WASHINGTON - The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers announced today it will hold six public hearings on Oct. 13 and 15 to receive public comments on the two proposals related to the use of Nationwide Permit (NWP) 21 in the nation's Appalachian region. NWP 21 authorizes discharges of dredged or fill material into waters of the United States for surface coal mining activities.
The first proposal is to modify NWP 21 to prohibit its use in the Appalachian region. In the absence of NWP 21, an applicant would be required to obtain an individual permit for surface coal mining projects. An individual permit includes increased public and agency involvement in the permit review process, including an opportunity for public comment on individual projects.
The second proposal is to suspend NWP 21 while the Corps evaluates the comments received on the proposed modification of NWP 21, and reaches its decision. The decision on whether to suspend NWP 21 will be made after the public hearings are held and the comments received on the proposed suspension have been considered. If NWP 21 is suspended during this interim period, an applicant would be required to obtain an individual permit for surface coal mining projects.
Click here for a public notice to solicit comments on the proposals as published in the July 15, 2009 Federal Register. In response to that notice, the Corps received several requests to hold public hearings on the proposals. Based on these requests, the Corps determined that hearings would provide additional information to assist in reaching decisions on the two proposals. It was decided that one hearing will be held in each of the six states affected by the two proposals. The states include: West Virginia, Kentucky, Tennessee, Pennsylvania, Ohio and Virginia. The hearings will be open to the public and held on the following dates and at the following locations:
· West Virginia: A public hearing will be held Oct. 13, 2009, in Charleston, W.Va. at the Charleston Civic Center, Little Theatre. Hosted by the Huntington District, the public hearing will start at 7:00 p.m. Click here for additional information on this public hearing.
· Kentucky: A public hearing will be held Oct. 13, 2009, in Pikeville, Ky. at the East Kentucky Expo Center. Hosted by the Louisville District, the public hearing will start at 7:00 p.m. Click here for additional information on this public hearing.
· Tennessee: A public hearing will be held Oct. 13, 2009, in Knoxville, Tenn. Hosted by the Nashville District, the public hearing will start at 7:00 p.m. Click here for additional information on this public hearing.
