Federal Emergency Management Agency
PUBLIC NOTICE

Notice of Availability of the Draft Environmental Assessment 
for the Plaster Creek Flood Mitigation Project, Grand Rapids, Michigan
FEMA DR-1346-MI

Interested persons are hereby notified that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) 
is proposing to assist in the funding of flood mitigation measures along Plaster Creek in the City 
of Grand Rapids, Kent County, Michigan.  In accordance with the National Environmental 
Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969 and the implementing regulations of FEMA, an Environmental 
Assessment (EA) is being prepared to assess the potential impacts of the proposed action on the 
human and natural environment.  This also provides public notice to invite public comments on 
the proposed project in accordance with Executive Order 11988, Floodplain Management, and 
Executive Order 11990, Protection of Wetlands. In addition, this notice and the draft EA provide 
information to the public on potential impacts to historic and cultural resources from the 
proposed undertaking, as outlined in the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966.
The alternatives to be evaluated include (1) No Action; (2) Improvements/Additions to Flood 
Control Structures (Proposed Action), which would involve measures designed to protect 
residential structures from floodwaters including: raising an existing earthen levee along the 
south side of Plaster Creek; installing a pump station behind the levee for interior drainage; 
constructing a 700-foot long steel sheet pile floodwall on the south side of Plaster Creek; 
constructing a series of low earthen levees and modular block floodwalls along Plaster Creek; 
and  clearing vegetation from an existing diversion channel to restore conveyance capacity;  (3) 
Acquisition and Relocation/Demolition, which would involve acquisition of homes within the 
Plaster Creek floodplain and demolition  of the homes or relocation outside of the 100-year 
floodplain

The draft EA is available for review between April 17 to May 17, 2006 at the Grand Rapids City 
Clerk’s Office, 300 Monroe NW, Grand Rapids, Michigan, and the Grand Rapids Public Library, 
111 Library Street NE, Grand Rapids, Michigan, during normal business hours.  The draft EA is 
also available for review online at the FEMA website http://www.fema.gov/plan/ehp/Env_assessments/EA_RegV.
Written comments regarding this environmental action should be received no later than 5 p.m. on 
May 17, 2006, by Jeanne Millin, Regional Environmental Officer, 536 Clark Street, 6th Floor, 
Chicago, IL 60605-1521, or at Jeanne.Millin@fema.gov. 

If no comments are received by the above deadline, the draft EA will be considered final and a 
Finding of No Significant Impact will be published by FEMA.