- Public Open House
- 4:30 – 6:00 p.m.
- Public Hearing
- 6:00 p.m.
The open house will allow USACE to provide information contained within the Draft EIS, answer questions, and to solicit input on the Draft EIS and NDOR’s Section 404 permit application. Written comments will be accepted from October 9, 2015, at these meetings, and until November 23, 2015. The public hearing will be held immediately following the open house and will provide the public and interested stakeholders opportunity to provide verbal testimony regarding the Draft EIS and NDOR’s Section 404 permit application for the public record. No formal presentation by the Corps or NDOR will be made.
Public input is important to the process. “We hope members of the public will participate and let us know what is important to them and the surrounding community,” said Becky Latka, a project manager for the USACE, Nebraska Regulatory Office.
Interested parties are encouraged to comment on this Draft EIS.
Background: The Applicant, the Nebraska Department of Roads (NDOR) submitted a draft permit application requesting authorization to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for the placement of fill material in waters of the United States, in connection with the NDOR’s proposed Nebraska Highway 12 (N-12) roadway east and west of the Village of Niobrara, Nebraska.
As part of its permit review process, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' Omaha District Nebraska Regulatory office of developed a Draft Environmental Impact Statement in compliance with the requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969. A Draft EIS informs Federal, Tribal, State, and local governments, decisions makers, project stakeholders, and the public of the potential impacts associated with the Applied-for Project and alternatives to the Applied-for Project.
The Applied-for Project would result in permanent impacts to approximately 91 acres of wetlands, and temporary impacts to approximately 23 acres of wetlands. This action requires authorization from the Corps under Section 404 of the Clean Water Act.
N-12 is an east-west two-lane highway in northeastern Nebraska that provides a route for local residents and through traffic. The intent of NDOR's proposed project is to maintain, improve or replace with a new alignment, as necessary, the existing N-12 roadway east and west of the Village of Niobrara, resulting in a safe and reliable roadway. More about this project is available on the Nebraska Department of Transportation Website.