TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN: The Jacksonville District of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) has received an application for a Department of the Army permit pursuant to Section 404 of the Clean Water Act (33 U.S.C. §1344) and Section 10 of the Rivers and Harbors Act of 1899 (33 U.S.C. §403) as described below.
If you are interested in receiving additional project drawings associated with this public notice, please send an e-mail to the project manager by electronic mail at Tracy.d.sanders@usace.army.mil.
APPLICANT: Mr. Andrew Sears
JEA
225 North Pearl Street
Jacksonville, Florida 32202
WATERWAY AND LOCATION: The project would affect aquatic resources associated with the St. Johns River/ Dames Point – Fulton Cut. The project site is located at the existing JEA Transmission Lines from Blount Island to Reed Island in Sections 19, 29999 and 30, Township 1S, Range 28 East, Jacksonville, Duval County, Florida 32250.
Directions to the site are as follows: From the intersection of I-295 and Heckscher Dr, travel east for 1.3 miles. Turn right onto Dave Rawls Blvd. and continue for 1.6 miles. Turn left onto William Mills St. then turn left onto Reef Run Rd. The site is at the intersection of William Mills St. and Reef Run Rd. This brings you to the northern limit of the project.
APPROXIMATE CENTRAL COORDINATES: Latitude 30.391211°
Longitude -81.531054°
PROJECT PURPOSE:
Basic: To provide electricity to the public.
Overall: To increase the clearance of the existing overhead transmission lines over the St. Johns River for the safe access of larger vessels to the Jacksonville Port Authority (JaxPort).
EXISTING CONDITIONS:
1. The transmission lines across the St Johns River are existing, with three (3) towers present on the north side of the river and three (3) on the south side of the river. The transmission lines were originally permitted by the Corps on February 23, 1965
2. Habitats in the project area were classified in accordance with the Florida Department of Transportation’s Florida Land Use, Cover, and Forms Classification System (FLUCFCS). A total of approximately 71.03 acres of wetlands and tidal waters are located within the project review area and consist of the following:
Streams and Waterways (FLUCCS 510)
This land use type includes linear manmade ditch features located at the north end of the transmission line corridor, as well as the St. Johns River, Alligator Creek, and St. Johns Creek (Land Use Map). The shorelines of both land uses are largely void of vegetation with sparse patches of emergent grasses including saltmeadow cordgrass (Spartina patens), saltgrass (Distichlis spicata), beach pennywort (Hydrocotyle bonariensis), and saltbush (Iva frutescens).
Reservoirs (FLUCCS 530)
This land use type includes stormwater management ponds and man-made areas that contain hydrologic indicators. One feature occurs within the corridor, north of William Mills Street. Surface Water 4 is another system and occurs on Reed Island. These manmade features are largely void of vegetation, contain large open water components and contain maintained bahiagrass (Paspalum notatum).
Vegetated Non-Forested Wetlands (FLUCCS 640)
Vegetated Non-Forested Wetlands are present within the project corridor. Some of these wetland areas appear to be a result of disturbance associated with dredge material management area (DMMA) activities on Reed Island, while others are located along the fringe of Alligator Creek. The wetland appears to have been excavated and is dominated by undesirable species including cattail (Typha sp.) and torpedograss (Panicum repens).
Stream and Lake Swamps (Bottomland) (FLUCCS 615)
A forested wetland fringe is present within the project corridor located on the south side of the St. Johns. This system type is dominated by cabbage palm (Sabal palmetto), holly (Ilex sp.), and cattails (Typha sp.).
Shorelines (FLUCCS 652)
This wetland is associated with the shorelines of the St. Johns River. The shoreline is dominated by emergent grasses including saltmeadow cordgrass, saltgrass, beach pennywort, and saltbush.
PROPOSED WORK: The applicant seeks authorization for the replacement of the existing transmission line towers and transmission lines over the St Johns River with taller structures to increase the clearance of six (6) overhead transmission lines to a minimum sag height of 225 feet above Mean High Water. The proposed work includes the construction of new transmission line towers, installation of riprap, installation of new utility poles, the demolition of the existing transmission line towers, removal of existing transmission lines, pulling of new transmission lines and construction of an access road. The proposed work would result in the permanent fill impacts to a total of 1.601 acres of freshwater forested wetlands, saltwater tidal wetlands and saltwater tidal emergent waters. In detail, the proposed work includes the following activities:
1) Construction of Access Road: The construction of the proposed access road would require the clearing of 0.653 acre of freshwater forested wetlands, the grading of 0.342 acre of tidal wetlands, and the discharge of 1160.0 cubic yards of fill material into 0.227 acre of forested wetlands. The construction of the access road would result in the permanent fill impacts to a total of 1.22 acres of wetlands (0.88 acre freshwater forested, 0.342 acre saltwater tidal emergent wetlands). Grading for the access road will occur on Reed Island to access the proposed tower locations on the south bank of the St. Johns River.
