Pittsburgh District releases Finlay Township water transmission line FONSI
The proposed work consists of constructing approximately 10,400 feet of 16-inch water transmission line. The waterline will predominantly be located within the right-of-way of Lincoln Highway, State Route 30, 60-feet wide; Burgettstown Road, State Route 3080, 33-feet wide; Moon Clinton Road, State Route 3089, 40-feet wide; Hamilton Lane, Township Road, 16-feet wide; and Public Works Road, Township Road, unspecified width in the Township of Findlay, Pennsylvania. The limits of disturbance area for the project total 0.7 acres and the project cost is estimated at $1,680,945. This project would be an upgrade of the existing 8-inch waterline. No utility relocations are anticipated as a result of this work.
Pittsburgh District to hold Public Meeting for
Nationwide Permit-21, Surface Mining
WHO: U.S. Army
Corps of Engineers, Pittsburgh
WHAT: Public
Meeting for Nationwide Permit-21 Surface Mining
WHERE: West Lobby,
David Lawrence Convention Center, 1000 Fort Duquesne
Blvd., Pittsburgh, PA 15222
WHEN: Thursday,
Oct. 15, 2009 at 7 p.m. (Registration begins at 6 p.m.)
WHY: The two
proposals include the temporary suspension Nationwide
Permit 21 in the Appalachian region of West Virginia,
Ohio, Kentucky, Virginia, Pennsylvania and Tennessee, to
allow time to determine if NWP-21 will be modified to
prohibit its use to authorize discharges of dredged or
fill material into waters of the U.S.
RESOURCES:
Proposed Suspension and Modification of
NWP 21
The U.S. Army Corps of
Engineers is holding a formal public hearing on Oct. 15
at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center, 1000 Fort
Duquesne Blvd., Pittsburgh, PA., to hear comments on
Nationwide Permit (NWP) 21 in the nation’s Appalachian
region. The NWP 21 authorizes discharges of dredged or
fill material into waters of the United States for
surface coal mining activities.
Col. Michael Crall, Pittsburgh District Army Corps of
Engineers commander, is hosting the meeting with local,
regional and national Corps staff.
Comments will be accepted until Oct. 26, 2009. Written
comments at the federal eRulemaking portal at http://www.regulations.gov
under docket number COE-2009-0032; or mailed to the U.S.
Army Corps of Engineers, Attn: CECW-CO (Attn: Ms.
Desiree Hann), 441 G. Street N.W., Washington, D.C.
20314. Email or faxed comments will not be accepted.
In the absence of NWP 21, an applicant may be required
to obtain an individual permit for surface coal mining
projects. An individual permit includes increased public
and agency involvement in the permit review process,
including an opportunity for public comment on
individual projects. The decisions on modifying and
suspending NWP 21 will be made after the public hearings
are held and the comments received.
BACKGROUND:
Nationwide Permit-21 was first issued in 1982 to
authorize structures, work and discharges associated
with surface coal mining activities, provided those
activities were authorized by the Department of the
Interior, Office of Surface Mining, or by states with
approved programs under Title V of the Surface Mining
Control and Reclamation Act of 1977 (SMCRA). On June 11,
2009, the Corps, along with the U.S. Department of
Interior and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency,
entered into a Memorandum of Understanding for
implementing an interagency Action Plan on Appalachian
surface coal mining. As part of the agreement, the Corps
is seeking public comment on the proposed modifications
to Nationwide Permit-21.
No signs will be
permitted inside the Convention Center and all bags,
backpacks and purses will be searched prior to the
event.
Jeannette Local Flood Protection Project
Environmental Assessment released
The
total estimated repair cost of the recommended project
is $685,000. PL 84-99 requires a cost share of 80%
Federal and 20% local (excluding costs prior to
construction, $42,000, which is 100% Federal).
A cooperation agreement will
be executed with the City of Jeannette prior to
initiation of construction.
