Department of Homeland Security-Federal Emergency Management Agency
PUBLIC NOTICE
Notice of Availability of a Supplemental Environmental Assessment for the
Resilient Infrastructure for East Chop Drive Project
Town of Oak Bluffs, MA
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) proposes to provide federal funding to the Town of Oak Bluffs for the Resilient Infrastructure for East Chop Drive Project. Funding would be provided by the Pre-Disaster Mitigation Grant program as authorized by Section 203 of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act. FEMA proposes to adopt a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Environmental Assessment (EA) and a Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) dated January 21, 2020 and has prepared a Draft Supplemental Environmental Assessment (SEA) to assess potential impacts of the proposed project on the human and natural environment not covered by the USACE EA.
The SEA was prepared pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act and FEMA’s implementing Instruction. The draft SEA also assesses the project’s compliance with other applicable environmental laws, including the National Historic Preservation Act; the Endangered Species Act; and Executive Orders 11988 (Floodplain Management), 11990 (Protection of Wetlands) and 12898 (Environmental Justice).
The purpose of the proposed project is to reduce erosion hazards along East Chop Bluff and minimize road closures. The proposed project would stabilize and improve approximately 1,200 feet of the existing revetment along East Chop Bluff between Brewster Avenue and East Chop Drive. The project area is located within a special flood hazard area (Zone VE) subject to inundation by the 1-percent annual chance flood event and is subject to wave action. The existing revetment is failing because of continued erosion caused by wave and storm surge action and the resulting erosion of the bluff has destabilized the slope, undermined East Chop Drive, and is posing a threat to nearby homes. East Chop Drive is currently closed because of the continued erosion which impacts evacuation routes and emergency response times.
The Draft SEA is available for public comment and can be viewed and downloaded at https://www.oakbluffsma.gov/460/DRAFT-SEA-OAK-BLUFFS and on the FEMA website at https://www.fema.gov/es/emergency-managers/practitioners/environmental-historic/region/1. A hard copy of the Draft SEA is available for review at: Town Hall, 53 School Street, Oak Bluffs, MA 02557.
Substantive comments will be addressed as appropriate in the Final SEA. If no significant issues are identified during the comment period FEMA will finalize the Draft SEA, issue a FONSI, and fund the project. The FONSI will be posted to the FEMA website above.
The deadline for submitting written comments on the Draft SEA is15 days from the date of this publication. Written comments about this project and potential impacts are encouraged and can be submitted to:
David Robbins, Regional Environmental Officer
Federal Emergency Management Agency
99 High Street, Boston, MA 02110
david.robbins@fema.dhs.gov