X282124_Nantucket_Harbor_Brant_Point_USCG_Dredging_With_Signature_Newly_Revised.pdf

Charles D. Baker Governor

Karyn E. Polito Lieutenant Governor

Kathleen A. Theoharides Secretary

Martin Suuberg Commissioner

This information is available in alternate format. Call Michelle Waters-Ekanem, Diversity Director, at 617-292-5751. TTY# MassRelay Service 1-800-439-2370 MassDEP Website: www.mass.gov/dep

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May 16, 2019

Dave Glass

United States Coast Guard TRANSMITTAL #: X282124

CEU Providence MassDEP File #: SE48-3139

475 Kilvert Street, Suite 100

Providence, RI 02886

RE: 401 WATER QUALITY CERTIFICATION

Application for: BRP WW 26

WATER QUALITY CERTIFICATION FOR DREDGING – MINOR PROJECT

AT: 10 Easton Street

U.S. Coast Guard, Station Brant Point

Nantucket Harbor – Nantucket

Islands Watershed

Dear Mr. Glass:

The Department has reviewed your application for Water Quality Certification (WQC) referenced above. In accordance with the provisions of Section 401 of the Federal Clean Water

Act as amended (33 U.S.C. §1251 et seq.), MGL c.21, §§ 26-53, and 314 CMR 9.00, the

Department has determined there is reasonable assurance the project or activity will be conducted in a manner which will not violate applicable water quality standards (314 CMR 4.00) and other applicable requirements of state law.

The waters of this portion of the Nantucket Drainage Area are designated in the Massachusetts

Surface Water Quality Standards as Class SA. Such waters are intended “as excellent habitat for fish, other aquatic life and wildlife, and for primary and secondary contact recreation.” Anti-degradation provisions of these Standards require that “existing uses and the level of water quality necessary to protect the existing uses shall be maintained and protected.” In addition, this area has been designated for Shellfishing pursuant to 314 CMR 4.00.

Background: The proposed dredging location is the boat basin at USCG Station Brant Point. It is located off Easton Street in Nantucket Harbor in Nantucket, MA (Figure 1). On April 30, 2013, MassDEP authorized an Emergency Action to Mr. Cass, U.S. Coast Guard, pursuant to 310

401 WQC – Transmittal # X282124

CMR 9.20 and 314 CMR 9.12(3) to perform dredging to re-establish a boat basin that had been filled with sediment due to shoaling from recent storms, which impacted the Coast Guard’s search and rescue missions. The dredged material volume was approximately 2,200 cubic yards and it was used for beach nourishment on the Coast Guard property near Brant Point Lighthouse.

The emergency action work was completed within 30 days of issuance of the Emergency Action

Authorization (“EEA”). More information can be found from the previous 401 WQC with a transmittal # X255158.

Figure 1. The proposed dredging area (solid line) and proposed beach nourishment site (dot line).

Project Description: The proposed project scope entails maintenance dredge approximately

1,800 cubic yards of sediment from an area of 20,900 square feet from the boat basin at Brant

Point on Nantucket Harbor. The dredged material will be emplaced above the Mean High Water

(MHW) line at Brant Rock Beach.

Dredged Material Dewatering: Dewatering will occur on the upland side of the existing timber bulkhead immediately adjacent to the project area in a 40'x40' area shown on the proposed plans.

A specific dredged material dewatering plan will need to be developed and submitted to the

Department for review (see condition 17).

Sediment sampling data: Results of the gradation analysis showed 0 percent to 3 percent of particles of the sediment samples from the proposed dredging area passing the No. 200 U.S.

Standard Series Testing Sieve [N = 5, Mean = 1 percent]. In accordance with 314 CMR

9.07(2)(a), no chemical testing is required if the sediment to be dredged contains less than ten percent of particles passing the No. 200 U.S. Standard Series Testing Sieve, and if the required

“due diligence review” demonstrates to the Department’s satisfaction that the area is unlikely to contain anthropogenic concentrations of oil or hazardous materials. As such, Condition no. 8 requires a due diligence review be conducted and its findings to be submitted to the Department.

Beneficial Reuse of Sediments: Results of the gradation analysis showed 0 percent of particles of the materials from the proposed beach nourishment area passing the No. 200 U.S. Standard

Series Testing Sieve [N = 3, Mean = 0 percent]. As a result, these materials are suitable and compatible for beach nourishment. The dredged sediments from the boat basin will be used for dune and beach nourishment along Brant Point Beach.

