DISCLAIMER: Please download the attached PDF version of this notice for complete information, proper formatting, and inclusion of tables and figures.
PUBLIC NOTICE
Issue Date: December 11, 2015
Comment Deadline: January 11, 2016
Corps Action ID Number: SAW-2015-00920
The Wilmington District, Corps of Engineers (Corps) received an application from Piedmont Triad Airport Authority (PTAA) seeking Department of the Army authorization to discharge fill material into waters of the United States, associated with expanding an existing HAECO aircraft maintenance facility at Piedmont Triad International Airport (PTIA), in Greensboro, in Guilford County, North Carolina.
Specific plans and location information are described below and shown on the attached plans. This Public Notice and all attached plans are also available on the Wilmington District Web Site at http://www.saw.usace.army.mil/Missions/RegulatoryPermitProgram.aspx
Applicant:
Piedmont Triad Airport Authority
Mr. J. Alex Rosser
1000-A Ted Johnson Parkway
Greensboro, North Carolina 27409
Agent:
Michael Baker Engineering, Inc.
Mr. Richard B. Darling
8000 Regency Parkway, Suite 600
Cary, North Carolina 27518
Authority
The Corps evaluates this application and decides whether to issue, conditionally issue, or deny the proposed work pursuant to applicable procedures of the following Statutory Authorities:
X - Section 404 of the Clean Water Act (33 U.S.C. 1344)
- Section 10 of the Rivers and Harbors Act of 1899 (33 U.S.C. 403)
- Section 103 of the Marine Protection, Research and Sanctuaries Act of 1972 (33 U.S.C. 1413)
Location
Directions to Site: The proposed project area includes approximately 112 acres of PTIA land, used by tenant Timco Aviation Services dba Haeco Airframe Services (HAECO), located southeast of PTIA Runway 5R/23L, at 623 Radar Road, in Greensboro, Guilford County, North Carolina.
Project Area (acres): 112 acres Nearest Town: Greensboro
Nearest Waterway: UT to Horsepen Creek River Basin: 03030002
Latitude and Longitude: 36.096914N, -79.931388W
Existing Site Conditions
The proposed project area is located within the Carolina Slate Belt of the Piedmont Physiographic Province. This region’s geology consists of weakly metamorphosed sedimentary and volcanic rocks. The site geomorphology generally includes flat and developed uplands bisected by a relatively narrow undeveloped drainage sloping north to south. The developed portions are primarily aircraft hangars, concrete apron, taxiway connectors, and support facilities including parking lots and stormwater ponds. The undeveloped portion includes early - to mid-successional forest with small streams and adjacent wetlands. Elevation across the site ranges from approximately 893 feet above mean sea level (MSL) in the southwest extent of the property, to 836 feet MSL in the downstream extent of the undeveloped drainage. Soils are mapped as Urban land (Ur), Mecklenburg sandy clay loam (MhB2, MhC2), and Iredell fine sandy loam (IrB). The Mecklenburg series consists of very deep, well drained, slowly permeable soils on Piedmont uplands. The Iredell series consists of moderately well drained, very slowly permeable soils on Piedmont uplands. None of these series are included on the 2014 National Hydric Soils List for Guilford County, North Carolina. Average annual precipitation for Guilford County is 43.1 inches.
Historically, similar sites in the Piedmont were used primarily for farming, with forested areas on the steeper slopes and bottomlands. Airport runways appear to the north of the site on topographic maps as early as 1952, with the site itself a mixture of pasture and forest according to 1967 aerial photgraphy. Current development on the site took place between 1979 and 1993. Currently, the site includes HAECO aerospace-related industry on both the east and west sides, with an approximately 16-acre central portion remaining as a primarily forested drainage. Forested uplands of the project area consist of canopy species such as red maple (Acer rubrum), loblolly pine (Pinus taeda), black cherry (Prunus serotina), sweetgum (Liquidambar styraciflua), understory species including eastern red cedar (Juniperus virginiana), mimosa (Albizia julibrissin), and Chinese privet (Ligustrum sinense), and herbaceous species such as greenbriar (Smilax rotundifolia), and poison ivy (Toxicodendron radicans).
The project area is bordered to the north by PTIA runway 5R-23L, to the east by the Honda Aircraft Company World Headquarters, to the west by the Cessna Citation Service Center, and to the south by Radar Road and a Harris-Teeter grocery distribution facility. General area land use includes PTIA and associated development, commercial and industrial development to the south of the airport, and residential land to the north of the airport, as well as several large state maintained highways (I-40 and I-73/ future I-840) and those under construction (I-73 and the I-73 connector).
