20081113 Ver 1_Approval Letter_20080828

Michael F Easley, Governor
William G Ross Jr Secretary
North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources
Coleen H Sullins, Director
Division of Water Quality
August 28, 2008
Columbus County
DWQ Project No 081113
Replacement of Bridge Nos 363 & 364
State Project No 82430701
TIP No B-3830
Federal Project No BRZ-1947(1)
APPROVAL of 401 WATER QUALITY CERTIFICATION, with ADDITIONAL CONDITIONS
Dr Gregory J Thorpe, PhD
NC Department of Transportation
Project Development and Environmental Analysis
1598 Mall Service Center
Raleigh, NC 27699-1598
Dear Dr Thorpe
You have our approval, in accordance with the conditions listed below, for the following stream and wetland impacts for
the purpose of implementing roadway improvements to SR 1947 in Columbus County
Stream Impacts in the Lumber River Basin
Site Permanent Fill Temporary Fill in Permanent Fill in Temporary Fill Total Stream Stream
in Intermittent Intermittent Perennial Stream in Perennial Impact Impacts
Crossing Stream Stream (linear ft) Stream (linear ft) Requiring
# (linear ft) Mitigation
(linear ft)
Site 1 0 018 ac area of roadside 0 015 ac temporary work
canal adjacent to Big area in Big Creek (if
Creek, behind retaining needed)
wall #2
Site 2 21 LF 26 LF
Headwalls fill, and riprap temp impacts associated
associated with with pipe installation and
installation of 72 pipe construction of fill slope
inside of existing pipe
Site 3 181 LF of roadside swale
0 033 acre
Total 21 LF and 0 051 26 LF and 0 015 47 LF
ac ac.
Total Stream Impact for Project: 47 linear feet and 0 066 acre
NorthCarolina
,Naturally
North Carolina Division of Water Quality 225 Green Street- Suite 714 Fayetteville, NC 28301-5043 Phone [phone] Customer Service
Intemet ncwaterquality org FAX [phone]
An Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer - 50% Recycled/10% Post Consumer Paper
Dr Gregory J Thorpe, PhD
August 28, 2008
Page 2
Wetland Impacts in the Lumber River Basin (Riverme)
Site Fill
(ac) Fill
(temporary)
(ac) Excavation
(ac) Mechanized
Clearing (ac) Hand
Clearing
ac Area under
Bridge
(ac) Total Wetland
Impact (ac)
Site #1 001 001
Site #2 0 011 0 011
Site 43 0 13 0 13
Total 0.13 0 021 0.151
Total Wetland Impact for Project: 0.151 acres
The project shall be constructed in accordance with your request submitted July 11, 2008 by Ms Elizabeth Lusk, and
supplemental information received from Mr John Merritt on August 26, 2008 After reviewing your submittal, we have
decided that these impacts are covered by General Water Quality Certification Number 3701 This certification
corresponds to Nationwide Permit 23 as issued by the Corps of Engineers In addition, you should acquire any other
federal, state or local permits before you proceed with your project including (but not limited to) Sediment and Erosion
Control, Non-Discharge and Water Supply Watershed regulations
This approval is valid solely for the purpose and design described in your application (unless modified below) Should
your project change, you must notify the DWQ and submit a new application If the property is sold, the new owner must
be given a copy of this Certification and approval letter, and is thereby responsible for complying with all the conditions
If total wetland fills for this project (now or in the future) exceed one acre, or if total impacts to streams (now or in the
future) exceed 150 linear feet, compensatory mitigation may be required as described in 15A NCAC 2H 0506 (h) (6) and
(7) For this approval to remain valid, you must adhere to the conditions listed in the attached certification as well as the
following conditions Please note additional condition # 20 and #21.
