Final Environmental Impact Report - Whittier Bridge/I-95 ...
Share Embed Flag
Download ePaper

Final Environmental Impact Report - Whittier Bridge/I-95 ...

Final Environmental Impact Report - Whittier Bridge/I-95 ... Final Environmental Impact Report - Whittier Bridge/I-95 ...

mhd.state.ma.us
from mhd.state.ma.us More from this publisher
27.01.2015 Views

Patel, Purvi {_E_EA .... } _ From: Sent: To: Cc: Subject: Attachments: Davis, Shannon (FWE) Friday, December 09, 2011 3:23 PM Patel, Purvi (EEA) Logan, John (FWE); 'Lou.chiarella@noaa.gov'; Chin, Ken (DEP); Standish, Derek (DEP); Boeri, Robert (EEA); 'reiner.ed@epa.gov'; Evans, Tay (FWE); Ford, Kathryn (FWE); Chase, Brad (FWE); Sheppard, John (FWE); Manfredi, Vincent (FWE); Ostrikis, Katelyn (FWE); Petitpas, Christian (FWE); Lehan, Richard (FWE) EEA# 14427 MassDOT (Whittier Bridge) to MEPA 12-9-11.pdf Hi, Please see the attached MarineFisheries comment letter regarding Whittier bridge replacement in the Town of Amesbury and Newburyport. Thank you. -Shannon Shannon L. Davis Program Coordinator MA Division of Marine Fisheries 251 Causeway Street, Ste. 400 Boston, MA 02114 617-626-1621 617-626-1509 FAX Shannon.daviS®state.ma.us 1

Paul J. Diodati Director Cotntnonwealth ofMassachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries 251 Causeway Street, Suite 400 Boston, Massachusetts 02114 (617)626-1520 fax (617)626-1509 CMA'L'E't> December 9, 2011 ~ Richard K. Sullivan, Jr. Secretary, Executive Office ofEnergy and Environmental Affairs MEPAOffice 100 Cambridge Street, Suite 900 Boston, MA 02114 ATIN: MEPA Office Deval Patrick Governor . Timothy P. Murray Lt. GovenlOr Richard K. Sullivan, Jr. Secrefmy Mary B. Gritnn Commissioner Re: EEA# 14427 Dear Secretary Sullivan: The Division ofMarine Fisheries (MarineFisheries) has reviewed the Environmental Assessment/Draft Environmental Impact Report (EA/DEIR) for the Whittier Bridge Replacement Project on the Merrimack River in the Town ofAmesbury and City ofNewburyport. MarineFisheries has reviewed project plans with respect to potential impacts to marine fisheries resources and habitat. The proposed project consists ofthe replacement ofthe existing Whittier Bridge with two independent parallel bridges. In-water work will occur within cofferdams. This section ofthe Merrimack River provides passage and foraging habitat for a variety of diadromous fish species including alewife (Alosa pseudoharengus), blueback herring (Alosa aestivalis), American eel (Anguilla rostrata), American shad (Alosa sapidissima), rainbow smelt (Osmerus mordax),whit e perch (Morone americana), lamprey (Petromyzon marinus), gizzard shad (Dorosoma cepedianum), Atlantic sturgeon (Acipenser oxyrinchus oxyrinchus), and shortnose sturgeon (Acipenser brevirostrum). The Merrimack River also provides habitat for hatchery-raised smolts, juveniles, and retired adult broodstock ofAtlantic salmon (Salmo salar) [1]. Sections ofthe project area also contain salt marsh, an important habitat for a variety offish and invertebrate species [2]. MarineFisheries offers the following comments for your consideration: • MarineFisheries previously recommended in a letter dated September.8, 2011 that the installation and removal ofthe cofferdams occur outside ofthe March 1 to November 1 time-of-year (TOY) restriction perIod. This recommendation was designed to ensure safe passage for a variety ofdiadromous· fish species including American shad (Alosa sapidissima), Atlantic sturgeon (Acipenser oxyrinchus oxyrinchus), and shortnose sturgeon (Acipenser brevirostrum). Based on additional project information, cofferdam installation will be staged to reduce impact by only installing a single cofferdam at any given time. By avoiding simultaneous installation ofmultiple cofferdams, this project design would limit the area ofimpact to less than 5 % ofthe river width at any given time. This staging approach combined with the nature ofthe river bottom at the project site (predominantly bedrock) should allow for safe passage ofdiadromous fishes during the construction

Patel, Purvi {_E_EA .... } _<br />

From:<br />

Sent:<br />

To:<br />

Cc:<br />

Subject:<br />

Attachments:<br />

Davis, Shannon (FWE)<br />

Friday, December 09, 2011 3:23 PM<br />

Patel, Purvi (EEA)<br />

Logan, John (FWE); 'Lou.chiarella@noaa.gov'; Chin, Ken (DEP); Standish, Derek (DEP);<br />

Boeri, Robert (EEA); 'reiner.ed@epa.gov'; Evans, Tay (FWE); Ford, Kathryn (FWE); Chase,<br />

Brad (FWE); Sheppard, John (FWE); Manfredi, Vincent (FWE); Ostrikis, Katelyn (FWE);<br />

Petitpas, Christian (FWE); Lehan, Richard (FWE)<br />

EEA# 14427<br />

MassDOT (<strong>Whittier</strong> <strong>Bridge</strong>) to MEPA 12-9-11.pdf<br />

Hi,<br />

Please see the attached MarineFisheries comment letter regarding <strong>Whittier</strong> bridge replacement in the Town of<br />

Amesbury and Newburyport. Thank you.<br />

-Shannon<br />

Shannon L. Davis<br />

Program Coordinator<br />

MA Division of Marine Fisheries<br />

251 Causeway Street, Ste. 400<br />

Boston, MA 02114<br />

617-626-1621<br />

617-626-1509 FAX<br />

Shannon.daviS®state.ma.us<br />

1

logo

products

Resources

Company

Terms of service
Privacy policy
Cookie policy
Cookie settings
Imprint
Change language
Made with love in Switzerland
© 2024 Yumpu.com all rights reserved

Hooray! Your file is uploaded and ready to be published.

Saved successfully!

Ooh no, something went wrong!