Environmental Considerations

Cove Point Pier Reinforcement Project

Natural gas is a clean-burning fuel, preferred for use in homes, factories and commercial buildings. It has become a fuel of choice for electric power generation because it burns cleanly and efficiently.

DCP coordinated with federal, state and local agencies to design the Pier Reinforcement Project to assure that the impact on the natural and human environment would be minimized.

Among the federal programs or regulations that have been reviewed for any project impact and any related compliance are: Rivers and Harbors Act of 1899, Endangered Species Act of 1973, National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, Coastal Zone Management Act of 1972, Clean Water Act, Clean Air Act, Archaeological and Historic Act of 1974, and Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act.

The project also was reviewed for potential impacts under state and local regulatory programs for environmental issues related to streams, wetlands, threatened and endangered species, air, etc., including programs that implement the federal programs listed above.

Dredging was necessary to remove silt that has accumulated around the pier and to add a minimum of 2 feet of under-keel clearance directly around the pier. No ship channel dredging occurred. Dredging was required to allow the new generation of larger ships to berth at the pier. As previously described, the availability of these larger ships is the result of recent advances in ship design and technology. Shippers have requested to use the newer ships to deliver cargoes of LNG to the Terminal. To accommodate these requests, modifications to the pier were required. Such modifications, including dredging, were not previously sought by DCP as part of any previous projects since there were no requests at that time to utilize the larger LNG vessels and no commercial agreements in place to support the construction of the additional pier facilities.

As part of the project, the dredged material was placed behind a newly-constructed rock revetment near the existing shoreline. This rock revetment and existing shoreline created a cell to place the dredged material. The dredged material was transported and placed between the rock revetment and existing shoreline. The dredged material and shoreline were then planted with new vegetation.

This newly-created saltwater marsh provides a barrier to protect the existing Cove Point freshwater marsh. The Cove Point freshwater marsh is a unique ecosystem and is part of the Maryland Natural Heritage Area. Previously, a breach had occurred along the shoreline that allowed Bay water to enter into the freshwater ecosystem.

• View a video of this marsh restoration project.