PN-21-23 NAB-2021-60073-P05 (Taxiway Extension Project at JAB Andrews)

                    Public Notice
U.S. Army Corps           In Reply to Application Number
of Engineers                 NAB-2021-60073-P05 (Taxiway Extension Project at JAB
Baltimore District          Andrews)
PN-21-23  Plans             Comment Period: June 22, 2021 to July 22, 2021

THE PURPOSE OF THIS PUBLIC NOTICE IS TO INFORM INTERESTED PARTIES OF THE PROPOSED ACTIVITY AND TO SOLICIT COMMENTS. NO DECISION HAS BEEN MADE AS TO WHETHER OR NOT A PERMIT WILL BE ISSUED AT THIS TIME.

This District has received an application for a Department of the Army permit pursuant to Section 404 of the Clean Water Act (33 USC 1344), as described below:

Applicant:      Joint Air Base Andrews
                         c/o Mr. Steve Richards
                         Chief, Environmental Management, 11^th CES/CEIE
                         3466 North Carolina Avenue
                         JAB Andrews, Maryland 20762

WATERWAY AND LOCATION OF THE PROPOSED WORK:

The proposed project is in Piscataway Creek, in Joint Air Base Andrews, Prince Georges County, Maryland. Lat/Long: 38.793283/-76.859531

OVERALL PROJECT PURPOSE:

See HQ SOP, July 2009, Section 12 and 33 CFR 325 App B 9(b)(4)  The Corps makes the determination of overall project purpose using the information provided by the applicant.  The overall project purpose is more specific than the basic project purpose and will help establish the geographic scope of the alternatives review.  The overall project purpose should be specific enough to define the applicant’s needs, but not so restrictive as to preclude all discussion of alternatives. .To implement the Presidential Aircraft Recapitalization Program which includes the construction and operation of a two-bay Presidential Aircraft Recapitalization Hangar Complex facility on Joint Air Base Andrews to house two separately acquired Boeing 747-8 that are replacing the retiring VC-25A aircraft. The current Presidential Aircraft Hangar facility (Hangar 19) at Joint Air Base Andrews is not large enough to safely house the selected replacement 747-8 aircraft; consequently a new Hangar Complex must be located and constructed to accommodate the new 747-8 aircraft with associated personnel and support facilities.

PROJECT DESCRIPTION:

To construct a new taxiway at the southern approach at the existing airfield runways crossing South Perimeter Road; to construct a hazardous cargo pad; and to relocate an explosive ordinance disposal facility. The project would permanently fill 1,182 linear feet of stream channel, 1.820 acres of forested wetlands and 4,288 square feet of emergent wetlands.

Please refer to the table below for a summary of aquatic resource impacts.

EFFECTS ON AQUATIC RESOURCES:

LEAD FEDERAL AGENCY:

The United States Air Force (USAF), as the lead federal agency, is responsible for all coordination pursuant to applicable federal authorities.

APPLICANT’S PROPOSED AVOIDANCE, MINIMIZATION, AND COMPENSATORY MITIGATION:

Upon completion of an alternative site analysis, a primary site was selected that satisfied mission requirements and did not contravene Department of Defense, USAF and Federal Aviation Administration regulations and operational guidance. The selected site was then subjected to further analyses that included such parameters as setback requirements, land use limitations, and impacts to environmental resources, including jurisdictional waters and wetlands. Upon re-evaluation of required operational constraints, the clear zone was reduced to 150-feet, eliminating potential impacts to 12,056 square feet of vegetated wetlands and 165 linear feet of headwater stream bed.

Compensatory mitigation is proposed to be completed using credits from the Mattawoman Creek Mitigation Site, an approved compensatory mitigation bank. The required stream mitigation in “functional feet” as defined by the North Carolina Stream Quantification Tool (NC SQT) has been determined to be 386 functional feet. The NC SQT is the approved stream assessment and crediting methodology for the Mattawoman Creek Mitigation Site, where the applicant proposes to mitigate for the jurisdictional impacts associated with this project. The required wetland mitigation ​would be compensated for at the Mattawoman Creek Mitigation Bank. Forested wetlands would be compensated for at a 2:1 ratio and emergent wetlands at a 1:1 ratio.

CORPS EVALUATION REQUIREMENTS:

This project will be evaluated pursuant to Corps Regulatory Program Regulations (33 CFR Parts 320-332). 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 reasonable 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, economic, aesthetics, general environmental concerns, wetlands, cultural values, fish and wildlife values, flood hazards, flood plain values, land use, navigation, shoreline erosion and accretion, recreation, water supply and conservation, water quality, energy needs, safety, food and fiber production, mineral needs, and consideration of property ownership and in general, the needs and welfare of the people. The evaluation of the impact of this project will also include application of the Clean Water Act Section 404(b)(1) Guidelines promulgated by the Administrator, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

ENDANGERED SPECIES:

A preliminary review of this application indicates that the proposed work is not likely to adversely affect federally listed threatened or endangered species or their critical habitat, pursuant to Section 7 of the Endangered Species Act, as amended. As the evaluation of this application continues, additional information may become available which could modify this preliminary determination.

