New York City Department of Environmental Protection

08/01/2022 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 08/01/2022 15:56

Public Notice

August 1, 2022

Notification is hereby given to the public of the intent of the Department of Homeland Security-Federal Emergency Management Agency (DHS-FEMA) to provide federal funding to the New York City Department of Environmental Protection (NYCDEP) (Subapplicant) for the proposed installation of a new tide gate chamber on an existing storm sewer outfall in Canarsie, Brooklyn. Funding will be provided through the Pre-Disaster Mitigation (PDM) grant program. The purpose of the PDM grant program is to implement sustainable, cost-effective measures designed to reduce the risk to individuals and property from future natural hazards while reducing reliance on federal funding from future disasters. This notification is given in accordance with Executive Order (EO) 11988 (Floodplain Management), EO 11990 (Protection of Wetlands), the Coastal Zone Management Act (CZMA), and the implementing regulations for EO 11988 & 11990 in 44 CFR Part 9.

The proposed project entails the installation of a tide gate chamber for a 9′-6″W x 5′H storm sewer outfall. This action will serve to complete a line of flood protection as originally intended through a separate project known as the Fresh Creek Coastal Protection Project by the Governor's Office of Storm Recovery (GOSR) and the Dormitory Authority of the State of New York (DASNY), which included the installation of five tide gates on existing outfalls in Canarsie; however, this project did not include an outfall adjacent to the intersection of E 108th Street and Avenue K. Therefore, the installation of a new tide gate chamber on this remaining outfall will fulfill the goal of protecting this low-lying neighborhood from backflow flooding. This action area and flood mitigation approach were included in a previous consultation to the New York State Department of State (NYSDOS) and received general concurrence with no objection to funding.

Per the applicable Preliminary Flood Insurance Rate Map (PFIRM) and the National Wetlands Inventory (NWI), the project area is in the 100-year floodplain and mapped wetlands, respectively, which means that it has the potential to affect, and be affected by, the floodplain and wetlands. Alternatives considered include: 1) taking no action or 2) the proposed alternative, which is installation of the new tide gate chamber at its current location. FEMA has determined that installation at the current location is the most practicable alternative. This alternative meets the PDM grant program goals to protect property and human lives from future natural hazards. Potential impacts to water quality or aquatic habitat will be minimized through the application of best management practices and adherence to all applicable local, state, and federal laws, regulations, and ordinances.

Comments about this project, potential alternatives, and floodplain and/or wetland impacts may be submitted in writing within 15 days of the date of this publication to: FEMA Region 2, Attn: Environmental Planning and Historic Preservation, 26 Federal Plaza, New York, NY, 10278 or via email to [email protected]. If substantive comments are received, FEMA will evaluate and address the comments as part of the environmental documentation for this project.