The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) proposes to assist the City of Springfield, Massachusetts, with the expansion and enhancement the Environmental Center for Our Schools (ECOS) Center located within Forest Park on Porter Lake. The project will include two additions to the building. The ground floor footprint will increase by about 2,100 SF, with the western addition extending two stories over an area of about 1,000 SF and a ground-level porch of about 650 SF. The eastern kitchen addition will be a single level only and comprise an area of about 500 SF. Hence, the total enclosed area (both levels) will be about 7,400 SF.
To meet the requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), FEMA has prepared a Draft Environmental Assessment (EA) to identify and evaluate human, historic, and environmental resources that might be affected by proposed construction, mitigation or other actions associated with the renovations of the ECOS Center. As part of its goal to ensure that good management decisions are made, FEMA invites the public to review and comment on the Draft EA and to provide FEMA with information it may not have considered in its review. If FEMA finds that the Proposed Alternative, as defined in the EA, will have no significant impact on the natural or human environment after the public comment period, a Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) will be issued by FEMA’s Acting Regional Environmental Officer, Lydia Kachadoorian. However, if a change in the scope of work occurs FEMA must be notified to evaluate if the proposed change would alter the potential impacts on the environment.
Beginning on Friday October 3, 2014, the Draft EA and the Draft FONSI will be posted on the City’s website at http://www.springfield-ma.gov/cos/fema.html and FEMA’s website at http://www.fema.gov/resource-document-library, and in person at the City of Springfield Office of Procurement located at Springfield City Hall, 36 Court Street Room 412, Springfield, MA 01103, Monday through Friday 8:15AM-4:30 PM. The comment period will last for 15 days, ending on October 18, 2014 at 5:00 pm.
Comments on the Draft EA can be submitted by mailing Lydia Kachadoorian, Acting Regional Environmental Officer at, FEMA Region 1, 99 High Street 6th Floor, Boston, Massachusetts 02110, by emailing Lydia.Kachadoorian@fema.dhs.gov, or by sending her a fax at 617-956-7574.