Notification is hereby given to the public that Steele County, North Dakota has requested funding from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) for a proposed flood mitigation project along Steele County Road 5. The project is located 2.5 miles west of ND Hwy 32, latitude: 47.3256840, longitude: -97.8427840. This notification is provided pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA), Executive Orders 11988 – Floodplain Management, and Executive Order 11990 – Wetland Protection, and Federal agency implementation procedures described in 44 C.F.R. Part 9 and FEMA Directive 108-1. Funding from FEMA’s Hazard Mitigation Grant Program will be utilized. The purpose of FEMA’s mitigation program is to implement cost-effective mitigation projects that will reduce the overall risk to populations and property. This project will address overtopping of County Road 5 at Bridge No. 46-107-24.0 with floodwater during spring floods.
The project will be implemented by replacing the bridge existing structure, consisting of an 18-ft-long concrete deck supported by steel beams that sit on concrete spread footings, with two 10-ft by 7-ft reinforced concrete box culverts. Additionally, in order to meet the design criteria for a 45-mph roadway, the sag vertical curve over the new bridge will require a 7.5 ft grade raise of the existing road. The 7.5 ft raise represents the maximum height of the grade raise (at the bridge location), and the height will taper each way for approximately 600 ft to the west side of the bridge and approximately 950 ft to the east side, totaling 1550 ft.
The President of the United States has issued Executive Orders that require Federal Agencies to focus attention on the environment and on human health and safety when considering the funding of an action. Executive Orders 11988 – Floodplain Management and 11990 – Wetland Protection require federal agencies to avoid to the extent possible the long and short-term adverse impacts associated with the occupancy and modification of floodplains/wetlands and to avoid direct and indirect support of floodplain/wetland development wherever there is a practicable alternative. Construction activities associated with this project are not located in a FEMA mapped floodplain and will not result in adverse impacts associated with floodwaters to either structures or facilities upstream or downstream of the project location. However, with this public notice, FEMA is informing the public that portions of project construction will occur in areas of mapped wetlands. Based on the nature of the project, all practicable alternatives will result in wetlands impacts. In order to minimize impacts to wetlands, appropriate erosion and sediment control measures will be installed to control the discharge of pollutants from the construction site. It is anticipated that approximately 0.32 acres will be impacted. Wetland impacts will be mitigated onsite as part proposed project and will be addressed in compliance with Section 404 of the Clean Water Act. FEMA has also evaluated potential effects of the proposed project on endangered species, and historic properties, and determined there will be no significant impacts to these resources.
A public comment period for the proposed project described in this notice will remain open for 15 days from date of publication. If no substantive comments are received, the proposed project may proceed no sooner than 15 days after the comment period closes Interested persons may obtain more detailed information about the proposed project by contacting Ben Gates Steele County Emergency Manager by email at bgates@nd.gov or by mail at PO Box 275 Finley, ND 58230-0275. Information may also be requested from Daniel Jones, FEMA Environmental Specialist by email at daniel.jones5@fema.dhs.gov or by mail at the Denver Federal Center, P. O. Box 25267, Denver, Colorado, 80225.