The U. S. Army Corps of
Engineers, Pittsburgh District, under the authority of
Section 313 of the Water Resources Development Act of
1992 (Public Law 102-580) as amended, is providing
design and construction assistance for the Borough of
New Alexandria and the Derry Township Municipal
Authority’s public wastewater collection and treatment
system. The area that this project will service
currently has severe problems with sewage treatment—
discharges of untreated sewage into open ditches and
waterways are common due to malfunctioning on-lot and
improperly designed septic systems— which poses a
chronic health risk to area residents as well as fish,
aquatic life, and wildlife. This project (Phase 2 New
Alexandria Sewage Project) is also receiving funding
from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural
Utilities Service.
Pittsburgh District releases Sawmill Run Environmental
Assessment, FONSI
Flooding
as a result of a single heavy rain event on June 17,
2009 caused substantial damage to the Sawmill Run Local
Flood Protection Project, primarily in the form of
damaged concrete sill and apron and stone protection
within the stilling basin, sediment build-up in the
downstream box channel, sediment build-up in the
improved channel in the upstream end of the project, and
minor culvert damage. The recommended project will
involve removal of sediment that is blocking the box
channel, most of which is located in the first 1000 feet
of Sawmill Run directly upstream of Thompson Run, and
clearing the improved channel of the stilling basin
approximately 1000 feet further upstream.
Youghiogheny Lake to hold public meetings
to discuss Shoreline Management Plan
The Corps of Engineers invites the public
to participate in a meeting to discuss the Youghiogheny
River Lake Shoreline Management Plan. The
primary purpose of the Public Meetings is to discuss
proposed updates to the current plan and to provide an
opportunity for public involvement and comment.
The meetings will be held, Wednesday, September 2, at
6:30 p.m., Sunday, September 13, at 2 p.m.,
Saturday, September 19, at 10 a.m. at the
Addison Fire Hall, 7214 National Pike, Addison, PA
15411.
The
objectives of this plan are to balance public and
private shoreline uses with the protection and
restoration of the natural environment at Youghiogheny
River Lake. The primary goals of the Corps’ lake
resource management policy, which includes shoreline
management, are to establish and maintain acceptable
fish and wildlife habitat, preserve aesthetic qualities
and promote the safe use of the lake and surrounding
lands by the general public.
Click here for the
Youghiogheny website
Army Corps puts $17.4
million in recovery funds toward critical work on Mon
River
PITTSBURGH, Pa. -- The US Army Corps of Engineers
Pittsburgh District will use $17.4 million in American
Recovery and Reinvestment Act Funds to complete the
construction of a riverwall at Monongahela River Locks
and Dam 4 at Charleroi.
The work, which supports an estimated 204 direct jobs
and 230 indirect jobs, is being done by Trumbull Corp. &
Brayman Construction Corp. Joint Venture of West
Mifflin, Pa. as part of the long-delayed Lower
Monongahela River Project. The work at Charleroi would
have disappeared when current riverwall funding expired
as scheduled in September ... (more)
Corps temporarily closes Mahoning Lake
Sportsman’s Boat Launch
The Corps of Engineers will temporarily
close the Sportsman’s Boat launching ramp, effective
Aug. 10 through Aug. 21, 2009.
Corps officials will close the
Sportsman’s launching ramp at Mahoning Lake due to a
scheduled diver inspection of the dam works. However,
the Milton Loop launching ramp on the upper end of the
lake will remain open for public vessels.
For more information, please call
Mahoning Creek Lake at 814-257-8811.
Youghiogheny hosts free Family Fishing
Day with Pennsylvania Fish & Boat Commission
Looking
for a great way to connect with your family? Discover
just how much fun fishing can be when you do it together
at a PFBC Family Fishing Program hosted by the U.S. Army
Corps of Engineers Youghiogheny Lake. There will be two
Family Fishing Programs hosted at Youghiogheny River
Lake - August 9th at Outflow
Camping/Recreation Area and August 15th at
Tub Run Campground. Activities will run from 10:00 to
2:00 pm each day.
