Northshore Levee 2023-25 Capital Budget Proviso
Agency
Ecology, Department of
Title of action
Northshore Levee 2023-25 Capital Budget Proviso
Date significant agency action was initiated
Monday, September 30, 2024
Category
Capital project, grant, or loan award of at least $12 million
Brief description of significant agency actions for which the agency is initiating an environmental justice assessment.
The purpose of this action came from the 2023 State Legislature which provided a 2023-25 Capital Budget appropriation for a one-time grant solely as state assistance to the cities of Aberdeen and Hoquiam to match federal funding for:
* Aberdeen-Hoquiam flood protection project.
* North shore levee.
* North shore levee-west segments.
Anticipated benefits from the 2023-25 Capital Budget proviso include providing matching state funds that supplement other local, state, and federal funds for the ongoing Northshore Levee mitigation efforts for flood control by the communities in Hoquiam and Aberdeen. The project once constructed will remove large areas of Aberdeen and Hoquiam from the floodplain and will place them in a mapped Zone X through a Letter of Map Revision (LOMR) from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). Protected properties will benefit from the elimination of mandatory flood insurance through the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP). The levee system will include a levee, and an interior drainage pump system as required by FEMA.
The North Shore Levee implementation efforts bring significant environmental and public health benefits. Residential households, developers, shellfish industry and consumers, and Tribes may experience these benefits.
Methods for providing public comment for agency consideration as part of the environmental justice assessment.
Ecology’s Office of Chehalis Basin (OCB) plans to conduct engagement, focused on connecting with overburdened communities and vulnerable populations, for the purpose of the environmental justice assessment of this 23-25 Legislative provision in October 2024.
OCB will conduct public engagement in October 2024, through an informational blog post and article in area media outlets, as well as provide time for public comments through emails to OCB contacts. We will respond to comments regarding overburdened communities or populations with vulnerabilities and will seek further involvement as needed to address concerns. Through methods yet to be determined, OCB will identify additional opportunities to engage overburdened communities in Grays Harbor County and the local communities and provide opportunities for their involvement in this legislative funding opportunity.
OCB will invite Tribal consultation and conduct staff outreach with impacted Tribes which includes but may not be limited to the Quinault Indian Tribe and Confederated Tribes of the Chehalis Reservation.
Link to agency webpage where the action is posted.
Status
Date EJ Assessment was completed
Monday, December 2, 2024
Published EJA (If completed, you must include a link to the assessment published on your website)
Project location
Address
The project location is within the Grays Harbor area between the cities of Aberdeen and Hoquiam.
