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Home My WebLink About20140314-NLC-DEP-reGeotubeConstruction_201403280916170258From:Libby Gibson To:Erika Mooney Cc:Kara Buzanoski Subject:FW: Baxter Road, Nantucket Date:Sunday, March 16, 2014 8:05:32 AM Attachments:NLC Sconset .pdf C. Elizabeth Gibson Town Manager Town of Nantucket (508) 228-7255 From: Rick Atherton [mailto:rickatherton@comcast.net] Sent: Friday, March 14, 2014 5:59 PMTo: Libby GibsonSubject: FW: Baxter Road, Nantucket Libby, FYI and for distribution to the BOS and posting on the Baxter Road page on the Town web site. Rick _____________________________________________________________________________________ RICK ATHERTONPO Box 3126 Nantucket MA 02584 508.228.2366 rickatherton@comcast.net From: Emily MacKinnon [mailto:emily@nantucketlandcouncil.org] Sent: Friday, March 14, 2014 3:08 PMTo: Philip.weinberg@state.ma.us; 'Adams, Karen K NAE'; 'Kotelly, Kevin R NAE';Bruce.Carlisle@state.ma.us; rickatherton@comcast.netSubject: FW: Baxter Road, Nantucket From: Emily MacKinnon [mailto:emily@nantucketlandcouncil.org] Sent: Friday, March 14, 2014 2:47 PMTo: 'Kouloheras, Elizabeth (DEP)'; 'Mahala, Jim (DEP)'; 'Langley, Lealdon (DEP)'; 'Boeri, Robert (ENV)';'Haney, Rebecca (ENV)'Cc: 'Jeff Carlson'; esteinauer@massaudubon.org; 'Mahala, Jim (DEP)'; 'Langley, Lealdon (DEP)'; 'Boeri, Robert (ENV)'; 'Haney, Rebecca (ENV)'; phil.weinber@state.ma.usSubject: RE: Baxter Road, Nantucket Dear Ms. Kouloheras, Please see the attached letter from the Nantucket Land Council in response to your email below. Thanks for your time and have a good weekend. Best, Emily Emily MacKinnon Resource Ecologist Nantucket Land Council, Inc. (508) 228 2818 emily@nantucketlandcouncil.org From: Kouloheras, Elizabeth (DEP) [mailto:Elizabeth.Kouloheras@MassMail.State.MA.US] Sent: Friday, February 28, 2014 5:36 PMTo: Emily MacKinnon; Mahala, Jim (DEP); Langley, Lealdon (DEP); Boeri, Robert (ENV); Haney, Rebecca(ENV)Cc: 'Jeff Carlson'; esteinauer@massaudubon.org; Mahala, Jim (DEP); Langley, Lealdon (DEP); Boeri,Robert (ENV); Haney, Rebecca (ENV)Subject: RE: Baxter Road, Nantucket Dear Ms. MacKinnon, In your e-mail below you inquire as to whether other State permits may be necessary for the Geotube Erosion Control Project at Sconset Bluff/Baxter Road. As you know, the Town of Nantucket Conservation Commission issued a Emergency Certification under the Wetlands Protection Act and local Wetlands By-law for the emergency construction of a three tier Geotube coastal erosion control structure along the toe of the coastal bank at Sconset which included beach/bank nourishment as mitigation. MassDEP issued an extension to that Emergency Certification on Jan.19,2014. The Emergency Certification has since expired. Relative to Chapter 91 jurisdiction and 401 Water Quality Certification (WQC) jurisdiction please be advised that jurisdiction for these two programs extends from the MHW line seaward. As stated in 310CMR 9.02 (Chapter 91) and 314CMR 9.02 (WQC) the High Water Mark/Mean High Tide Line means “ the present mean high water tide line, as established by the present arithmetic mean of the water heights observed at high tide over a specific 19-year Metonic Cycle (the National Tidal Datum Epoch), and shall be determined using hydrographic survey data of the National Ocean Survey of the U.S. Department of Commerce”. The Emergency Certification plan of record for this site indicates MHW at elevation + 3.04 feet , based on a mean low water datum(MLW=0.0 feet). The Geotube structure is located well above the MHW line, landward of Chapter 91 and WQC jurisdiction. The location of the temporary sand-berm , as observed in photographs, appears to have been placed above the MHW line , at or in close proximity to the daily high tide line. However, because the MHW line is a medium/long-term average and does not take into account wave height, it is possible that the temporary sand-berm could experience some wave action and appear to be below high tide line during a particular tidal cycle or during higher wave conditions. Construction impacts to the beach were temporary in nature and the beach has been restored. Mitigation through beach nourishment is on-going. For the above stated reasons, at the time of the issuance of the Emergency Certification under the Wetlands Protection Act and as now, the MassDEP has determined that construction of the Geotube structure does not require Chapter 91 or WQC authorization. If you have any other