PROJECTS L-31N Pilot Public Workshop
Final Meeting Summary 13January2009 7:00 PM – 8:00 PM To: Project Delivery Team From: Everglades Partners Joint Venture (EPJV) Subject: L-31N (L-30) Pilot Public Workshop, Meeting Summary USACE: Tiphanie Jinks, Murika Davis, Carrie Bond, Kim Taplin, Jose Rivera EPJV: Erik Powers SFWMD: John Shaffer, Dewey Worth Other Attendees: Roy Sonenshein (ENP), Claudio Riedi (Miccosukee Tribe), Madelyn
Mateo (Friends of the Everglades), Ted Baldyga, Stanley Ganthier (Florida Department of Environmental Protection), Mark Oncavage (Sierra Club Miami Group), John DeRubeis (Willliams Earth Sciences), Charles W Bartlett (Coastal Caisson Corporation), Thomas MacVicar (MacVicar, Federico & Lamb, Inc.), Dan Schauer (GeoSyntec), Bertha M. Goldenberg (Miami-Dade Water & Sewer Department)
Introduction An L-31N (L-30) Seepage Management Pilot Project (SMPP) public workshop was held on 13January2009 at the South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD) Miami field station to solicit public feedback on the proposed Tentatively Selected Plan (TSP). Kim Taplin welcomed everyone and thanked the attendees for their interest and involvement. Kim said that comments and questions be put on the furnished comment cards for inclusion into the Pilot Project Design Report (PPDR). Kim introduced Tiphanie Jinks as the Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) project manager who will be presenting the project. Tiphanie thanked the attendees and introduced team members in the audience. Tiphanie presented the project through the attached PowerPoint presentation. The presentation included: 1) an introduction to the Pilot Project, 2) alternative comparison and the TSP, 3) status of the project, and 4) public feedback period. Public Feedback Claudio Riedi, representing the Miccosukee Tribe, said that the Tribe generally supports the Pilot Project. He wanted to state for the record that the Tribe will be monitoring activities to ensure the project causes no net wetland impacts, no back pumping into the Water Conservation Area (WCA), and no excessive or permanent noise pollution as stated in the report. He also said that access to Tigertail Camp should not be blocked by the project staging area. Finally, he said that the Tribe has always been against using blasting as a means of excavation for the project, and that the term “blasting” is still used in the report over 100 times. He noted that blasting is not an option as stated in the permit.
Final L-30 SMPP Public Workshop Meeting Summary January 13, 2009 1
Final L-30 SMPP Public Workshop Meeting Summary January 13, 2009 2
Madelyn, representing Friends of the Everglades, said that any water discharged into the Everglades should meet clean water quality standards, and that groundwater flows into the Everglades should not be disrupted if it results in harmful ecological impacts. John Shaffer clarified the project objectives, general hydrodynamic conditions in the area, and anticipated effects of the pilot project. He noted that the pilot is a “test section” that will not have effects that will translate into ecological effects or detectable hydrologic effects outside of the immediate area. Kim Taplin reiterated the objectives of the project and the problem of seepage from the Everglades. Claudio asked what the plans were for full scale implementation if the pilot project works. John Shaffer said that seepage management features similar to the pilot project design would be implemented along the eastern border of Everglades National Park and Water Conservation Area 3B. However, it is likely that implementation would occur incrementally allowing adaptive learning along the way. Claudio asked what technologies would be used for digging. John said that would be left to the contractor, but a continuous excavator is the most likely solution. Someone asked what the period of monitoring and evaluation will be for the pilot project, and who will be conducting the data acquisition. John said monitoring will take place for two years, and that the data will be collected and managed internally. Madelyn asked what groundwater impacts could be expected by constraining groundwater flows through the window. John said that the window was sized to pass existing wet season groundwater flows (about 80-90%), although the overall size of the wall should not result in a detectable retention of groundwater within the WCA even with the window closed. Someone asked what the permeability criteria were for the slurry component. John said that the lower the better. Murika said that would be specified in the plans and specs which have yet to be released. He also asked if the window area was fixed. John said that the sheetpile over the window should allow for resizing the window if necessary. Someone asked if the installation and instrumentation of the wells and monitoring of the data would be performed by the government or by the contractor. Murika said that the details on installation and instrumentation will be in the final specifications. Kim Taplin adjourned the public workshop and encouraged attendees to ask questions of the team in the following minutes informally.
US Army Corpsof EngineersJacksonville District
L-31 North (L-30) Seepage Management
Pilot Project
L-31 North (L-30) Seepage Management
Pilot Project
January 13, 2009January 13, 2009
Public WorkshopPublic WorkshopPublic Workshop
Agenda for the Public WorkshopAgenda for the Public Workshop
•• Introduce the pilot projectIntroduce the pilot project•• Compare alternativesCompare alternatives•• Present the tentatively Selected Present the tentatively Selected
Alternative PlanAlternative Plan•• Provide status of projectProvide status of project•• Receive feedback from the publicReceive feedback from the public
1999 C&SF Project Comprehensive Review Study (Restudy)
Recommended Feature
1999 C&SF Project Comprehensive Review Study (Restudy)
Recommended Feature
•• Levee 31N (LLevee 31N (L--31N) Improvements for 31N) Improvements for Seepage ManagementSeepage Management– Determine the appropriate technology to control
seepage from Everglades National Park (ENP)
– Reduce levee and groundwater seepage to help retain water in Everglades
– Implement pilot project to investigate seepage management technologies
Pilot Project OverviewPilot Project Overview•• Purpose: Investigate seepage management Purpose: Investigate seepage management
technologies to control seepage from ENP technologies to control seepage from ENP and Water Conservation Area (WCA) 3Band Water Conservation Area (WCA) 3B
•• Consistent with the Comprehensive Consistent with the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan (CERP)Everglades Restoration Plan (CERP)
•• Address critical uncertainties of seepage Address critical uncertainties of seepage management in the areamanagement in the area
•• Help with developing fullHelp with developing full--scale seepage scale seepage management featuresmanagement features
Pilot Project Overview (cont.)Pilot Project Overview (cont.)
