Senator Kirsten Gillibrand and Congressman Steve Israel are calling for an extension of the public comment period for the recently released U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Draft Dredge Material Management Plan (DMMP) and the Draft Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (DPEIS).
The extension of the comment period will allow stakeholders the time necessary to fully review the extensive report and the impact depositing dredged materials in Long Island Sound has on the Sound, as well as communities in New York and Connecticut.
In a letter sent to New York Department of State and Department of Environmental Conservation, Sen. Gillibrand and Rep. Israel requested an extension for the final rule deadline to August 2016, which would allow the Corps to provide for a longer public comment period.
On August 17, 2015, the Army Corps of Engineers released the DMMP and DPEIS for public comment. Due to a deadline for the final rule, established by the New York Department of Environmental Conservation and the New York Department of State, USACE can only extend the comment period until October 5, 2015.
If the New York Department of Environmental Conservation and the New York Department of State extend their deadline from April to August 2016, then the Corps can extend the public comment period for stakeholders.