U.S. Department of Homeland Security
9221 Ward Parkway, Suite 300
Kansas City, Missouri, 64114-3372

PUBLIC NOTICE OF AVAILIBILITY
CITY OF CEDAR RAPIDS FIVE SEASONS TRANSPORTATION BUS GARAGE AND OFFICE BUILDING ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT
CEDAR RAPIDS, LINN COUNTY, IOWA
FEMA-1763-DR-IA

Interested parties are hereby notified that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is proposing to fund the City of Cedar Rapids’ request to reconstruct the Five Seasons Transportation Bus Garage and Office Building in Cedar Rapids, Iowa under the authority of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act, 42 USC 5121-5207, as amended (Stafford Act, Public Law 93-288).  FEMA was authorized under a Presidential disaster declaration (FEMA-1763-DR-IA) to provide Federal disaster assistance to Linn County, Iowa, as a result of the devastating flood that impacted the City of Cedar Rapids, Linn County, Iowa, beginning on June 11th, 2008. 

Per the National Environmental Policy Act (42 U.S.C. 4371 et seq.), and associated environmental statutes, a Draft Environmental Assessment (DEA) was written to evaluate the potential impacts of the actions considered on the human and natural environment. The DEA summarizes the purpose and need, project evaluation process, affected environment, and potential environmental consequences associated with the considered options. 

The City of Cedar Rapids’ preferred option is to demolish and rebuild the Five Seasons Transportation Bus Garage and Office Building. FEMA’s Public Assistance Program has rules whereby eligible applicants may choose to use eligible, though reduced, recovery funds for alternate or improved projects. It is under these rules that the City has identified the preferred option with additional eligible funding from the disaster destroyed 1st Street SW Caboose bus shelter, and two remaining structures on the former Sinclair Meat Packing Plant site. Other options considered in the DEA are “no action” where no FEMA funds are provided for the project and repair and restoration of the damaged facilities to pre-disaster conditions. 

The public comment period will be from April 13 to May 11, 2012. Written comments on the DEA can be faxed to FEMA’s Iowa Closeout Center at (515) 223-7216, emailed to Fema-ICC-EHP@fema.dhs.gov, or mailed to Environmental Planning and Historic Preservation Branch, 7755 Office Plaza Drive North, Suite 145, Building G, West Des Moines IA 50266. 

The DEA can be viewed at the Cedar Rapids City Hall; at the Cedar Rapids Public Library at 221 3rd Street SE, downtown; or 2600 Edgewood Road SW at Westdale Mall; or downloaded from FEMA’s website at: http://www.fema.gov/plan/ehp/envdocuments/ea-region7.shtm. If no substantive comments are received, the Draft EA will become final and this initial Public Notice will also serve as the final Public Notice.