VALE, Ore. – The Walla Walla District of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) invites public comments on its draft Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) and Environmental Assessment (EA) regarding the Corps’ proposal to grant permission for potential alteration to a Corps-constructed river improvement (public work).
The Corps proposes to grant Section 408 permission, pursuant to 33 United States Code Section 408 (Section 408), for a waterline project that has the potential to alter the Malheur River Flood Risk Reduction Project (levee system) on the Malheur River in the City of Vale, Oregon (City).
The City is proposing to replace an existing 8-inch water transmission line that crosses the Malheur River with a new 14-inch water transmission line. The transmission line installation is part of the City’s water-distribution system improvement project to increase pressure, and enhance water flow and circulation capabilities.
The new transmission line would be approximately 1,300 feet long and would be installed by way of horizontal directional drilling under the Malheur River to connect the new pipeline to the existing distribution system between May 15, 2017, and Oct. 31, 2018. Because the drilling and waterline placement would take place under levee structures constructed by the Corps, these actions require Section 408 permission from the Corps.
Links to the Corps’ draft FONSI and EA are available online at http://www.nww.usace.army.mil/Missions/EnvironmentalCompliance.aspx
The public comment period starts on Aug. 15, 2016. Comments must be emailed or postmarked no later than Sept. 15, 2016, to be considered and included in the public record. You may submit comments via email to NEPANWW@usace.army.mil, noting "Vale Waterline" in the subject line. You may also mail comments to:
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
ATTN: CENWW-PD-EC – Vale Waterline
201 North 3rd Ave.
Walla Walla, WA 99362-1876
Public Scoping for the Corps's EA was conducted June 24-July 24, 2016. For additional information or questions about the draft FONSI and EA, please contact the Corps’ environmental coordinator at 509-527-7262. For more information about the City of Vale’s waterline improvement project, please contact the City at 541-473-3133 or visit their website http://www.cityofvale.com/vale-water-project/ <http://www.cityofvale.com/vale-water-project/> .
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