PUBLIC NOTICE OF APPLICATION
FOR COASTAL WETLANDS PERMIT
AND WATER QUALITY CERTIFICATION
The Mississippi Department of Marine Resources (MDMR) has filed an application requesting permission to conduct regulated activities under the provision of the Coastal Wetlands Protection Law Act, Title 49, Chapter 27, Mississippi Code of 1972.
The Mississippi Department of Marine Resources is proposing to restore and create 660-acres of sand dune, beach, and marsh habitat at the southeastern tip of Cat Island. The Site is within the historical footprint of Cat Island located at 30.198094, -89.098033 in the Mississippi Sound, south of Pass Christian, in Harrison County, Mississippi. The proposed site would create approximately 660 acres of productive coastal habitat by increasing the functionality of the island as a part of the Mississippi-Alabama barrier island chain. The proposed project will utilize between approximately 8.5 to 13.1 million cubic yards (mcy) of material for creation of berms. Berms will be constructed by excavating existing material from unvegetated waterbottoms from 3 USACE disposal areas west of Gulfport Navigation Channel. Approximately 25,000 linear feet of containment berms will be created with a berm crest elevation of +8 feet mean lower low water (MLLW) and a top width of 300 to 400 fee. The proposed site will have an expected capacity between 3.9 to 5 mcy to enhance and restore coastal habitat through the placement of suitable dredged material as provided for in MS Code §49-27-61.
The applicant has requested a variance to Miss. Admin. Code Title 22, Part 23, The Coastal Program, Chapter 8, 114.01 which states, “ Permanent filling of coastal wetlands below the mean high tide line because of potential adverse and cumulative environmental impacts is not authorized”, and has justified this request under Miss. Admin. Code Title 22, Part 23, The Coastal Program, Chapter 8, 118.01 by stating that the impacts on Coastal Wetlands would be no worse than if the requirements were followed.
In compliance with Section 401 of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (33 U.S.C. 1251, 1341), as amended by PL 95-217, the applicant will request certification from the Office of Pollution Control that the above mentioned activity will be in compliance with applicable provisions of Section 301 (33 U.S.C. 1311), Section 302 (33 U.S.C. 1312), Section 303 (U.S.C. 1313), Section 306 (U.S.C. 1316), and Section 307 (U.S.C. 1317) of the Act and appropriate requirements of the State Law.
Any person wishing to make comments or objections to the proposed regulated activity must submit those comments in writing to the Department of Marine Resources at 1141 Bayview Avenue, Biloxi, Mississippi 39530 or anna.gamblin@dmr.ms.gov before 1:00 p.m. on the day April 11, 2023.
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Comment Submission Form
You should receive an acknowledgement of your comment from Anna Gamblin by email. If you do not receive this acknowledgement, please contact anna.gamblin@dmr.ms.gov.
