Charleston, SC- On January 26, 2011, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Charleston District, issued a public notice for the I-73 Roadway Project in South Carolina with a 30 day public comment period. The South Carolina Department of Transportation (SCDOT) has applied for a permit to place fill and construct and maintain bridges and culverts associated with the construction of a new four-lane interstate roadway approximately 80 miles in length.
The Corps, under its regulatory program, has the authority to issue permits for certain work in waters of the United States pursuant to Section 10 of the Rivers and Harbors Act and Section 404 of the Clean Water Act. Since the I-73 Project would require the placing of fill material into waters of the United States, a Department of the Army (DA) permit is required prior to construction of this project. Federal actions such as issuing permits, spending federal money on projects or any actions on federal lands are subject to the provisions of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA).
The I-73 project will include permanent placement of fill materials/bridges/culverts in a total of 4,643 linear feet of streams and 271.9 acres of wetlands, temporary clearing of 48.9 acres of wetlands, permanent clearing 17.1 acres wetlands and excavation of 4.4 acres of wetlands. The affected wetlands span areas across Marlboro, Dillon, Marion and Horry Counties. This project is currently ranked number five in on the National Highway System’s High Priority Corridors list.
In order to give all interested parties an opportunity to express their views, this public notice is available for public comment until noon on February 28, 2011. After the close of the comment period, the Corps will determine if any additional information is required from the SCDOT. In addition to the Corps’ permit decision, the project will also be evaluated by the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (SCDHEC) for water quality and coastal zone certifications. Once all necessary information and state authorizations have been received, the Corps will complete its evaluation of the project.
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Release no. 11-0102