NOTICES
Notice to Public of Action Located Within Flood- plains
[42 Pa.B. 5302]
[Saturday, August 11, 2012]A notice was published at 42 Pa.B. 4670 (July 21, 2012), inviting participation in the floodplain management decision making process. Specifically, the Department of Health (Department) invited comments regarding a program being proposed by the Department of Health.
Program: Lead Hazard Control Program (program), Grant Number: PALHB0517-12, $2,480,000 award, Period of Performance: June 1, 2012—May 31, 2015.
Purpose: The purpose of the program is to eliminate lead hazards in eligible low-income housing in this Commonwealth. The program will accomplish its goals by utilizing State-certified inspectors to assess units for lead paint hazards. Units found to have a lead presence will undergo lead-based paint hazard reduction through interim controls or hazard abatement.
Location: The program would involve lead hazard control activities and associated minor rehabilitation on residential properties within the City limits of Johnstown and the Counties of Berks and Fayette.
The Department completed an evaluation concerning potential impacts on the floodplain and possible alternative actions. The proposed program could involve projects located within a 100-year floodplain. The conclusion was that there is no practicable alternative to the possibility of potential residential projects located within Flood Zones A, AE, A1-A30 or A99 as designated by the Federal Emergency Management Agency Flood Insurance Rate Maps. It has been determined that the program must occur within the intended target area/areas, as previously described.
The alternatives considered included: 1) funding the proposed program in other areas of the jurisdiction; 2) relocation of housing units and families; and 3) no action.
These alternatives were rejected for the following reasons: 1) the greatest need for the intended program was found to be in the designated target area/areas and those units/families in need of the housing services exist in all areas of the target area/areas; 2) it is cost prohibitive and not feasible to physically move or raise structures out of the floodplain; and 3) a no action alternative would certainly not serve to maintain affordable, safe (from lead-based paint or other housing-based health hazards as appropriate) housing for families.
To minimize risk and potential loss (to life, health and financial investment), owners and tenants will be notified that their units are located in the floodplain and flood insurance will be a required contingency to participation in the grant program. The amount and period of coverage will conform to the National Flood Insurance Program requirements.
An Environmental Review Record (ERR) respecting the subject program has been made by the previously-named jurisdiction which documents floodplain information and contains a full description of the proposed actions. The ERR is on file at the following address and is available for public examination and copying upon request between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.
Final approval of the program will not be approved until/unless interested groups, individuals or agencies have had an opportunity to comment. Written comments for consideration by the Department may be sent to Todd Christophel or Cindy Dundas at the following address. Comments should be received on or before August 18, 2012.
For further information regarding the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development's regulations concerning floodplain management, contact Karen M. Griego, Program Environmental Clearance Officer, Office of Healthy Homes and Lead Hazard Control, United States Department of Housing and Urban Development, 611 West 6th Street, Suite 801, Los Angeles, CA 90017, (213) 534-2458 (this is not a toll-free number), karen.m.griego-west@hud.gov. Hearing- or speech-challenged individuals may access this number through TTY by calling the toll-free Federal Information Relay Service at (800) 877-8339.
Persons with a disability who require an alternate format of this document (for example, large print, audiotape, Braille) or who wish to comment in an alternate format and seek assistance to do so should contact Todd Christophel or Cindy Dundas, Public Health Program Administrators, Bureau of Family Health, Division of Child and Adult Health Services, Health and Welfare Building, 7th Floor, East Wing, 625 Forster Street, Harrisburg, PA 17120 or (717) 772-2762, or for speech and/or hearing impaired persons V/TT (717) 783-6514, or the Pennsylvania AT&T Relay Service at (800) 654-5984.
ELI N. AVILA, MD, JD, MPH, FCLM,
Secretary
[Pa.B. Doc. No. 12-1550. Filed for public inspection August 10, 2012, 9:00 a.m.]
No part of the information on this site may be reproduced for profit or sold for profit.This material has been drawn directly from the official Pennsylvania Bulletin full text database. Due to the limitations of HTML or differences in display capabilities of different browsers, this version may differ slightly from the official printed version.