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Notice and Opportunity to Comment on Requests for Consistency - Intercontinental Terminals Company, LLC

Notice and Opportunity to Comment on Requests for Consistency

Agreement/Concurrence Under the Texas Coastal Management Program

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 May 19, 2025 to May 30, 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, June 6, 2025.  The public comment period for this project will close at 5:00 p.m. on Sunday, July 6, 2025.

Federal License and Permit Activities:

Applicant: Intercontinental Terminals Company, LLC

Location: The project site is located in Buffalo Bayou, approximately 1-mile west of the Beltway 8 bridge crossing Buffalo Bayou, in Houston, Harris County, Texas.

Latitude and Longitude:  29.740341, -95.164426

Project Description: The applicant proposes to construct two new barge docks, and one new ship dock, as well as the deepening of three existing docks to accommodate larger vessels. The proposed project will consist of the following activities: 

  • The previously authorized Barge Dock 5 dredge work of -43.5 feet max dredge depth to be modified to -18.5 feet max dredge depth. 

  • The previously authorized Ship Dock 6 associated dredge work to be modified from -43.5 feet max dredge depth to -47 feet max dredge depth. 

  • The proposed Barge Dock 5 associated dredge work of -18.5 feet max dredge depth. 

  • The deepening of existing Ship Dock 3 and proposed Ship Dock 4 to -43.5 feet max dredge depth. 

  • The deepening of existing Ship Docks 1 and 2 to -47 feet max dredge depth. 

  • The construction of approximately 1,020 feet of combi-wall bulkhead wall along the proposed Barge Dock 5. 

  • The addition of silt blade dredging methods to maintain the authorized dredge depths. 

These activities will result in the dredging and excavation of approximately 582,000 cubic yards (CY) of material. Of this total, 292,000 CY of material located below the mean lower low water (MLLW) line will be dredged within a 12-acre dredge footprint to obtain a maximum dredge depth of -47 feet within Ship Docks 1, 2, and 6. An additional 112,000 CY of material located below the MLLW line will be dredged within a 5.83-acre area to obtain maximum dredge depths of -43.5 feet below MLLW within Ship Docks 3 and 4. Finally, 178,000 CY of material located below the MLLW line will be dredged to obtain maximum depths -18.5 feet below MLLW within Barge Docks 5 and 7 within 10.18 acres. 

The proposed modified Barge Dock 5 will be positioned perpendicular to the Houston Ship Channel along the proposed bulkhead wall, and will consist of a full-faced fendering system. The proposed ship and barge docks will exhibit a minimum 225-foot setback from the limits of the Houston Ship Channel. The proposed modified Barge Dock 5 will be supported by concrete piles pneumatically driven to depths to ensure structural integrity. 

All piles supporting the new bulkhead wall will be pneumatically driven into place and spaced accordingly to ensure structural integrity. The proposed project will also require the discharge of clean fill material behind the proposed bulkhead wall alignment. None of the proposed clean fill material will be placed below the MHW line. The applicant has not proposed to mitigate for the proposed impacts because there will be no permanent loss of waters of the U.S. and dredge material will be placed in designated placement areas.

Type of Application: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers permit application #SWG-2007-00909.  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: 25-1212-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

Send a comment about this notice to the GLO

With few exceptions, an individual is entitled on request to be informed about the information that the state governmental body collects about the individual. Under Sections 552.021 and 552.023 of the Texas Government Code, the individual is entitled to receive and review the information. Under Section 559.004 of the Texas Government Code, the individual is entitled to have the state governmental body correct information about the individual that is incorrect.