today is the last day for comments on the DC Water 1st Street Tunnel environmental assessment

See this 05-11-2013 message from Jeff Hayward, resident of the 2200 block of Flagler Place NW:

From: Jeffrey Hayward

Sent: Saturday, May 11, 2013 3:53 PM

Subject: DEADLINE FOR COMMENTS ON THE FIRST STREET TUNNEL ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT MAY 15TH!

DEADLINE FOR COMMENTS ON THE FIRST STREET TUNNEL ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT MAY 15TH!                                                                      

         

Our basement in Bloomingdale flooded 3 times last summer, so we share the community desire for a solution to a major problem. Yet, the First Street Tunnel project being pushed ahead at full-tilt is a flawed fix. Most Bloomingdale residents are just learning of the massive disruption and major impacts that will close large sections of Adams, Flagler, V and other streets when industrial scale tunneling operations rattle our windows and shake our walls.  

     

You may not have heard that this tunnel could shut down your block for 2+ years as 80-100’ drop shafts the width of our streets are dug from morning to night. And there’s very little time for you to have a voice and try to improve the plan by finding less impactful alternatives. What you can do is read the Environmental Assessment, talk to other concerned citizens, and write comments to DC Water.

                

I strongly encourage neighbors to submit your comments to DC Water by the May 15^th deadline.  

Here's how to submit comments to DC Water on the Environmental Assessment:
 
Email: You can email comments to Emanuel.Briggs@dcwater.com. For added measure, please cc our ANC Rep Mark Mueller at anc5c04@gmail.com, and John Salatti of the Bloomingdale Civic Association at John.salatti@gmail.com. In the Subject Line, please write: "First Street Tunnel EA - Comments".
     
Paper: Alternatively, here is the link to the PDF version of the form. Please print it out, and write your comments. You can scan it in and email to the address on the form.

                    

Want to learn more about the First Street Tunnel?: DC Water has been actively updating its website. Please read more here. (I attached the Environmental Assessment to this letter.)

             

This is an engineering project of significant magnitude. 25’-wide holes will open up entire streets, cranes will loom over cavernous drop shafts, huge diversion chambers rigged, and  heavy machinery will move earth from 7am to 7pm. For 2-3 years, several streets in Bloomingdale will be turned into construction sites: with no parking on street, cement barriers and chain-link fencing from sidewalk to sidewalk, mature shade trees cut down, and constant drilling noise.

     

Serious impacts are understated and overlooked in the Environmental Assessment.  Please read it and draw your own conclusions, but in talking to neighbors, our concerns about the project are that it will:

         

-- Restrict access and effect safety (i.e., entrance for Fire, EMS, Police)

-- Result in structural or other property damage to historic homes

-- Impact air quality (especially for children, seniors, those with respiratory ailments)

-- Destroy mature shade trees and impact aesthetics

-- Severely impede mobility for elderly/disabled

-- Effect all services (Utilities, Trash collection, Parking, Meals on wheels, MetroAccess)

         

What’s really missing in the Environmental Assessment is serious consideration of alternatives that DC Water could take in siting more of the project at or within the managed public works facilities at their disposal off Bryant Street or at McMillan.
         

All the best,
             

Jeff Hayward

Flagler Pl NW
                                        

DC Water First Street Tunnel Project EA Meeting_Boards 2013 04 24 by Scott Roberts