2) New Monopole Foundations and New Lattice Towers: The construction of a total of six (6) new lattice towers, each with four (4) monopoles (foundations). Of the proposed new towers, four (4) would be located in tidal wetlands and waters, one (1) partially located in tidal wetlands and waters, and one (1) would be located in uplands, resulting in a total of eighteen (18) monopoles that would be installed within tidal wetlands and waters for the construction of the new lattice towers. The proposed project also includes the installation of six (6) monopoles (not associated with lattice towers) in tidal wetlands and waters. The proposed monopoles would result in fill impacts totaling 0.012 acre of tidal wetlands and waters. The new monopoles will be spotted and installed using bucket trucks and cranes. The new structures will be accessed by the temporary matting and access areas. Drill pier foundations, which consist of an outer steel casing, and internal rebar cage, anchor bolt cage and concrete backfill, will serve as the base of the monopoles and will be installed by vibratory hammer. Once the steel casing is driven to final depth, a steel auger will be used to auger out the interior soil of the steel casing. The spoils will be temporarily placed on the adjacent temporary matted construction area and then loaded into dump trucks to be hauled away. No spoil material would be discharged into aquatic resources. The spoils on Reed Island will be disposed of at the adjacent Dredge Material Management Area (DMMA); the spoils on Blount Island will be spread in uplands within the JEA 300-ft wide easement.High flow silt fencing will be installed around the immediate foundation work areas and Type 3 floating turbidity barriers will also be installed with the high flow silt fence. The lattice towers will be constructed on top of the monopole foundations using helicopters.
3) Riprap Around Lattice Tower Foundations and Monopoles: The discharge of 591.1 cubic yards of fill material (riprap) in 0.367 acre of tidal wetlands for the installation of riprap is proposed around the proposed lattice tower foundations and monopoles for protection of the structures.
4) Pulling Of New Transmission Line Wires and Removal Of Existing Transmission Line Wires: Pulling of new transmission line wires across and over the St. Johns River would occur after construction of the new lattice towers and monopoles. There are a total of six (6) circuits with twenty-four (24) wires that would be installed and removed. Pulling of the new wires across and over the St. Johns River would occur by helicopter. Removal of the old transmission lines over the St Johns River would also occur by helicopter.
5) Demolition of Old Towers: After the new lattice towers are constructed and old circuit wires removed from the old lattice towers, the old lattice towers would be removed in sections using heavy-lift helicopters. Each section would be transported to a laydown yard via the helicopter for further deconstruction, loaded onto trailers and shipped to a metal scrap yard. No dredging activities or other impact to waters are required for tower removals. The existing footers for the old towers will remain in place.
6) Overall Project Details:
a) The majority of the construction will occur while the transmission lines are live as outages for these main feeder lines are limited. Construction sequence requires installation of the new structures, once an outage is available, transmission lines will be moved to the new structures.
b) The temporary laydown areas and helicopter landing areas would be located in uplands. Temporary matting would be used.
c) Navigation through the St Johns River at the project location would be impacted during the proposed work.
AVOIDANCE AND MINIMIZATION INFORMATION – The applicant has provided the following information in support of efforts to avoid and/or minimize impacts to the aquatic environment:
Overall, the applicant has designed the project to have minimal impact on wetland resources. The proposed project went through a vigorous siting and design process where minimizing impacts to wetlands and surface waters was prioritized. Avoidance and minimization measures were incorporated into the design where possible. One permanent improvement is proposed. A permanent access road is proposed to gain
access to the new tower locations (Structures 10, 15, and 70) for construction and future maintenance. The access drive will allow for safe access to the lower elevation, and temporary matting will be used for work areas around the poles in an effort to reduce permanent impacts. Foundations for the existing towers within the river will not be demolished which contributes to minimizing disturbance to fisheries. The footer will also serve as habitat and cover for fish species. Riprap is proposed to provide protection to the new structures from wave action and erosion. Initially riprap was planned along the entirety of the north and bank shorelines. In order to reduce the footprint of riprap within wetlands, riprap is now designed around the base of each structure. To gain safe access to the proposed locations of Structures 9 and 14, grading of upland and wetland areas is proposed. Level ground is required to stabilize the work area required for construction activities. Cutting and filling will be conducted to provide a safe, level area for crane operation. In addition to the grading, the applicant will utilize temporary matting to avoid rutting the project area during construction.
COMPENSATORY MITIGATION – The applicant has offered the following compensatory mitigation plan to offset unavoidable functional loss to the aquatic environment:
To compensate for impacts to freshwater forested wetlands the applicant proposes to purchase 0.22 UMAM credits from the Sundew Mitigation Bank.
