Public Review Period Extended on Final Environmental Impact Statement for Long Island Sound Dredged Material Disposal Sites: With 15 Day Extension, Review Period Ends June 1

Release date: 05/04/04

Contact Information: Contact: David Deegan, EPA Press Office, (617) 918-1017

For Immediate Release: May 4, 2004; Release # 04-05-03

(Boston, MA) Responding to public and Congressional requests to allow more time for public review of a Final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) that recommends the designation of two dredged material disposal sites in the western and central regions of the Long Island Sound, EPA is extending the public review period by 15 days. Interested people and organizations now have until June 1 to review the EIS and provide comments to the Agency.

EPA and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New England District developed the EIS during a multi-year evaluation. The final EIS identifies the Western Long Island Sound and Central Long Island Sound sites as the preferred long-term open water disposal sites for dredged material from Long Island Sound.

The sites were selected from among four alternative disposal sites and methods that were evaluated in the EIS. The EIS evaluates the potential environmental impacts associated with the designation of these sites as long-term disposal sites for dredged material. Both sites are existing dredged material disposal sites that have been in use since the late 1980's.

The public review period for this project began on April 16, and originally was scheduled to end on May 17. As previously announced, EPA and the Corps will hold two public information meetings on the Final EIS. The meetings will be on:

• May 4, 2004, 4:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. (registration begins at 3:00 p.m.) at the Islandia Marriott Long Island Hotel, 3635 Express Drive North, Islandia, N.Y. Directions available at: http://marriott.com/property/propertyPage/ISPIS .
• May 5, 2004, 4:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. (registration begins at 3:00 p.m.) at the Westin Stamford Hotel, One First Stamford Place, Stamford, CT. Directions available at: http://www.starwood.com/westin/index.html .