Conowingo Capacity Recovery and Innovative & Beneficial Use Pilot Project. AGENDA 6:30 6:45 Welcome and Opening Remarks. 6:45 7:15 Poster Session

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1 Conowingo Capacity Recovery and Innovative & Beneficial Use Pilot Project AGENDA 6:30 6:45 Welcome and Opening Remarks 6:45 7:15 Poster Session 7:15 7:30 Questions

2 Pilot Dredging Project Goals 1) Evaluate feasibility of dredging for sediment management 2) Use Maryland s Innovative Reuse and Beneficial Use Guidance Components Hydraulically dredge approximately 25,000 cubic yards of sediment Pump sediment from dredging location to staging area Dewater material at the staging area Temporarily stockpile material at staging area Transport material offsite for reuse within 1 year

3 Conowingo Pilot Project History June 2016: Governor s Bay Cabinet requests the establishment of the Conowingo Dam Sediment Management Working Group (WG). The purpose of the WG is to accelerate Chesapeake Bay Restoration by identifying cost-effective dredging solutions, including innovative reuse and/or beneficial use for the sediments and associated nutrients behind the Conowingo Dam. August 2016: Maryland Environmental Service (MES) issues a Request for Information (RFI) on the technical feasibility, economic feasibility, environmental benefits or outcomes and other benefits or outcomes related to sediment removal and innovative and/or beneficial reuse of the sediments behind the Conowingo Dam. MES received 13 responses to the RFI, indicating that companies were capable of and interested in doing this work. August 8, 2017: Governor Hogan announces plans for the Pilot Project at the 2 nd Conowingo Summit. August 31, 2017: MES issues a Request for Proposals (RFP) to perform a pilot dredging and innovative reuse and/or beneficial use project on approximately 25,000 cubic yards of sediment in the Maryland portion of the Susquehanna River upstream of the Conowingo Dam.

4 Conowingo Pilot Project History December 8, 2017: Two proposals received in response to the RFP. The technical proposals were evaluated and scored by a 14-member technical evaluation team made up of MES, Anchor QEA (design engineers on project), MD Department of Environment, MD Department of Natural Resources, University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science, MD Department of Planning, Exelon, and the Susquehanna River Basin Commission. The price proposals were evaluated and scored by MES. December 28, 2017: Northgate-Dutra Joint Venture was selected by the evaluation team based on their combined technical score and price. Northgate-Dutra Joint Venture has a local office in Frederick, Maryland. Their project team is also made up of other firms with Maryland offices, including: Chavis Enterprises Chesapeake Environmental Management Ecological Restoration & Management Fredericktowne Labs HazTek Incorporated Lafarge Holcim Moffatt & Nichol Stancills, Inc.

5 Project Location Pipeline route subject to change Staging Area

6 Hydraulic Dredging Cuts and mixes bottom sediments and water A cutterhead uses rotating blades or teeth to break up or loosen bottom sediments Sediment is mixed into a slurry using river water Slurry is then pumped through a pipeline by the dredge to the staging area for dewatering

7 Onsite Slurry and Water Piping Pipelines will be used to transport material from the dredging area in the Susquehanna River to the project staging area and return water to the river Typical 12 HDPE pipe and connection Typical earthen cover pipe crossing for foot traffic

8 Staging Area The area where the dredged material will be dried (dewatered) Staging area components Entrance roadway Trailers for on-site personnel Soil and erosion control & security fencing Material management equipment Graded area for material management and dried material stockpiling Dredged material slurry transport pipeline route and water discharge

9 Material Dewatering Mechanical dewatering includes the use of screens, sand separators, and presses to separate water from sediment

10 Proposed Schedule Staging Area Construction Contract Award and Notice to Proceed April-May May -June And Dredging* 6/30/18-9/28/18 Today February March April May June October May 2019 Permitting February-May Permit-related public comment Innovative Reuse/ Beneficial Use (7/1/18-5/16/19) period includes: Public Notice Public Meeting *In-water activities do not begin until the closure of fisheries time-of-year restriction, estimated to be June 30

11 What to Expect All work will conform to local noise ordinances for construction DREDGING STAGING AREA / PIPELINE HOURS EQUIPMENT HOURS EQUIPMENT Up to 12 hours per day, Dredge vessel Up to 12 hours per day, Dewatering presses 6 days a week Small craft (survey, crew) 6 days a week Generators and pumps Booster pump(s) Front end loader Transport pipeline Haul trucks TRAFFIC Daily counts will fluctuate during different phases Traffic routes may vary based on selected reuse options

12 Innovative Reuse & Beneficial Use of Dredged Material Dredged material is a resource with economic value MDE Guidance Document identifies opportunities and guidelines for uses Innovative Reuse Options Landfill cover and cap Soil and fill material Beneficial Uses Habitat restoration Shoreline stabilization

13 MDE Guidance Document Transparency Clarifies regulations and the approval process Regulatory certainty Clear step-by-step guidance and detailed flow charts Protects human health and the environment Recycling and resource recovery Opportunities for dredged material to be a useful product

14 Regulatory Process Joint State/Federal Permit Application (JPA) Evaluates impacts to floodplains, waterways, or wetlands Required for all dredging projects Includes a mandatory 30-day public notice and public comment period prior to permit issuance Permit Required Agency Status Joint Permit Application (JPA) Endangered Species Consultation US Army Corps of Engineers and Maryland Department of the Environment US Fish and Wildlife Service Initiated Complete Historic Properties Consultation Maryland Historic Trust Complete Rare, Threatened, and Endangered Species Consultation Dam Operations (Environmental Assessment) Maryland Department of Natural Resources Exelon and Federal Energy Regulatory Commission Initiated Initiated

15 Harford County Coordination Focuses on land-based activities Forest impacts Sediment and erosion control Stormwater Tandem coordination with Maryland Department of the Environment Approval Required Department Status Forest Conservation Planning and Zoning Initiated Grading/Sediment and Erosion Control Stormwater Public Works & Harford County Soil Conservation District Public Works & Maryland Department of the Environment Initiated Initiated