Additional Conditions-
Placement of culverts and other structures in waters, streams, and wetlands shall be placed below the elevation of
the streambed by one foot for all culverts with a diameter greater than 48 inches, and 20 percent of the culvert
diameter for culverts having a diameter less than 48 inches, to allow low flow passage of water and aquatic life
Design and placement of culverts and other structures including temporary erosion control measures shall not be
conducted in a manner that may result in dis-equilibrium of wetlands or streambeds or banks, adjacent to or
upstream and down stream of the above structures The applicant is required to provide evidence that the
equilibrium is being maintained if requested in writing by DWQ If this condition is unable to be met due to
bedrock or other limiting features encountered during construction, please contact the NC DWQ for guidance on
how to proceed and to determine whether or not a permit modification will be required
2 If concrete is used during construction, a dry work area should be maintained to prevent direct contact between
curing concrete and stream water Water that inadvertently contacts uncured concrete should not be discharged to
surface waters due to the potential for elevated pH and possible aquatic life and fish kills
3 During the construction of the project, no staging of equipment of any kind is permitted in waters of the U S , or
protected riparian buffers
4 The dimension, pattern and profile of the stream above and below the crossings should not be modified, with the
exception of the stream segment as authorized Flood plains and streams should be restored to natural geomorphic
conditions
5 The use of rip-rap above the Normal High Water Mark shall be minimized Any rip-rap placed for stream
stabilization shall be placed in stream channels in such a manner that it does not impede aquatic life passage
Dr Gregory J Thorpe, Ph D
August 28, 2008
Page 3
6 All work in or adjacent to stream waters shall be conducted in a dry work area Approved BMP measures from
the most current version of NCDOT Construction and Maintenance Activities manual such as sandbags, rock
berms, cofferdams and other diversion structures shall be used to prevent excavation in flowing water
7 Heavy equipment shall be operated from the banks rather than in the stream channel in order to minimize
sedimentation and reduce the introduction of other pollutants into the stream
8 All mechanized equipment operated near surface waters must be regularly inspected and maintained to prevent
contamination of stream waters from fuels, lubricants, hydraulic fluids, or other toxic materials
9 No rock, sand or other materials shall be dredged from the stream channel except where authorized by this
certification
10 Discharging hydroseed mixtures and washing out hydroseeders and other equipment in or adjacent to surface
waters is prohibited
11 The permittee and its authorized agents shall conduct its activities in a manner consistent with State water quality
standards (including any requirements resulting from compliance with §303(d) of the Clean Water Act) and any
other appropriate requirements of State and Federal law If DWQ determines that such standards or laws are not
being met (including the failure to sustain a designated or achieved use) or that State or federal law is being
violated, or that further conditions are necessary to assure compliance, DWQ may reevaluate and modify this
certification
12 All fill slopes located in jurisdictional wetlands shall be placed at slopes no flatter than 3 1, unless otherwise
authorized by this certification
13 A copy of this Water Quality Certification shall be posted on the construction site at all times In addition, the
Water Quality Certification and all subsequent modifications, if any, shall be maintained with the Division
Engineer and the on-site project manager
14 The outside buffer, wetland or water boundary located within the construction corridor approved by this
authorization shall be clearly marked by highly visible fencing prior to any land disturbing activities Impacts to
areas within the fencing are prohibited unless otherwise authorized by this certification
15 Upon completion of the project, the NCDOT Division Engineer shall complete and return the enclosed
"Certification of Completion Form" to notify DWQ when all work included in the 401 Certification has been
completed
16 Native riparian vegetation must be reestablished within the construction limits of the project by the end of the
growing season following completion of construction
17 There shall be no excavation from, or waste disposal into, jurisdictional wetlands or waters associated with this
permit without appropriate modification Should waste or borrow sites be located in wetlands or streams,
compensatory mitigation will be required since that is a direct impact from road construction activities
18 Erosion and sediment control practices must be in full compliance with all specifications governing the
proper design, installation and operation and maintenance of such Best Management Practices in order
to protect surface waters standards
a The erosion and sediment control measures for the project must be designed, installed, operated, and
maintained in accordance with the most recent version of the North Carolina Sediment and Erosion Control
Planning and Design Manual
Dr Gregory J Thorpe, Ph D
August 28, 2008
Page 4
The design, installation, operation, and maintenance of the sediment and erosion control measures must be
such that they equal, or exceed, the requirements specified in the most recent version of the North Carolina
Sediment and Erosion Control Manual The devices shall be maintained on all construction sites, borrow
sites, and waste pile (spoil) projects, including contractor-owned or leased borrow pits associated with the
project
For borrow pit sites, the erosion and sediment control measures must be designed, installed, operated, and
maintained in accordance with the most recent version of the North Carolina Surface Mining Manual
The reclamation measures and implementation must comply with the reclamation in accordance with the
requirements of the Sedimentation Pollution Control Act
19 Sediment and erosion control measures shall not be placed in wetlands or waters unless otherwise approved by
this Certification If placement of sediment and erosion control devices in wetlands and waters is unavoidable,
they shall be removed and the natural grade restored upon completion of the project
20 This protect is located in a watershed classified as "C-Swp+", which in this case has the protection
requirements of the adjacent Outstanding Resource Water (Lake Waccamaw) As a condition of this
Certification, the appropriate storm water permit for ORW watersheds must be obtained prior to
commencement of any construction activities on this project Should implementation of the ORW permit
require additional wetland or surface water impacts, an amendment to this 401 Certification will be
required prior to commencement of work
21. No in-water work shall be conducted during the spawning season for the Waccamaw silverside, which is
April 1 through June 30.
If you do not accept any of the conditions of this certification, you may ask for an adjudicatory hearing You must act
within 60 days of the date that you receive this letter To ask for a hearing, send a written petition that conforms to
Chapter 150B of the North Carolina General Statutes to the Office of Administrative Hearings, 6714 Mail Service Center,
Raleigh, N C 27699 This certification and its conditions are final and binding unless you ask for a hearing This letter
completes the review of the Division of Water Quality under Section 401 of the Clean Water Act If you have any
questions, please contact Ken Averitte at [phone]
Sincerely,
Pal ,-J qtnaa?
Coleen H Sullins
Attachments (General Certification and Certificate of Completion form)
cc US Army Corps of Engineers, Wilmington District Office
Mr John Merritt, PDEA
Mr Jim Rerko, Division 6, Environmental Officer
Mr Greg Burns, Acting Division Engineer, NCDOT Div 6
Mr Richard Spencer, US Army Corps of Engineers, Wilmington Field Office
Ms Sonia Gregory, 401 Wetlands/DOT Unit
Central Files
FRO File Copy
Ms Linda Lewis, W1RO
Col bndge363&364 081113 401 doc