Michael Baker Engineering, Inc. conducted a jurisdictional delineation for the site in 2012. The jurisdictional boundaries were verified by the Corps, and a Jurisdictional Determination was approved on June 19, 2015 (Corps Action ID: SAW-2015-00920). All streams on site are considered Relatively Permanent Waters, have perennial flow regimes, and are unnamed tributaries to Horsepen Creek, which flow via Horsepen Creek and Reedy Fork to the Haw River, a Traditionally Navigable Water. These streams all carry the NC Division of Water Resources (NCDWR) best usage classification of "WS-III NSW." WS-III refers to those waters used as water supply for drinking, culinary, or food processing purposes where a WS-I or II classification is not feasible. WS-III waters are generally in low to moderately developed watersheds. NSW is a supplemental classification intended for waters needing additional nutrient management due to being subject to excessive growth of microscopic or macroscopic vegetation. There are no designated Outstanding Resource Waters (ORW), High Quality Waters (HQW), Water Supply I (WS-I), or Water Supply (WS-II) waters within 1.0 mile of the project area. The wetlands within the project area are all of the Headwater Forest wetland type, according to the North Carolina Wetland Assessment Method (NCWAM). These on-site features generally have plant assemblages containing trees and shrubs such as black willow (Salix nigra), red maple, sweetgum, tag alder (Alnus serrulata), and Chinese privet, and understory species such as jewelweed (Impatiens capensis), sensitive fern (Onoclea sensibilis), soft rush (Juncus effusus), woolgrass (Scirpus cyperinus) and poison ivy. Soils within these feature are primarily loamy with a low chroma (10YR 3/1) matrix and bright (10YR 7/8) redoximorphic concentrations. Typical of wetlands in small stream valleys, these wetlands display hydrology indicators such as high water tables, soil saturation, oxidized rhizospheres on living roots, and drainage patterns.
Applicant’s Stated Purpose
The purpose of the project, as stated by the applicant, is as follows:
The proposed improvements would address the need to service two wide-bodied aircraft simultaneously by providing movement and hangar space. HAECO requires the capacity to service wide-bodied aircraft to meet current demand and to integrate its US operations with its international business of maintaining wide-bodied aircraft. These improvements will also provide a needed connection between the two sides of the existing HAECO complex to allow for movement of vehicles, supplies and equipment from one side to the other without having to cross airport taxiways or to depart and reenter secured areas for travel along public roads. The project would increase operational capabilities and improve efficiency at HAECO's PTIA facility.
Project Description
The applicant has proposed to permanently discharge fill material into 1,601 linear feet of perennial stream channel and 0.81 acre of riparian, non-riverine wetlands, to expand the existing HAECO facility. The proposed impacts are the direct result of culvert and fill installation associated with bringing the site elevations up to match adjacent grades, to facilitate:
- Expansion of the existing concrete apron by approximately 204,600 sq. ft., with engine run-up pad and 21,200 sq. ft. connector throat to an existing Taxiway M connector (the connector throat would also link the two sides of the HAECO complex);
- Construction of an approximately 177,400 sq. ft. two-bay wide-body aircraft maintenance hangar;
- Construction of an approximately 33,810 sq. ft. support annex;
- Construction of a new fire/water provision and expansion of the existing hazardous materials (HazMat) facility;
- Addition of vehicle and pedestrian access and fire lanes.
Following initial clearing and grubbing operations, the applicant would first construct storm sewer lines to collect and bypass all stream and wetland flows, and then add approximately 47,096 cubic yards of clean fill material to reach desired grade. All waters of the US within the 16-acre drainage would be considered permanent losses.
The applicant submitted an Alternatives Analysis for taxiway alignment that includes four On-site Alternatives. This information has been included with this Public Notice as well. Supplemental documentation including project plans and a narrative can be found on the District Website at http://www.saw.usace.army.mil/Missions/RegulatoryPermitProgram/PublicNotices.aspx.
