HEARING REQUIRED BEFORE ACQUISITION OF PROPERTY.

(a) Before the commission approves or implements a plan or project to acquire property or an interest in property under Section 51.005 for a dredge material disposal site or for an alteration of the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway that requires the acquisition of additional property or an interest in property to meet its responsibilities under this chapter, the commission shall hold a public hearing to receive evidence and testimony concerning the desirability of the proposed dredge material disposal site or channel alteration.

(b) The commission shall publish notice of a plan or project and the date, time, and place of a hearing at least once a week for three successive weeks before the hearing in a newspaper of general circulation that is published in the county seat of each county in which any part of a proposed dredge material disposal site or channel alteration is located.

(c) The commission may approve the plan or project and implement it and acquire additional property if the commission determines, after the public hearing, that the proposed plan or project can be accomplished without an unjustifiable waste of publicly or privately owned natural resources or a permanent and substantial adverse impact on the environment, wildlife, or fisheries.