Mattie Roberson Lane Bridge Construction, Union County, Arkansas (May 2012)

Union County has submitted an application for FEMA funding under the Public Assistance program in response to FEMA-1861-DR-AR.  Under Section 406(e) of the Stafford Act, FEMA is considering funding the repair of Mattie Roberson Lane at the site of the two damaged CMPs by the construction of a bridge, which will reinforce the road, prevent future washout and road damage, and deter future flood damage.  Construction of a bridge in the project area is the method planned to alleviate future damage.  Hazard Mitigation is a funding source for cost-effective measures that would reduce or eliminate the threat of future similar damage to a facility damaged during a disaster. This Environmental Assessment has been prepared in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969, the President’s Council on Environmental Quality regulations to implement NEPA (40 Code of Federal Regulations Parts 1500-1508), and FEMA’s regulations implementing NEPA (44 CFR Part 10).  FEMA is required to consider potential environmental impacts before funding or approving actions and projects.  The purpose of this Environmental Assessment (EA) is to analyze the potential environmental impacts of the replacement of the Mattie Roberson Lane CMPs by a bridge.  FEMA will use the findings in this EA to determine whether to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) or a Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI).