The Owner information is as follows:

The purpose of the project is to widen and raise the beach in order to enhance its recreational and aesthetic benefits and to limit inundation at higher water levels. The proposed activity at Ala Moana Regional Park is a combination of beach nourishment and berm enhancement. The proposed beach nourishment plan would add 65,000 cubic yards (cy) of sand to the park’s beach between Magic Island and Kewalo Basin. The beach nourishment would be supplemented with a berm enhancement project in the wide area of the beach adjacent to the Magic Island parking lot. This would provide additional volume for future sand pushing towards the central area of the beach where the erosion is expected to keep occurring. Approximately 5,000 cy of additional sand would be provided for the berm enhancement area. The overall beach nourishment plan would add a total of 70,000 cy of sand to the beach which would increase the beach berm elevation to +6.0 feet mean sea level and restore the beach to its 1957 shoreline position.

Sand would be borrowed from a primary offshore sand source located approximately 4,500 feet offshore of the project site. A backup sand source is located approximately 5,000 feet southeast of the project site if needed. Clamshell dredging would be the method of sand extraction and would be operated from a dredge barge moored over the offshore sand deposit.

The receiving State waters are classified by the DOH as Marine Waters, Class A, for Open Coastal.

Based on an evaluation of the Section 401 WQC Application, the supporting information, which are relevant to water quality considerations, and when all requirements and conditions contained in this proposed Section 401 WQC are fully complied with, there is a reasonable assurance that the discharges resulting from the proposed construction activities will be conducted in a manner which will not violate the applicable water quality standards and will comply with the applicable provisions of CWA, Sections 301, 302, 303, 306, and 307.

This proposed Section 401 WQC shall expire two (2) years from the date of issuance or until the applicable WQS are revised or modified, or Department of the Army, Standard Permit is modified, revoked, suspended, or expired, or when the project related construction activities are completed, whichever is earlier. If the applicable WQS is revised or modified, before the proposed expiration date, and such that the activity complies with the revisions or modifications to the WQS, this Section 401 WQC shall continue to be valid for the remainder of the two-year period.

The Director may, upon receipt of written request from CCH-DDC administratively extend the expiration date of the issued Section 401 WQC. The request shall be submitted at least 30 calendar days before the Section 401 WQC expires. The decision by the DOH to allow an administrative extension will be made on a case-by-case basis taking into account compliance history and impact to receiving State water quality.

All written comments and requests received on time will be considered. If the DOH determines that there is significant public interest, a public hearing may be held after at least 30 calendar days of public notice.

If the DOH’s position is substantially unchanged, after considering all timely written comments and all oral comments at any public hearing that may be held, the DOH will issue or deny the Section 401 WQC, as appropriate, and this action will be final.

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