6.1. SR 03-17-2003 - Laserfiche WebLink

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Item # 6.1. MEMORANDUM TO: Mayor and City Council FROM: Stephen Rohlf, Building and Zoning Administrator DATE: March 17, 2003 ~/~. SUBJECT: Environmental Assessment Worksheet for Schmidt Gravel Mine Included in your packet is a copy of the Environmental Assessment Worksheet (EAW) for the Schmidt Gravel Mine project. This was not a mandatory EAW, but rather was done at the discretion of the petitioner. The purpose of the EAW is to describe the project and gather information to identify any potential environmental effects. For this EAW, the City Council for the City of Elk River is the Responsible Governmental Unit (RGU) charged with determining from the information gathered through the EAW process, whether or not this project has significant potential to cause irreversible environmental effects. If the Council feels there is a significant potential to cause irreversible environmental effects, they shall order an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) be prepared for the project. To make their decision the Council will consider the following information: the EAW itself, comments received on the EAW, and the responses to the comments received. The Planning Commission reviewed the pertinent information concerning the EAW and they are not recommending the preparation of an EIS. The Council shall order an Environmental Impact Statement be prepared, if they determine that the impacts that may reasonably be expected by the project have the potential for significant environmental effects. The Council shall consider the impacts of the project under the following criteria: · type, extent, and reversibility of the environmental effects; · cumulative potential effects of related or anticipated future projects; · the extent to which the environmental effects are subject to mitigation by ongoing public regulatory authority; and · the extent to which environmental effects can be anticipated and controlled as a result of other environmental studies. RESPONSE TO COMMENTS The following are staff's responses to comments received on the EAW: Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) - letter dated February 12, 2003 from Kathleen A. Wallace. Comments - No objection as long as Blanding's Turtle guidelines are adhered to and an enforceable reclamation plan is developed.