North Dakota Ag Connection - Comments Sought on EIS for Fargo-Moorhead Flood Project

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Comments Sought on EIS for Fargo-Moorhead Flood Project
North Dakota Ag Connection - 05/23/2018

The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources has determined that a supplemental environmental impact statement (SEIS) is required for the Fargo-Moorhead Diversion Authority's revised flood risk management project.

The DNR will prepare the SEIS to analyze modifications in the revised project proposal. The DNR invites comments on the scope of the SEIS through June 11. The scope will determine what will be evaluated in the SEIS.

Broadly speaking, the SEIS describes the proposed project, identifies environmental impacts and considers mitigation and alternatives that may lessen those impacts. The supplemental review, which is not an entirely new EIS, will focus on those aspects of the revised project that were not evaluated in the original environmental impact statement (EIS).

The DNR will conduct the SEIS work concurrently with its review of the Diversion Authority's permit application for its revised project.

The proposed Fargo-Moorhead flood risk management project is a dam and diversion channel system designed to divert flood waters around Fargo, North Dakota; Moorhead, Minnesota; and surrounding metropolitan areas.

The DNR denied the Diversion Authority's previous permit application in October 2016 because it included insufficient mitigation; it did not meet state and local plans, rules and statutes; and there are alternatives that can provide needed protection. Since then, North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum and Minnesota Gov. Mark Dayton created a joint task force to develop engineering options to address concerns about the project's impacts. The project applicant considered the task force's work in developing the current project proposal.

DNR Commissioner Tom Landwehr said substantial changes to the original proposal require additional analysis. He said the DNR's determination that an SEIS is needed is entirely separate from the agency's ultimate decision about permitability. The SEIS will help ensure that the potential impacts of the project, as revised, are thoroughly assessed and disclosed, he said.

"I want to emphasize that Minnesota continues to support enhanced flood risk management for the developed portion of the Fargo-Moorhead area that can meet Minnesota state standards," Landwehr said.

As required by state law, the DNR will not decide on the permit application until the SEIS is deemed adequate. The SEIS adequacy determination is not a project approval, but is rather a decision about whether the supplemental review was completed properly. The DNR is expected to complete the SEIS and adequacy determination in fall 2018. A permit decision is expected soon thereafter.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is preparing a federal supplemental environmental assessment for the proposed project, which is similar to the state SEIS in scope and purpose.

The DNR will accept comments on the scope of the SEIS during a 20-day period beginning May 22 and ending June 11 at 4:30 p.m.

A copy of the SEIS is available for public review at:

- DNR Library, 500 Lafayette Road, St. Paul.

- DNR northwest region office, 2220 Bemidji Ave., Bemidji.

- Minneapolis Central Library, 300 Nicollet Mall, Minneapolis, Government Documents, 2nd Floor.

- Moorhead Public Library, 118 5th St. S, Moorhead.

- Fergus Falls Public Library, 205 E. Hampden, Fergus Falls.

- Fargo Public Library Downtown, 102 3rd St. North, Fargo.

Written comments on the scope of the SEIS must be received by June 11 at 4:30 p.m. Comments may be mailed to: Jill Townley, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, 500 Lafayette Road, Box 25, St. Paul, MN 55155-4025.

Comments may be emailed to: environmentalrev.dnr@state.mn.us with "Fargo-Moorhead SEIS" in the subject line. If using the email address, include your name and mailing address so that you can be added to the mailing list.

Comments may be faxed to 651-297-1500.

The SEIS preparation notice, and additional details about the proposed project and the DNR's review process are available at www.dnr.state.mn.us/.

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