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City takes loan to improve water flow
Project also to cut pollution to Peacock Canal
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In an effort to maintain healthy local streams and manage stormwater drainage into natural bodies of water, Hinesville has applied for a $4.7 million loan with the Georgia Environmental Facilities Authority under its Clean Water State Revolving Loan Fund.
The loan is for the Peacock Creek Nonpoint Source Project, which includes four smaller components to improve storm water run-off and drainage.
The project is designed to reduce pollutants reaching the Peacock Creek watershed basin.
City Manager Billy Edwards said two components of the projects, the North Maple Street Drainage Project and the Justice Center Drainage and land improvements, were designed mainly to provide piping to those areas to prevent any damage to the surrounding landscape.
“It’s an open ditch right now, and we’ll pipe it to stop erosion,” Edwards said.
The other two projects pertain to two retention ponds and include converting Olvey Pond into a sedimentation basin, which will help redirect storm flow through the pond. As part of this project, there also will be an underground piping system put in at the Bay Tree Canal.
“It’s a stormwater quality issue,” Edwards said. “It slows the run-off and provides an opportunity for settling.”
The other retention pond affected is the Bryant Commons Pond, which will be expanded to hold more sediment and will have its canals re-graded to prevent erosion and ensure proper drainage.
After reviewing the proposed projects, the Department of Natural Resources confirmed the projects would be beneficial to the area’s environment.
“These projects are in areas identified as critical and will have a direct, positive effect once completed,” said the environmental report.
The report also determined that the construction of the projects will not harm the surrounding environment.
“No project activity is anticipated to result in adverse environmental impacts that cannot be easily mitigated with minimal extra expense or delay in project implementation,” said the report.
But the DNR isn’t the only agency that has given the city their blessing for the projects
“The Georgia Environmental Protection Division has made an environmental review record concerning the proposed projects that documents the environmental review of the projects and explains in more detail why an environmental impact statement is not required,” said the DNR report.
The environmental review record is now on file and available for examination upon request at Hinesville City Hall.
Multiple calls to the DNR were not returned.
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