Notice of Application for State Water Quality Certification

Public Notice (PN) Date: May 14, 2025                     PN Reference Number: ER-22-01 v2.0
PN Expiration Date: May 29, 2025                                                    Waterway: Chukchi Sea

Any applicant for a federal license or permit to conduct an activity that might result in a discharge into waters of the United States, in accordance with Section 401 of the Clean Water Act (CWA), must also apply for and obtain certification from the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation that the discharge will comply with the CWA and the Alaska Water Quality Standards (18 AAC 70). The scope of certification is limited to the water quality-related impacts of the activity subject to the Federal license or permit (40 CFR 121.3, 18 AAC 15.180).

Notice is hereby given that a request for a CWA §401 Water Quality Certification of a Department of the Army Permit application, Corps of Engineers’ PN Reference Number indicated above has been received[1] for the discharge of dredged and/or fill materials into waters of the United States (WOTUS), including wetlands, as described below, and shown on the project figures/drawings. The public notice and related project figures/drawings are accessible from the DEC website at https://dec.alaska.gov/water/wastewater/.

To comment on the project or request a public hearing with respect to water quality, submit comments via (preferred method) DEC website https://dec.alaska.gov/commish/public-notices/ or email to the DEC email address: DEC-401Cert@alaska.gov with the subject line referencing Public Notice Reference Number: ER-22-01 v2.0 or on or before the public notice expiration date listed above.

Applicant: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Matt Ferguson, P.O. Box 6898, JBER, AK 99506, (907) 753-2711; matthew.w.ferguson@usace.army.mil

Project Name: USCG CW Chukchi Sea Barrow Reach Revetment – Barrow Coastal Erosion Protection

Dates of the proposed activity are planned to begin and end: 07/01/2025 to 07/31/2034

Location: The proposed activity is located within Section 6, T. 22 N, R. 18 W, Umiat Meridian, in North Slope Borough, Alaska—Project Site (Latitude, Longitude): 71.299784, -156.77027.

Purpose: The purpose of the action is to reduce coastal erosion and the risk of flood damage in the vicinity of Barrow, Alaska

Description of Proposed Work: To address the risk of coastal erosion, the Corps will construct a rock revetment structure at the Bluff, Barrow, and Browersville reaches, a protective berm at the Lagoon reach, and subsequently raise the elevation of Stevenson Street at the South and Middle Salt and NARL reaches. The Corps identified the resources under threat of coastal erosion or flooding along a contiguous five-mile section of the Barrow coastal shoreline and developed various methodologies of shoreline protection for these areas. Within this five-mile section, the Corps has designated six individual reaches for specific shoreline protection measures, from southwest to northeast, they are designated the Bluff, Barrow, Lagoon, Browerville, South and Middle Salt, and Naval Arctic Research Lab (NARL) reaches. Approximately 23,200 CY of fill will be placed in the intertidal and subtidal zones of the northern Barrow reach. The material is comprised of 11,900 CY armor rock, 6,600 CY B rock, 2,300 CY Core Rock, and 2,400 CY Gravel into 1.5 acres of the Chukchi Sea. Up to 50,000 CY of sand excavated for the toe of the Browersville Reach Revetment would be sidecast onto the beach seaward of the toe.

Applicant Proposed Mitigation: The applicant proposes the following mitigation measures to avoid, minimize, and compensate for impacts to waters of the United States from activities involving discharges of dredged or fill material.

1. Avoidance: Fill material (including dredge material) must be clean soil, sand, gravel, or rock, free from petroleum products and toxic contaminants in toxic amounts.
2. Minimization: All work areas, material access routes, and surrounding wetlands involved in the construction project shall be clearly delineated and marked in such a way that equipment operators do not operate outside of the marked areas.
3. Mitigation: No mitigation is proposed.

After reviewing the application, the Department will evaluate whether the activity will comply with applicable water quality requirements (any limitation, standard, or other requirement under sections 301, 302, 306, and 307 of the CWA, any Federal and state laws or regulations implementing those sections, and any other water quality-related requirement of state law). The Department may certify (or certify with conditions) with reasonable assurance the activity and any discharge that might result will comply with water quality requirements. The Department also may deny or waive certification.

The permit application and associated documents are available for review. To inquire about or request copies of the documents, contact dec-401cert@alaska.gov or call 907-269-6285.

Disability Reasonable Accommodation Notice

The State of Alaska, Department of Environmental Conservation, complies with Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990. If you are a person with a disability who may need special accommodation in order to participate in this public process, please contact ADA Coordinator Megan MacPherson at 907-269-7553, Megan.MacPherson@alaska.gov or TDD Relay Service 1-800-770-8973/TTY or dial 711 at least 3 days prior to the expiration/closure date of this public notice to ensure that any necessary accommodations can be provided.