Avoidance and Minimization
The applicant provided the following information in support of efforts to avoid and/or minimize impacts to the aquatic environment:
- Construction of the taxiway stream crossing will minimize smothering of organisms by utilizing pump-around methods, minimize construction time, controlling turbidity through adherence to the Erosion and Sedimentation Control Plan, preventing creation of standing water, and preventing drainage of wet areas;
- During construction, physiochemical conditions will be maintained and potency and availability of pollutants will be reduced via limiting material to be discharged, adding treatment substances if necessary including chemical flocculants to enhance the deposition of suspended particulates in appropriate disposal areas;
- The effects of dredged or fill material may be controlled by selecting discharge methods and disposal sites where the potential for erosion, slumping or leaching of materials into the surrounding aquatic ecosystem will be reduced. These methods include using containment levees, sediment basins, and cover crops to reduce erosion;
- Discharge effects will also be controlled by containing discharged material properly to prevent point and nonpoint sources of pollution, and timing the discharge to minimize impact;
- The effects of the discharge will be minimized by orienting dredged/fill material to minimize undesirable obstruction to the surface water or natural flow, utilizing natural contours to minimize the size of the fill, using silt screens or other appropriate methods to confine suspended particulates/turbidity to a small area where settling or removal can occur, confining and minimizing the release of suspended particulates to decrease turbidity levels and maintain light penetration for organisms, and setting limitations on the amount of material to be discharged per unit of time or volume of receiving water;
- The applicant will employ appropriate maintenance and operation on equipment or machinery, ensure adequate training, staffing, and working procedures, use machinery and techniques that are especially designed to reduce damage to streams, design access roads using culverts, open channels, and diversions that will pass both low and high water flows, accommodate fluctuating water levels, and maintain circulation and faunal movement, and employ appropriate machinery and methods of transport of the material for discharge.
- The applicant will minimize adverse effects on plant and animal populations by minimizing changes in water flow patterns, avoiding the creation of airport wildlife hazards, timing discharges to avoid spawning or migration seasons and other biologically critical time periods, and avoiding the destruction of remnant natural sites within areas already affected by development.
Compensatory Mitigation
The applicant offered the following compensatory mitigation plan to offset unavoidable functional loss to the aquatic environment:
Impacts to the stream and wetlands are proposed be compensated through payment to the NC Division of Mitigation Services (NCDMS), for the permanent stream and wetland impacts associated this project.
The applicant did not indicate a proposed stream/wetland credit to impact ratio or include an acceptance letter from NCDMS with the application.
Essential Fish Habitat
Pursuant to the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, this Public Notice initiates the Essential Fish Habitat (EFH) consultation requirements. The Corps’ initial determination is that the proposed project would not effect EFH or associated fisheries managed by the South Atlantic or Mid Atlantic Fishery Management Councils or the National Marine Fisheries Service.
Cultural Resources
Pursuant to Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, Appendix C of 33 CFR Part 325, and the 2005 Revised Interim Guidance for Implementing Appendix C, the District Engineer consulted district files and records and the latest published version of the National Register of Historic Places and initially determines that:
- Should historic properties, or properties eligible for inclusion in the National Register, be present within the Corps’ permit area; the proposed activity requiring the DA permit (the undertaking) is a type of activity that will have no potential to cause an effect to an historic properties.
X - No historic properties, nor properties eligible for inclusion in the National Register, are present within the Corps’ permit area; therefore, there will be no historic properties affected. The Corps subsequently requests concurrence from the SHPO (or THPO).
- Properties ineligible for inclusion in the National Register are present within the Corps’ permit area; there will be no historic properties affected by the proposed work. The Corps subsequently requests concurrence from the SHPO (or THPO).
- Historic properties, or properties eligible for inclusion in the National Register, are present within the Corps’ permit area; however, the undertaking will have no adverse effect on these historic properties. The Corps subsequently requests concurrence from the SHPO (or THPO).
- Historic properties, or properties eligible for inclusion in the National Register, are present within the Corps’ permit area; moreover, the undertaking may have an adverse effect on these historic properties. The Corps subsequently initiates consultation with the SHPO (or THPO).
- The proposed work takes place in an area known to have the potential for the presence of prehistoric and historic cultural resources; however, the area has not been formally surveyed for the presence of cultural resources. No sites eligible for inclusion in the National Register of Historic Places are known to be present in the vicinity of the proposed work. Additional work may be necessary to identify and assess any historic or prehistoric resources that may be present.
The District Engineer’s final eligibility and effect determination will be based upon coordination with the SHPO and/or THPO, as appropriate and required, and with full consideration given to the proposed undertaking’s potential direct and indirect effects on historic properties within the Corps-indentified permit area.
Endangered Species
Pursuant to the Endangered Species Act of 1973, the Corps reviewed the project area, examined all information provided by the applicant and consulted the latest North Carolina Natural Heritage Database. Based on available information:
- The Corps determines that the proposed project would not affect federally listed endangered or threatened species or their formally designated critical habitat.
- The Corps determines that the proposed project may affect, not likely to adversely affect federally listed endangered or threatened species or their formally designated critical habitat. The Corps initiates consultation under Section 7 of the ESA and will not make a permit decision until the consultation process is complete.
X - The Corps is not aware of the presence of species listed as threatened or endangered or their critical habitat formally designated pursuant to the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (ESA) within the project area. The Corps will make a final determination on the effects of the proposed project upon additional review of the project and completion of any necessary biological assessment and/or consultation with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and/or National Marine Fisheries Service.
