Marcellus Development and

Floodplains

BOGM Annual Training2011

Presented by

Eric Jespersen/Brad NewlinPAFPM

Floodplain Beneficial Uses 1

• Natural Flood and Erosion Control

• Water Quality Maintenance

• Groundwater Recharge

• Biological Productivity

Floodplain Beneficial Uses 2

• Fish and Wildlife Habitats

• Harvest of Wild and Cultivated Products

• Recreational Opportunities

• Economic Development, Scientific Study & Outdoor Education Initiatives

PA is Flood prone!

Disaster Declarations - 1965-2003Orange = 3 or more Red = 4 or more

Heavy Rains Happen!

NWS Flood PredictorGreen 1.2-2.4”/ 6 hours Teal 2.4-3.6”/ 6 hours

Practical Reasons 1

Practical Reasons 2

Pad site – Lycoming County

Practical Reasons 3

What the river can carry…

Practical Reasons 4

Bad targets for debris

Practical Reasons 5

Wyalusing, Bradford CountyNice site

Practical Reasons 6

• Oil and Gas regulations require adherence to Floodplain ordinances– Despite the broad interpretation of

Chapter 78 and DEP control of O&G permitting

Oil and Gas Regulations

• Section 602 of the Oil and Gas Act states, “Except with respect to ordinances adopted pursuant to the Pennsylvania MPC, and… the Flood Plain Management Act, all local ordinanaces and enactments purporting to regulate oil and gas well operations regulated by this act are hereby superseded.”

PA Floodplain Management Act

(1978)• Mandates Municipal Participation in &

Compliance with the NFIP

• Adopts minimum requirements of the NFIP by reference

• Establishes Higher Regulatory Standards

Hazardous Materials

HIGH Risk Land Uses

• Designates DCED (GCLGS) as State Coordinator

• Floodplain Management is a local responsibility (Municipal).

• Each municipality has a floodplain ordinance

• They have copies of Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRM)

• Designate a Floodplain Administrator

PA Floodplain Management Act

Key NFIP Language 1

• Development - any man-made change to improved or unimproved real estate, including but not limited to the construction, reconstruction, renovation, repair, expansion, or alteration of buildings or other structures; the placement of manufactured homes; streets, and other paving; utilities; filling, grading and excavation; mining; dredging; drilling operations; storage of equipment or materials; and the subdivision of land.

Key NFIP Language 2• (c) The following list of materials and substances shall be considered

dangerous to human life: – production or storage of any material or substance listed in

subsection (c) of this section, or which will be used for any activity requiring the maintenance of a supply - more than 550 gallons or other comparable volume - of any such materials or substances on the premises, or which will involve the production, storage, or use of any amount of radioactive substances.

(1) Acetone (7) Chlorine (13) Phosphorous

(2) Ammonia (8) Hydrochloric acid (14) Potassium

(3) Benzene (9) Hydrocyanic acid (15) Sodium

(4) Calcium carbide (10) Magnesium (16) Sulphur and sulphur products

(5) Carbon disulfide (11) Nitric acid and oxides of nitrogen (17) Pesticides

(6) Celluloid(12) Petroleum products—gasoline, fuel oil, and the like

(18) Radioactive substances insofar as such substances are not otherwise subject to regulation

Key NFIP Language 3

• “Manufactured Homes” shall be: – placed on a permanent foundation.

– elevated so that the lowest floor of the manufactured home is at least one and one half (1 ½) feet above base flood elevation.

– anchored to resist flotation, collapse, or lateral movement.

Bottom Line

• If you have any activity in the Floodplain, need a local permit!– Water withdrawal sites (most likely)

– Storage yards

– Parking lots

– Pipeline Crossings

The Basic Sequence for Facility Siting

1. Preliminary siting decisions by geology, rights, logistics, and purpose

2. Check for floodplains (local officials or http://www.msc.fema.gov)

3. If in floodplain consider moving facility!

4. If no viable alternative follow DCED permitting flowchart (handout)

5. Engage local and state officials

How do I know if

I am in a floodplain?

Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRM) - Old

FEMA Map Modernization 1

FEMA Map Modernization 2

• Ongoing since 2005 in PA

• Newest maps are based on 2-foot contours from LiDAR

• Great products, but inconsistent coverage– Limited new studies

– First Counties did not use LiDAR

– Long adoption process

Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRM) - New

DFIRM BASICS

DFIRM – Digital Flood Insurance Rate Map

Zone A:•No Base Flood Elevations (BFEs) determined.

•Zone A studies are considered “approximate” analyses, in that they are typically performed with less detail (less $ to create for communities).

•Only the 100-yr boundary is shown, with no cross-sections or BFEs displayed.

DFIRM BASICS

Zone AE:•Base Flood Elevations determined.

•Usually include detailed survey of hydraulic structures (bridges, culverts, etc.) and cross-sections, often have a floodway analysis performed, and have BFEs determined and shown on the maps.

DFIRM BASICS

Floodway:•The channel of a river or other watercourse and the adjacent land areas that must be reserved in order to discharge the base flood without cumulatively increasing the water surface elevation more than a 1.0‘.

•Usually, this means 0.00’ increase for any proposed development

DFIRM BASICS

Shaded Zone X:•Areas of 0.2% annual chance flood (500-yr)

• Areas of 1% annual chance flood with average depths less than 1 foot or with drainage areas less than 1 square mile

•Areas protected by levees from the 1% annual chance flood

DFIRM BASICS

Cross-Sections (XS):•Graphical depiction of the XS in the hydraulic model. All mapped XS appear in the model (HEC-2 or HEC-RAS).

•Not all modeled XS may appear on the map. XS lettering is shown in the hexagon.

•FEMA Standard FIRMs are lettered sequentially starting with “A” at the downstream-most printed XS.

DFIRM BASICS

• Should be used with the DFIRMs

• Documents additional information regarding study methodologies, source data, and results

• Provides elevation results in tabular and stream profiles for detailed study streams

DFIRM BASICS

DFIRM BASICS• Zone X (shaded): Areas of 0.2% annual chance flood (500-yr); areas of 1%

annual chance flood with average depths less than 1 foot or with drainage areas less than 1 square mile; and areas protected by levees from the 1% annual chance flood

• Zone X (unshaded): Areas determined to be outside the 0.2% chance floodplain

• Zone AH: Flood Depths of 1-3 feet (usually areas of ponding)

• Zone AO: Flood Depths of 1-3 feet (usually sheet flow on sloping terrain)

• Zone AR: Area of special flood hazard formerly protected from the 1% annual chance flood event by a flood control system (levee, etc.) that was subsequently decertified. Indicates that the former flood control system is being restored to provide protection from the 1% annual chance or greater flood.

• Zone A99: Area to be protected from the 1% annual chance flood event by a Federal flood protection system under construction; no BFEs determined