20020318 Ver 1_Complete File_20020303

o?OF W ATERQG Michael F. Easley
Governor
r William G. Ross, Jr., Secretary
>_ - Department of Environment and Natural Resources
Gregory J. Thorpe, Ph.D., Acting Director
Division of Water Quality
March, 2002
DWQ Project # 02-0318
Johnston County
CERTIFIED MAIL - RETURN RECEIPT REQUESTED
W.K. Dickson & Co., Inc.
Attn: Mr. Steve Walker
501 Commerce Drive, NE
Columbia, South Carolina 29223
RE: Johnston County Airport Environmental Assessment for - Extended Runway
Safety Areas and Corporate Area Development
NCDOA Number 9.9231011
WKD Number 00700.30.00
Dear Mr. Walker,
On January 28, 2002, the Division of Water Quality (DWQ), 401 / Wetlands Unit received your letter dated January
25, 2002 regarding the environmental assessment identified above. It is our understanding that this environmental
assessment is still in its draft form. We will not provide our final comments or review and will place this project on hold
until this office receives a copy of the final environmental assessment. Listed below are our preliminary comments as
related to your letter. Please be aware that this office does not have a copy of the draft environmental assessment.
1. The environmental* assessment should include a delineation of all jurisdictional wetlands, waters and protected
buffers as per 15A NCAC 2H.0500 and 15A NCAC 2B .0233 as well as any isolated wetlands as per 15A NCAC
2H .1300.
2. The environmental assessment should include the area of impact proposed under all alternative designs to the
wetlands, waters and buffers identified above.
3. Any comments or responses regarding Michelle`Suverkrubbe's July 2, 1997 letter should be directed to Mr. Milt
Rhodes of the DWQ, Local Government Assistance Unit (919-733-5083).
This letter only addresses the review of your letter and does not authorize any impacts to wetlands, waters or
protected buffers. Please me a 919-733-9646 if you have any questions regarding this matter.
Sincerely, - -
n Zy,
1 Wetlands U it, D Q
Cc: Steve Mitchell, DWQ Raleigh Regional OfficeU
Milt Rhodes, DWQ Local Government Assistance Unit, Archdale Bldg., Raleigh
File Copy
Central Files
North Carolina Division of Water Quality, 401 Wetlands Certification Unit,
1650 Mail Service Center, Raleigh, NC 27699-1650 (Mailing Address)
2321 Crabtree Blvd., Raleigh, NC 27604-2260 (Location)
919-733-1786 (phone), 919-733-6893 (fax), http://h2o.enr.state.nc.us/ncwetlands/
?? WK
r DICKSON
Engineers • Planners. Surveyors
Landscape Architects
January 25, 2002
Mr. John Dorney
DEHNR
Parkview Bldg
2321 Crabtree Blvd.
Raleigh, NC 27604
Ao?

JAN 2 b 2tlo?
Re: Johnston County Airport Environmental Assessment for - Extended Runway
Safety Area and Corporate Area Development
NCDOA Number 9.9231011
WKD Number 00700.30.00
Dear Mr. Dorney:
Enclosed with this letter are the comments that were made after Agency review of the
Environmental Assessment (EA) for the Extended Runway Safety Area and Corporate Area Parking
Apron Development at Johnston County Airport. Per our telephone conversation, included are
comments related to Water Quality and Wetlands portions of the EA and our draft responses to
the comments.
The comments have been numbered in the margins for organization and the draft responses
correspond to those numbers. Due to the age of the EA, it may be beneficial speak again and
address the comments individually. Included is a self-addressed and stamped envelop to return
any responses, should you need it.
Thank you for your assistance and I look forward to working with you on this project.
Sincerely,
W.K. Dickson & Co., Inc
Steve Walker
Encl: EA Comments
Draft Responses
SASE
501 Commerce Drive, NE
Columbia, South Carolina 29223 Other Offices:
803.786.4261 Asheville, NC
Fax [phone] Atlanta, CA
www.wkdickson.com Charlotte, NC
Hickory, NC
Raleigh, NC
Wilmington, NC
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July 2, 1997
MEMORANDUM
To: Melba McGee
From: Eric Gaiamb
Subject: Water Quality Checklist for EA/EIS Documents
A 2 8 2002
The Division of Water Quality (DWQ) requests that the following topics be
discussed in the EA/EIS documents:

C.
D.
E.
F
Identify the streams potentially impacted by the project. The stream
classifications should be current. Are the streams supporting their uses?
Identify the linear feet of stream chan n e I ization/re locations. If the original
stream banks were vegetated, it is requested that the channelized/
relocated stream banks be revegetated.
Number of stream crossings. -' Y
Will permanent spill catch basins be utilized? WQ requests that these
catch basins be placed at all. water supply stream crossings. Identify tt
responsible party for maintenance.
Identify the stormwater controls (permanent and temporary) to be
employed.
Please ensure that sediment and erosiun control measures are n
placed in wetlands.