•• Critical uncertainties to address for Critical uncertainties to address for seepage management technologiesseepage management technologies– Constructability– Reliability– The ability to implement– Monitoring capabilities– Costs– Scheduling
Project LocationProject Location
•• Original location was LOriginal location was L--31N from C&SF 31N from C&SF Project Restudy (1999) Project Restudy (1999)
•• Levee 30 (LLevee 30 (L--30) was chosen in 200530) was chosen in 2005– Highest seepage rate in area
– Similar geography as L-31N
– Start of “triangle area” where L-30 meets L-31N
PPDR with Integrated EAPPDR with Integrated EA•• Pilot Project Design Report (PPDR) Pilot Project Design Report (PPDR)
describes the detailed engineering describes the detailed engineering design processdesign process
•• Environmental Assessment (EA) Environmental Assessment (EA) satisfies National Environmental Policy satisfies National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) for describing any Act (NEPA) for describing any environmental impacts of alternatives environmental impacts of alternatives and selected planand selected plan
Plan FormulationPlan Formulation•• 50 possible seepage management technologies 50 possible seepage management technologies
initially identified (2001)initially identified (2001)•• Screening criteria developed for multiple evaluations Screening criteria developed for multiple evaluations
of technologiesof technologies•• Five final technologies selected as alternativesFive final technologies selected as alternatives•• Final evaluation based on:Final evaluation based on:
– Seepage reduction– Flexibility– Knowledge gained– Minimal environmental impacts– Reversibility– Affordability
Alternatives Compared Scores: 1=Low, 2=Moderate, 3=High
Alternatives Compared Scores: 1=Low, 2=Moderate, 3=High
AlternativesAlternativesSeepage Seepage ReductionReduction FlexibilityFlexibility
Knowledge Knowledge GainedGained
Minimal Env. Minimal Env. ImpactsImpacts ReversibilityReversibility AffordabilityAffordability
Final Final ScoreScore
No Action No Action 11 -- -- 11 -- -- 1.01.0
Shallow Barrier Shallow Barrier with Pumpswith Pumps 22 22 22 11 22 22 1.81.8
Steel Sheet PileSteel Sheet Pile 33 11 11 33 22 22 2.02.0
Slurry Trench WallSlurry Trench Wall 33 11 11 11 11 22 1.51.5
Canal LiningCanal Lining 22 11 11 11 11 11 1.21.2
Slurry and Sheet Slurry and Sheet Pile with Wells Pile with Wells 33 33 33 22 22 22 2.52.5
Tentatively Selected Alternative Plan Slurry and Sheet Pile with Wells
Tentatively Selected Alternative Plan Slurry and Sheet Pile with Wells
LEVEE
UNDERGROUND VIEWUNDERGROUND VIEW
Current Project ScheduleCurrent Project ScheduleAgency Agency
Technical Technical Review of Draft Review of Draft
PPDR/EA PPDR/EA CompleteCompleteDec 08Dec 08
Draft Draft PPDR/EA PPDR/EA CompleteCompleteDec 08Dec 08
Public & Agency Public & Agency Review of Draft Review of Draft
PPDR/EAPPDR/EADec Dec –– Jan 09Jan 09
External Peer External Peer ReviewReview
Jan Jan –– Mar 09Mar 09
Final Final PPDR/EA PPDR/EA CompleteCompleteApr 09Apr 09
Filing of Final EA Filing of Final EA and FONSIand FONSI
Apr 09Apr 09
Advertise Advertise and Request and Request For ProposalFor ProposalApr Apr –– Jun 09Jun 09
Award and Award and Design/ Design/
InstallationInstallationJun 09 Jun 09 –– Mar 10Mar 10
Project Project CompleteCompleteJun 12Jun 12
Monitoring and Monitoring and Technical Data Technical Data
ReportReportMar 10 Mar 10 –– Mar 12Mar 12
US Army Corpsof EngineersJacksonville District
Public Comment Period Open
Public Comment Period Open
Send Comments To:[email protected]@evergladesplan.org
Carrie Bond, U.S. Army Corps of EngineersCarrie Bond, U.S. Army Corps of EngineersPlanning Division, Environmental BranchPlanning Division, Environmental Branch
701 San Marco Blvd.701 San Marco Blvd.Jacksonville, FL 32207Jacksonville, FL 32207
904904--232232--10611061
Deadline January 21, 2009Deadline January 21, 2009
www.evergladesplan.orgwww.evergladesplan.org