The Norfolk District has reissued the following Regional Permit that expired on December 31, 2011:
Regional Permit 20 (RP-20) for the creation of artificial reefs and dredging of old shellfish reefs when the material will be used to create new or enhance old reefs owned, operated or managed by the Commonwealth of Virginia.
This permit is issued for a category of activities in Virginia that have minimal environmental impacts. The Norfolk District has reissued this permit for five years. The newly issued Regional Permit can be found on our web site, There are changes to the permit:
As of the date of this public notice, the Norfolk District Corps of Engineers has received certification regarding water quality (WQC) under Section 401 of the Clean Water Act and the consistency determination under the Coastal Zone Management Act (CZMA) for this 2012 RP.
The decision whether to approve the proposed reissue of this Regional Permit was based on an evaluation of the probable impacts including the individual and cumulative impacts of the proposed activities on the public interest. The decision reflected the national concern for both protection and utilization of important resources. The benefits that reasonably may be expected by extending and modifying this Regional Permit were balanced against the reasonably foreseeable detriments. All relevant factors were considered, including conservation, economics, aesthetics, general environmental concerns, wetlands, cultural values, fish and wildlife values, flood hazards, flood plain values, land use classification, navigation, shoreline erosion and accretion, recreation, water supply and conservation, water quality, energy needs, safety, food and fiber production, mineral needs, consideration of property ownership and, in general, the needs and welfare of the people. The Environmental Protection Agency's "Guidelines for Specification of Disposal Sites for Dredged or Fill Material" will also be applied (Section 404(b)(1) of the Clean Water Act) on the permits that involve discharge of dredged or fill material in waters of the United States.
The Corps of Engineers solicited comments from the public; Federal, state, and local agencies and officials; Indian Tribes; and other interested parties in order to consider and evaluate the impacts of the extensions and modifications. All comments received were considered by the Corps of Engineers to determine whether to reissue or modify the Regional Permit. To make the decision, comments were used to assess impacts on endangered species, historic properties, water quality, general environmental effects, and the other public interest factors listed above. Comments were used in the preparation of an Environmental Assessment and/or an Environmental Impact Statement pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act. Comments were also used to determine the need for a public hearing and to determine the overall public interest.
COMMENT PERIOD: Comments on the re-issuance of this Regional Permit should be made in writing, addressed to the Norfolk District, Corps of Engineers (ATTN: CENAO-WRD-R / Scharlene Floyd), 803 Front Street, Norfolk, Virginia 23510-1096, and should be received by the close of business on June 30, 2012.
If you have any questions about the re-issuance of the Regional Permit, call Scharlene Floyd at 757-201-7367 or you may email her at scharlene.a.floyd@.usace.army.mil
FOR THE DISTRICT ENGINEER:
William T. Walker
Chief, Regulatory Branch