The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) has invited the public to submit written comments on a proposed Section 401 water quality certification for the Port of Port Orford maintenance dredging project in Curry County.
According to an official announcement , the applicant proposes to use a suction pump to dredge approximately 7,000 cubic yards of sand from a 0.24-acre area within the port to accommodate boat traffic.
The pump will be suspended from a mobile boom crane that can reach 20 feet from the dock and material will be subsequently disposed of approximately 450 feet offshore to the Breakwater Disposal site via a submerged 10-inch rigid pipe.
“ One way DEQ protects Oregon’s water quality is by issuing Section 401 certifications. Section 401 of the federal Clean Water Act requires federal agencies to obtain a water quality certification from the state if the proposed activity may result in a discharge to surface waters ,” DEQ stated in its release.
The deadline for submitting the comments on this dredging plan is January 11, 2019.