You will
learn basic fishing skills like knot tying, casting,
baiting the hook, and taking a fish off the hook. After
practicing these skills, you’ll have the opportunity to
fish – no fishing license required. All equipment will
be provided. The “catch?” Adults must bring a child and
children must bring an adult. You’ll be learning and
fishing together.
Pre-registration is required for those not staying at
the campground. Registration deadline is August 13th.
Please call Mandy Smith at (814) 443-9841 to register.
Event sponsored by the PA Fish & Boat Commission and US
Army Corps of Engineers. Click here for
Event Flyer
Army
Corps of Engineers to waive
recreation fees August 1-9, 2009
The U.S.
Army Corps of Engineers announced today it will waive
all day use fees from Aug. 1-9, 2009 at its more than
2,400 Corps-operated recreation sites nationwide.
The
waiver applies to day use fees collected at boat
launches and swimming beach facilities. Fees for camping
and camping related services and specialized facilities
or special events will not be waived.
“The
Corps encourages Americans of all ages to take part in
outdoor recreation. Our hope is to encourage increased
use during this traditionally low use period, which will
help individuals and local communities economically,”
said Steve Stockton, the Corps’ Director of Civil Works.
State
and local agencies and private partners who manage
recreation facilities on Corps lands are encouraged but
not required to comply with the fee waiver.
Fees
will be waived at the following local recreation areas:
Berlin Lake: Mill Creek Recreation Area boat launch.
Crooked Creek Lake: Swim Beach.
Loyalhanna Lake: Bush Recreation Area Boat Launch.
Shenango Lake: Boat launches in the Mahaney, Shenango
and Clark recreation areas.
Tionesta Lake: Tionesta Boat Launch.
Youghiogheny Lake: Boat launches at the Somerfield
North, Mill Run and Spillway recreation areas and swim
beaches in the Mill Run and Spillway recreation areas.
The
Corps is the nation’s largest federal provider of
outdoor and water-based recreation, hosting more than
350 million visitors per year at more than 400 lakes and
river projects. Many of these sites are located close to
major metropolitan areas and provide 4,500 miles of
trails, 90,000 campsites, and 33 percent of all U.S.
freshwater fishing.
To find
the nearest Corps of Engineers recreation site, please
visit
www.CorpsLakes.us.
German Township FONSI
completed
The USACE-Pittsburgh
District has been directed by congressional legislation
to provide design and construction assistance for a
wastewater treatment facility in the community of Ronco
to serve German Township, Fayette County, Pennsylvania.
The wastewater treatment facility is part of a system
wide upgrade that will be undertaken to replace the
failed or failing on-lot septic systems in the area. The
US Department of Agriculture (USDA) completed an
Environmental Assessment (EA) for the entire project in
2005 as well as a Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI)
for their portion including sewer lines, manholes, and
pumping stations. The FONSI has been signed, and the
district has sent a Notice of Availability of the FONSI
to public libraries nearest the project area.
The U.S.
Army Corps of Engineers, Pittsburgh District is
proposing to restore the aquatic ecosystem in a portion
of Sheraden Park to a less-impacted hydrologic regime
that includes high-quality wetland habitat and diverse
native plant communities. This project is being pursued
under the authority of Section 206 of the Water
Resources Development Act of 1996, P.L. 104-303. The
project area is located within a floodplain of Chartiers
Creek (just upstream of its confluence with the Ohio
River) and associated riparian zone (a ravine; formerly
a small, seasonal unnamed stream) that originates in
Sheraden Park, both entirely within Allegheny County,
southwestern Pennsylvania. The habitat portions of the
project area to be restored consist of ravine (1.73
acres), upper floodplain forest (6.25 acres), and
floodplain grassland/forest mosaic (12.55 acres);
totaling 20.5 acres.
