Public Notice Announcing the Availability of a Finding of No Significant Impact and Final Notice of Potential Impacts to Floodplains, Wetlands, Important Farmland – City of Dunlap, IA Wastewater Treatment Facility AGENCY: UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE - Rural Development – Rural Utilities Service APPLICANT: City of Dunlap : Notice of Finding of No Significant Impact ACTION: Notice of Finding of No Significant Impact and Final Notice for Potential Impacts to Floodplains, Wetlands and Important Farmland SUMMARY: The USDA Rural Utilities Service has made a Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) with respect to a request for possible financing assistance to the City of Dunlap, Iowa for the construction of improvements to the city’s wastewater collection and treatment systems in Harrison, Iowa. FURTHER INFORMATION: To obtain copies of the Environmental Assessment (EA) and FONSI, or for further information, contact: Dee Fischer, Area Specialist, USDA -Rural Utilities Service at 511 W. 7th Street, Atlantic, IA 50022 or can be emailed to dee.fischer@usda.gov. The EA and FONSI are also available for public review at the City of Dunlap, City Hall, 716 Iowa Avenue, Dunlap, Iowa 51529. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The proposed project includes plans to convert the City of Dunlap’s existing aerated lagoon system to a controlled discharge lagoon treatment system. Two new lagoon cells, for secondary treatment and storage, will be constructed to the south of the existing cells, converting approximately 11 acres of farmland that is owned by the City of Dunlap. Improvements will also be made to the two existing lagoon structures. A new effluent outfall structure to the Boyer River will be constructed. Collection system spot repair and lining is planned for approximately 30 locations within corporate city limits. Alternatives considered by the Rural Utilities Service and the City of Dunlap included “No Action” and other wastewater treatment types utilizing the existing wastewater treatment facility. The alternatives are discussed in the Wastewater Treatment and Collection System EA. The Rural Utilities Service has reviewed and approved the EA for the proposed project. The Notice of Availability of the EA for public review was announced via notice in the Dunlap Reporter Newspaper on April 28 and May 5, 2022. A 14- day comment period was announced in the newspaper notice. The EA was also available for public review at the USDA Rural Development office. No comments were received. Based on its EA, commitments made by City of Dunlap, Iowa and no public comments received, the Rural Utilities Service has concluded that the project would have no impact or not significant impact to water quality, wetlands, floodplains, land use, aesthetics, transportation, or human health and safety. If implemented, the wastewater treatment facility will be constructed in areas that are designated as 100 and/or 500-year floodplains in rural Harrison County, Iowa. The improvements will be constructed to protect the facility from 100 and 500-year flood hazards. Approximately 11 acres of farmland will be converted with the expansion of the facility. The proposed project will have no adverse effect on resources listed or eligible for listing on the National Register of Historic Places. The Agency has also concluded that the proposed project is not likely to affect federally listed threatened and endangered species or designated critical habitat thereof. The proposed project would not disproportionately affect minority and/or lowincome populations. No other potential significant impacts resulting from the proposed project have been identified. Therefore, the Rural Utilities Service has determined that this FONSI fulfills its obligations under the National Environmental Policy Act, as amended (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.), the Council on Environmental Quality Regulations (40 CFR §§ 1500-1508), and USDA Rural Development's Environmental Policies and Procedures (7 CFR Part 1970) for its action related to the project. The Rural Utilities Service is satisfied that the environmental impacts of the proposed project have been adequately addressed. The Rural Utilities Service federal action would not result in significant impacts to the quality of the human environment, and as such it will not prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for its action related to the proposed project. Dated: May 12, 2022 TDR 5-12-22
