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Saturday's Internet Edition, July 04, 2009.
Army Corps unlikely to require full environmental review of RM projects
By John Motsinger
River Valley Times Staff
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Following a special hearing on April 22, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) has indicated that it is unlikely to require a full Environmental Impact Statement on development projects in the Rancho Murieta plan area. According to a letter sent from Senior Regulatory project manager Andrea Jones to Rancho Murieta Development Concerned Citizens Committee (RMDCCC) attorney Thomas Lippe and resident Candy Chand, no determination has been made, but “the relatively small wetland impacts for Lakeview and the Residences may not warrant further review.”
Following is the full text of the letter.
Dear Mr. Lippe and Ms. Chand:
I am writing in regards to our decision as to whether we will require an Environmental Impact Statement for currently proposed developments needing Corps permits in the Rancho Murieta plan area. At this time, we have not determined an EIS is necessary. However, we are still waiting for additional wetland impact information (cumulative impacts) from Gibson and Skordal to allow us to evaluate the County’s numbers in the Residences/Retreats FEIR.
We will let you know when our assessment has been completed. However, given the relatively small wetland impacts on the Lakeview and Residences projects, an EIS may not be warranted, even when we consider cumulative impacts.
Andrea Jones
Senior Regulatory Project Manager
US Army Corps of Engineers
The USACE is responsible for issuing permits for developers to build along wetlands and adjacent riparian areas that are considered waters of the U.S. Due to concerns raised by local residents and the RMDCCC, the USACE held a public meeting to gather information about the development projects before making a determination on wetlands permit applications.
Though only a small number of homes in the planned developments will have a direct impact on the Cosumnes River watershed, many opponents urged the Corps to consider cumulative impacts and complete a comprehensive Environmental Impact Statement to evaluate potential damage.
Chand stressed the fact that no decision had been made on the EIS and that developers had already been denied a nationwide permit. She said USACE is reviewing cumulative impacts under an individual permit, which is already a higher level of scrutiny than originally undertaken.
Chand said the RMDCCC and its attorney would review the USACE determination when it is released and make comments at that time.
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