Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAbout20070256 Ver 1_Other Agency Comments_20060222IN REPLY REFER TO Regulatory Division DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY WILMINGTON DISTRICT, CORPS OF ENGINEERS Washington Regulatory Field Office P.O. Box 1000 Washington, North Carolina 27889-1000 February 20, 2007 o~~ ~~I Subject: Action ID No. SAW 2007-154-189 and Nationwide Permit No. 14 (Linear Transportation Project) Anthony Roper, Division Engineer North Carolina Department of Transportation 113 Airport Drive, Suite 100 Edenton, North Carolina 27932 Dear Mr. Roper: ~ ~~~~ FCB Z 2 2OC7 a~N~ - avArER c~v~~., ~ r~ v+los a~~la srcaR~ewar~~ B~+cy Reference your application of February 1, 2007, for Department of the Army (DA) authorization to discharge fill material within waters of the United States, impacting a total of 0.39 acres of wetlands to upgrade NCSR 1110 (Old Columbia Road) from a gravel surface road to a paved surface roadway. For the purposes of the Corps of Engineers' Regulatory Program, Title 33, Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), Part 330.6, the March 9, 2000, Federal Register, Final Notice of Issuance, Reissuance, and Modification of Nationwide Permits (65 FR 12818), lists nationwide permits. Authorization, pursuant to Section 10 of the Rivers and Harbors Act of 1899 and Section 404 of the Clean Water Act, was provided by Nationwide Permit # 14 for fills for linear transportation crossings of waters of the United States (including wetlands and other special aquatic sites). Review of this project indicates that the improvements to the roadway will adversely impact 0.39 acres of Riverine Swamp riparian wetlands. Your work is authorized under Nationwide Permit 14, provided it is accomplished in strict accordance with the enclosed Nationwide Permit Conditions and the following special conditions: a. The unavoidable impacts to 0.39 acres of Riverine Swamp riparian wetlands associated with this project shall be mitigated by NCDOT by providing 0.78 acres of restoration equivalent Riverine Swamp riparian wetlands in the Pasquotank River basin (Hydrologic Cataloging Unit 03010205). For wetlands, a minimum of 1:1 (impact to mitigation) must be in the form of wetland restoration. NCDOT shall provide a plan to the USACE for addressing this mitigation requirement by March 20, 2007. It is recommended that NCDOT provide this mitigation in r f accordance with the procedures suggested in our letter dated September 13, 2004 from Mr. Ken Jolly to Dr. Gregory J. Thorpe. b. The temporary placement or double handling of excavated or fill materials within waters or vegetated wetlands are not authorized. c. All excavated materials will be confined above normal high water and landward of regularly or irregularly flooded wetlands behind adequate dikes or retaining structures to prevent spillover of solids into any wetlands or surrounding waters. d. The fill material will be clean and free of any pollutants except in trace quantities. Metal products, organic materials, or unsightly debris will not be used. e. Except as authorized by this permit or any USACE approved modification to this permit, no excavation, fill, or mechanized land-clearing activities shall take place at any time in the construction or maintenance of this project, within waters or wetlands, or any activities that cause the degradation of waters or wetlands, except as authorized by this permit, or any modification to this permit. This permit does not authorize temporary placement or double handling of excavated or fill material within waters or wetlands outside the permitted area. There shall be no excavation from, waste disposal into, or degradation of, jurisdictional waters or wetlands associated with this permit without appropriate modification of this permit, including appropriate compensatory mitigation. This prohibition applies to all borrow and fill activities connected with this project. f. To ensure that all borrow and waste activities occur on high ground and do not result in the degradation of adjacent wetlands and streams, except as authorized by this permit, the permittee shall require its contractors and/or agents to identify all areas to be used to borrow material, or to dispose of dredged, fill, or waste material. The permittee shall provide the USACE with appropriate maps indicating the locations of proposed borrow or waste sites as soon as the permittee has that information. The permittee will coordinate with the USACE before approving any borrow or waste sites that are within 400 