Ryegate FONSI EA.Pdf
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August 28, 2019 FINDING OF NO SIGNIFICANT IMPACT TO ALL INTERESTED GOVERNMENTAL AGENCIES AND PUBLIC GROUPS As required by state and federal rules for determining whether an Environmental Impact Statement is necessary, an environmental review has been performed on the proposed action below: Project Town of Ryegate, Wastewater System Improvements Project Location Ryegate, Montana Project Number C304245 Total Cost $1,958,000 The Town of Ryegate, through its 2016 Preliminary Engineering Report (PER), identified the need to make improvements to the Town wastewater treatment lagoons. The existing lagoons are approximately 40-years old, are leaking and have deteriorated to the point where they no longer function as designed. Leaking effluent from the lagoons places several area wells at risk of receiving groundwater contaminated with poorly treated wastewater. The Town has determined a preferred alternative would be to construct a lined lagoon system that allows for full evaporation of effluent most years. The MPDES discharge permit will be retained so if the ponds become full, periodic discharge to the existing outfall can be accomplished. The proposed project consists of approximately 1.4 acres of primary treatment pond and 6.6 acres of storage/evaporation pond. The single lift station operated by the Town will also undergo repairs within the scope of this project. The estimated project cost (including administration, engineering, and construction) is $1,958,000. The Town will fund this work with grants from the DNRC RRGL program ($125,000), and the USDA RD program ($1,100,000). The town will contribute $68,000 and borrow the balance ($665,000) from the USDA RD loan for the work. The DEQ Water Pollution Control State Revolving Fund (SRF) program will provide interim financing via a short-term loan to get the project constructed. Those loan funds will be paid off with the USRD project funding once the project is substantially complete. Federal and State grant/loan programs will fund the project. Environmentally sensitive characteristics such as wetlands, floodplains, threatened or endangered species, and historical sites are not expected to be adversely impacted because of the proposed project. Public participation during the planning process demonstrated support for the selected alternative. No significant long-term environmental impacts were identified. An environmental assessment (EA), which describes the project and analyzes the impacts in more detail, is available for public scrutiny on the DEQ web site http://deq.mt.gov/Public/ea and at the following locations: 2 Department of Environmental Quality Town of Ryegate 1520 East Sixth Avenue P.O. Box 163 P.O. Box 200901 Ryegate, MT 59074 Helena, MT 59620-0901 [email protected] Comments on the EA may be submitted to the Department of Environmental Quality at the above address. After evaluating comments received, the department will revise the environmental assessment or determine if an environmental impact statement is necessary. If no substantive comments are received during the comment period, or if substantive comments are received and evaluated and the environmental impacts are still determined to be non significant, the agency will make a final decision. No administrative action will be taken on the project for at least 30 calendar days after release of the Finding of No Significant Impact. Sincerely, ~~ Engineering Bureau Water Quality Division Montana Department of Environmental Quality 3 TOWN OF RYEGATE WASTEWATER IMPROVEMENTS PROJECT ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT I. COVER SHEET A. PROJECT IDENTIFICATION Applicant: Ryegate, Town of Address: P.O. Box 163 Ryegate, MT 5907 4 Project Number: DEQ, WPCSRF Project# C304245 B. CONTACT PERSON Name: Patti Bruner, Mayor Address: P.O. Box 163 Ryegate, MT 59074 Telephone: (406) 568-2320 C. ABSTRACT The Town of Ryegate, through its Wastewater System Improvements Preliminary Engineering Report (PER), written in May of 2016, identified the need to make improvements to its wastewater system. The original wastewater collection and treatment system for the Town of Ryegate was constructed to replace cesspools, pit privies and septic systems. The collection system and lagoons serve the residents of Ryegate with a current population of 243. The facility is a two-cell facultative lagoon with a total surface area of 4. 