Impact to Eelgrass, Shellfish and Other Resources: The area landward of the floats has been historically mapped by DEP as an eelgrass (Zostera marina) bed (Figure 2). Eelgrass beds provide one of the most productive habitats for numerous marine species and are designated

“special aquatic sites” under the Federal Clean Water Act 404(b). However, as part of the hydrographic/topographic survey, no eelgrass was found in the proposed dredging area

Nantucket Harbor is also identified as a designated shellfish Growing Areas (Figure 3) pursuant to 314 CMR 4.00. Every effort should be made to protect the shellfish habitat.

Figure 2. Mapped Eelgrass by MassDEP from 1995 to 2017 (from MassGIS).

Based on a letter from Eileen M. Feeney, from Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries, dated March 21, 2019, to Barbara H. Newman, US Army Corps of Engineers.

BRP WW26 COMBINED LICENSES/PERMITS FOR WATERWAYS & WATER QUALITY ERTIFICATION

APPLICATION For Maintenance Dredging and Beach Nourishment. USCG STATION BRANT POINT

NANTUCKET, MASSACHUSETTS. Task Order No. 70Z0G118FPRV27300, Contract No. HSCGG1-16-D-

PRV005. By Appledore Marine Engineering, LLC, 600 State Street, Suite E Portsmouth, New Hampshire 03801.

Prepared for: United States Coast Guard Civil Engineering Unit Providence, 475 Kilvert Street, Suite 100, Warwick, Rhode Island 02886-1379. December 2018.

Figure 3. Designated Shellfish Growing areas (from MassGIS, as of January 2014).

Rare Species and Wildlife Habitat: The site is not located within the Priority Habitat of Rare

Species and Estimated Habitats of Rare Wildlife as indicated in the Massachusetts Natural

Heritage Atlas, 14 th

Edition.

Time of Year Restriction for In-Water Work: Nantucket Harbor is identified as winter flounder

(Pseudopleuronectes americanus) spawning habitat. Winter flounder enter the area and spawn from January through May, laying clumps of eggs directly on the substrate. These demersal eggs hatch approximately fifteen to twenty days later. In accordance with the letter dated March 21, 2019, the Division of Marine Fisheries (“DMF”) recommends a Time of Year restriction (“TOY”) from January 15 through May 31 for any in-water, silt-producing work associated with this project.

Public Notice: The 401 WQC Application public notice was published in the The Inquirer and

Mirror on April 25, 2019. No comments were received by MassDEP during the 21-day public comment period, which ended on May 16, 2019.

Section 61 Findings: This project was not subject to M.G.L. Chapter 30, Sections 61 to 62H

(M.E.P.A.).

Therefore, based on information currently in the record, the Department grants a 401 Water Quality Certification for this project subject to the following conditions to maintain water quality, to minimize impact on waters and wetlands, and to ensure compliance with appropriate state law. The Department further certifies in accordance with 314 CMR 9.00 that there is reasonable assurance the project or activity will be conducted in a manner which will not violate applicable water quality standards (314 CMR 4.00) and other applicable requirements of state law. Finally, the Department has determined that upon satisfying the conditions and mitigation requirements of this approval, the project provides a level of water quality necessary to protect existing uses and accordingly finds that the project to be implemented satisfies the Surface Water Quality Standards at 314

CMR 4.00.

1. The Contractor shall take all steps necessary to assure that the proposed activities will be conducted in a manner that will avoid violations of the anti-degradation provisions of the

Massachusetts Surface Water Quality Standards that protect all waters, including wetlands.

2. Prior to the start of work or any portion of the work thereafter, the Department shall be notified of any change(s) in the proposed project or plans that may affect waters or wetlands. The

Department will determine whether the change(s) require a revision to this Certification.

3. Dredging in accordance with this Certification may begin following the 21-day appeal period and once all other permits have been received.

4. Work in waters and wetlands shall conform to USCG Station Brant Point Nantucket, Massachusetts, Nantucket County, Dredge Boat Basin Description of Proposed Dredging Site, and plans/figures submitted in this application to the Department, 7 sheets/figures prepared by

U.S. Coast Guard Civil Engineering Unit Providence, dated December 2018, and are unsigned and unstamped. The Department shall be notified if there are modifications and or deletions of work as specified in the plans. Depending on the nature and the scope of any change, approval by the Department may be required.

5. The Department shall be notified, attention David Wong 617-292-5893, one week prior to the start of in-water work so that Department staff may inspect the work for compliance with the terms and conditions of this Certification.

6. The applicant and its contractor shall allow agents of the Department to enter the project sites to verify compliance with the conditions of this Certification.

7. The Certification remains in effect for the same duration as the federal permit that requires it or five years from the date of issuance of this Certification whichever comes first.

