The Outer Banks Voice – Dare County Announces Restored Dredging Permits for Miss Katie

By Mark Jurkowitz | Voice of Outer Banks October 18, 2024

Miss Katie. (Dare County)

By Mark Jurkowitz | Voice of the external banks

On October 18, one month after the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) announced the suspension of dredging by the Miss Katie on September 18 for “noncompliance” with its permits, Dare County announced that the permits had been restored. .

Following the September 18 suspension, the Miss Katie operation became a significant issue in the local election campaign. At the League of Women Voters of Dare County forum on Oct. 3 for candidates for County Commissioner, several audience questions for the candidates were about the dredge and the county’s relationship with it.

Additionally, two subpoenas dated Oct. 2 from the U.S. Attorney’s Office asked the Dare County Commissioners and the Oregon Entry Task Force to turn over records related to a number of “relevant” parties, including the USACE, EJE Dredging , who owns Miss Katie, and Jordan Hennessey, a senior EJE official who has become a hot topic in the county. This week, Dare County Manager Bobby Outten told the Voice that the records have been turned over to the U.S. Attorney.

Here is the announcement regarding the renewal of Miss Katie’s licenses.

Dare County Manager Bobby Outten announced today, Friday, October 18, that the county’s dredging permits have been officially reinstated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), allowing dredging operations of the Miss Katie be resumed immediately. The Miss Katie is scheduled to resume dredging operations tomorrow, Saturday, October 19th.

Permits were initially suspended on Wednesday, September 18, 2024, due to concerns raised by data from dredging operations. Throughout the suspension, Dare County worked closely with USACE to resolve issues flagged by dredging data. Recent meetings and discussions between Dare County and USACE were highly productive and ultimately led to necessary modifications to improve monitoring and response capabilities.

The USACE confirmed the reinstatement of the permits on Friday, October 18, 2024, stating in an email to Dare County: “After review of the relevant factors and coordination with the appropriate state and federal agencies, the USACE Corps of Engineers U.S. Army Wilmington District grants leave modification and authorizes you to return to duty beginning October 18, 2024.”

In addition to third-party oversight by the county engineering firm, the updated system will now incorporate additional Dredging Quality Management (DQM) data that displays the authorized dredge box. This improvement will allow a Dare County employee to monitor data in real time, helping to quickly resolve any potential issues in the future.

“We appreciate the collaboration of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in resolving this matter and we both remain committed to keeping the dredge operational,” Outten said. “Our main goal is to ensure that the canals and entrances are safe and navigable for the local mariners who depend on them.”