feet of any streams or wetlands. The permittee shall ensure that all such areas comply with condition (e) of this permit, and shall require and maintain documentation of the location and characteristics of all borrow and disposal sites associated with this project. This information will include data regarding soils, vegetation and hydrology sufficient to clearly demonstrate compliance with the preceding condition (e). All information will be available to the USACE upon request. NCDOT shall require its contractors to complete and execute reclamation plans for each waste and borrow site and provide written documentation that the reclamation plans have been implemented and all work is completed. This documentation will be provided to the Corps of Engineers within 30 days of the completion of the reclamation work. 2 g. The permittee shall require its contractors and/or agents to comply with the terms and conditions of this permit in the construction and maintenance of this project, and shall provide each of its contractors and/or agents associated with the construction or maintenance of this project with a copy of this permit. A copy of this permit, including all conditions and any Corps approved modifications shall be available at the project site during construction and maintenance of this project. h. Any violation of these conditions or violations of Section 404 of the Clean Water Act or Section 10 of the Rivers and Harbors Act must be reported in writing to the Wilmington District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, within 24 hours of the violation. i. Failure to institute and carry out the details of special conditions a. - h., above, may result in a directive to cease all ongoing and permitted work within waters and/or wetlands associated with TIP No. R-4452, or such other remedy as the District Engineer or his authorized representatives may seek. This nationwide permit does not relieve you of the responsibility to obtain any required State or local approval. This permit is valid until the NWP is modified, reissued, or revoked. All of the existing NWPs are scheduled to be modified, reissued, or revoked prior to March 18, 2007. It is incumbent upon you to remain informed of changes to the NWPs. We will issue a public notice when the NWPs are reissued. Furthermore, if you commence or are under contract to commence this activity before the date that the relevant nationwide permit is modified or revoked, you will have twelve (12) months from the date of the modification or revocation of the NWP to complete the activity under the present terms and conditions of this nationwide permit. If, prior to the expiration date of March 18, 2007, the nationwide permit authorization is reissued and/or modified, this verification will remain valid until March 18, 2007, provided it complies with all new and/or modified terms and conditions. The District Engineer may, at any time, exercise his discretionary authority to modify, suspend, or revoke a case specific activity's authorization under any NWP. Thank you for your time and cooperation. If you have any questions, you may contact me at the Washington Regulatory Field Office, Post Office Box 1000, Washington, North Carolina, 27889, or telephone 252-975-1616, extension 26. Sincerely, William Bi dlecome Regulatory Project Manager Enclosures Copies Furnished (without enclosures) Mr. David Wainwright Water Quality Section North Carolina Division of Environment and Natural Resources 1650 Mail Service Center Raleigh, North Carolina 27699-1650 Mr. Travis Wilson Eastern Region Highway Project Coordinator Habitat Conservation Program 1142 I-85 Service Road Creedmoor, North Carolina 27522 Mr. Gary Jordan U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Fish and Wildlife Enhancement Post Office Box 33726 Raleigh, North Carolina 27636-3726 Mr. Ron Sechler National Marine Fisheries Service 101 Pivers Island Beaufort, North Carolina 28516 Mr. Chris Militscher U.S. Environmental Protection Agency C/O FHWA, Raleigh Office 310 New Bern Avenue, Room 410 Raleigh, North Carolina 27601 Ms. Kathy Matthews USEPA-Region 4 Wetlands Section 109 T.W. Alexander Drive Durham, North Carolina 27711 Mail Code:E143-04 4 Mr. William D. Gilmore, P.E. EEP Director North Carolina Ecosystem Enhancement Program 1652 Mail Service Center Raleigh, North Carolina 27699-1652 Mr. Garcy Ward NCDWQ Washington Regional Office 943 Washington Square Mall Washington, North Carolina 27889 Ms. Cathy Brittingham Division of Coastal Management 1638 Mail Service Center Raleigh, North Carolina 27699-1638