FONSI Issued for the Replacement of Administrative Facilities at Stehekin

Date: September 24, 2015
Contact: Kerri Cook, 360-854-7280

Sedro Woolley, WA–The Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) for the Replacement of Administrative Facilities at Stehekin Environmental Assessment (EA) is available at https://parkplanning.nps.gov/SMFRP. The FONSI describes the selected action and provides responses to public comments and an explanation of why it will have no significant impacts on the environment. While the FONSI concludes the environmental review phase of the proposed project, the National Park Service has elected to continue public engagement on the issue of solid waste management in Stehekin based on comments submitted in response to this EA.

Public workshop meetings, which are intended to discuss both the proposed rule to authorize a solid waste transfer station and the reduced rate proposal for solid waste management service, will be held at the following locations and times:

Wenatchee     October 7, 5 -7 pm

             Red Lion Hotel, Chelan Room

             1225 N. Wenatchee Avenue

             Wenatchee, WA 98801

Stehekin         October 8,6:30-8:30 pm

            Community Hall

            Stehekin, WA 98852

The meetings will begin with a 30-minute presentation with a question and answer period, followed by a workshop format with small breakout groups to discuss various elements of the proposed solid waste management service. Documents that describe the NPS proposed waiver request and reduced rate structure will be provided at the meetings and can be found at https://parkplanning.nps.gov/SMFRP in a folder titled Waiver Request (under the Document List).

Specific discussion topic questions are also posted on this website, and Stehekin residents (both seasonal and year-round) are encouraged to respond to these questions, either in written format via the website or orally during public meetings. The public comment period for the reduced rate structure proposal and general solid waste management is open until November 1, 2015.

In addition to the workshops, the public is invited to submit written comments specific to the proposed rule online at www.regulations.gov then search for RIN: 1024-AE09.The proposed rule was published in the Federal Register on July 13, 2015 and is intended to bring the NPS current practice of accepting solid waste from the private residents and businesses of the Stehekin community into regulatory compliance.

The special regulation would allow the NPS to:

• accept solid waste generated within the park boundary from non-NPS activities, and
• relocate from the floodplain to a site that does not meet all regulatory siting criteria for a new solid waste facility due to geographic constraints within the Stehekin River valley

Comments specific to the proposed waiver request and reduced rate structure may be submitted throughNovember 1, 2015, via regular mail or hand delivery to: Superintendent's Office, North Cascades National Park Service Complex, 810 State Route 20, Sedro Woolley, WA 98284, or via email to: e-mail us.

www.nps.gov/noca