20051764 Ver 1_Public Notice_20051103

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US Army Corps
Of Engineers
Wilmington District
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PUBLIC NOTICE
Q~~r~oa~D
NOV 3 - 2005
(Supplemental - 20 day notice) "sue®s r R B ur~k
Issue Date: October 31, 2005
Comment Deadline: November 21, 2005
Corps Action ID #: 200020569
All interested parties are hereby advised that the Wilmington District, Corps of Engineers
(Corps) has received an application for work within jurisdictional waters of the United
States. Specific plans and location information~e described below and overall plans
showing the location of the proposed construction and impact sites are attached. This
Public Notice and all attached plans are also available on the Wilmington District Web
Site at www.saw.usace.army.mil/wetlands.
Applicant: North Carolina Department Of Transportation, Division Of Highways
1548 Mail Service Center
Raleigh, NC 27699-1548
Authority
The Corps will evaluate this application and a decide whether to issue, conditionally
issue, or deny the proposed work pursuant to applicable procedures of Section 404(b) of
the Clean Water Act (33 U.S.C. 1344).
Project
Widening of SR 1 l58 (Airport Road) (T.I.P. No. U-3823), including replacement of the
existing Bloomery Swamp box culvert crossing with a new bridge, temporary causeways
for construction access in Bloomery Swamp, temporary wetland and stream dewatering,
relocation of a sewer utility line, and extension of existing culvert crossings of two
unnamed tributaries.
Location
SR 1158 (Airport Boulevard), crossing Bloomery Swamp and two unnamed tributaries,
and adjacent wetlands, from NC 42 to US 264A, west of Wilson, in Wilson County,
North Carolina, 35.740° N Latitude, 77.976° W Longitude.
Existing Site Conditions
Existing Airport Boulevard passes farmland, a wooded stream corridor, a developed
stream corridor, and the wooded floodplain of Bloomery Swamp. Several older houses
are situated along the southern half of Airport Boulevard, and Wilson Christian Academy
is located on the east side of Airport Boulevard at Merck Road (SR 1157). A residential

development has recently been constructed just east of Airport Boulevard, on the north
side of Bloomery Swamp, and the Norfolk Southern Railroad crosses Airport Boulevard
just north of that development. Commercial development is present along the US 264A
corridor at the north end of the project.
The proposed project impacts wetland habitats consisting of typical upper coastal plain
riverine bottomland hardwood forest and swamp, adjacent to Bloomery Swamp, and
palustrine wetlands adjacent to the tributaries. The main flow channel of Bloomery
Swamp, in the area that it is impacted by the project, is approximately 20 feet wide and
several feet deep. The two impacted tributaries are typical perennial upper coastal plain
headwater streams, less than three feet in width.
Applicant's Stated Purpose
The purpose of the work is to improve capacity and highway safety along this section of
Airport Boulevard.
Background
The Corps of Engineers issued an initial public notice for this project on May 7, 2003.
That public notice described six construction alternatives for the crossing of Bloomery
Swamp to be considered. Alternative 1 proposed extension of the existing 5-barrel box
culvert over Bloomery Swamp, and the addition of five equalizer pipes through the
existing causeway in the floodplain. Alternatives 3 and 5 proposed replacing the culverts
with 200 and 475-foot long bridges, respectively. Alternatives 1, 3 and 5 proposed use of
shoulder drains along the roadway. Alternatives 2, 4 and 6 differed from 1, 3 and 5 only
in that 2, 4 and 6 proposed use of curb and gutter drainage along the roadway. An
interagency team reviewing the project concurred that the least environmentally-
damaging, preferred alternative is Alternative 4, with a 200-foot long bridge, and curb
and gutter drainage. NCDOT has now applied for a permit for Alternative 4.
Project Description
NCDOT plans to widen a 2-mile long section of SR 1158 (Airport Road) (T.I.P. No. U-
3823), form two lanes to a four and five lane facility. Only four lanes of roadway will be
constructed in the vicinity of the Bloomery Swamp crossing, to minimize impacts to
wetlands. A "sealed crossing" will be installed at the railroad crossing north of Bloomery
Swamp, including gates, signal flashers, and a concrete barrier in the median. Several
new turn lanes are also proposed. The project involves replacement of the existing
Bloomery Swamp culvert crossing with a new bridge, temporary causeways for
construction access in Bloomery Swamp, temporary wetland and stream dewatering,
relocation of a sewer utility line, and extension of existing culvert crossings of two
unnamed tributaries. The new permanent fill for the widened roadway will be on the
east side in the vicinity of the Bloomery Swamp crossing, to reduce impacts to the higher
quality wetlands on the west side. The widened roadway and utility relocation will
permanently impact 0.90 acre of riverine wetlands and 891inear feet of the unnamed
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tributaries. The project will temporarily impact a total of 0.15 acre of wetlands, and 0.07
acre of surface waters at Bloomery Swamp and the tributaries, for access causeways and
dewatering.
NCDOT is proposing to use the North Carolina Ecosystem Enhancement Program (EEP)
to provide the necessary compensatory mitigation for the unavoidable permanent wetland
and stream losses associated with this project.
Other Required Authorizations
This notice and all applicable application materials are being forwarded to the appropriate
State agencies for review. The Corps will generally not make a final permit decision
until the North Carolina Division of Water Quality (NCDWQ) issues, denies, or waives
State certification required by Section 401 of the Clean Water Act (PL 92-500). The
receipt of the application and this public notice in the NCDWQ Central Office in Raleigh
serves as application to the NCDWQ for certification. A waiver will be deemed to occur
if the NCDWQ fails to act on this request for certification within sixty days of the date of
the receipt of this notice in the NCDWQ Central Office. Additional information
regarding the Clean Water Act certification maybe reviewed at the NCDWQ Central
Office, Transportation Permitting Unit, 2321 Crabtree Boulevard, Raleigh, North
Carolina 27604-2260. All persons desiring to make comments regarding the application
for certification under Section 401 of the Clean Water Act should do so in writing
delivered to the North Carolina Division of Water Quality (NCDWQ), 1650 Mail Service
Center, Raleigh, North Carolina 27699-1650 Attention: Mr. John Hennessy by
November 14, 2005.
Cultural Resources
The Corps has consulted the latest published version of the National Register of Historic
Places and is not aware that any registered properties, or properties listed as being
eligible for inclusion therein are located within the project area or will be affected by the
proposed work. Presently, unknown archeological, scientific, prehistoric, or historical
data may be located within the project area and/or could be affected by the proposed
work.
Endangered Species
The Corps has reviewed the project area, examined all information provided by the
applicant and consulted the latest North Carolina Natural Heritage Database. Based on
available information, the Corps has determined pursuant to the Endangered Species Act
of 1973, that the proposed project will have no effect on federally listed endangered or
threatened species or their formally designated critical habitat, other than the Michaux's
sumac (Rhus michauxii). The US Fish and Wildlife Service has concurred with a
determination that the project may affect, but will not adversely affect the smooth
coneflower and the Michaux's sumac, by letter dated December 23, 2003, based on the
presence of habitat for both species, but no individuals found in NCDOT plant surveys.