2009 Rec Season Fees, availability released
Lakes offer visitors osprey
sightings, trout fishing, clean campsites, and more
PITTSBURGH – The US Army
Corps of Engineers, Pittsburgh District, is releasing
its 2009 recreation season fees and dates of
availability for camping and for facilities at day use
areas. With 16 lakes and reservoirs within its
five-state region, the Corps and its state and local
partnering agencies offer 1,242 miles of shoreline,
2,130 campsites and 105 recreation areas available to
visitors. Wildlife lovers may catch sight of one of 42
pairs of ospreys and 22 pairs of bald eagles at one of
nine lakes. Families can enjoy one of more than 2,000
picnic sites and boaters can access more than 30
launches. Pittsburgh District lakes can be found in
Western Pennsylvania, Northern West Virginia, Eastern
Ohio, Northern Maryland and Western New York.
The
U. S. Army Corps of Engineers, Pittsburgh District is
cost sharing with the City of Buckhannon, the
non-Federal sponsor, an environmental infrastructure
project authorized under Section 571 of the Water
Resources Development Act of 1999. The objective of the
Section 571 program is to provide design and
construction assistance to non-Federal interests for
carrying out water related environmental infrastructure
projects.
Approximately 25 percent of Buckhannon’s 6,000
residential and commercial customers are located in the
Jawbone Run watershed and are served by the Jawbone Run
sanitary interceptor. Currently, the capacity of the
system is inadequate and excessive infiltration is
likely. Since the sanitary interceptor serves a major
part of Buckhannon, the old and unreliable parts of the
system must be upgraded.
Pittsburgh
Corps of Engineers releases Shallow Land Disposal Area
FONSI
1. In
accordance with ER 200-2-2, the U.S. Army Corps of
Engineers, Pittsburgh District prepared an Environmental
Assessment (EA) in response to the National
Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) for the relocation of a
natural gas line at the Shallow Land Disposal Area
(SLDA) located in Parks Township, Armstrong County,
Pennsylvania. The SLDA is a United States Nuclear
Regulatory Commission licensed site that contains buried
radioactive waste materials.
2. By Section
8143(a)(2) of Public Law 107-117 (January 10, 2002)
Congress authorized the Corps of Engineers to “cleanup
radioactive waste” at the SLDA, consistent with the
Memorandum of Understanding between the Corps and the
United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission dated July
5, 2001, and subject to Public Law 106-60, Section 611,
subsections (b) through (e).
3. The
Pittsburgh District completed a remedial investigation
report in 2005 that characterized the radioactive
materials buried on site, and in 2006 the District
completed a feasibility study that described various
alternatives to remediate the radioactive materials.
Shenango Lake
celebrates Earth Day, hosts "Keep Pennsylvania
Beautiful" Event April 25
Each spring
Shenango Lake holds a clean up campaign in conjunction
with the celebration of Earth Day and Pennsylvania
Department of Transportation’s “Keep Pennsylvania
Beautiful” day. This event helps to foster civic
awareness and pride, renews a measure of respect for the
environment, improves the appearance of the major
recreation areas and other accessible locations and
gives the volunteers a day outdoors. As stewards of the
local natural resources at Shenango Lake, the Army Corps
of Engineers recognizes the need to partner with others
to deal with the ever growing burden of litter and trash
strewn throughout the project.
This annual
event will be held separately from Shenango Lake Day,
which generally takes place in the fall. This year’s KPB
Day clean up campaign will be held on Saturday, 25 April
2009, rain or shine. Arrangements can be made to pick up
Penn DOT provided gloves, orange vests and trash bags
prior to the scheduled cleanup day, or even the day of
the event if necessary. Kick off time for the event will
be approximately 8:00 AM.
We are seeking
to volunteers from environmental and service clubs,
scouting groups, schools, businesses, and any other
concerned groups or individuals to register for clean up
of the various shoreline and recreational and access
areas. Your participation would be welcomed and
appreciated by us, future users and also many
generations to come will reap the benefits of a cleaner
environment through your annual efforts.
