DR-4262-VA Public Notice 001

King George County, in conjunction with Fairview Beach, LLC, has applied through the Virginia Department Emergency Management (VDEM) to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) ) for funding under the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP), for the stabilization of the bank of the Potomac River along Fairview Drive in Fairview Beach, Virginia. In accordance with FEMA Directive 108-1 and FEMA Instruction 108-1-1, this Environmental Assessment (EA) is being prepared pursuant to Section 102 of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969, as implemented by the regulations promulgated by the President’s Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) in 40 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Parts 1500-1508. The purpose of the EA is to analyze the potential environmental impacts of the proposed project, and to determine whether to prepare a Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) or an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS).

King George County in the Commonwealth of Virginia experienced severe winter storms and snowstorms during the period of January 22-23, 2016. The intense winter weather, snowfall, and storms caused substantial damages to public infrastructure. As a result, King George County, along with numerous others, were subject to a Federal disaster declaration on March 7, 2016, making Public Assistance and, ultimately, HMGP funds available within the eligible counties.
The Fairview Beach riverbank stabilization is necessary to protect and prevent the collapse of about 1,260 feet of Fairview Drive (State Route 696); County-owned water supply lines and gravity/force main sewer lines that are present along or under Fairview Drive; and up to 33 private residences in close proximity to Fairview Drive and the Potomac River shoreline.  A total of 19 severe weather events since 1954 have resulted in damage to the riverbank. 

During preliminary design, the no action alternative was considered as well as two options for mitigation, which included: a 255’ seawall and a 1,005’ riprap revetment, and a full-length seawall along the entire eroded shoreline. The purpose of the action alternatives presented in this EA are to repair and improve the damage to the severely eroded riverbank. The need for the project is to mitigate against further damage and loss of the riverbank, which would prevent future damage to Fairview Beach Drive, as well as the homes and supporting infrastructure along SR 696 in Fairview Beach.

The Draft EA has been prepared in accordance with all requirements of NEPA, the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA), Executive Order 11988 (“Floodplain Management”), Executive Order 11990 (“Protection of Wetlands”), and the implementing regulations of FEMA, for the purpose of assessing the potential impacts of the Proposed Action on the human and natural environment. The Draft EA summarizes the purpose of and need for the project, alternatives considered, the affected environment, and potential environmental consequences of the project. It is available for review and comment and can be viewed on and/or downloaded from FEMA’s website at https://www.fema.gov/disaster/4292.

The comment period will conclude 30 days after the initial publication of this Public Notice on July 12, 2020. Written comments on the Draft EA can be mailed or emailed to the contact listed below. If no substantive comments are received, the Draft EA and associated Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) will become final. Substantive comments received will be addressed as appropriate in the Final EA/FONSI.

Tessa Nolan
FEMA Regional Environmental Office, Region III
615 Chestnut St, 6th Floor
Philadelphia, PA 19106
Email: FEMA-R3-EHP-PublicComment@fema.dhs.gov

FEMA works to ensure that information is accessible for all customers. If you are having issues obtaining any of the graphical information presented in the appendices, please contact us by email at FEMA-R3-EHP-PublicComment@fema.dhs.gov, so we may provide it in an accessible format.