State Environmental Quality Review Act NEGATIVE DECLARATION March 2018 Notice of Determination of Non-Significance This notice is issued pursuant to Article 8 of the New York State Environmental Conservation Law and Part 617 of the implementing regulations pertaining thereto. The Suffolk County Water Authority, as lead agency, has determined that the proposed action described below will not have a significant effect on the environment and a Draft Environmental Impact Statement will not be prepared. LEAD AGENCY: Suffolk County Water Authority P.O. Box 38 4060 Sunrise Highway Oakdale, New York 11769 (631) 563-0203 Contact: Joseph Pokorny, P.E., CEO for Operations TITLE OF ACTION: Stephen Hands Path Wainscott public water supply well field SEQRA STATUS: Unlisted Action DESCRIPTION OF ACTION: This proposed action is the construction of a public water supply well field including the construction of two (2) 20" x 14" diameter wells nos 1 and 2, each 145 feet deep and rated at 650 gpm (the Project) on approximately five (5) acres of 178 acres of property owned by Suffolk County. The Site Plan last dated October 11, 2016 illustrates the facility layout. The Suffolk County Water Authority (the “SCWA”) has an easement agreement with Suffolk County, signed in 2010, to develop a well field on the property. The Project is in the unincorporated Hamlet of Wainscott, in the Town of East Hampton (the Project Site). The Project is proposed by the SCWA, a public benefit corporation. LOCATION: The Project Site is approximately five (5) acres of 178 acres of property identified as Suffolk County Tax Map Number 300-181-1-1.1. The Project Site is situated on the west side of Stephen Hands Path, 455 feet north of the Long Island Rail Road train tracks, approximately one half mile north of New York State Route 27 (Montauk Highway), in the Hamlet of Wainscott, Town of East Hampton, County of Suffolk. 1 SUFFOLK COUNTY TAX MAP NUMBER: 300-181-1-1.1 SEQRA HISTORY AND PUBLIC WATER SUPPLY PERMIT SCWA submitted a Water Supply Application to NYSDEC on January 8, 2018 New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC) issued a Notice of Complete Application and Negative Declaration on January 30, 2018 NYSDEC published a Notice of Complete Application in the official newspaper of the Town of East Hampton during the week of February 12, 2018 NYSDEC issued the Water Supply Application Permit #1-4724-2238/00001, WSA No. 12396 on March 5, 2018 SCWA sends Lead Agency Coordination materials to Suffolk County Parks Trustees on March 5 and 6, 2018 SCWA Presentation to Parks Trustees on March 22, 2018 Suffolk County Parks Trustees issues letter with no objection to SCWA assuming Lead Agency on March 22, 2018 SCWA declares Lead Agency on March 27, 2018 REASONS SUPPORTING THIS DETERMINATION: Environmental Assessment Form Parts I, II and III were completed and reviewed by the SCWA as the Lead Agency for the Project. The Lead Agency reviewed aerial photographs, researched relevant studies, performed field inspections and took photographs. The SCWA has determined that the Project will not have significant adverse impacts on the environment. This determination was made by comparing the impacts that are anticipated to occur by the Project’s implementation against the criteria contained in 6 New York Code Rules and Regulations Section 617.7(c). The Project will not have a significant adverse impact on groundwater resources as determined by the NYSDEC issuance of a Water Supply Application Permit on March 5, 2018. No adverse environmental impacts will occur to existing air quality, ground or surface water quality or quantity, traffic or noise levels. There will be no actions associated with the Project which will affect ground or surface water quality or quantity. There will be no significant adverse traffic impacts. During construction activities approximately 7-10 workers will be at the site. The existing road network will not be adversely impacted by the workers traveling to and from the site. Construction activities will occur between the hours of 8:00 am and 5:00 pm, Monday through Friday and are not anticipated to cause significant noise impacts. SCWA must approve any additional hours of construction. No increase in solid waste production or substantial increase in potential for erosion, flooding, leaching or drainage problems will occur as a result of the Project. The Project Site contains 0- 10% slopes and drains well. Although the Project will require excavation and grading activities, 2 soil material will be reused to the greatest extent practicable on the Project Site and therefore will not increase the potential for erosion, flooding, leaching or drainage problems. No solid waste, beyond that customary to a construction project, will be produced by the Project. A change in land use will occur from an undeveloped wooded area to a five acre public water supply well field. The change in land use will not generate traffic or other adverse environmental impacts beyond the limited clearing and