South Atlanta News

From January 20, 2023 post

FINAL PUBLIC NOTICE

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has received a subgrant application for Clayton County. Pursuant to Executive Order 11988 and 44 CFR Part 9.12, final notice is hereby given of FEMA’s intent to provide funding for this project under the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP).

An initial disaster‐wide Public Notice was published Sunday, March 29, 2020 for DR-4501 COVID. Under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), federal actions must be reviewed and evaluated for feasible alternatives and for social, economic, historic,environmental, legal, and safety considerations. – Executive Order (EO) 11988 and EO 11990 requires FEMA to consider alternatives -and provide a public notice of any proposed actions in or affecting floodplains or wetlands. EO 12898 requires FEMA to provide the opportunity for public participation in the planning process and to consider potential impacts to minority and low-income populations.This notice may also fulfill requirements under Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA).

President Biden issued new Executive Orders 13985 and 14008 in January 2021 to further address the need to achieve environmental justice and equity across the federal government. The issuance of the new executive orders more than 20 years after Executive Order 12898 was signed indicates the administration’s directive to federal agencies to renew their energy, effort, resourcesand attention to environmental justice. FEMA is working with applicants/subapplicants to identify communities with Environmental Justice concerns and provide an avenue for local groups and non-profits with an Environmental Justice mission to self-identify so that FEMA Programs can start to work with them on specific projects from the beginning of the application process.

This notice serves as a project‐ specific final notice for FEMA’s funding action located within a Special Flood Hazard Area. FEMAhas determined the only practicable alternative is to fund stream restoration along the Flint River to reduce flooding and protect Upper Riverdale Road and access to critical lifelines. Funding for the proposed project will be conditional upon compliance with all applicable federal, tribal, state and local laws, regulations, floodplain standards, permit requirements and conditions. This action complies with the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) requirements.

Responsible Entity:  FEMA Hazard Mitigation Grant Program

Applicant:                  Clayton County

Project Title(s):          HMGP 4501 Clayton County Drainage

SiteName    GPSCoordinates    FIRMPanel

Flint    River    Floodplain    in    the Headwaters   of   the   Flint   River watershed                N/A    0013, 0019, 0052, 0056, 0057,0076,

0058, 0059, 0078, 0066, 0067,0086, 

0069, 0088

Landry Merkison, Chief Resilience Officer, 7810 Hwy 85, Riverdale, GA 30274 Location of Proposed Work and Floodplain Insurance Rate Map (FIRM) Panels:

All Panels effective June 7, 2017 Sites are located within regulatory floodways. Sites are located within or adjacent to wetlands.

Proposed Work and Purpose: Implement a phased project to conduct feasibility analysis, design, and implementation of Priority 1and Priority 2 stream restoration and flood protection along the Flint River and its tributaries in order to provide a 100-year level of service at the bridge at Upper Riverdale Road and flood risk mitigation throughout the watershed.

Project Alternatives:

Offline Stormwater Detention at Vulcan Quarry – Offline detention would require acquisition of the quarry, engineering, design, permitting, and implementation of a structural tunnel and diversion system to convey storm flow into Vulcan Quarry. This project would reduce the volume of stormwater that reaches Upper Riverdale Road during storm events. It would not address ongoing sedimentation and degradation of the floodplain. This project would allow the bridge at Upper Riverdale Road to nearly meet the 100-year level os service. The Quarry is still in active use and not available forpurchase, so implementation of this project could not occur for an estimated 20 As such, this is not a practicablealternative and would adversely impact social or economic resources for the community

No action alternative – This alternative is not feasible as the restoration work is necessary to ensure that the road remains operational in its current location to perform its designed function. The road provides ingress/egress, school bus and postal services and access for emergency personnel at the Fire Department and Southern Regional Medical With the no action alternative, continued negative impacts may be experienced.

Comments: This will serve as the final public notice regarding the above‐described action funded by the FEMA HMGP program.Interested persons may submit comments, questions, or request a map of this specific project by writing to the Federal Emergency Management Agency, Region 4, 3005 Chamblee‐Tucker Road, Atlanta, Georgia 30341, or by emailing FEMA‐R4EHP@fema.dhs.gov  Comments should be sent in writing with the subject line “HMGP 4501 Clayton County Drainage” at the above addresses within 15 days of the date of this notice.

THIS NOTICE MAY BE REMOVED FROM PUBLIC VIEW ON THE 15th DAY FROM ORIGINAL DATE OF POSTING

NOTICE WAS POSTED ON 20th DAY OF JANUARY 2023

Original source can be found here.