ESSENTIAL FISH HABITAT:

The Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (MSFCMA), as amended by the Sustainable Fisheries Act of 1996 (Public Law 04-267), requires all federal agencies to consult with the National Marine Fisheries Service on all actions, or proposed actions, permitted, funded, or undertaken by the agency that may adversely affect Essential Fish Habitat (EFH), including species of concern, life cycle habitat, or Habitat Areas of Particular Concern. The project site lies in or adjacent to EFH as described under MSFCMA for managed species under the MSFCMA. The Baltimore District has made a preliminary determination that the project will have no effect on EFH. The Baltimore District has made a preliminary determination that mitigative measures are not required to minimize adverse effects on EFH at this time. This determination may be modified if additional information indicates otherwise.

HISTORIC RESOURCES:

Pursuant to Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966 and applicable guidance, the Corps has reviewed the latest published version of the National Register of Historic Places and initially determined that no registered properties listed as eligible for inclusion, therein, are located at the site of the proposed work. The USAF has made the preliminary determination that the proposed project would have no effect on historic properties. The Corps’ final eligibility and effect determination will be based on coordination with the State Historic Preservation Office as appropriate and required, and with full consideration given to the proposed undertaking’s potential direct and indirect effects on historic properties within the Corps’ identified permit area.

TRIBAL RESOURCES:

Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act also requires federal agencies to consult with federally recognized American Indian tribes that attach religious and cultural significance to historic properties that may be affected by the agency’s undertaking. Corps Tribal Consultation Policy mandates an open, timely, meaningful, collaborative, and effective deliberative communication process that emphasizes trust, respect, and shared responsibility. The policy further emphasizes that, to the extent practicable and permitted by law, consultation works toward mutual consensus and begins at the earliest planning stages before decisions are made and actions taken. The Corps’ final eligibility and effect determination will be based on coordination with interested tribes, in accordance with the Corps current tribal standard operating procedures as appropriate and required, and with full consideration given to the proposed undertaking’s potential direct and indirect effects on tribal resources.

MODIFICATION OF CIVIL WORKS PROJECTS: 33 USC 408 (SECTION 408):

All Section 408 proposals will be coordinated internally at USACE. The Section 408 decision will be issued along with the Section 404 and/or Section 10 decision. Please see the following link for more information regarding Section 408: https://www.nab.usace.army.mil/section408/.

WATER QUALITY CERTIFICATION:

The applicant is required to obtain a water quality certification in accordance with Section 401 of the Clean Water Act.  

COASTAL ZONE MANAGEMENT PROGRAMS:

Where applicable, the applicant has certified in this application that the proposed activity complies with and will be conducted in a manner consistent with the approved Coastal Zone Management Program. By this public notice, we are requesting the state concurrence or objection to the applicant’s consistency statement.

The applicant must obtain any state or local government permits which may be required.

SUBMISSION OF COMMENTS:

The Corps of Engineers 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 of Engineers 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 and/or an Environmental Impact Statement pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act. Comments provided will become part of the public record for this action and are subject to release to the public through the Freedom of Information Act. Comments are also used to determine the need for a public hearing and to determine the overall public interest of the proposed activity.

Written comments concerning the work described above related to the factors listed above or other pertinent factors must be received by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Baltimore District within the comment period specified above through postal mail at the address below or electronic submission to the project manager email address below. Written comments should reference the Application Number NAB-2021-60073-P05.

PUBLIC HEARING REQUESTS:

Any person who has an interest which may be adversely affected by the issuance of this permit may request a public hearing. The request, which must be in writing, must be received within the comment period as specified above to receive consideration. Also, it must clearly set forth the interest which may be adversely affected by this activity and the manner in which the interest may be adversely affected. The public hearing request may be submitted by electronic mail or mailed to the following address:

Marion Gall
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Baltimore District
Regulatory Branch
1631 South Atherton Street, Suite 101
State College, Pennsylvania 16801
or
marion.gall@usace.army.mil

It is requested that you communicate this information concerning the proposed work to any persons known by you to be interested, who did not receive a copy of this notice.

General information regarding the Corps’ permitting process can be found on our website at https://www.nab.usace.army.mil/Missions/Regulatory.aspx. This public notice has been prepared in accordance with Corps implementing regulations at 33 CFR 325.3. If you have any questions concerning this specific project, or would like to request a paper copy of this public notice, please contact Marion Gall at (814) 235-1761 or by email at marion.gall@usace.army.mil. This public notice is issued by the Chief, Regulatory Branch.