Public Notice

SAW-2003-20538

Published Aug. 1, 2016
Expiration date: 8/30/2016

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: August 01, 2016

Comment Deadline: August 30, 2016

Corps Action ID Number: SAW-2003-20538

The Wilmington District, Corps of Engineers (Corps) received an application from KDaedong-USA, Inc./Kioti Tractor Division, seeking Department of the Army authorization to impact 1.08 acres of forested wetlands, associated with the expansion of the existing Kioti Tractor Distribution facility in Wendell, Wake 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: KDaedong-USA, Inc./Kioti Tractor Division

Attn: Chris Whitley, Distribution Manager

6300 Kioti Drive

Wendell, NC 27591

AGENT: Withers and Ravenel

Attn: Troy Beasley

1410 Commonwealth Drive, Suite 101

Wilmington, NC 28403

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 site located at 6300 Kioti Drive, Wendell, Wake County, North Carolina. From Raleigh, travel east on US Hwy 64/264 toward Greenville/Wilson/Rocky Mount. Take exit 429, turn left onto Rolesville Road, and turn right onto Kioti Road.

Project Area (acres): +-30                         Nearest Town: Wendell

Nearest Waterway: Buffalo Creek             River Basin: Neuse/03020201

Latitude and Longitude: 35.813149 N, -78.414681 W

Existing Site Conditions  

The site contains an existing 173,168 sf building that houses the US corporate operations center for KDaedong USA, Inc. / Kioti Tractor Division. The project site is located in the undeveloped portion of the Kioti Tractor Distribution Facility in the northern portion of the property. The expansion area consists of a mixture of undeveloped woodlands with a gravel parking/storage area. The general land use in the vicinity of the project consist of a mixture of agriculture, residential, and commercial land use.

Applicant’s Stated Purpose  

The applicants stated purpose of the proposed project is to expand the existing Kioti Tractor Distribution Facility. As a result of rapid growth sales of Kioti products and dealers, the current distribution facility is no longer sufficient to store the volume of products needed to support demand throughout the U.S.

Project Description  

In 2003 the Kioti Tractor Distribution Facility received authorization to impact 0.22 acre of wetlands for commercial development. All impacts and required mitigation have been completed. The proposed project consists of the expansion of the existing facility through the construction of two additional storage buildings, truck docking areas, required emergency vehicle access, parking, and stromwater management.

Avoidance and Minimization  

The applicant provided the following information in support of efforts to avoid and/or minimize impacts to the aquatic environment:

The nature of a national equipment distribution facility requires large buildings for storage and assembly, as well as wide routes of travel and docking for transfer trucks during delivers and shipments. As a result of the necessary expansion of the Kioti Tractor Distribution Facility, impacts could not be avoided. Impacts have been minimized to Wetland A, which is the lowest quality wetland within the property. Impacts to the un-preserved portions of Wetland B have been avoided and the preserved portions of Wetland B will continue to be preserved in perpetuity.

Compensatory Mitigation  

The applicant offered the following compensatory mitigation plan to offset unavoidable functional loss to the aquatic environment:

The applicant proposes to mitigate for the 1.08 acres of permanent wetland impacts through the purchase of credits from North Carolina’s Division of Mitigation Services. The applicant proposes a 2:1 ratio, resulting in purchase of 2.16 acres of riparian wetland mitigation credits. Currently, there are no riparian wetland mitigation credits available in private mitigation banks servicing the Neuse 03020201 basin.

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.

X - The Corps determines that the proposed project may affect federally listed endangered or threatened species or their formally designated critical habitat; Northern Long-eared Bat (Myotis Septentrionalis). The Corps initiates consultation under Section 7 of the ESA and will not make a permit decision until the consultation process is complete.

   - 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. 

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 August 21, 2016 to:

NCDWR Central Office

Attention: Ms. Karen Higgins, 401 and Buffer Permitting Unit

(USPS mailing address): 1650 Mail Service Center, Raleigh, NC 27699-1650

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. Comments should be submitted to Tasha Alexander, Raleigh Regulatory Field Office, 3331 Heritage Trade Drive, Suite 105, Wake Forest, North Carolina 27587 at (919) 554-4884 extension 35.

DISCLAIMER: Please download the attached PDF version of this notice for complete information, proper formatting, and inclusion of tables and figures.