KANSAS CITY, Mo.— The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Kansas City District announced today that it will be holding a public meeting to discuss potential design modifications to the Swope Park Industrial Area Flood Damage Reduction Project.
In 2002 the district released the Final Feasibility Report and Environmental Assessment and the signed Finding of No Significant Impact for Flood Damage Reduction and Related Measures, Swope Park Industrial Area, Blue River Basin, Kansas City, Mo. The recommended action described in the Final FR/EA, Structural Flood Protection, Alternative #4, consisted of a concrete floodwall and earthen levee.
The proposed flood risk management measures would provide 100-year/base level flood protection with 90 percent reliability for the Swope Park Industrial Area, which is comprised of approximately 53 acres near 75th Street Terrace and Manchester Trafficway along the left bank of the Blue River in Kansas City. That study was authorized by a Resolution adopted by the Committee on Public Works and Transportation, United States House of Representatives on September 19, 1984. The local cost share sponsor for the project is the city of Kansas City, Mo.
After completion of the study, authorization to construct the Swope Park Industrial Area Flood Damage Reduction Project was provided by Congress in Section 1001 of the Water Resources Development Act of 2007, Public Law 110-114. As the project moved into final design several potential design modifications were identified as being necessary to accomplish the project objectives. In accordance with the requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act the Corps has prepared an updated draft Environmental Assessment to evaluate impacts of the possible design modifications.
The Corps released a draft EA with Clean Water Act Section 404(b)(1) Evaluation for the proposed project on March 3, 2014, (Public Notice No. 2014-197) with a 30-day comment period which will close on April 2, 2014. These documents are available on the Kansas City District website at: www.nwk.usace.army.mil/Media/PublicNotices.aspx.
The review of the proposed design changes includes additional coordination with the interested public, organizations, businesses, Native American Tribes and other governmental agencies. The Corps has scheduled a public meeting to provide an opportunity to receive updates on the project and provide input as we move forward in the final study process.
The public meeting will be held on Thursday, March 20, from 5-7 p.m. at the Kansas City Water Services Office, 4800 E. 63rd St., Kansas City, MO 64130. For further information on the Swope Park Industrial Area Flood Damage Reduction Project or the upcoming public meeting please contact Rick Morrow, biologist, at (816) 389-3073, or by email at rick.morrow@usace.army.mil.
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