T.F. Green Airport Improvement Program - FEIS Chapters - PVD

T.F. Green Airport Improvement ProgramEnvironmental Impact Statement and Final Section 4(f) Evaluationthis fill would occur near the mid-portion of this wetland fragmenting it into two small units. There would be nofurther cumulative impacts to wetlands north of the existing Airport Road under Alternative B4. In addition,Alternative B4 does not further impact Buckeye Brook or its adjacent riparian wetlands.Impacts to wetlands at the Runway 34 End common to Alternatives B2 and B4 would occur along edges of theexisting Airport development and would not result in further cumulative wetland habitat fragmentation.Alternative B2 largely avoids impacts to wetlands south of the Runway 34 End. Under Alternative B4,approximately 2.8 acres of Wetland A13 would be filled to construct the Runway 34 RSA. Cumulative impactsto functions such as flood storage and water quality would be minimized through the creation of a wetlandcompensation area adjacent to Wetland A13 within the Airport (see Chapter 6, Mitigation, Section 6.9, Wetlandsand Waterways).Alternative B4 would not result in significant further cumulative degradation of the wetland wildlife habitatfunction at the Runway 34 End. Wetland A13 lies under the flight path of Runway 16-34 and is a wildlifehazard. The WHMP includes monitoring and active deterrence measures to prevent wildlife, especiallywaterfowl, wading birds and raptors from utilizing this area. Wetlands that provide a higher level of wetlandwildlife habitat (e.g., Wetland A10, Wetland A5 and Wetland A14) would not be impacted by Alternative B4.The wetland mitigation program described in Chapter 6, Mitigation, demonstrates that there are adequateopportunities for compensating losses to wetland functions and values.5.10.7 Comparison of Alternatives B2 and B4This section provides a comparison of the impacts Alternatives B2 and B4. Both Alternatives B2 and B4 wouldresult in significant impacts to wetlands. Alternative B2 would impact a total of 5.8 acres of wetland in threelocations: north of the Airport to construct Fully Relocated Airport Road, at the Runway 23 End, and theRunway 34 End. In addition, Alternative B2 would directly impact Buckeye Brook north of Warwick Pond.Alternative B4 would impact 5.0 acres at the Runway 34 End only and would have no direct impact to BuckeyeBrook.5.10.7.1 Significant ImpactsAlternative B2 would result in filling 5.8 acres of federal jurisdictional vegetated wetland and filling or altering773 linear feet of waterway. The impacted wetlands provide six identified principal functions: fish and shellfishhabitat, wildlife habitat, nutrient removal/retention/transformation, flood flow alteration, sediment/toxicant/pathogen retention, and groundwater recharge/discharge. Alternative B4 would result in filling 5.0 acres offederal jurisdictional wetland and filling or altering 843 linear feet of waterway. The impacted wetlands providethree identified principal functions: nutrient removal/retention/transformation, floodflow alteration, andsediment/toxicant/pathogen retention, and groundwater recharge/discharge. Wetland losses associated withAlternative B2 are slightly greater than for Alternative B4 and involve more wetland functions and values.Tables 5-108 and 5-109 summarize wetland and waterways impacts for Alternatives B2 and B4. While the wetlandareas impacted by Alternative B2 and B4 are similar, only Alternative B2 impacts the existing wildlife andfishery habitat functions associated with Wetland A5 and Buckeye Brook at the Runway 23 End. The significantimpacts on these wetland ecological services would be greater under Alternative B2.Chapter 5 - Environmental Consequences 5-203 July 2011\\mawatr\ev\09228.00\reports\FEIS_Final_July_2011\PVD_CH05_Environmental_Cons_JUL_2011.doc