8. Within 21 days of issuance of the Certification, the applicant shall perform a due-diligence review in accordance with 314 CMR 9.07(2)(a) to determine that no known spills of oil or other toxic substances have occurred which could have contaminated the sediment in the proposed dredge area(s). The findings of the due-diligence review shall be submitted to the Department prior to commencement of the dredging activity.

9. Future maintenance dredging may be conducted as necessary for the duration of this Certification, provided that:

a. the initial project and any subsequent dredging has been conducted satisfactorily with no violations of the terms and conditions of this Certification or any violations which did occur have been resolved to the satisfaction of the Department;

b. information has been submitted to the Department regarding chemical characteristics and final end use/disposal of the dredged material for review and approval and no future maintenance dredging has commenced without obtaining end use/disposal approval from the Department;

c. Documentation showing the grain-size distribution of the sediment to be dredged is compatible with the grain-size distribution of the approved receiving beach(es) in accordance with the document entitled Beach Nourishment, Mass DEP’s Guide to Best Management Practices for Projects in Massachusetts, March 2007 and is submitted to the Department;

d. if necessary, an updated Suitability Determination from the Army Corps of Engineers for unconfined ocean disposal at MBDS or CCBDS is submitted to the Department;

e. coordinates of the maintenance dredge footprint are the same as the authorized dredge footprint under this Certification;

f. a current due-diligence evaluation is done to determine that no known spills of oil or other toxic substances have occurred which could have contaminated the sediment in the dredge area and submitted to the Department prior to maintenance dredging;

g. a bathymetric survey has been submitted to the Department in compliance with Condition no. 13;

h. the volume of future maintenance dredging does not exceed 1,800 cubic yards and the Department is notified prior to commencement of maintenance dredging.

10. Best Management Practices (BMPs) shall be deployed surrounding the dredge area to minimize turbidity. Dredging shall be carried out using a closed, environmental bucket if the sediment does not consist solely of gravel/stone/sand or densely compacted silt/clay.

11. Disposal of any volume of dredged material at any location in tidal waters is subject to approval by this Department and the Massachusetts Coastal Zone Management office.

12. Within 21 days of the effective date of this Certification, the applicant shall submit to the

Department the following information regarding location of final placement and use of dredged material:

a. a United States Geological Survey Topographic Map showing the location of the property;

b. a site plan showing the reuse location of the dredged material at along Brant Point Beach;

c. a statement of certification signed by the applicant and the owner of the property in which the dredged material is proposed for reuse that the reuse material complies with the provisions of 314 CMR 9.07(9)(b)6.d.

d. documentation of written notification of the proposal to the Nantucket Board of Health;

e. When recording the Certificate of Compliance (WPA Form 8B of the Massachusetts Wetland Protection Act, M.G.L. c131, §40) in the Registry of Deeds or the Land Court, the location of the dredged material reuse area shall also be recorded at the same time. The applicant shall complete the information on Section D, page 3 of 3 of the Certificate of Compliance and submit a copy to the Wetlands and Waterways Program in the Boston Office within five (5) working days of the recording.

13. Within 30 days of the completion of the initial dredging and any future maintenance dredging to be conducted, a bathymetric survey of the dredged area, depicting post-dredge conditions shall be conducted. At a minimum, the survey shall include an overlay of the dredge footprint (i.e. top of slope) with sufficient coordinates in the Massachusetts State Plane (e.g.

longitude and latitude) to clearly delineate the dredge footprint. The survey shall be sent within five working days after its completion to the Department and a copy shall be sent to the Massachusetts Coastal Zone Management office, attention: Robert Boeri.

14. In order to protect spawning, larval and juvenile development of winter flounder, no dredging shall occur between January 15th and May 31st.

15. The applicant, or its contractor, shall make every feasible effort to complete the project within the permitted timeframe. Should the applicant, or their contractor, fail to complete the project and wish to request an amendment to the Certification for incursion into the no-dredge period, the written request shall be received by the Department by January 2nd. The following information shall be included in the request:

a. project location and transmittal number,

b. the date on which dredging started,

c. the number of days and hours per day the dredge operated,

d. expected daily average production rate and the actual daily average production rate,

e. an explanation of why the project failed to remain on schedule,

f. an account of efforts made to get the project back on schedule,

g. a plan depicting the areas that remain to be dredged,

h. the number of cubic yards that remain to be dredged,

i. an accurate estimate of the number of days required to complete the project,

j. an evaluation of the impact of continued dredging on the species of concern,

k. a description of any efforts that will be made to minimize the impacts of the project on the species of concern, and a realistic assessment of any societal/financial effects of a denial of permission to continue dredging.

The Department will share the information with other resource agencies and a decision to grant or deny the amendment shall be made by January 15th. Requests for amendment received after January 2nd will be considered at the Department’s discretion.

