WEIPPE, Idaho – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Walla Walla District invites public comments on a draft Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) and Environmental Assessment (EA) for the City of Weippe, Idaho, Wastewater Collection and Treatment System Improvements Project. Comments are due no later than June 27, 2018.
The Corps proposes to assist the City of Weippe with upgrades to their municipal water system. The city’s proposed action is to rehabilitate aged pipes and address lagoon leaks to minimize infiltration and inflow entering the system and exfiltration of sewer from the system. The proposed project also includes upgrades to the city’s treatment facilities to improve operations. The Corps is not assisting the city with the entire proposed project.
The Corps and the city have agreed the Corps would fund project engineering, any non-reimbursable costs incurred by the Corps, the Corps’ archaeological monitoring, the Corps’ environmental review, and sewer collection system materials. The Corps’ funding would be used to repair/replace existing sewer system pipes and appurtenances, install wastewater flow measurement devices, modify wastewater control systems, replace the chlorine disinfection system, and install a system failure alarm. The Corps participation in this project is authorized under Section 595 of the Water Resources Development Act of 1999.
The city prepared an Environmental Report (ER) to address potential effects associated with implementation of the wastewater project. After an independent review of the city’s ER, the Corps found it to provide both sufficient evidence and analysis to meet the Corps’ requirements pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), and has been accepted and incorporated it as part of the Corps’ NEPA documentation. As part of NEPA compliance, the Corps is inviting public comment on its draft FONSI.
The Corps’ draft FONSI and the city’s ER are available on the Walla Walla District website at
www.nww.usace.army.mil/Missions/Environmental-Compliance. Electronic comments may be submitted directly to the Corps using the online comment form on the webpage.
Written comments will be accepted from June 13-27, 2018. All information and comments received will become part of the public record. Public comments must be electronically submitted or postmarked no later than Wednesday, June 27, 2018. Comments may also be sent by email to
NEPANWW@usace.army.mil, or via U.S. Postal Service. Insert “Weippe 595” in the email subject line. Mail written comments to:
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Walla Walla District
ATTN: CENWW-PPL-C (Weippe 595)
201 North 3rd Ave.
Walla Walla, WA 99362-1876
If you have questions, write or e-mail the Corps at the addresses above, or call the Corps’ Environmental Coordinator at 509-527-7256.
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