19-023 Corps seeks public input on proposed Section 408 for Cascade Natural Gas Corp. Mill Creek Channel directional drilling project

The Walla Walla District of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) seeks public comments regarding the Corps’ proposal to grant permission pursuant to 33 United States Code Section 408 (Section 408) for potential alteration to a Corps-constructed river improvement (public work). 

The Corps proposes to grant Section 408 permission to the Cascade Natural Gas Corporation (CNG Corp) to directionally drill perpendicular to and under the Mill Creek flood-risk-management channel and levees to install a new 8-inch-diameter natural gas pipeline segment. This new pipeline segment would be made of polyethylene and would replace the steel pipeline segment currently mounted on the underside of the Ninth Avenue Bridge. The existing pipeline segment has corrosion on it and cannot be repaired because of the way it was originally installed.

CNG Corp plans to perform the work during the summer of 2019, starting in early August. CNG Corp estimates it would take about three weeks to complete the project.

Public input/comments may be submitted March 22 through April 22, 2019. Comments must be emailed or postmarked no later than April 22 to be considered in the development of an Environmental Assessment (EA) to evaluate the effects of the Corps granting permission to potentially alter the Mill Creek flood-risk-management channel and levees under Section 408. Comments may be submitted directly to the Corps via email to NEPANWW@usace.army.mil, noting "Mill Creek Directional Bore 408" in the subject line. You may also mail comments to:

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
ATTN: CENWW-PD-EC (Mill Creek Directional Bore 408)
201 North 3rd Ave.
Walla Walla, WA 99362-1876

The Corps’ Public Notice is available on the Walla Walla District’s Environmental Compliance webpage http://www.nww.usace.army.mil/Missions/Environmental-Compliance

For more information or questions about the Section 408 permission action, please contact the Corps’ environmental coordinator at 509-527-7265. For more information about the directional drilling project, please contact CNG Corp. at 701-530-1093.

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