Filed Date: February 14, 2025
Event Date: March 16, 2025 17:00PM
Board: Federal Consistency
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 26. Requests for federal consistency review were deemed administratively complete for the following project(s) during the period of February 3, 2025 to February 7, 2025. 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 §§30.20(f), 30.30(h), and 30.40(e), 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, February 14, 2025. The public comment period for this project will close at 5:00 p.m. on Sunday, March 16, 2025.
Federal License and Permit Activities:
Applicant: EPIC Crude Terminal Company
Location: The project site is located in the Tule Lake Channel approximately 0.83 miles WNW of the former Tule Lift Bridge site, in Corpus Christi, Nueces County, Texas.
Latitude and Longitude: 27.815750, -97.466917
Project Description: The applicant is requesting a modification to deepen and extend dredging thresholds to accommodate a more fully laden Suezmax and Aframax Class Vessel. The proposed dredge footprint would be 11.6 acres to a new maximum depth of -58 feet mean lower low water (MLLW). The newly proposed dredging footprint of 11.6 acres was modified to include all side and end slopes that would be dredged at a 2.5 horizontal to 1.0 vertical grade. The proposed side and end slopes were proposed to achieve a stable slip footprint to reduce erosion and draft development within the slip in an effort to reduce the recurrence of maintenance dredging activities. An estimated volume of 107,852 cubic yards of material would be dredged beyond the previously permitted depth of -51 feet MLLW to achieve mudline elevations down to the required depth of -57 feet MLLW within the slip. An additional estimated 17,975 cubic yards would be dredged below the required depth of the slip and slopes from within a 1' allowable over depth area to a maximum depth of -58 feet MLLW, for a total of an estimated 125,827 cubic yards of dredged material. Dredged material would be placed in one or more of the following DMPAs: Suntide DMPA, Tule Lake DMPA No. 6, South Shore DMPA - Cells A & B, DMPA No. 1, Herbie A. Maurer DMPA, Rincon B West, DMPA 14, DMPA 13, and/or Good Hope DMPA Cell J and I. Maintenance dredging activities would either be performed by mechanical or hydraulic dredge methods with material deposited into one of more of the aforementioned DMPAs. The proposed dredging activity would occur over a period of approximately 3-5 weeks. Following completion of the proposed project, it is estimated that maintenance dredging would occur at a frequency of every 3-5 years over a period of 10 years. It’s estimated that maintenance dredging events would result in the dredging of approximately 10,000-15,000 cubic yards of material per maintenance event.
This portion of the Tule Lake Channel is surrounded by multiple similar commercial facilities and is adjacent to the Corpus Christi Ship Channel Improvement Project that is ongoing. The proposed project is an amendment to permit SWG-2024-00559, which authorized a dredging footprint of 6.75 acres to the previously authorized depth of -47 MLLW with two feet of over dredge and two feet of advanced maintenance for a total dredging depth of -51 MLLW. The project also included a 120-foot-long by 16-foot-wide ramp/walkway connecting the dock to the shoreline with a 90-degree bend along the shoreline to avoid the existing railroad tracks and provide an 85-foot-long by 16-foot-wide approach to accommodate loading access to the dock. The 70-foot by 50-foot dock platform was to accommodate three loading arms, deck crane, ship gangway, and a dock house. Also authorized was the installation of a 602-foot-long sheet pile bulkhead to be placed an average of 90-feet waterward from the shoreline (approximately 1.24-acre area) with approximately 16,000 cubic yards (CY) of fill placed below the ordinary high-water mark (OHWM). Also authorized was the enclosure of a 0.001-acre fringe wetland with the placement of fill material within the enclosed bulkheaded area. This authorization is still active with an expiration date of December 31, 2025. The applicant has not proposed to mitigate for the proposed impacts.
Type of Application: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers permit application #SWG-2014-00559. 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: 25-1117-F1
Further information on the applications listed above, including a copy of the consistency certifications or consistency determinations for inspection, may be obtained from the Texas General Land Office Public Information Officer at 1700 N. Congress Avenue, Austin, Texas 78701, or via email at pialegal@glo.texas.gov. Comments should be sent to the Texas General Land Office Coastal Management Program Coordinator at the above address or via email at federal.consistency@glo.texas.gov.