If there are
any questions or concernsplease contact Park
Ranger Hank Sallmen by phone at (724) 646-1124, fax
(724) 646-1127 or e-mail;
henry.g.sallmen@usace.army.mil.
Pittsburgh
Corps of Engineers releases Mahoning County Sewer line
FONSI
The
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), Pittsburgh
District, is proposing to cost share a sewer line
construction project with the Mahoning County
Commissioners office (Non-Federal Sponsor). This project
is authorized under Section 594 of the Water Resources
Development Act of 1999, which has the primary objective
of providing design and construction assistance to
non-Federal interests for carrying out water-related
environmental infrastructure projects in the state of
Ohio.
The proposed project consists of the construction of a
sanitary sewer interceptor that will connect developed
areas in Poland Township to the existing City of
Struthers Wastewater Treatment Plant. The project is
mainly located in Poland Township, however portions of
the project will be located within or on the borders of
the Village of Lowellville and the City of Struthers.
Within Mahoning County, failing on-site home sewage
treatment systems pose a human health and public
nuisance problem that adversely affects water quality.
The
feasibility report for Youghiogheny River Lake Water
Management and Reallocation was completed in 2003 and
approved by the Assistant Secretary of the Army for
Civil Works in 2005. The report recommended reallocating
approximately 10,000 acre feet, or approximately four
percent of the storage in the reservoir, from water
quality to water supply. Water quantity and water
quality of the Youghiogheny River downstream of Yough
Lake will be unaffected by very minor changes in the
release schedule for the project. Consistent with this
approved report, it is expected that a water supply
contract for a portion of this reallocated storage will
be executed in the spring of 2009. To download the
feasibility report and accompanying documentation, click
on the links below:
Pittsburgh
Corps of Engineers releases SR-285 Waterline Extension
Project FONSI
The
Pittsburgh District has released the Finding of No
Significant Impact (FONSI) document related to the State
Route 285 Waterline Extension Project. The project is a
partnership between the Corps and local communities and
consists of the design and construction of a waterline
extension along Ohio County Road (CR) 64 and State Route
(SR) 285 between Sarahsville and Caldwell, Olive and
Center Townships.
To comply with the National Environmental Protection Act
the Corps of Engineers prepared the environmental
assessment for this project and concluded that there are
no significant environmental resources in the area that
would be affected.
The project is under the authority of the Ohio
Environmental Infrastructure Program authorized by
Congress in Section 594 of the Water Resources
Development Act of 1999 (Public Law 106-53) as amended.
Upon completion of the proposed project, a safe water
supply will be provided for 33 existing homes and
provide for future residential and commercial
development.
The FONSI will be available for review beginning March
10 at the Caldwell Public Library, 517 Spruce Street,
Caldwell, Ohio 43724. The library can be reached at
(740) 732-4506.
The
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers at Shenango Lake is
accepting applications for campground hosts for the
upcoming 2009 recreation season. Basic duties include
issuing visitor/camper vehicle passes, directing
traffic, providing information services, and litter
pickup. Some positions may require fee collection and
light maintenance work. We are located in Western
Pennsylvania, near Hermitage, Pa. Positions will run
from mid-May to September 30. Interested campers should
call Park Ranger Rich Egger at 724-646-1124, or e-mail
at richard.j.egger@usace.army.mil. A campsite with
electric hookups will be provided (water and sewage not
available at site).
DID
YOU KNOW ...
Pittsburgh
District’s 26,000 square miles include portions of western
Pennsylvania, northern West Virginia, eastern Ohio, western Maryland
and southwestern New York. Our jurisdiction includes more than
328 miles of navigable waterways, 23 navigation
locks and dams,
16 multi-purpose flood control reservoirs,
40 local flood protection projects and other projects
to protect and enhance the Nation’s water resources, infrastructure
and environment.