To compensate for impacts to saltwater emergent wetlands, the applicant proposed to purchase 0.36 credits from the North Florida Saltwater Mitigation Bank.
CULTURAL RESOURCES:
The Corps is aware of recorded historic resources within or adjacent to the permit area and is evaluating the undertaking for effects to historic properties as required under Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act. This public notice serves to inform the public of the proposed undertaking and invites comments including those from local, State, and Federal government Agencies with respect to historic resources. Our final determination relative to historic resource impacts may be subject to additional coordination with the State Historic Preservation Officer, those federally recognized tribes with concerns in Florida and the Permit Area, and other interested parties.
ENDANGERED SPECIES:
The Corps has determined the proposed project may affect, but is not likely to adversely affect the West Indian manatee (Trichechus manatus), Eastern Indigo Snake (Drymarchon corais couperi), Wood Stork (Mycteria americana), Kemp’s Ridley Sea Turtle (Lepidochelys kempii), Green Sea Turtle (Chelonia mydas), Loggerhead Sea Turtle (Caretta caretta), Smalltooth Sawfish (Pristis pectinata), Atlantic sturgeon (Acipenser oxyrinchus), Hawksbill Sea Turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata), and Leatherback Sea Turtle (Dermochelys coriacea). The Corps will request U.S. Fish and Wildlife/National Marine Fisheries Service concurrence with these determinations pursuant to Section 7 of the Endangered Species Act.
ESSENTIAL FISH HABITAT (EFH): This notice initiates consultation with the National Marine Fisheries Service on EFH as required by the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act 1996. The proposal would impact approximately 0.721 acres of estuarine habitat utilized by various life stages of bull shark, summer flounder, shrimp, snapper grouper, summer flounder, bluefish, coastal pelagic species, spiny lobster, summer flounder, and penaeid shrimp. Our initial determination is that the proposed action would not have a substantial adverse impact on EFH or Federally managed fisheries in the St, Johns River. Our final determination relative to project impacts and the need for mitigation measures is subject to review by and coordination with the National Marine Fisheries Service.
Navigation: The proposed activity is located adjacent to and crosses over a federal navigation channel.
SECTION 408: The applicant will require permission under Section 14 of the Rivers and Harbors Act (33 USC 408) because the activity, in whole or in part, would alter, occupy, or use a Corps Civil Works project.
NOTE: This public notice is being issued based on information furnished by the applicant. This information has not been verified or evaluated to ensure compliance with laws and regulation governing the regulatory program. The jurisdictional line has not been verified by Corps personnel.
COMMENTS regarding the potential authorization of the work proposed should be submitted in writing to the attention of the District Engineer through the Jacksonville Permits Section, 701 San Marco Boulevard, Jacksonville, Florida 32207 within 21 days from the date of this notice.
The decision whether to issue or deny this permit application will be based on the information received from this public notice and the evaluation of the probable impact to the associated wetlands. This is based on an analysis of the applicant's avoidance and minimization efforts for the project, as well as the compensatory mitigation proposed.
QUESTIONS concerning this application should be directed to the project manager, Tracy D. Sanders, in writing at the Jacksonville Permits Section, 701 San Marco Boulevard, Jacksonville, Florida 32207; by electronic mail at Tracy.d.sanders@usace.army.mil; or, by telephone at (904) 232-1171.
IMPACT ON NATURAL RESOURCES: Coordination with U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the National Marine Fisheries Services, and other Federal, State, and local agencies, environmental groups, and concerned citizens generally yields pertinent environmental information that is instrumental in determining the impact the proposed action will have on the natural resources of the area.
EVALUATION: The decision whether to issue a permit will be based on an evaluation of the probable impact 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 benefits, 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 cumulative impacts thereof; among these are conservation, economics, esthetics, general environmental concerns, wetlands, historical properties, fish and wildlife values, flood hazards, floodplain values, 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.
The US Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) is soliciting comments from the public; Federal, State, and local agencies and officials; 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 to determine whether to issue, modify, condition, or deny a permit for this proposal. To make this determination, comments are used to assess impacts to endangered species, historic properties, water quality, general environmental effects, and the other public interest factors listed above. Comments are also used to determine the need for a public hearing and to determine the overall public interest of the proposed activity.
WATER QUALITY CERTIFICATION: Water Quality Certification may be required from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection.
COASTAL ZONE MANAGEMENT CONSISTENCY: In Florida, the State approval constitutes compliance with the approved Coastal Zone Management Plan.
REQUEST FOR PUBLIC HEARING: Any person may request a public hearing. The request must be submitted in writing to the District Engineer within the designated comment period of the notice and must state the specific reasons for requesting the public hearing.
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