development required for public water supply facilities. No substantial change in the use or intensity of use of the land will occur as a result of the Project. The Project does not involve the removal or destruction of significant quantities of vegetation or fauna, or the substantial interference with the movement of any resident or migratory fish or wildlife species, impacts on significant habitat areas, substantial adverse impacts on a threatened or endangered species of animal or plant, or the habitat of such a species, or other significant adverse impacts to natural resources. Therefore, no adverse impacts to natural resources will occur as a result of the Project. New York Natural Heritage Program (NHP), by letter dated November 10, 2016, provided two reports, “Report on Rare Animals, Rare Plants, and Significant Natural Communities” and “Report on Historical Records of Rare Animals, Rare Plants, and Natural Communities,” to the Suffolk County Water Authority. The first report identifies a NYS listed Species of Special Concern, Coastal Barrens Buckmoth (Hemileuca maia ssp. 5) and the upland terrestrial communities pitch pine oak forest and coastal oak heath forest. The Report notes that both community types are considered significant from a statewide perspective by the NY Natural Heritage Program. The Report also lists two vascular plants, a NYS listed Threatened species, Velvety Bush-clover (Lespedeza stuevei), and a NYS listed Endangered species, Orange Fringed Orchid (Platanthera ciliaris). Field inspections occurred on May 20 and October 12, 2016, and July 17, 2017. At the time, the Project Site and disturbance limits were not flagged or delineated, however, a draft site plan illustrating proposed well field facilities was used to determine the general boundary and locations of structures. The habitat description, flora and fauna identifications, and other observations occurred on or in immediate proximity to the Project Site. The site is characterized as Pitch pine-oak-heath woodland (Edinger et al, 2014). Pitch pine and white oak are the most abundant trees on site, with some pitch pines larger than 12" diameter. The shrub layer is dominated by stands of scrub oak and heath species are abundant in the understory including huckleberry and blueberry. Staggerbush, another member of the heath family, was also identified. Other species existing in this ecological community that were identified on the site include common and striped wintergreen, trailing arbutus, and sweet fern, a woody native plant. Wildlife observed on or in proximity to the site included a fowler’s toad and a spring peeper. There are no NYSDEC designated or mapped wetlands on the site. Large stands of scrub oak on the Project Site have the potential to support the habitat of the Coastal Barrens Buckmoth, however, neither individuals in flight nor eggs on twigs were directly identified. Although site inspections occurred during the fruiting and/or flowering period of the plant species identified by NHP as NYS listed Threatened and Endangered, neither species of plant was observed on the property. 3 The well field is designed to minimize clearing and disturbance to existing flora and fauna. No significant adverse environmental impacts will occur to threatened or endangered species as a result of the project. Large pitch pines will be retained in place, where feasible. Large stands of scrub oak will also remain, where feasible. The adjoining Suffolk County parkland and large natural open spaces in the immediate vicinity of the Project Site contain similar ecological communities and will continue to provide viable habitat for existing plant and wildlife. A row of white pines will be planted 8 to 10 feet on center along the eastern edge of the clearing. The “Report on Historical Records” identified a NYS listed Endangered species of vascular plant, Coastal Goldenrod (Solidago latissimifolia). The record notes the plant was documented in 1927 in an East Hampton pine barrens swamp habitat. The project site does not presently contain a swamp habitat, therefore, this species is not expected to exist on the project site and was not observed during field observations. The Project Site is in the Suffolk County designated Special Groundwater Protection Area (South Fork) Critical Environmental Area (CEA). However, no significant adverse impacts are expected to occur in the CEA or to the quality or quantity of the resource as a result of the Project. Therefore, no adverse impacts will occur on a CEA as a result of the Project. The Project Site is not within the New York State mapped Coastal Area Boundary. Although not in the mapped boundary, the Project is in compliance with the Town of East Hampton Local Waterfront Revitalization Policies. According to the New York State Historic Preservation Office, by letter dated October 21, 2016, the Project will have no impact on archaeological and/or historic resources listed in or eligible for the New York State and National Registers of Historic Places.