DEM issues permit for runway project

PROVIDENCE – The R.I. Department of Environmental Management has issued a permit to the R.I. Airport Corporation for a runway safety-improvement project at T.F. Green Airport.
The Permit to Alter Freshwater Wetlands, which also serves as a Water Quality Certification under of the Clean Water Act and state regulations, went into effect on April 16 and expires on July 1, 2016.
According to a statement, the permit is specifically for site alternations related to the proposed reconstruction of a portion of Runway 34 and Taxiway C for Federal Aviation Administration-mandated runway safety area improvements at the airport. According to the permit application, the current safety areas are well below current standards for its designated length. The project includes installation of an engineered material-arresting system, relocation of the vehicle service road, new drainage and other associated improvements and/or modifications to airport operations such as lighting and navigational systems.
Due to the presence of a swamp and a river at the foot of the slope of the runway, the extension of the runway safety area would result in unavoidable alterations and impacts to these wetland resources. The airport corporation, in consultation with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and DEM, explored a number of mitigation options. •

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