Notice: Notice and Opportunity to Comment on Requests for Consistency – Port of Houston Authority

August 02, 2019

August 02, 2019 17:00PM

Coastal Coordination Advisory Committee



On January 10, 1997, the State of Texas received federal approval of the Coastal Management Program (CMP) (62 Federal Register pp. 1439 - 1440). Under federal law, federal agency activities and actions affecting the Texas coastal zone must be consistent with the CMP goals and policies identified in 31 TAC Chapter 501. Requests for federal consistency review were deemed administratively complete for the following project(s) during the period of July 22, 2019 to July 26, 2019.  As required by federal law, the public is given an opportunity to comment on the consistency of proposed activities in the coastal zone undertaken or authorized by federal agencies.  Pursuant to 31 TAC §§506.25, 506.32, and 506.41, the public comment period extends 30 days from the date published on the Texas General Land Office web site. The notice was published on the web site on Friday, August 2, 2019.  The public comment period for this project will close at 5:00 p.m. on Sunday, September 1, 2019.

FEDERAL AGENCY ACTIONS:

Applicant: Port of Houston Authority

Location: The proposed Houston 4 Project site is located in wetlands and in Buffalo Bayou on a 389.11-acre site that includes 339.0 acres of land and 50.11 acres of open water located adjacent to the Houston Ship Channel (HSC). The project is located east of Greens Bayou adjacent to Corps Stations 760+00 to 810+00 of the HSC, in Houston, Harris County, Texas.

Latitude & Longitude (NAD 83): 29.763194, -95.161072

Project Description:  The applicant proposes to construct terminal infrastructure and dock facilities to support vessel loading and unloading for the transportation, importing, and exporting of petroleum products, petrochemicals, and other bulk liquids.

 

The proposed project consists of the construction of a marine terminal including four ship docks, three barge docks, breasting dolphins, mooring dolphins, and 5,305 feet of new sheet pile bulkhead wall. Additionally, the project consists of the construction of terminal supporting infrastructure including storage/processing facilities, rail receiving/loading yards, maintenance yards, above ground pipe racks, vehicle access roads, electrical substations, truck loading bay, and terminal operation offices and facilities. The proposed project requires the removal and relocation of approximately 3.8 million cubic yards of material within a 63.27-acre area to provide the area necessary to safely maneuver and berth incoming and outgoing vessels. Of that, approximately 870,000 cubic yards of material will be excavated above the MLLW line and 2.49 million cubic yards of material below the MLLW line will be dredged to obtain depths of -46.5 feet MLLW, and 2-foot allowable overdredge along the proposed ship docks and depths of -15 feet MLLW, plus a 2-foot overdredge along the proposed barge docks. Approximately 5,927 cubic yards of slope stabilization material will be placed along the proposed bulkhead wall.

 

The applicant plans to utilize private Dredged Material Placement Areas for the initial new-work dredging and relocation of the 3.8 million cubic yards of material.

 

Of the potential Waters of the United States identified within the survey area of the proposed project, seven palustrine forested (PFO) wetlands, nine palustrine emergent (PEM) wetlands, two palustrine scrub-shrub (PSS) wetlands, one palustrine unconsolidated bottom (PUB) wetlands, four tributaries, and one open-water area are proposed to be impacted by construction and operation of the proposed project. Construction and operation activities would result in unavoidable impacts to approximately 11.702 acres of wetlands consisting of 3.925 acres of PFO wetland, 6.446 acres of PEM wetland, and 1.331 acres of PSS wetland. The proposed project would also impact approximately 2.056 acres of open water pond area.

Type of Application: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) permit application # SWG-2018-00560. This application will be reviewed pursuant to Section 10 of the Rivers and Harbors Act of 1899 and Section 404 of the Clean Water Act. Note: The consistency review for this project may be conducted by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality as part of its certification under §401 of the Clean Water Act.

CMP Project No: 19-1353-F1

Further information on the applications listed above, including a copy of the consistency certifications or consistency determinations for inspection, may be obtained from Ms. Allison Buchtien P.O. Box 12873, Austin, Texas 78711-2873, or via email at federal.consistency@glo.texas.gov. Comments should be sent to Ms. Buchtien at the above address or by email.


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