I.
INTRODUCTIONThisrecommendeddecisionconcernsa50
-
acrewetlandinAttleboro,
MassachusettsknownlocallyasSweedensSwamp,wherethe
Newport
GalleriaGroup,anaffiliateof ThePyramidCompanies,(Pyramid)
proposes
to
buildanenclosedregionalshoppingmall.Largelya
forestedwetlandadjacent
to
aheadwatertributaryof theSeven
Mile
River,theswamp
is
locatednext
to
Interstate95,roughly
-.
one
-
quarter
mile
from
theRhodeIslandborder.Inorder
to
con-
'?
struct
themallandappurtenantfacilities,Pyramidproposes
to
fill32acresof wetland.Pyramidwouldexcavateanother13acres
of existingwetlandand9
acres
of uplandinanattempt
to
mitigatetheadverseimpactsof themallonflooding,waterqualityand
wildlife.
As
additional
mi
tigation,Pyramidproposestoexcavate
andregrade30acresof uplandand
6
acresof openwaterseveral
miles
from the
site
inanattempt
to
createemergentmarsh,open
water,andshrubwetlands.
Section
404(c)
of theCleanWater
Act
(CWA,
33U.S.C.
S1251
et
seq.
)
,
authorizestheAdministratorof theEnvironmental
~roEction
Agency
(EPA)
to
prohibitor
restrict
theuse
of
anydefinedareaas
adisposal
site,
wheneverhedetermines,afternoticeandopportunity
forpublichearing,thatthedischargeof dredged
or
fillmaterialsintosucharea
will
haveanunacceptableadverseeffectonmunicipal
watersupplies,shellfishbedsandfisheryareas
(
includingspawningandbreedingareas),wildlife,
or
recreationalareas.Beforemakingsuchadetermination,theAdministratormustconsultwith
theChief of theArmyCorpsof Engineers,theproperty
owner(s),
andthe
applicant(s)
incaseswhere
ther-e
hasbeenapplicationfor
aSection404permit.
EPA's
regulationsimplementingSection
404(c),
40
C.F.R.
Part231,establish procedures
to
befollowedinexercisingtheAdministrator's
authority
to
prohibit
or
restrict
theuseof anarea
as
adisposal
site.
ThethreemajorstepsintheprocessaretheRegionalAdmin
-
istrator'sproposeddecision
to
prohibit
orrestrict
theuseof a
site;
theRegionalAdministrator'srecommendation
to
theAdminis
-
trator
to
prohibit
or
restrict
useof the
site;
andtheAdministra
-
tor's
finaldecision
to
affirm,modify,
or
rescindtheregionalrecommendation.TheAdministratorhasdelegatedtheauthority
to
makeafinaldecisionunderSection
404(c)
to
theAssistantAdmin
-
istratorforExternalAffairs,who
is
EPA's
nationalSection404programmanager.This proposed shopping mall has been controversial and attractedwidespread public opposition and support.
I
have carefully con
-
sidered the record developed by EPA and the Corps in this case,including the many public comments submitted, information presentedat public hearings, voluminous submissions by the proponent, andthe comments of other federal and state agencies.
As
described
more
fully below,
I
have determined that the discharge of fillmaterial into Sweedens Swamp as proposed by Pyramid would be likely
to
have an unacceptable adverse effect upon wildlife habitat.Therefore
I
recommend that use of the area as a disposal
site
forthe purpose of building a shopping mall be prohibited.
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