OMAHA, Neb. – A draft environmental assessment for a proposal to construct a water supply well for rural communities in Judith Basin County, Montana is currently available for public review. The draft EA evaluates the environmental impacts of constructing a 2,800-foot deep well to provide safe, reliable drinking water.
The proposed project would include constructing a water supply well for the Musselshell-Judith Rural Water System. The 8.75-inch diameter well would be drilled approximately 2,800 feet deep into the Madison Aquifer and would be tested with a 72-hour pump test to determine how many gallons per minute can be extracted. To prepare for the well construction, approximately one acre will be cleared, and topsoil removed and stockpiled on site. A drill rig will be stationed to begin drilling within the cleared area (well pad). Cuttings (soil and rocks) removed during the drilling will be spread out over the cleared area.
The public is encouraged to provide comments on the draft environmental assessment, which is available for viewing at: www.nwo.usace.army.mil/Missions/Civil-Works/Planning/Project-Reports/. Comments can be mailed to: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Omaha District; CENWO-PMA-C; ATTN: Chris Weber, Judith Basin Well EA; 1616 Capitol Avenue; Omaha, NE 68102-4901. Comments can also be emailed to: cenwo-planning@usace.army.mil. Comments must be postmarked or received no later than Aug. 9, 2019.
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers funding for this project is authorized under Section 595 of the 1999 Water Resources Development Act, as amended. This authority allows the USACE to participate in projects for wastewater treatment, water supply, and related facilities in rural Montana, Idaho and Nevada. Design and construction assistance is provided only for projects that are owned by public entities and project costs are shared 75% federal contribution and 25% non-federal contribution.
This draft EA is consistent with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, as amended, the Council on Environmental Quality’s regulations for implementing NEPA (40 CFR 1500-1508), the Corps’ regulations for implementing NEPA (33 CFR 325 and Engineering Regulation 200-2-2), and other applicable environmental laws and regulations.
Release no. 19-095