Following Clay County’s 2022 award of a new contract for General Engineering Consulting Services for Planning & Design, they approved a work order for environmental due diligence of their existing Fire Station #24 site. After obtaining FEMA grant funding to repair the community’s storm-damaged infrastructure, Clay County requested that WGI conduct an Environmental Assessment (EA) of Fire Station 24 to meet National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) obligations for the federal funding. The approved contract included WGI’s Environmental, Planning, and Mobility services.
An EA, prepared per FEMA’s guidelines, is generated to determine if a proposed project will have significant environmental impacts by evaluating it relative to potential effects on the community’s Physical Resources, Water Resources, Coastal Resources, Biological Resources, Cultural Resources, and Socio-Economic Resources. The assessment addressed topics of geology & soils, air quality, water quality, floodplains, wetlands, endangered species, wildlife, archeology, historic preservation, land use & planning, building codes, stormwater, sediment and erosion control, noise, transportation, public services & utilities, and public health & safety.
Though delayed by almost two months due to the incoming Federal administration’s changes to NEPA, and the County’s effort to obtain FEMA’s extension of the grant funding deadline, WGI completed and submitted the draft EA to FEMA 24 weeks after receiving Notice to Proceed. FEMA believes that following public notice and posting of the EA by Clay County, the review process will be completed by October 2025, allowing the much-needed redevelopment of Fire Station 24 to proceed.
Project Highlights:
- To guide and facilitate the process, representatives of WGI, Clay County, and FEMA met bi-weekly to discuss the project’s status, schedule, and FEMA’s changing protocols.
- Despite delays beyond WGI's control, the draft EA was completed and submitted to FEMA 24 weeks after receiving Notice to Proceed.
- Two weeks after the initial submittal, FEMA acknowledged the EA’s completion.
.png?width=185&height=175&name=WGI%20Icon_Green%20(1).png)