Evaluation
The decision whether to issue a permit will be based on an evaluation of the probable
impacts, including cumulative impacts, of the proposed activity on the public interest.
That decision will reflect the national concern for both protection and utilization of
important resources. The benefit which reasonably may be expected to accrue from the
proposal must be balanced against its reasonably foreseeable detriments. All factors
which may be relevant to the proposal will be considered including the cumulative effects
thereof; among those are conservation, economics, aesthetics, general environmental
concerns, wetlands, historic properties, fish and wildlife values, flood hazards, flood plain
values (in accordance with Executive Order 11988), land use, navigation, shoreline
erosion and accretion, recreation, water supply and conservation, water quality, energy
needs, safety, food and fiber production, mineral needs, considerations of property
ownership, and, in general, the needs and welfare of the people. For activities involving
the discharge of dredged or fill materials in waters of the United States, the evaluation of
the impact of the activity on the public interest will include application of the
Environmental Protection Agency's 404(b)(1) guidelines.
Commenting Information
The Corps is soliciting comments from the public; Federal, State and local agencies and
officials; Indian Tribes and other interested parties in order to consider and evaluate the
impacts of this proposed activity. Any comments received will be considered by the
Corps to determine whether to issue, modify, condition or deny a permit for this proposal.
To make this decision, comments are used to assess impacts on endangered species,
historic properties, water quality, general environmental effects and the other public
interest factors listed above. Comments are used in the preparation of an Environmental
Assessment (EA) and/or an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) pursuant to the
National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). Comments are also used to determine the
need for a public hearing and to determine the overall public interest of the proposed
activity.
Any person may request, in writing, within the comment period specified in this notice,
that a public hearing be held to consider the application. Requests for public hearings
shall state, with particularity, the reasons for holding a public hearing. Requests for a
public hearing shall be granted, unless the District Engineer determines that the issues
raised are insubstantial or there is otherwise no valid interest to be served by a hearing.
Written comments pertinent to the proposed work, as outlined above, will be received
by the Corps of Engineers, Wilmington District, until Spm, November 21, 2005.
Comments should be submitted to:
Eric Alsmeyer
Wilmington District, Corps of Engineers
Raleigh Regulatory Field Office
6508 Falls of Neuse Road, Suite 120
Raleigh, North Carolina 27615-6814
Telephone [phone]
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N.C. DEPT. OF TRANSPORTATION
DIVISION OF HIGHWAYS
WILSON COUNTY
U-3 823.
SR 1158 (AIRPORT .BLVD.) FROM
~1 I C ~ N ~ TY EAST O F N C 42 TO EAST
A,~ A P
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~ DATE: JUNE 2005
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DIVISION OF HIGHWAYS
WILSON COUNTY
U-3823
SR 1158 (AIRPORT BLVD.) FROM
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lV1f-~P DATE: JUNE 2005
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