FONSI - Relocate and Replace Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission Sewer Line at Still Creek in Greenbelt Park


National Capital Parks- East, (the Park), an administrative unit of the National Park Service (NPS), prepared an Environmental Assessment (EA) to evaluate the environmental impacts associated with the proposed relocation of a 400-foot section of a 21-inch sanitary sewer pipe located along Still Creek within the Greenbelt Park by Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission (WSSC). The purpose of this proposal is to address the poor condition of the existing pipe and to accommodate a new bridge over Still Creek currently under construction. During the construction of the Still Creek bridge it was determined that a WSSC-owned 21-inch reinforced concrete sewer line along the south abutment required relocation. The existing pipe is in a threatened condition and the lateral distance between sewer line and south abutment is less than 12 inches. The WSSC standards state that the sewer line must be approximately five feet from another utility or infrastructure. The urgency of action is prompted by the unforeseen delays and costs associated with stopping work on the roadway infrastructure and bridge in this location. In addition, this section of sanitary sewer pipe has reached the end of useful life and is at an increased threat of failure. A potential failure of the sewer line could cost millions of dollars in repair costs, dump sewage into the stream, and could affect services to the surrounding area.

The EA was prepared in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA), the regulations of the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) for implementing NEPA (40 Code of Federal Regulations [CFR] 1500-1508), and NPS Director's Order (DO) 12, Conservation Planning, Environmental Impact Analysis, and Decision-making. The statements and conclusions reached in this finding of no significant impact (FONSI) are based on documentation and analysis provided in the EA and associated decision file. To the extent necessary, relevant sections of the EA are incorporated by reference below.
 
Document Content:
Disclaimer: Links within the above document(s) were valid as of the date published.
Note: Some of the files may be in PDF format and can be viewed using the Adobe Acrobat Reader software. You may download a free copy of Acrobat Reader from Adobe Systems.