Public Notice No. 7670

Posted

PUBLIC NOTICE

CATEGORICAL EXCLUSION DETERMINATION
For the City of Torrington Wastewater Treatment Plant Modifications Project, Goshen County, Wyoming

The Department of Environmental Quality/Water Quality Division (DEQ) has conducted a review of the proposed Wastewater Modifications Project in accordance with EPA and State of Wyoming procedures for implementing the State Environmental Review Process.  DEQ has determined that this project is eligible for a categorical exclusion.  Accordingly, DEQ is exempting the project from further substantive environmental review requirements under the State Environmental Review Process.  Neither an Environmental Assessment/Finding of No Significant Impact nor an Environmental Impact Statement/Record of Decision will be required for the proposed action.  The following is a brief description of the situation and the proposed action and a brief statement of how the action meets the criteria for a categorical exclusion.


This project involves the engineering design, permitting and construction of a pre-treatment facility and other headworks modifications.  Pre-treatment components include screening and grit removal.  Lift station pump upgrades, a bypass pump, a vactor truck receiving station (upstream of the main lift station), piping modifications, controls, flow metering, PLC controls and SCADA are also included.  This project will reduce aeration pond sludge build-up, BOD loading, and labor hours and maintenance costs, while increasing system efficiency and longevity.

Based on current cost estimates, the City of Torrington plans to borrow three million, five hundred thousand dollars ($3,500,000) from the Wyoming Clean Water State Revolving Fund administered by the Wyoming Office of State Lands and Investments.  Increased user fees will repay the loan.  The average rate increase is estimated to be $1.00/per 1,000 gallons to repay the loan.  Loan terms will be 2.5% interest rate for a twenty-year term with an annual payment of $192,222.

The City of Torrington is aware of and accepts the fact that it will be responsible for any required mitigative actions associated with and including storm water runoff, erosion control, archeological/historic artifacts, and air quality concerns.  These will be part of the standard State Revolving Funds Program contract conditions.  There are no noteworthy environmental issues/impacts/mitigation measures.

DEQ is granting an exclusion because the proposed project takes place entirely within an area previously disturbed by existing infrastructure.  This project will be completely constructed on previously disturbed ground, specifically ground disturbed by construction of existing facility structures and pipelines.  DEQ has determined that exempting the proposed project from further review under the State Environmental Review Process will not result in adverse impacts to the population or the area of the City of Torrington, Goshen County, Wyoming.

The documentation to support this decision will be on file in the DEQ Cheyenne Office and is available for public scrutiny upon request.  Comments concerning this decision may be addressed to Stan Miller, SRF Project Engineer, Department of Environmental Quality, 200 W. 17th St. Suite 200, Cheyenne, WY 82002, Tel. (307) 777-6371, FAX (307) 635-1784, email: Stanley.miller@wyo.gov.  Para español, visite deq.wyoming.gov

Public Notice No. 7670  published in the Torrington Telegram on December 23, 2020.