Agenda - Council - 09/14/2021 - Laserfiche WebLink

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Trott Brook Crossing EAW August 2021 effects varies with the type of resource affected and the geographic area of impact. Geographic separation between projects serves to reduce the potential for cumulative effects. Potential cumulative effects on public infrastructure relate to municipal water supply systems, sanitary sewer conveyance and treatment systems, stormwater management systems, and traffic and transportation systems. The City of Ramsey has planned for continued growth and expanded infrastructure system capacity to address these effects and serve anticipated future projects. The City of Ramsey will consider the timing and staging of other development proposals within the context of the Comprehensive Plan and related growth management tools. Cumulative effects on public infrastructure are not expected to be significant. Potential cumulative effects of known and anticipated future projects on natural resources depend on the type, density, and location of future developments. Effects on natural resources such as wetlands and wildlife habitat vary with project location and biological diversity. Project effects on natural resources may combine with effects of nearby concurrent projects to result in subtle local cumulative effects, such as habitat fragmentation. Requirements for stormwater management and erosion and sediment control are expected to minimize cumulative effects of post -development runoff on downstream waters. Policies and regulations of the City of Ramsey, the Lower Rum River Watershed Management Organization, and other government agencies require the stormwater mitigation measures discussed in this EAW. These mitigation measures will minimized potential cumulative effects on the environment. The project will contribute to and be affected by cumulative effects related to climate change. In Minnesota, climate change has already caused increased extreme heat, large precipitation events, flooding, annual precipitation, and growing season days. These trends will continue and increase until climate change is reversed. Effects of climate change on future project area residents could include flooding; increased maintenance of roadways, storm sewers, and drainage routes; increased human heat stress and health issues, high pollen counts; and decreased need for irrigation. Increased heat could also affect construction practices such as roofing and outdoor activities such as summer and winter sports. Snow skiing and snowmobiling could be impacted due to lack of snow and warmer temperatures. Undesirable pests such as deer ticks and fungal infections could increase as a result of climate change. Some climate change impacts, such as extreme drought, coastal flooding, and shortages of food and water, are expected to affect other parts of the planet more severely than the project area. Climate change impacts are incremental and cumulative in nature. Just as the project will be impacted by climate change, the project will also make an incremental contribution to climate change impacts through the emission of greenhouse gases. 20. Other Potential Environmental Effects If the project may cause any additional environmental effects not addressed by items 1 to 19, describe the effects here, discuss the how the environment will be affected, and identify measures that will be taken to minimize and mitigate these effects. 34