KAMIAH, Idaho – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Walla Walla District invites public comments on their Draft Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) for the City of Kamiah, Idaho, Water System Improvements Project. Comments are due no later than Dec. 15.
The Project is being done under Section 595 of the Water Resources Development Act of 1999 for which the Corps is authorized to participate in environmental infrastructure projects. The city proposes to improve its current drinking water system in order to provide both an adequate water supply and high-quality water while eliminating water loss for city residents.
The Corps is not assisting the city with the entire proposed project but instead is limiting its assistance to water distribution improvements, replacement of an existing pump station and construction of looping upgrades, which are separable elements of the larger project and have independent utility.
The City of Kamiah prepared an Environmental Review Record (ERR) to address potential effects associated with implementation of the water system improvements project. After an independent review of the city’s ERR, 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 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 is required to consider all comments received.
Links to the City of Kamiah’s ERR and the Corps’ draft FONSI are available on the Walla Walla District website at www.nww.usace.army.mil/Missions/EnvironmentalCompliance/Kamiah595.aspx .
Public comments must be e-mailed or postmarked no later than Monday, Dec. 15, 2014, to NEPANWW@usace.army.mil; or U.S. Army Corps of Engineers; ATTN: CENWW-PD-EC – Kamiah 595; 201 North 3rd Ave.; Walla Walla, WA 99362.
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Release no. 14-094