initial review, the Corps has made a preliminary determination that the proposed project may affect a threatened or endangered species or designated critical habitat. USACE will complete the required consultation under Section 7 prior to finalizing a permit decision.
This notice serves as request to the USFWS for any additional information on whether any listed or proposed to be listed endangered or threatened species or critical habitat may be present in the area which would be affected by the proposed activity.
ESSENTIAL FISH HABITAT: Section 305(b)(2) of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (MSA) as amended (16 U.S.C. § 1855), requires Federal agencies to consult with the NMFS on all actions, or proposed actions, permitted, funded, or undertaken by the agency, that may adversely affect Essential Fish Habitat (EFH). Pursuant to the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act 1996, the USACE reviewed the project area, examined information provided by the applicant, and consulted available species information. The USACE’s preliminary review indicates that:
There is no EFH in the Corps area of responsibility.
NAVIGATION: The proposed structure or activity is not located in the vicinity of a federal navigation channel.
WATER QUALITY CERTIFICATION: Water Quality Certification may be required from the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality. The Clean Water Act (CWA) Section 401 Certification Rule (Certification Rule, 40 CFR 121), effective September 27, 2023, requires certification, or waiver, for any license or permit that authorizes an activity that may result in a discharge. The scope of a CWA Section 401 certification is limited to ensuring that a discharge from a Federally licensed or permitted activity will comply with water quality requirements. To comply with the Virginia Section 401 Water Quality Certification Program and the Certification Rule, the applicant is responsible for adhering to the procedures outlined in the Certification Rule when requesting certification from the certifying authority, the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality. In accordance with Certification Rule part 121.12, the Corps will notify the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Administrator when it has received a Department of the Army (DA) permit application and the related certification. The Administrator is responsible for determining whether the discharge may affect water quality in a neighboring jurisdiction. The DA permit may not be issued pending the conclusion of the Administrator’s determination of effects on neighboring jurisdictions.
COASTAL ZONE MANAGEMENT: For compliance with the Coastal Zone Management Act of 1972, as amended for projects located in Virginia’s Coastal Zone, the applicant must certify that federally licensed or permitted activities affecting Virginia's coastal uses or resources will be conducted in a manner consistent with the Virginia’s Coastal Zone Management Program (Virginia CZM Program), and obtain concurrence from the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ), Office of Environmental Impact Review (OEIR). It is the applicant’s responsibility to submit a consistency certification to the OEIR at eir@deq.virginia.gov for concurrence or objection, and proof of concurrence must be submitted to the Corps prior to final permit issuance. A template federal consistency certification can be found in the Federal Consistency Manual here: https://www.deq.virginia.gov/our-programs/environmental-impact-review/federal-consistency. For more information or to obtain a list of the enforceable policies of the Virginia CZM Program, contact the DEQ-OEIR at (804) 659-1915 or e-mail: bettina.rayfield@deq.virginia.gov.
The applicant has submitted concurrence.
NATIONAL WILD AND SCENIC RIVERS: There are no designated National Wild and Scenic Rivers in the State of Virginia.
NOTE: This public notice is being issued based on information furnished by the applicant. This information has not been verified or evaluated to ensure compliance with laws and regulation governing the regulatory program. The geographic extent of aquatic resources within the proposed project area that either are, or are presumed to be, within the USACE jurisdiction has been verified by USACE personnel.
EVALUATION: The decision whether to issue a permit will be based on an evaluation of the probable impact including cumulative impacts of the proposed activity on the public interest. That decision will reflect the national concern for both protection and utilization of important resources. The benefits, which reasonably may be expected to accrue from the proposal, must be balanced against its reasonably foreseeable detriments. All factors which may be relevant to the proposal will be considered including cumulative impacts thereof; among these are conservation, economics, aesthetics, general environmental concerns, wetlands, historical 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. Evaluation of the impact of the activity on the public interest will also include application of the guidelines promulgated by the Administrator, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), under authority of Section 404(b) of the Clean Water Act or the criteria established under authority of Section 102(a) of the Marine Protection Research and Sanctuaries Act of 1972. A permit will be granted unless its issuance is found to be contrary to the public interest.
COMMENTS: The USACE is soliciting comments from the public; Federal, State, and local agencies and officials; Tribal Nations; and other interested parties in order to consider and evaluate the impacts of this proposed activity. Any comments received will be considered by the USACE to determine whether to issue, modify, condition, or deny a permit for this proposed activity. To make this determination, comments are used to assess impacts to endangered species, historic properties, water quality, general environmental effects, and the other public interest factors listed above. Comments are used in the preparation of an Environmental Assessment and/or an Environmental Impact Statement pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act. Comments are also used to determine the need for a public hearing and to determine the overall public interest of the proposed activity. Any comments or objections which are received during this period may be forwarded to the applicant for possible resolution before the determination is made whether to issue or deny the requested permit. Please note that all comments received will become part of the administrative record and are subject to public release under the Freedom of Information Act.
Any person may request, in writing, within the comment period specified in this notice, that a public hearing be held to consider the application. Requests for public hearings shall state, with particularity, the reasons for holding a public hearing. Requests for a public hearing will be granted, unless the District Engineer determines that the issues raised are insubstantial or there is otherwise no valid interest to be served by a hearing.
The Norfolk District will receive written comments on the proposed activity, as outlined above, until July 28, 2026. To ensure a streamlined and timely review, comments should be submitted electronically via the Regulatory Request System (RRS) at https://rrs.usace.army.mil/rrs/public-notices. Alternatively, you may submit comments to U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Norfolk District, Fort Norfolk, 803 Front Street, Norfolk Virginia 23510-1011. Please refer to “NAO-2026-00282” in your comments. If you have any questions about this project, please reach the Northern Branch Regulator of the Day at 757-201-7834.