U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to host public meetings on long-term maintenance and environmental planning for Charleston Harbor

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), Charleston District, will host one in-person and two virtual public meetings to discuss the development of an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for Charleston Harbor. The recently published Notice of Intent can be found here: https://www.sac.usace.army.mil/Missions/Navigation/Charleston-Harbor-O-M-Dredging-EIS/.

The primary purpose of these meetings is to engage with the community regarding the long-term strategy for maintaining safe, efficient navigation in Charleston’s federal harbor channel. The EIS will evaluate the reasonably foreseeable impacts to the environment related to proposed updates to operation and maintenance (O&M) dredging and associated activities. Staff expect updates to O&M activities to improve operational flexibility by updating avoidance and minimization measures, including adjusting the timing of dredging operations. This EIS will not consider or assess any changes in channel dimensions, dredged material volumes, or dredged material placement options.

The scoping comment period ends June 29, 2026. There are four options available for the public to submit formal comments:

1. By email to [email protected], 2.) On the website at https://sardn-eis-sardn.hub.arcgis.com/, 3.) At the public meetings, or 4.) By U.S. mail: Attention: Erica Fritz, Planning, USACE Charleston District, 69A Hagood Avenue, Charleston, SC 29403.

Charleston Harbor Public Meetings

• In-Person: Wednesday, June 10 | 5:30 PM – 7:30 PM
  • Location: South Carolina Department of Natural Resources, Marine Resources Research Institute, Auditorium, 217 Fort Johnson Road, Charleston, SC 29412
• Virtual (Session 1): Tuesday, June 16 | 11:30 AM – 1:00 PM
  • Platform: Microsoft Teams – Join Meeting or https://teams.microsoft.com/meet/27510389763177?p=3Ea3Amiv4VqJ6sB6uO
• Virtual (Session 2): Wednesday, June 17 | 5:30 PM – 7:00 PM
  • Platform: Microsoft Teams – Join Meeting or https://teams.microsoft.com/meet/22409472759985?p=uON5eQIGBI4qZE3TNu

Meeting Purpose and Project Goals

USACE is committed to balancing economic necessity with ecological stewardship. Key topics for discussion include:

• Environmental Compliance: Assessing impacts on the human, natural, and physical environment under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA).
• Navigational Safety: Ensuring channels remain navigable to support regional and state economies.
• Risk-Based Analysis: Utilizing data-driven dredging schedules to maximize operational flexibility while conserving vulnerable species.

For additional project updates, please visit the project portal at https://sardn-eis-sardn.hub.arcgis.com/.