Intent To Prepare a Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement for the Proposed Dredging of the Pier D Area at Naval Shipyard, Puget Sound, Bremerton, WA

DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Intent To Prepare a Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement

for the Proposed Dredging of the Pier D Area at Naval Shipyard, Puget

Sound, Bremerton, WA

Pursuant to section 102(2)(C) of the National Environmental Policy

Act of 1969, as implemented by the Council on Environmental Quality

regulations (40 CFR parts 1500-1508), the Department of the Navy

announces its intent to prepare a Supplemental Environmental Impact

Statement (SEIS) to further assess impacts associated with dredging,

dredge material disposal, and other in-water work to support the

homeporting of two Fast Combat Support Ships (AOE-6 Class) at Puget

Sound Naval Shipyard (PSNS), Bremerton, Washington.

A Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (PEIS) for the AOE-6

Class West Coast Homeporting Program, issued in the fall of 1991,

included the tiered analysis of the proposed homeporting at PSNS. The

AOE-6 PEIS proposed the upgrading of Pier D to a deep-draft pier by

dredging 170,400 cubic yards of material adjacent to both sides of the

pier to deepen the berthing area. The impact analysis assessed

anticipated impacts resulting from dredging operations, open water

dredged materials disposal, and upland dredged materials disposal. A

Record of Decision for this action was issued by the Department of the

Navy in March 1992.

The Suquamish Indian Tribe appealed a permit for this project that

was issued by the City of Bremerton under the Washington State

Shorelines Management Act and the City of Bremerton Shorelines Master

Program. The permit is required by the State of Washington before

certifying a proposal under Section 401 of the Clean Water Act. The

appeal was resolved when the Navy, State of Washington, City of

Bremerton, and the Suquamish Tribe agreed that the Navy would prepare

an SEIS addressing the Pier D upgrade dredging project and additional

work related to the dredging project and operations at the pier.

The Pier D upgrade project involves dredging sediment and making

upgrades to Pier D at PSNS in Sinclair Inlet at Puget Sound. The

proposed action will provide two upgraded berths at Pier D capable of

handling a minimum of two AOE-6 Class ships and will also provide the

flexibility to berth other deep-draft ships assigned to PSNS. Dredging

is proposed to enlarge the berths at Pier D, currently used for

inactive ships. Depths at the AOE-6 berth (1,073 feet x 117 feet)

would be increased by this project from the current depths to -44.4

feet mean lower low water (MLLW). The deep draft berth (1,073 feet x

145 feet) would be increased to -46.4 feet MLLW, and include a 400 feet

x 116 feet area for sea chest intake clearance that would be

increased to -49.4 feet MLLW. A new steel fender pile system will be

added to Pier D to increase the capacity of the existing timber fender

piles; remaining timber fender piles will be replaced. As currently

designed, approximately 105,000 cubic yards of marine sediments would

be dredged and disposed of at one or more disposal sites approved for

this purpose by various federal, state, and local environmental laws.

As agreed during the appeal process, the scope of the SEIS will be

limited to the potential impacts associated with the proposed dredging

in the vicinity of Pier D, including rehandling dredged material,

transportation of dredged material, and disposal of dredged material.

The SEIS will address, but not be limited to, the following issues: (1)

Potential alternatives to the proposal and appropriate mitigation

measures; (2) project monitoring to ensure that environmental quality

is maintained; and (3) potential environmental impacts at the Pier D

dredge site, including impacts to land, air, water, plants and animals,

environmental health, land and shoreline uses, transportation, public

services, utilities, and related socioeconomic conditions. Specific

dredging related impacts to be analyzed include: (1) Potential impacts

to aquatic species; (2) potential impacts associated with the

resuspension and exposure of contaminated sediments in the vicinity of

Pier D during dredging operations; (3) potential impacts associated

with post-dredging exposure of contamination, future contamination

associated with Pier D dredging activities, and coordination with

cleanup efforts to be undertaken pursuant to the Comprehensive

Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act; and (4)

potential impacts associated with the handling, transportation, and

disposal of dredged material.

Agencies and the public are invited and encouraged to provide

written comments regarding issues of concern. To be most helpful, these

comments should clearly describe specific issues or topics which the

commentor believes the SEIS should address. Written statements and/or

questions regarding the SEIS should be mailed no later than 30 days

from the date of this publication to Mr. Peter Havens, Code 232,

Engineering Field Activity Northwest, Naval Facilities Engineering

Command, 3505 NW Anderson Hill Road, Silverdale, WA 98383-9130,

telephone (206) 396-5976.

Dated: January 25, 1994.

Michael P. Rummel,

LCDR, JAGC, USN, Federal Register Liaison Officer.

[FR Doc. 94-1888 Filed 1-27-94; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3810-AE-M