Public Notice Announcing the Availability of a Finding of No Significant Impact

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Rural Development Administration

Taylor Bay Beach Club HOA (TBBC): National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), Environmental Assessment (EA) Notice of Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI)

AGENCY: USDA – Rural Development

ACTION: Notice of Finding of No Significant Impact.

SUMMARY: The USDA-RD has made a Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) with respect to a request for possible financing assistance to TBBC for the construction of the Wastewater Treatment Plant and Outfall Replacement Project in Longbranch, Pierce County, Washington.

FURTHER INFORMATION: To obtain copies of the EA and FONSI, or for further information, contact: Ambrea Cormier – Loan Specialist 360.704.7705. The EA and FONSI are also available for public review at 8220 178th Ave Longbranch, Washington. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The proposed project consists of a new MBR Wastewater Treatment Plant and Outfall Replacement. Alternatives considered for replacement of the wastewater treatment plant and ocean outfall are discussed in the Wastewater Treatment Plant EA. The USDA-RD has reviewed and approved the EA for the proposed project.

The availability of the EA for public review was originally announced via notice in the following newspaper: Tacoma Daily Index on September 14, 2023. A 14-day comment period was announced in the newspaper notice, a similar 14-day comment period is announced for this second notice, dated March 14, 2024. The EA is available for public review at the USDA Rural Development office and website as well as the TBBC HOA’s offices. There have been no comments received.

Based on its EA, commitments made by TBBC, and public comments received, USDA-RD has concluded that the project would have no significant impact (or no impacts) to water quality, wetlands, floodplains, land use, aesthetics, transportation, or human health and safety; and that the proposed project would not disproportionately affect minority and/or low-income populations. The proposed project will have no adverse effect on resources listed or eligible for listing on the National Register of Historic Places. The Agency also concluded that the project is not likely to adversely affect federally-listed threatened and endangered species or designated habitat thereof; In a February 23, 2022 letter from Thomas McReynolds, the US Fish & Wildlife Service concurred with the “Not Likely to Adversely Affect determinations for Bull Trout and Marbled Murrelets. The National Marine Fisheries Service issued a Biological Opinion on May 22, 2023 that determined the proposed project would “Not Jeopardize the Continued Existence of threatened Puget Sound Chinook Salmon, Puget Sound Steelhead, Puget Sound Georgia Basin Yelloweye Rockfish, Humpback Whales and endangered Bocaccio and Puget Sound Southern Resident Killer Whales. Further, NMFS determined that the Action is Not Likely to Destroy or Adversely Modify Critical Habitat for these species. No other potential significant impacts resulting from the proposed project have been identified. Therefore, USDA-RD has determined that this FONSI fulfills its obligations under the National Environmental Policy Act, as amended (42 U.S.C 4321 et. Seq.), the Council on Environmental Quality Regulations (40 CFR 1500-1508), and USDA Rural Development’s Environmental Policies and Procedures (7 CFR Part 1790 for its action related to the project.

USDA-RD is satisfied that the environmental impacts of the proposed project have been adequately addressed. USDA-RD federal action would not result in significant impacts to the quality of the human environment, and as such it will not prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for its action related to the proposed project.

Dated: March 13, 2024

IDX- 993143

March 15, 2024