FINAL PUBLIC NOTICE
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has received a subgrant application for the City of Douglas. Pursuant to Executive Order 11988 and 44 CFR Part 9.12, final notice is hereby given of FEMA's intent to provide funding for this project under the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP).
An initial disaster-wide Public Notice was published Thursday, October 24, 2024 for DR-4830 Hurricane Helene. Under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), federal actions must be reviewed and evaluated for feasible alternatives and for social, economic, historic, environmental, legal, and safety considerations. - Executive Order (EO) 11988 and EO 11990 requires FEMA to consider alternatives - and provide a public notice of any proposed actions in or affecting floodplains or wetlands. EO 12898 requires FEMA to provide the opportunity for public participation in the planning process and to consider potential impacts to minority and low-income populations. This notice may also fulfill requirements under Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA).
President Biden issued new Executive Orders 13985 and 14008 in January 2021 to further address the need to achieve environmental justice and equity across the federal government. The issuance of the new executive orders more than 20 years after Executive Order 12898 was signed indicates the administration's directive to federal agencies to renew their energy, effort, resources and attention to environmental justice. FEMA is working with applicants/subapplicants to identify communities with Environmental Justice concerns and provide an avenue for local groups and non-profits with an Environmental Justice mission to self-identify so that FEMA Programs can start to work with them on specific projects from the beginning of the application process.
This notice serves as a project- specific final notice for FEMA's funding action located within a Special Flood Hazard Area and or Wetland. FEMA has determined the only practicable alternative is to fund the generator and elevated concrete pad that the generator would sit on within the Special Flood Hazard Area and or Wetland. Funding for the proposed project will be conditional upon compliance with all applicable federal, tribal, state and local laws, regulations, floodplain standards, permit requirements and conditions. This action complies with the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) requirements.
Responsible Entity: FEMA Hazard Mitigation Grant Program
Applicant: City of Douglas
Project Title(s): DR-4830 - GA - 404 HMGP Douglas Lift Station Generators
Location of Proposed Work and Floodplain Insurance Rate Map (FIRM) Panels and or Wetland Panel:
Site Name | GPS Coordinates | FIRM Panel | Wetland Panel |
Douglas Lift Station #2 (aka BoJo) | 31.513130, -82.822670 | 0214 | N/A |
All Panels effective September 11 2009. Sites are located within regulatory floodways. •Sites are located within or adjacent to wetlands.
Proposed Work and Purpose: Install a sized generator on a concrete pad elevated to 3 feet at the Douglas Lift Station #2 (aka BoJo) location. A generator on an elevated pad will allow the lift station to continue to operate during power outages. This allows critical sewer services and eliminates the health and safety risks to the area residents and environment. It also reduces the financial impact of businesses needing to close and residents needing to move to a new shelter while the power is still out.
Project Alternatives:
(1) Relocating somewhere else during power outage - Relocating to a different building to shelter in place would require multiple buildings having all the necessary supplies to house all the residents with no sewage. The cost of making sure multiple facilities have all the supplies needed would outweigh the cost of putting a generator on an elevated concrete pad at the lift station sites. Floodplain avoidance by relocating is not a practicable alternative.
(1) No action alternative - This alternative is not feasible as generator power is necessary to ensure that the residents have working sewer services during power outages. Businesses also need sewer services to stay open and they would provide needed services to the residents during power outages. With no action alternative, continued negative impacts may be experienced.
Comments: This will serve as the final public notice regarding the above-described action funded by the FEMA HMGP program. Interested persons may submit comments, questions, or request a map of this specific project by writing to the Federal Emergency Management Agency, Region 4, 3005 Chamblee-Tucker Road, Atlanta, Georgia 30341, or by emailing
FEMA-R4EHP@fema.dhs.gov. Comments should be sent in writing with the subject line "DR-4830 - GA - 404 HMGP Douglas Lift Station Generators" at the above addresses wjthjn 15 days of the date of thjs notjce.
THIS NOTICE MAY BE REMOVED FROM PUBLIC VIEW ON THE 15th DAY FROM ORIGINAL DATE OF POSTING:
NOTICE WAS POSTED ON 28th DAY OF AUGUST 2025
