Agenda - 04-21-2009 - 6a - Laserfiche WebLink

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~i~~r~v Michael M. Flughes, P.E. Civil Engineer March 9, 2009 Craig Benedict, Director of the Planning Department Reynolds Ivies, Erosion Control Supervisor Orange County, North Carolina 306F Revere Road PO Box 8181 Hillsborough, NC 27278 Cyndi Karoly, Supervisor NC DENR-DWQ Wetlands and Stormwater Branch 401 Oversight/Express Permitting Unit 1650 Mail Service Center Raleigh, North Carolina 27699-1650 Re: Howell Property - Endan erg ed Regulated Wetlands Dear Craig, Reynolds, Cyndi and Jean: Jean Manuele, Field Office Chief US Army Corps of Engineers Raleigh Regulatory Field Office 3331 Heritage Trade Drive, Suite lOS Wake Forest, North Carolina 27587 It has come to the attention of our Bingham Township Community that the property owned by Dennis Howell, d.b.a. West S4, LLC, (PIN numbers 9739673056 and 9739645698) which is the proposed site for the Waste ~- Transfer Station (WTS), known.as Site 056 on Hwy_54 West rhas a vernal pond system which appears, along with its fringe wetlands-and•drainage area, of sufficient size.d;ecological importance to be protected under Section 404 of the Clean Water Act. Further, it would appear that the road that is currently being cut into the property from NC S4 will soon, if it does not already, encroach on the Federally protected wetlands. Attached are photographs of the vernal ponds taken on Saturday, March 7`~. The persons who took the photographs measured the length of the water surface at about 600 paces (approximately 1,500 feet). The width of the water surface was variable and appeared to be approximately 100 feet in some locations. There is a stream that connects one pond area to another; it was flowing at a good rate when the pictures were taken. I have also attached a map drawn from field observations. It is not a surveyed map but it is believed to consistent with the topography and observations. The stream flows southerly from the vernal ponds toward where the road is being cut in. The hydric soils and hydrophilic vegetation at the site, typical of the upland wetlands of the Piedmont, appear to extend far beyond the water surface because of the flat topography. An abundance of aquatic life was observed at the site including frogs, frog eggs, and salamander eggs as well as other wild life such as turkeys (the remains of a kill), bobcat scat, turtles, and deer and raccoon foot prints. We are bringing this to your attention so that you can issue a stop work order on the road construction and any other activity on the site until the appropriate Environmental Impact Analysis is performed, and the requisite permitting procedures are followed. Wa~r~m regards, i ~~~(/ f ~~~~ Michael M. Hughes, PE cc County Commissioners Orange County Voice 8112 Orange Grove Road Chapel Hill, NC 27S1G (919)929-872G