PUBLIC NOTICE FEDERAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY (FEMA) NOTICE OF INTENT TO PREPARE AN ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT FOR A WATER TREATMENT PLANT RESILIENCY PROJECT IN SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is proposing to fund the City Creek Water Treatment Plant (CCWTP) Resilient Water Quality and Supply Project (Project). Funding would be provided through the Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) grant program, Fiscal Year 2021, as authorized by the Disaster Recovery Reform Act (DRRA) of 2018.

FEMA intends to prepare an environmental assessment (EA) in compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA); National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA); Executive Order (EO) 11988, Floodplain Management; EO 11990, Wetlands Protection; EO 12898, Environmental Justice; and EO 14008, Climate Change; other federal laws and regulations; and FEMA policies for compliance with those laws and regulations including 44 CFR Part 9 and FEMA Directive 108-1 and Instruction 108-1-1. Pursuant to EO 11988, EO 11990, and FEMA’s implementing regulations 44 CFR Part 9, FEMA also hereby provides interested parties with a notice of its intent to carry out an action potentially affecting a floodplain and wetlands.

The purpose of the proposed Project is to reduce seismic, flood, and landslide hazards to the CCWTP. The proposed Project is needed to help prevent damage and disruptions to the CCWTP, a critical facility, as a result of seismic activity, landslides, or flooding. Rebuilding and retrofitting the CCWTP is needed for the infrastructure to withstand earthquakes and other geologic hazards. Stabilizing the City Creek streambank, which runs adjacent to the CCWTP, is needed to divert floodwater and prevent bank erosion.

The proposed Project would demolish and rebuild infrastructure at the CCWTP and restore the banks of City Creek to improve facility performance during a seismic or flood event and recovery after an event. The Project would demolish the existing flocculation basins, sedimentation basins, and filter facilities and replace them with modern structures at higher elevations in one new treatment building. The Project would also seismically retrofit of the operations building. A cutoff wall would be constructed at the creek diversion structure and a series of perforated pipes would be installed to provide both streambank filtration and an infiltration gallery to help mitigate high-turbidity events. Streambank improvements would include widening the channel, removing debris, reinforcing the banks, and planting riparian vegetation.

The CCWTP is located at 2200 City Creek Canyon Road in Salt Lake City. The existing CCWTP was brought online in 1955 and the filter building was added in 1964. The original operations building was upgraded in 1984.

FEMA is accepting comments about the proposed Project, potential alternatives, and environmental issues from the public; local, state and federal agencies; Native American Tribes; and other interested parties. FEMA will use these comments to define the scope of the NEPA analysis and inform their decision-making. Following this initial comment period, FEMA will prepare a draft EA that will be made available for public review and comment at a future date.

Please provide comments in writing and send to the FEMA contact listed below. Comments must be received within 30 days of the publication of this notice. To provide comments on the proposed Project please contact Richard Myers at FEMA Region 8 by email at fema-r8ehp@fema.dhs.gov and include ‘SLC CCWTP’ in the subject line or by U.S. mail at Denver Federal Center, Building 710, Box 25267, Denver, Colorado 80225-0267 Attn: Richard Myers.