The Regional Transportation Commission’s permit application for a Section 404 of the Clean Water Act is still under review by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and has not been denied. The Corps has permit decision authority, not the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
The EPA provided comments to the Corps as part of the normal public comment process. The EPA advised the Corps to seek additional information in regards to the alternatives analysis conducted to select a corridor for the SouthEast Connector road and the environmental mitigation and monitoring plan for the impacted wetlands including the containment of the existing mercury contamination.
The RTC is currently working on addressing all issues to the satisfaction of the Corps to continue their review of the permit application. The RTC anticipates a permit decision that will allow construction of Phase 2.
“We support the public comment process and appreciate the comments provided to the Corps for their consideration to ensure the RTC is in compliance with the restrictions on discharges per the Federal Guidelines of the Clean Water Act,” said Lee Gibson, RTC executive director.