C?')G. Wetland Impacts
i) Identify the federal manual used for identifying and delineating -
jurisdicional wetlands. ii) Have wetlands been avoided as much as possible?
iii) Have wetland impacts been minimized?
iv) Mitigation measures to compensate for habitat losses.
v) Wetland impacts by plant communities affected.
vi) Quality of wetlands impacted.
vii) Total wetland impacts. }
viii) List the 401 General Certification numbers requested from WQ.`
r . Borrow/waste areas should avoid wetlands to the maximum extent practicable. Prior to the approval of any borrow/waste site in a wetland,
the contractor shall obtain a 401 Certification from WO.
L. Please provide a conceptual mitigation plan to help the environmental
review. The mitigation plan may state the following:
j
,.
1. Compensatory mitigation will be considered only after wetland
F impacts have been avoided and minimized to the maximum extent
possible.
2. On-site, in-kind mitigation is the preferred method of mitigation.
-t - vV 2 i 1h kind mitigation within the same watershed is preferred over out
of=kind mitigation.
3. J Mitigation should be in the following order: restoration, creation,
enhancement, and lastly banking.
Please note that a 401 Water Quality Certification cannot be issued until the
conditions of NCAC 15A: 01C.0402 (Limitations on Actions During NCEPA Process)
are met. This regulation prevents WQ from issuing the 401 Certification until a Finding
of No Significant Impact (FONSI) or Record of Decision (ROD) has been issued by the
Department requiring the document. It is recommended that if the 401 Certification application is submitted for review prior to the sign off, the applicant states that the 4011,
should not be issued until the applicant informs WO that the FONSI or ROD has been
signed off by the. Department.
Written concurrence of 401 Water Quality Certification may be required for this
project. Applications requesting coverage under our General Certification 14 or
General Permit 31 (with wetland impact) will require written concurrence. Please be
aware that .,401 Certification may be denied if wetland or water impacts have not been
avoided and minimized to the maximum extent practicable.
1
v?

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Sy
cc: Michelle Suverkrubbe
State of North Carolina
Department of Environment,
Health and Natural Resources
Division of Water Quality
James B.. Hunt, Jr., Governor
Jonathan B. Howes, Secretary
A. 'Prestos Howai d; Jr., RE, °Director ;;
July 2, 1997
MEMORANDUM
TO: Melba McGee
FROM: Michelle Suverkrubbe ? I?N
TrIROUGH: Alan . Clark
Ci
RE: Comments on DEHNR # 97-0733; DWQ#11627
Johnston County Airport Expansion Draft EA
Johnston County

