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HomeMy WebLinkAbout20150596 Ver 1_Corps of Engineer Correspondence_20150903DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY WILMINGTON DISTRICT, CORPS OF ENGINEERS 151. PATTON AVENUE ROOM 208 ASHEVILLE, NORTH CAROLINA 28801-5006 August 28, 2015 Regulatory Division Action ID: SAW-2015-00736 Mr. Sam Lockridge Solid Waste Director Cleveland County 250 Fielding Road Cherryville, North Carolina 28021 Dear Mr. Lockridge: Reference is made to your June 17, 2015, Department of the Army permit application in which you requested a permit to impact approximately 532 linear feet of stream channel and 0.32 acres of wetland associated with an 82 acre solid waste disposal landfill located on an 885 acre tract in Cleveland County, North Carolina. The purpose of the project is to expand the existing landfill to increase waste storage capacity. Mitigation for the project includes payment into the North Carolina Ecosystem Enhancement Program (NCEEP); the proposed mitigation is 1:1. The purpose of this letter is to provide you with comments received in response to the Public Notice dated July 30, 2015, and request that additional information be submitted to continue the review of your permit request. After review of your proposal, the United States Fish and Wildlife Services (USFWS) submitted comments by letter dated July 31,2015. Although they concur with the determination that the proposed project will have "no effect" on federally listed species or designated critical habitat, they offered several recommendations regarding stream buffers, stream crossings, stoini water management and invasive exotic species should the permit be issued. A copy of their letter is enclosed for your consideration and response. Written comments were received from the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission (NCWRC) on July 21, 2015. A copy of this correspondence is enclosed for your consideration and response. The WRC commented, "We hesitate to concur with stream piping and placing fill in aquatic resources since this can eliminate aquatic and terrestrial wildlife habitat, reduce infiltration of storm water and associated pollutants, and reduce the dissipation of stream energy. Also, we hesitate to concur with the filling of wetlands due to their wildlife habitat value and the well-known beneficial functions they provide for flood control and water quality protection". They offered several recommendations should the permit be issued. -J Written ooznozcn|a nt«in»` no objection or no comment xothe project wore received from the National Marine Fisheries Service. While nnresponse is necessary, their correspondence is uUoohod for your records. The Corps has also reviewed your request for Department oF the Army authorization and request that you provide u response 10 the following items: L Will there be any additional tczopn/azy impacts associated with the project? For iootuooc, will additional temporary impacts be needed to complete construction, utility installation, etc.? Your response to the comments identified above must be given full consideration before vve can make ufina| decision. ooyour application. We need your information to address the concerns/issues raised over the proposed project. You may submit additional information, revise your plans 10 help resolve the issues, rebut the issues made or request a decision based onthe caistiu,o,zcuozd. We request that you provide responses to all oorozucots in this letter by September 30`20l5. T[ you fail 10 respond hy September 3O,20l5,v/e will administratively withdraw your application. We will reopen your application and continue to process it once you have submitted all of the information vvc have requested in this letter. Tf you have questions or comments, please coo1uc1coo at nuy Asheville Regulatory Field (}fficc mldrcmm, telephone (828) 271-7980 extension Z24� Sincerely, William Elliott Specialist Regulatory Asheville Regulatory Field Office Enclosures cc w/enels: R. Clement Riddle Clear Water Environmental Consultants, Inc. 224 South Grove Street, Suite Hendersonville, North Carolina 28792 cc w/o encls: Karen Higgins North Carolina Division of Water Resources 1617 Mail Service Center Raleigh, North Carolina 27699-1650 Asheville Field Office U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 160 Zillicoa Street Asheville, North Carolina 28801 Mr. Todd Bowers Permit Review Specialist Wetlands Regulatory Section USEPA — Region 4 Sam Nunn Atlanta Federal Center 61 Forsyth Street, SW Atlanta, Georgia 30303-8960 Ms. Shari Bryant, Piedmont Region Coordinator North Carolina Wildlife Resource Commission Habitat Conservation Program Post Office Box 129 Sedalia, North Carolina 27342-0129