With respect to federal activities in Indiana, during the 2nd quarter of FY 2007, Bloomington Field Office reviewed 28 Section 404 permits (including seven individual permits) and two Clean Water Act violations, 25 highway projects, 49 other federal aid projects, 27 cell tower projects (resulting in  3 site-specific letters), 10 coal mining permit actions (including one new mining operation), two federal projects and 12 other federal/state/local permit projects.

This report does not include non-Section 7 aspects of the Endangered Species Program, or the Private Lands or Contaminants programs. It also does not include our northern Indiana sub-office.

Highlights of the third quarter project reviews included the following:

BFO continued our participation in the FERC certification process for the multi-state Rockies Express Pipeline project (Forest Clark).  We also participated in the FERC certification process for two other major pipeline projects: the Tuscola East project in Indiana and Illinois (under construction) and the 114-mile Lebanon Connector project in Indiana (study phase) (Mike Litwin).

Bloomington Field Office reviewed four individual Section 404 permits for coal mining operations, due to the transition period prior to reauthorization of nationwide permits.  These permit reviews are very complex because they typically involve thousands of acres, 50,000 - 100,000 feet of stream channel impacts and multiple wetland impacts, and the Corps has bee requiring detailed streams assessments for each stream.  Under the old Nationwide Permit #21 review process the Corps provided only superficial information with little detail.  The new NWP#21 process has not been determined (Mike Litwin). 

BFO reviewed three new ethanol plant projects, bringing the total new plants in FY 2006-2007 to 10 (Mike Litwin).

BFO continued its review and formal consultation process of the I-69 project, which  continues to mutate from one form to another (Andy King).

BFO attended a meeting of the Indiana Wind Working Group and noted that there will be several wind power projects starting up in Indiana in the near future (Mike Litwin).