The applicant submitted additional site-specific information on federally protected threatened and endangered species, which can be found on the District Website at http://www.saw.usace.army.mil/Missions/RegulatoryPermitProgram/PublicNotices.aspx.
Other Required Authorizations
The Corps forwards this notice and all applicable application materials to the appropriate State agencies for review.
North Carolina Division of Water Resources (NCDWR):
The Corps will generally not make a final permit decision until the NCDWR issues, denies, or waives the state Certification as required by Section 401 of the Clean Water Act (PL 92-500). The receipt of the application and this public notice, combined with the appropriate application fee, at the NCDWR Central Office in Raleigh constitutes initial receipt of an application for a 401 Certification. A waiver will be deemed to occur if the NCDWR fails to act on this request for certification within sixty days of receipt of a complete application. Additional information regarding the 401 Certification may be reviewed at the NCDWR Central Office, 401 and Buffer Permitting Unit, 512 North Salisbury Street, Raleigh, North Carolina 27604-2260. All persons desiring to make comments regarding the application for a 401 Certification should do so, in writing, by January 4, 2016 to:
NCDWR Central Office
Attention: Ms. Karen Higgins, 401 and Buffer Permitting Unit
(USPS mailing address): 1617 Mail Service Center, Raleigh, NC 27699-1617
or,
(physical address): 512 North Salisbury Street, Raleigh, North Carolina 27604
North Carolina Division of Coastal Management (NCDCM):
- The application did not include a certification that the proposed work complies with and would be conducted in a manner that is consistent with the approved North Carolina Coastal Zone Management Program. Pursuant to 33 CFR 325.2 (b)(2) the Corps cannot issue a Department of Army (DA) permit for the proposed work until the applicant submits such a certification to the Corps and the NCDCM, and the NCDCM notifies the Corps that it concurs with the applicant’s consistency certification. As the application did not include the consistency certification, the Corps will request, upon receipt, concurrence or objection from the NCDCM.
X - Based upon all available information, the Corps determines that this application for a Department of Army (DA) permit does not involve an activity which would affect the coastal zone, which is defined by the Coastal Zone Management (CZM) Act (16 U.S.C. § 1453).
Evaluation
The decision whether to issue a permit will be based on an evaluation of the probable impacts including cumulative impacts of the proposed activity on the public interest. That decision will reflect the national concern for both protection and utilization of important resources. The benefit which reasonably may be expected to accrue from the proposal must be balanced against its reasonably foreseeable detriments. All factors which may be relevant to the proposal will be considered including the cumulative effects thereof; among those are conservation, economics, aesthetics, general environmental concerns, wetlands, historic properties, fish and wildlife values, flood hazards, flood plain values (in accordance with Executive Order 11988), land use, navigation, shoreline erosion and accretion, recreation, water supply and conservation, water quality, energy needs, safety, food and fiber production, mineral needs, considerations of property ownership, and, in general, the needs and welfare of the people. For activities involving the discharge of dredged or fill materials in waters of the United States, the evaluation of the impact of the activity on the public interest will include application of the Environmental Protection Agency’s 404(b)(1) guidelines.
Commenting Information
The Corps of Engineers is soliciting comments from the public; Federal, State and local agencies and officials, including any consolidated State Viewpoint or written position of the Governor; Indian Tribes and other interested parties in order to consider and evaluate the impacts of this proposed activity. Any comments received will be considered by the Corps of Engineers to determine whether to issue, modify, condition or deny a permit for this proposal. To make this decision, comments are used to assess impacts on endangered species, historic properties, water quality, general environmental effects and the other public interest factors listed above. Comments are used in the preparation of an Environmental Assessment (EA) and/or an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). Comments are also used to determine the need for a public hearing and to determine the overall public interest of the proposed activity.
Any person may request, in writing, within the comment period specified in this notice, that a public hearing be held to consider the application. Requests for public hearings shall state, with particularity, the reasons for holding a public hearing. Requests for a public hearing shall be granted, unless the District Engineer determines that the issues raised are insubstantial or there is otherwise no valid interest to be served by a hearing.
The Corps of Engineers, Wilmington District will receive written comments pertinent to the proposed work, as outlined above, until 5pm, January 11, 2016. Comments should be submitted to David E. Bailey, Raleigh Regulatory Field Office, 3331 Heritage Trade Drive, Suite 105 , Wake Forest, North Carolina 27587, at (919) 554-4884 extension 30.
DISCLAIMER: Please download the attached PDF version of this notice for complete information, proper formatting, and inclusion of tables and figures.