Draft Environmental Assessment: Florida Keys Water Quality Improvements Program (FKWQIP), Key Largo Wastewater Treatment Facility

The United States (U.S.) Congress has directed the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) to assist local municipalities in Monroe County, Florida, in the planning and construction of wastewater and storm water improvements designed to accomplish the following goals: Reduce nutrient loading to the near shore waters of the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary (Sanctuary), Improve water quality throughout the waters of the Sanctuary, Comply with relevant federal and state regulatory standards. A Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (PElS) was previously prepared by the Corps for the proposed Florida Keys Water Quality Improvements Program (FKWQIP) in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEP A) and the Council on Environmental Quality(CEQ) regulations implementing NEPA (40 Code of Federal Regulations [CFR] 1500-1508). These laws and regulations require the Corps to consider and address environmental issues when funding a major federal action. The PElS prepared by the Corps provides a framework to address potential environmental impacts associated with design and implementation of eligible wastewater treatment projects for the FKWQIP. This Draft Environmental Assessment (EA) tiers from the PElS for the FKWQIP and hereby incorporates the PElS by reference, in accordance with 40 CFR Part 1508.28. The Key Largo regional wastewater treatment facility (WWTF) will address up to 13 of the 45 water quality hot spots in the Keys, including two of the four most critical hot spots identified in the Monroe County Sanitary Wastewater Master (MCSWMP, Monroe County 2000). The proposed project area is Key Largo in the Upper Keys. Project components are: A regional advanced WWTF with approximately 2.25 mgd capacity that would serve an existing 13,602 residential units, System of combined vacuum and gravity sewer force mains and collection lines along approximately eight miles of U.S. Highway 1 (U.S. 1), from Sexton Cove to Harbor Shores, Approximately 15 vacuum pump stations (VPSs) in existing road rights-of-way (ROWs), Lift stations and a vacuum main to transport wastewater to the WWTF, Two deep injections wells for disposal of wastewater that has undergone advanced wastewater treatment (AWT) and a single monitoring well.