7 acres. It was originally designed for a flow of 50,000 gallons per day for a design population of 500 people. The town has maintained a discharge permit (MPDES #MT0020451) but has reported no discharge since issued in 1975. The collection system includes a single lift station for the south part of town, with the remainder being gravity flow to the lagoons. Based on the results of the 2012 lagoon leakage study, the wastewater lagoons are leaking at a rate in excess of DEQ-2 design standards for allowable leakage and are placing several downgradient drinking water wells at risk. The Preliminary Engineering Report (PER) describes existing conditions, needs, alternatives evaluated, and the preferred alternative to remove accumulated solids and meet design standards. The town proposes to construct a total retention lagoon based system where all wastewater will evaporate in lieu of discharge. The total retention system will be a two-cell system designed to meet anticipated growth and permit conditions for a 20-year planning period. The PER and Uniform Funding Application prepared by the town establish a project cost of approximately $1,958,000 which includes all engineering, legal, administrative and construction costs. The town applied for and has received grants from the DNRC RRGL program for $125,000 and from USDA Rural Development for $1,100,000. The town Page 1 of 14 proposes to contribute $68,000 and borrow the balance. Because USDA Rural Development cannot release some of the committed grant funds until construction is complete, the town will use the DEQ Water Pollution Control State Revolving Fund to secure interim financing at 1.75% interest for approximately $665,000 to complete the project. Environmentally sensitive characteristics such as wetlands, floodplains, threatened or endangered species, and historical sites are not expected to be adversely impacted because of the proposed project. Additional environmental impacts related to land use, water quality, air quality, public health, energy, noise, growth, and sludge disposal were also assessed. No significant long-term environmental impacts were identified. Under Montana law, (75-6-112, MCA), no person may construct, extend, or use a public sewage system until DEQ has reviewed and approved the plans and specifications for the project. Under the Montana Water Pollution Control State Revolving Fund Act, DEQ may loan money to municipalities for construction of public sewage systems. The DEQ, Engineering Bureau, has prepared this Environmental Assessment to satisfy the requirements of the Montana Environmental Policy Act (MEPA) and the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). D. COMMENT PERIOD Thirty (30) calendar days. II. PURPOSE OF AND NEED FOR ACTION Ryegate's wastewater treatment and collection system was installed in 1969. The collection system consists primarily of clay tile pipe and includes 46 manholes, and one pump station which pumps wastewater from six homes in the Second Farm Addition. Many of the clay pipes are installed at slopes slightly flatter than are required for new systems, but have functioned well and are in good condition based on the PER findings. The two-cell facultative lagoon, completed in 1969, was initially designed for a population of 500 to provide for growth and was expected at the time to require periodic discharge to an unnamed dry slough connected to the Musselshell River. However, the anticipated growth never happened, and the town has not discharged effluent from the ponds since the lagoon system was constructed. This is thought to be due to groundwater leakage, evaporation and the lack of growth over the design period. The lagoons have never had sludge removed. ' The PER provides a description of the Ryegate wastewater system and detailed analysis of the performance and condition of the existing system. The system deficiencies and resulting impacts were identified as follows: • According to the town, since their construction in 1969, the lagoons have never discharged. A water balance analysis within the PER supports a significant leakage rate from the lagoons to the underlying groundwater table. • Groundwater modeling shows at least six domestic wells are within the zone where leaked (untreated) wastewater acts as a source of recharge to the aquifer and places the downgradient wells at risk of contamination. Lagoon leakage causes groundwater Page 2 of 14 elevations to rise in a roughly concentric pattern (mound) from 0.6 to 2.9 feet. Because of the hydraulic influence from leakage from the primary lagoon, untreated wastewater poses a public health threat to those individuals living within approximately 2,500 feet from the lagoons and who use groundwater from wells completed in the alluvium. • The overall condition of the lagoons is marginal to poor. The lagoon dikes have evidence of rodent activity and excessive plant growth. The dikes are heavily eroded. All of these conditions result in a compromised clay liner. The town has installed some rip rap along the interior of the dikes to stop erosion until the proposed improvements are completed. • Modeling included in the PER shows that alluvial aquifer mounding from the lagoon leakage is impacting surface waters in the area. In particular, the oxbow south of the lagoon and the Musselshell River are impacted from lagoon leakage. Both of these surface waters are open to public access. • There has been an increased need for maintenance on the lift station over the past several years. The lift station will be upgraded with the selected alternative. Ryegate's proposed wastewater improvements project will include: • Removal and land application of sludge. • Reconstruction of the lagoons and installation of a synthetic liner. • Addition of a storage cell that will fully evaporate the effluent (i.e. total retention system design).