Corps Seeks Comments on Coos Bay Scheme

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Portland District, is seeking public comment on its plan to accept funds from Jordan Cove Energy Project, L.P. to review potential effects to the Coos Bay Federal Navigation Channel.

The Portland District will review Jordan Cove Energy Project L.P.’s proposed request to construct and operate a liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal on the bay side of the north spit of Coos Bay in Coos County, Oregon.

An access channel would be constructed from the Coos Bay Federal Navigation Channel to the proposed terminal marine slip.

The project also includes the construction and operation of an underground natural gas pipeline from Klamath County to the proposed terminal. This Section 408 review will evaluate whether any Corps authorized civil works projects may be affected by the proposed marine slip and access channel.

Comments must be postmarked by January 4, 2016, the USACE said.

Background

The proposed 30.8 acre marine slip would be excavated from what are currently uplands. The inside dimensions at the toe of the slope would measure approximately 800-feet along the north boundary and approximately 1,500-feet and 1,200-feet along the western and eastern boundaries, respectively.

The access channel connecting the proposed slip to the Coos Bay Federal Navigation Channel would measure approximately 2,300-feet wide at the intersection with the Coos Bay Federal Navigation Channel and would encompass approximately thirty-six acres in size.

The access channel and slip would be excavated to and maintained at -45 feet North American Vertical Datum of 1988 with a two-foot over-dredge allowance. The current Coos Bay Federal Navigation channel is authorized to -37 feet Mean Lower Low Water depth.

About 4.3 million cubic yards of material would need to be removed to create the slip basin. Of this, about 2.3 mcy would be dry excavated and about 2.0 mcy would be hydraulically dredged. An additional 1.3 mcy of material would need to be dredged to create the access channel; 5.6 mcy of material to be dredged and excavated in total.

Excavated and dredged material would be disposed of primarily in the site of the proposed South Dunes Power Plant Site and the LNG terminal site.

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