Press Release: Norton Announces Date for Public Hearing with Army Corps of Engineers and Army on Rule Restricting Public Access to the Washington Channel, Extension of Public Comment Period on Rule

News Release — DC Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton

January 6, 2021

Contact: Sharon Eliza Nichols

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) announced today that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) and the U.S. Army Military District of Washington have agreed to her request to hold a public hearing on the proposed rule restricting public access to the Washington Channel and to extend the public comment period on the proposed rule.  The public hearing will take place on January 27, 2021, at 6:00 p.m., and the public comment period on the proposed rule has been extended from December 29, 2020, to January 28, 2021. USACE previously extended the comment period on the rule after Norton argued that the original comment period did not allow adequate time for public input. Norton spoke personally with Major General Omar Jones, Commanding General of Joint Force Headquarters-National Capital Region, and he responded yesterday.

“After discussing the proposed rule with my constituents and interested parties, in addition to USACE and the Army, I asked for another extension of the comment period and a public hearing on this rule, which would restrict public access to the Washington Channel,” Norton said. “Congress passed my bill to develop the Southwest Waterfront (the Wharf), and continued access to the area, which is increasingly used for transportation and recreational boating, taking traffic off our crowded roads, is particularly important now during the pandemic, when it’s safer to be outdoors. I thank USACE and the Army for working with me on this issue, and look forward to a full public hearing on the 27^th.”

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