20080868 Ver 2_Creek Vegetation Monitoring Modification_20190628

DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY
WILMINGTON DISTRICT, CORPS OF ENGINEERS
Washington Regulatory Field Office
2407 West 5u Street
Washington, North Carolina 27889-1000
..�' IN REPLY REFER TO
August 27, 2018
Regulatory Division
Action ID: SAW-2001-10096 / Vegetation Monitoring Clarification
Mr. Jeffery C. Furness
Senior Scientist
Nutrien (PCS Phosphate Company, Inc.)
1530 NC Highway 306 South
Aurora, North Carolina
27806
Dear Mr. Furness:
Reference the Department of the Army (DA) individual permit (IP) and associated permit Special
Conditions issued to PCS Phosphate Company Inc. for continuing mining activities located in
Aurora, Beaufort County, North Carolina (ORM ID No. SAW-2001-0096)
This office received your letter of September 15, 2017 regarding the PCS Phosphate Creeks
Monitoring Plan developed with the assistance of the Science Panel as required by the Corps
permit Special Conditions V and W. The monitoring plan indicates annual monitoring of
vegetation may not be required. Your letter includes a proposal clarifying the frequency of
vegetative monitoring.
Initial vegetative data collection includes five years of baseline (pre -Mod Alt L) when possible.
At the August 2017 Science Panel meeting, PCS proposed that four sequential years of initial
post -Mod Alt L vegetation data be collected and sought guidance to establish a suitable interval
before the next post -Mod Alt L data are collected. The agencies agreed at the August 2017
meeting that after four years of post -Mod Alt L data have been collected, the fifth year could be
skipped.
In your letter, PCS proposes that after the initial four year post -Mod Alt L data collection and
skipping the fifth, vegetation monitoring would occur in each creek every other year until such a
time that the agencies and/or Science Panel members deem otherwise.
After further review and discussions with NCDWR, the Corps finds the proposal of vegetative
monitoring every other year after skipping the fifth acceptable. This action does not constitute a
modification of the permit conditions, rather, it provides clarification as to the frequency of
vegetative monitoring and maintains compliance with Special Conditions V and W of the Corps
permit issued June 10, 2009 (SAW-2001-10096).
Annual Creeks Report for 2018 Data Collection Year S1 Clarification Page 1 PCS Phosphate Company, Inc.
Supplement 1-Vegetation Clarification July 2019

Questions regarding this correspondence may be directed to Tom Steffens, Regulatory Project
Manager at the Washington Regulatory Field Office, telephone [phone].
Sincerely,
STEFFENS.THOMAS.A
NCRUM.1284706273
Thomas Steffens
Digitally signed by STEFFEN5.THOMASANCRUM.1284706273
DN: -US, —U.S. Government, ou=DOD, Ou=PKI, ou=USA,
cn=STEFFENS.TH0MAS.ANCRUM.1284706273
Date. 2018.0827 1758:46 -"00'
Regulatory Project Manager
Washington Regulatory Field Office
E-copies
Sam Cooper/Julia Berger CZR Incorporated
Mike Wicker, USFWS
Todd Bowers, USEPA
Twyla Cheatwood, NOAA
Anthony Scarbraugh, NCDWR
Mac Haupt, NCDWR
Maria Dunn, NCWRC
Shane Staples, NCDCM
Annual Creeks Report for 2018 Data Collection Year S1 Clarification Page 2 PCS Phosphate Company, Inc.
Supplement 1-Vegetation Clarification July 2019