DR-4671-PR Public Notice 001

Notice Date

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) hereby gives final public notice to the public of its intent to reimburse various territorial, municipal, and local transportation agencies in all 78 municipalities of Puerto Rico with Public Assistance (PA) federal grant funds. The funds are for the proposed repair or replacement of flood damaged linear facilities throughout the area serviced under their authority and jurisdiction.

These facilities were damaged by Hurricane Fiona during the incident period of September 17-21, 2022. Funding is provided in accordance with the major disaster declaration FEMA-DR-4671-PR signed by the President on September 21, 2022.

An initial disaster‐wide Public Notice was published on September 29, 2022, for DR-4671-PR for Hurricane Fiona. Comments and other information received were fully evaluated by FEMA along with evaluation of social, economic, environmental, and safety considerations.

This notice serves as a disaster final notice for FEMA’s funding action for certain roadway repairs located within the floodplain. This final public notice concerns road repair activities that substantially conform to their pre-disaster design and dimensions, allowing minor upgrades for mitigation and standard methods of repair as defined in this section. These sites and activities may be in Special Flood Hazard Areas (SFHAs) or may affect floodplains or wetlands.

The proposed action scopes of work (SOWs) include the repair or replacement of gravel, asphalt, chip and seal, and concrete road surfaces and sub-bases; removal of debris from, regrading, reestablishment, repair or replacement of roadway ditches, gutters, and swales; in-kind replacement of lost roadway shoulder/embankment fill material including previously existing retaining walls, gabions, and rip rap; and repair or replacement of existing culverts, low water crossings, bridges, or other water conveyance structures.

Mitigation or standard methods of repair allowable under this programmatic final public notice include the replacement of lost fill material on roadway shoulders with riprap; the stabilization of roadway embankments with retaining walls or gabion baskets; addition of geogrids and geotextiles; use of curbs, gutters, swales, culverts, and similar features to control stormwater runoff; and/or upgrade of existing culverts, low water crossings, bridges, or other water conveyance structures. All other mitigation methods or standard methods of repair must be reviewed individually. As some road projects are located jurisdiction-wide, some repairs to the roads may or may not be located within a SFHA.

FEMA has determined that the only practicable alternative is to fund the repair of several roads already located within the floodplain prior to the event. Other alternatives considered included relocation and abandonment. These alternatives were ultimately dismissed due to the resulting adverse social and economic impacts to the local community as well as potential limitations of safety response times.

Funding for the proposed projects will be conditional upon compliance with all applicable federal, tribal, state, and local laws, regulations, floodplain standards, permit requirements, and conditions. This action complies with the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) requirements.

For the above stated actions, this will be the final public notice provided. Other activities and those involving facilities that do not meet the criteria described above are required to undergo more detailed review including study of alternative locations. Subsequent project specific final public notice(s) regarding such projects will be published, if necessary, as more specific information becomes available.

The National Historic Preservation Act requires federal agencies to consider the effect of their undertakings on historic properties. Actions affecting buildings, structures, districts, or objects that are greater than or equal to 45 years of age or that affect known archeological sites or undisturbed ground will require further review.

The projects occupancy within the floodplain was determined by referencing the relevant Community Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRMs) on 03/20/2023. Site specific flood map information is available on request and will be included in the Record of Environmental Consideration (REC). This will serve as the final public notice regarding the above‐described action(s) funded by the FEMA PA program.

Interested persons may obtain information about these actions or a specific project by writing to the Environmental Planning and Historic Preservation Branch Director, Mr. Mark Lance, at the address below. Any comments should be sent in writing within 15 days of the publication date of this notice by regular mail to the address below or via email to FEMA-EHP-DR4671@fema.dhs.gov .

Department of Homeland Security

Federal Emergency Management Agency

Region 2, Caribbean Area Division

P.O. Box 848

Guaynabo, PR 00970

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