News

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has received a subgrant application for the City of Atlantic Beach, Florida. Pursuant to Executive Order 11988 and 44 CFR Part 9.12, notice is hereby given of FEMA’s intent to provide funding for this project under the Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) grant.

Under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), federal actions must be reviewed and evaluated for feasible alternatives and for social, economic, historic, environmental, legal, and safety considerations. - Executive Order (EO) 11988 and EO 11990 requires FEMA to consider alternatives - and provide a public notice of any proposed actions in or affecting floodplains or wetlands. EO 12898 requires FEMA to provide the opportunity for public participation in the planning process and to consider potential impacts to minority and low-income populations. This notice may also fulfill requirements under Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA).

President Biden issued new Executive Orders 13985 and 14008 in January 2021 to further address the need to achieve environmental justice and equity across the federal government. The issuance of the new executive orders more than 20 years after Executive Order 12898 was signed indicates the administration’s directive to federal agencies to renew their energy, effort, resources and attention to environmental justice. FEMA is working with applicants/subapplicants to identify communities with Environmental Justice concerns and provide an avenue for local groups and non-profits with an Environmental Justice mission to self-identify so that FEMA Programs can start to work with them on specific projects from the beginning of the application process.

This notice serves as a project‐specific notice for FEMA’s funding action located within a Special Flood Hazard Area. FEMA has determined the only practicable alternative is to fund the proposed installation of a generator. Funding for the proposed project 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. 

Responsible Entity:    FEMA Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC)

Applicant:                  City of Atlantic Beach

Project Title(s):           City of Atlantic Beach, 20th Street Lift Station Generator

Location of Proposed Work and Floodplain Insurance Rate Map (FIRM) Panels:

FIRM Panel effective date: 11/2/2018. Site is located within a Zone AE mapped floodplain. Site is not located within or adjacent to wetlands. [https://www.fws.gov/wetlands/Data/Mapper.html]

Proposed Work and Purpose: City of Atlantic Beach proposes to purchase and permanently install a 50kW generator with electrical components and a 500-gallon propane tank to ensure continuity of operations for lift station. Per the subapplication, the proposed electrical equipment will be installed on an elevated concrete slab for flood protection and the generator will be enclosed for wind protection. The generator and propane tank are proposed to be sited just east of the existing lift station building in a paved area that is currently fenced and vacant. Along with the installation of a generator at the 20th St Lift Station protected from a 500-year flood, the City has begun planning for protecting the remainder of the lift station from a 500-year flood or 0.2 percent chance event. This companion project is expected to be completed by 2024 and will provide comprehensive protection from multiple hazards at this lift station. The lift station was built in 1986.

Project Alternatives:

1. No action alternative – This alternative would result in a lack of backup power to the lift station leading to potential sewer overflow to the environment and potential backup within residential and commercial properties.
2. Install a secondary electrical service line as a backup power source – This alternative would provide the backup functions necessary to continue critical sewer operations avoiding overflows and backups within serviced properties. Although, the amount of substantial costs outweighed the benefits and with plans of elevating the existing lift station a mute alternative.
3. Decommission and build new – This alternative would have resulted in decommissioning with likely demolition of the existing lift station and then constructing a new lift station at a less vulnerable location with better access during severe storm events. The cost for this would be extreme and would not address the primary issue of continuity of power which would likely be the result of hazards not flood-related, and therefore not practicable.

 Comments: This will serve as both the initial and final public notice regarding the above‐described action funded by the FEMA BRIC program. Interested persons may submit comments, questions, or request a map of this specific project by writing to the Federal Emergency Management Agency, Region 4, 3005 Chamblee-Tucker Road, Atlanta, Georgia 30341, or by emailing FEMA-R4EHP@fema.dhs.gov. Comments should be sent in writing or email with the subject line “BRIC EMA-2022-BR-009-0006” at the above addresses within 30 days of the date of this notice.

THIS NOTICE MAY BE REMOVED FROM PUBLIC VIEW ON THE 30^th DAY FROM ORIGINAL DATE OF POSTING

 NOTICE WAS POSTED ON    28^TH                               DAY OF      AUGUST        2023