16. No later than four weeks after issuance of the Permit, the applicant shall submit a notification procedure outlining the reporting process to the Department for incidents, relating to the dredging activities, impacting surrounding resource areas and habitats such as, but not limited to, observed dead or distressed fish or other aquatic organisms, observed oily sheen on surface water, sediment spill, turbidity plume beyond the deployed BMP’s, and barging or equipment accident/spill. If at any time during implementation of the project any incident creates environment impacts such as those listed above, all site related activities impacting the water shall cease until the source of the problem is identified and adequate mitigating measures employed to the satisfaction of the Department.

17. No later than 21days prior to commencement of dredging activity, a specific dredged material dewatering plan shall be submitted to MassDEP for review and approval. At a minimum, the dewatering plan shall include but not be limited to the type of containment, method of dewatering (i.e. mechanical or by gravity), method of collecting the dewatered effluent and method of disposal.

This certification does not relieve the applicant of the obligation to comply with other applicable state or federal statutes or regulations. Any changes made to the project as described in the previously submitted Notice of Intent, 401 Water Quality Certification application, or supplemental documents will require further notification to the Department.

Certain persons shall have a right to request an adjudicatory hearing concerning certifications by the Department when an application is required:

a. the applicant or property owner;

b. any person aggrieved by the decision who has submitted written comments during the public comment period;

c. any ten (10) persons of the Commonwealth pursuant to M.G.L. c.30A where a group member has submitted written comments during the public comment period; or

d. any governmental body or private organization with a mandate to protect the environment, which has submitted written comments during the public comment period.

Any person aggrieved, any ten (10) persons of the Commonwealth, or a governmental body or private organization with a mandate to protect the environment may appeal without having submitted written comments during the public comment period only when the claim is based on new substantive issues arising from material changes to the scope or impact of the activity and not apparent at the time of public notice. To request an adjudicatory hearing pursuant to M.G.L.

c.30A, § 10, a Notice of Claim must be made in writing, provided that the request is made by certified mail or hand delivery to the Department, with the appropriate filing fee specified within 310 CMR 4.10 along with a DEP Fee Transmittal Form within twenty-one (21) days from the date of issuance of this Certificate, and addressed to:

Case Administrator Department of Environmental Protection One Winter Street, 2nd Floor Boston, MA 02108.

A copy of the request shall at the same time be sent by certified mail or hand delivery to the issuing office of the Wetlands and Waterways Program at:

Department of Environmental Protection

One Winter Street, 5th Floor Boston, MA 02108.

A Notice of Claim for Adjudicatory Hearing shall comply with the Department’s Rules for Adjudicatory Proceedings, 310 CMR 1.01(6), and shall contain the following information pursuant to 314 CMR 9.10(3):

a. the 401 Certification Transmittal Number and DEP Wetlands Protection Act File Number;

b. the complete name of the applicant and address of the project;

c. the complete name, address, and fax and telephone numbers of the party filing the request, and, if represented by counsel or other representative, the name, fax and telephone numbers, and address of the attorney;

d. if claiming to be a party aggrieved, the specific facts that demonstrate that the party satisfies the definition of “aggrieved person” found at 314 CMR 9.02;

e. a clear and concise statement that an adjudicatory hearing is being requested;

Robert Boeri, Office of Coastal Zone Management, 251 Causeway Street, Suite 800, Boston, MA 02114

Eileen M. Feeney and Kathryn Ford, Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries, 836 S Rodney French Blvd. 3rd floor, New Bedford, MA 02744

Amy Hoenig, Natural Heritage & Endangered Species Program, Massachusetts Division of Fisheries & Wildlife, 1

Rabbit Hill Road, Westborough, MA 01581

Barbara Newman, Regulatory/Enforcement Division, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New England District, 696

Virginia Road, Concord, MA 01742-2751

Phil Colarusso, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Region One, 5 Post Office Square. Suite 100 (OEP 06-3), Boston, MA 02109

Alison Verkade, National Marine Fisheries Service, 55 Great Republic Drive, Gloucester, MA 01930

Jeff Carson, Nantucket Conservation Commission, 37 Washington Street, Nantucket, MA 02554

Tara Riley, Nantucket Shellfish Biologist, 4 Fairgrounds Rd., Nantucket, MA 02554

Sheila Lucey, Harbormaster, Town of Nantucket, 34 Washington Street, Nantucket, MA 02554

Communication for Non-English Speaking Parties – 310 CMR 1.03(5)(a) Contact Michelle Waters-Ekanem, Diversity Director/Civil Rights 617-292-5751 TTY# MassRelay Service 1-800-439-2370 (Version 3.30.15)

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