Opinion ID: 162578
Heading Depth: 4
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Berm and Utility Corridor

Text: 144 Although the Evaluating Engineer wrote that the berm portion of the project was considered when a narrower ROW was analyzed for practicability, I Aplee. App. at 109, no reason is given in the COE's ROD, § 404(b)(1) Evaluation Report or permit for why a ROW without a berm and utility corridor was not practicable. Reasons were only given for why a ROW without trails or a median was impracticable. Additionally, no explanation is given for why the ROW must be 330 feet for the entire 14 miles of the Legacy Parkway since the berm which is to be 33.1 feet is to run for only 3.2 miles. II Aplt.App. at 625 (FEIS diagram showing ROW at 330 feet with and without presence of berm); IV Aplee. App. at 1323 (response to comment stating that berm will only run for 3.2 miles). 145 The CWA does not permit the discharge of fill material if there is a practicable alternative which would have a less adverse impact. 40 C.F.R. § 230.10(a). Practicable is considered in light of the overall project purpose. Id. § 230.10(a)(2). As noted supra II.B.2, the project purpose of the Legacy Parkway has been repeatedly identified as meeting the 2020 transportation needs of the North Corridor. The Appellees have not cited to any place in the administrative record where providing a future utility corridor was included in the project purpose of the Legacy Parkway. Consequently, we consider the future utility corridor to be merely incidental to the Applicant's basic purpose. See Sylvester v. United States Army Corps of Eng'rs, 882 F.2d 407, 409-10 (9th Cir.1989); Shoreline Assoc. v. Marsh, 555 F.Supp. 169, 179 (D.Md.1983). The failure of the COE to consider whether a ROW without a future utility corridor would be impracticable and the failure of the COE to provide any reasoning for why a ROW without a berm would be impracticable renders issuance of the permit arbitrary and capricious on this basis.