The project includes expansion to the Johnston County Airport. The Division of
Water Quality (DWQ) has reviewed the Environmental Assessment and has the following
comments:
1. The EA concluded that the subject project may impact 35 acres of waters of
the US, including wetlands. DWQ does not concur with the EA in its
treatment or conclusions of wetlands impacts. Due to the significant
wetland impacts and the lack of avoidance and minimization alternatives,
DWQ recommends that, at the minimum, the EA be amended and
recirculated to DWQ before a FONSI is drafted for the project. A F014SI is
definitely not appropriate for this project at this time. Aithoubh some
wetland mitigation sites have been identified in the EA, the assurances
provided in the document that these sites are able to function as wetlands are
not adequate. For this and other reasons. (detailed below), DWQ does not
support a FONSI for this project. If the amended EA still does not
adequately address these issues, an EIS should be prepared for the project.
The project sponsor is reminded that DWQ is responsible for the issuance of
the Section 401 Water Quality Certification for activities which impact
waters of the state, including wetlands. This project will require a 401
Certification from DWQ, which. could be denied unless water quality
concerns are satisfied adequately in the EA or EIS. Questions regarding the
401 Certification should be directed to Eric Galamb (733-1786) in DWQ's t
Water Quality Environmental Sciences Branch. r
2. The Division does not have a record of receiving a Scoping request for this
project. As such, the document fails to include many of the items that we
f believe are necessary to review the project. Our checklist for environmental
` documents is attached for your information. Please use 'it for the amended ! ,(
EA or EIS that we believe is necessary for this project. -. <
31: The wetland delineation maps do not show the limits of wetland impacts.'
l a, The maps should reflect the area of impact.
P.O. Box 29535, Raleigh, North Carolina 27626-0535 Telephone [phone] FAX [phone]
An Equal Opportunity Affirmative Action Employer 50% recycled/ 10% post-consumer paper
DEHNR #97-0733
Johnston County Airport
7/2/97, Page 2
4. The impacts to wetlands is extremely high given the limited size of the
improvements. It appears that wetland avoidance alternatives were not
seriously investigated ;-Foy instance, alternatives that;.may minimize°wetiand
impacts for the Extended Runway Safety Area may be to extend to the
?- southward end, or a combination to the north and south. Other alternative
locations for the additional airport parking/hanger area should also be
explored.
5. The wetland soils in the area of impact are Leaf, Wahadkee, and Bibb. Pine
wetflats wetlands occur on Leaf soils. Bottomland hardwood wetlands
generally occur on Bibb and Wahadkee soils. According to the preliminary
wetland search for potential wetland mitigation sites, Leaf soils are fo d on
un
all seven sites. This suggests that a portion of the mitigation would be out-
of-kind. DWQ will require that the wetland mitigation be in-kind for
impacts to riverine wetlands.
6. The dwarf wedge mussel is located in Swift Creek. DWQ believes that
mitigation efforts should be focused within the Swift Creek subbasin in
order to protect. these federally listed endangered mussels. The mitigation
selection criteria may need to be altered to meet this request.
7t The culvert length for Reedy Branch is not presented. Should the length
( exceed 150 linear feet, compensatory stream mitigation may be needed. su
Alternatives that minimize the culvert length also need to be investigated.
8. More information needs to be added to the environmental review to show 4j t
how the current waste wash water is treated and disposed of. The statement
n- paDc D-6, "Since the airport which have been proven to be z
effective..." needs to be expanded Due to an increase in impervious
surface and additional aircraft, DWQ believes that additional assessment is justified. We believe that a hydraulic model should be developed for the I !? t
watershed to examine the effect of the additional impervious surface on
downstream flooding and erosion. Increases in sedimentation from bank 1 '
erosion may be a problem for the mussels.
9, Stormwater treatment (probably wet detention ponds) will be a condition of
the 401 Water Quality Certification.
E?
Please have the applicant call Eric Galamb if they have any questions on this memo.
His number is [phone].
cc: Raleigh COE
John Dorney
Eric Galamb
Bradley Bennett
attachment
misA 970733 Johnston County Airport
Draft Comment Responses
From: Eric Galamb
16. We would like a copy of the water quality checklist.
s?_ > 26,'77, 28 Wetlands mitigation plans are addressed nf'tlie=Draft EA. More work
is being done to revise and update proposed mitigation plans with the goals of avoid,
minimize, and mitigate. Efforts will be coordinated with the US Army Corps of
Engineers and the appropriate State Agencies.
401 Permitting- our understanding is that a 401 Permit cannot be issued until a
FOSI is issued. A permit will be requested once the FOSI is issued.
From: Michelle Suverkrubbe
23. Wetlands impacts are being re-evaluated and addressed. This appears to
also be a consolidation of the comments from Eric Galamb - those are
addressed in above.
24. Not sure about the requirement for the Scoping request. We would like to
obtain a copy of the environmental checklist.
25. Maps are included in the EA. However, effort -is being made to update,
revise, and/or depict the project area more easily in the final EA.
26. There is no alternative. This is not a paving project., An Extended Runway
Safety Area is a cleared, graded, and. normally seeded area that is a safety
feature for runways that must be clear of ditches and object above certain
heights. Basically it provides a margin of safety for aircraft that overshoot or
overrun the runway. A clear and relatively level surface reduces passenger
injury and aircraft damage. ERSA's are a priority for the FAA. The Final
EA will more clearly address the project as an ERSA to clarify any mis-
conceptions.
27. This will be addressed in the mitigation plan.
28. Addressed on Page D-7 and D-8 in the draft EA. Additionally, efforts for
endangered species protection will be coordinated with the US Fish and
Wildlife Service and State Wildlife Resources Commissions where necessary.
29. This will be addressed and added in the Final EA.
30. This project merely provides facilities for aircraft already using the airport.
The ERSA and Apron Expansion are projects designed to increase safety at
the airport. The airport does not use any de-icing fluids or other chemicals
that would be found at large Commercial airports. There will be no changes
to current hazardous wastes handling procedures. Current procedures have
been successful. .
31. This is an element of the Design phase of the project and will, most likely, be .
.:. a„req iarement of the permitting Phase: Design does' not take place ins 4h EA:
However, the design phase-'Of the project develops the methods, for
stormwater treatment.
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WK
r DICKSON
501 Commerce Drive, NE
Columbia, South Carolina 29223
W.K. Dickson & Co., Inc.K
501 Commerce Dr. NE
Columbia, SC 29223

Engineers • Planners • Surveyors
Landscape Architects
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