Newport Beach: Notice Of Availability

Press release from the City of Newport Beach:

NOTICE OF AVAILABILITY

LOWER NEWPORT BAY CONFINED AQUATIC DISPOSAL (CAD) CONSTRUCTION PROJECT

ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT REPORT

Access Draft Environmental Impact Report (DEIR) here.

Date: December 4, 2020

To: All Interested Parties

From: City of Newport Beach, Public Works Department, 100 Civic Center Drive, Newport Beach, CA 92660

Project Title/Subject: Lower Newport Bay Confined Aquatic Disposal (CAD) Construction Project

Project Applicant: City of Newport Beach

Notice of AVAILABILITY Review Period: December 4, 2020 through January 20, 2021 (47 days)

The purpose of this notice is to notify any interested parties that the Lead Agency, the City of Newport Beach, has prepared a Draft Environmental Impact Report (DEIR) for the proposed Lower Newport Bay Confined Aquatic Disposal (CAD) Construction Project (“Project”), and to solicit comments on the environmental issues and alternatives addressed in the DEIR (California Environmental Quality Act [CEQA] Guidelines §15082). Due to the time limits mandated by State law, your response to this DEIR must be sent to the City of Newport Beach at the earliest possible date, but no later than January 20, 2021.

Consistent with CEQA requirements, copies of the DEIR and technical appendices are available for public review beginning December 4, 2020 in several locations both electronically and in hard copy. The DEIR is available on the City’s website at www.newportbeachca.gov/ceqa. It is also posted on the State Clearinghouse’s website at https://ceqanet.opr.ca.gov/2019110340/2. Hard copies of the DEIR and electronic copies of the technical appendices are available at the following Newport Beach Public Library locations:

Central Library

1000 Avocado Avenue

Newport Beach, California 92660

Crean Mariners Library

1300 Irvine Avenue

Newport Beach, California 92660

Balboa Library

100 East Balboa Boulevard

Balboa, California 92661

Corona Del Mar Library

410 Marigold Avenue

Corona Del Mar, California 92625

In addition, a hard copy of the DEIR and electronic copies of the technical appendices are available for review at the City Public Works Department counter located at the Civic Center, Bay 2-D at 100 Civic Center Drive, Newport Beach, California 92660. Please submit all comments or other responses to this notice in writing by mail or e-mail to:

City of Newport Beach

Public Works Department, Chris Miller

100 Civic Center Drive
Newport Beach, California 92660
cmiller@newportbeachca.gov
(949) 644-3043

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

Newport Harbor, located in Newport Bay, is one of the largest recreational harbors in the United States. Natural processes result in the movement and accumulation of sediment which must be dredged periodically to maintain channel depth for safe navigation. The Federal Channels are maintained by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE). The remainder of the Harbor is managed and maintained by the City and Orange County. USACE conducts annual bathymetric surveys to determine the amount of sediment that has accumulated in the Federal Channels and to assess the need for maintenance dredging. The most recent sediment sampling effort conducted in 2018 and 2019 determined that most of the material was determined suitable for disposal at a permitted open ocean location (or nearshore). However, dredging in the Main Channel and channel offshoots will expose some sediment that has been determined to be unsuitable for ocean disposal and therefore requires an alternate disposal location. Therefore, dredging of these areas is not feasible without also identifying a practicable management option for the unsuitable sediment.

To manage the unsuitable material, the City proposes to construct a confined aquatic disposal (CAD) facility in the central portion of the Lower Harbor between Bay Island, Lido Isle and Harbor Island where dredged sediment unsuitable for open ocean disposal or nearshore placement can be contained. Clean material suitable for beach nourishment generated from constructing the CAD facility will be transported and disposed at an approved open ocean disposal site or along the nearshore ocean beaches. The City is also proposing to allow maintenance dredging in sections of Newport Harbor outside the Federal Channels to re-establish safe navigation. Please refer to the Draft EIR posted on our website for a detailed project description.

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This press release was produced by the City of Newport Beach. The views expressed here are the author’s own.