questions concerning this matter please contact me at 508-946-2810 . Regards, Liz Kouloheras From: Emily MacKinnon [mailto:emily@nantucketlandcouncil.org] Sent: Friday, February 07, 2014 4:58 PMTo: Mahala, Jim (DEP); Kouloheras, Elizabeth (DEP); Langley, Lealdon (DEP); Boeri, Robert (EEA);Haney, Rebecca (EEA)Cc: 'Jeff Carlson'; esteinauer@massaudubon.orgSubject: FW: Baxter Road, Nantucket Dear Jim, I am addressing this email to you but have included others from DEP and CZM as I am not certain who is most appropriate to address my concern. On January 28, 2014 I sent the below email to Karen Adams at the Army Corps of Engineers (CC’ing all of you) enquiring about Army Corps jurisdiction and permitting for work taking place in front of Baxter Road out here on the island. The links in the email below are to photographs of work taking place in the surf zone and presumably below the high tide line. In addition, here are some more recent photographs: http://www.nantucketerosion.com/01232014/asyf0aul6r5go7dbhbcitjinxrrshb I am aware that the Army Corps is now investigating whether appropriate permit(s) for this work have been obtained (if they are in fact necessary). I am writing to you for clarification on what other permits at the state level (Chapter 91, Water Quality Cert, etc…) may be necessary for this work, based on DEP and CZM’s jurisdiction and to make sure that all appropriate agencies are involved. I am attaching a copy of the Enforcement Order that was issued by the Nantucket Conservation Commission on Wednesday, February 5, 2014 identifying excavation work below high tide line (in addition to other unpermitted work), which you have likely already received. Thank you all for your time. Emily Emily MacKinnon Resource Ecologist Nantucket Land Council, Inc. (508) 228 2818 emily@nantucketlandcouncil.org From: Emily MacKinnon [mailto:emily@nantucketlandcouncil.org] Sent: Tuesday, January 28, 2014 2:26 PMTo: 'karen.k.adams@usace.army.mil'Cc: 'Jim.mahala@state.ma.us'; 'Elizabeth.Kouloheras@State.MA.US'; 'Lealdon.Langley@State.MA.US';'Robert.Boeri@state.ma.us'; 'Haney, Rebecca (ENV)'; 'Jeff Carlson'; 'esteinauer@massaudubon.org'Subject: Baxter Road, Nantucket Dear Karen, My name is Emily MacKinnon and I am an ecologist for the Nantucket Land Council, a non-profit organization focused on preserving the natural resources of Nantucket Island. As you may or may not be aware, a large scale coastal engineering project was granted an Emergency Certification to the joint applicants the Town of Nantucket and Siasconset Beach Preservation Fund (SBPF) by MA DEP and the local Conservation Commission on 12/19/13. The Certification allows for a three geotextile tube coastal engineering structure with sand cover to be installed on a Coastal Beach and Coastal Bank. The project has not been completed, but I understand the applicants are requesting an extension and will also be coming before the Conservation Commission to obtain an Order of Conditions for the work completed under the Emergency Certification. I am writing to you because over the course of the past four weeks I am concerned that the applicants have been working outside the parameters of their permit. They have clearly been performing significant excavation from the Coastal Beach directly in the surf zone and below the high tide line. The applicant, SBPF, has been before the Commission many times regarding alternative projects in the same location. We have had many discussions in various public hearings regarding the need for an Army Corps of Engineers permit (and others) should work be required below the annual high tide line. In this instance the issue has been ignored and it appears that without benefit of appropriate permits significant work has been done in your jurisdiction. The following photographs are just a few examples of many taken by local photographers documenting this activity: http://www.nantucketerosion.com/01192014/p0hptx9a0t3tfz464uhec4z80rqvaw http://www.nantucketerosion.com/01172014day/9rg0juupb5ygmyg05w6q3k6rrn565q http://www.nantucketerosion.com/01172014day/5u9nru7mbzo4g3w7hij85utwnipwhp I am requesting your involvement and input on this matter. If enforcement action is appropriate it should be undertaken prior to the issuance of an Order of Conditions for the work so that it can become part of the public hearing process. Thank you very much for your time, Emily Emily MacKinnon Resource Ecologist Nantucket Land Council, Inc. (508) 228 2818 emily@nantucketlandcouncil.org