Record of Decision for Construction of Element II Breakwater/Pier at Naval Station Puget Sound, Everett, WA

DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Department of the Navy

Record of Decision for Construction of Element II Breakwater/Pier

at Naval Station Puget Sound, Everett, WA

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

Act (NEPA) of 1969 and the Council on Environmental Quality Regulations

(40 CFR part 1500-1508), the Department of the Navy announces its

decision to construct a breakwater/pier at Naval Station Puget Sound,

Everett, Washington. This action was identified as the preferred

alternative in the Draft and Final Supplemental Environmental Impact

Statements (DSEIS/FSEIS) distributed to the public in March and

November, 1993, respectively. The process leading to the SEIS and this

decision are consistent with a Settlement Agreement with the Friends of

the Earth, et al. concerning homeporting actions at Everett.

Comments received from the public on the DSEIS and during a public

hearing held in April 1993 were concerned primarily with potential

impacts from dredging and breakwater/pier physical obstruction/shading

of salmonid migrations. These concerns were responded to in the FSEIS

and there were no public comments on the FSEIS. The Navy is not aware

of any remaining unresolved environmental issues.

The Element II breakwater/pier project consists of dredging and

construction of a pile-supported breakwater/pier. The breakwater/pier

will allow berthing for the currently planned ship-mix which cannot be

adequately accommodated at the Element I facilities, and will provide

wave attenuation for ships berthed at the Carrier Pier. The breakwater/

pier will also provide for fish passage. Element II projects will not

increase the number of vessels or personnel to be stationed at Everett,

over those planned for in Element I.

The project will require dredging and disposal of about 150,000

cubic yards of marine sediments, construction of a baffle-wall

breakwater structure, and, at a later date, conversion of the structure

into a breakwater pier capable of berthing Navy ships. Dredging and

construction of the breakwater component is expected to begin in Fiscal

Year (FY) 1994. Construction of the pier component is scheduled to

begin in FY 1997. The material to be dredged has been determined to be

acceptable for disposal at the Port Gardner, Puget Sound Dredged

Disposal site. Dredging will be scheduled to avoid the out-migration of

juvenile salmon from the Snohomish River from March 15 to July 1.

The no action alternative was dismissed from further consideration

because it would make it impracticable for the Navy to safely complete

its mission at an established home port. Alternative designs and

concepts for wave attenuation and berthing were evaluated in the SEIS

and were rejected in preference to the proposed action for

environmental, operational, and safety reasons that were described in

detail in the DSEIS/FSEIS. The FSEIS incorporates the DSEIS by

reference and the two must be used in conjunction.

The proposed action will not impact federally protected wetlands or

endangered species. The proposed action conforms with the Washington

State Implementation Plan for meeting ambient air quality standards.

The proposed action will not impact archaeological, cultural, or

historic resources listed, or determined eligible for listing, on the

National Register of Historic Places. The Navy has determined that the

proposed action is consistent with the maximum extent practicable with

the Washington State Coastal Zone Management Plan.

Questions regarding the SEIS prepared for this action may be

directed to the Engineering Field Activity Northwest, Naval Facilities

Engineering Command, (Attn: Mr. Don Morris), 3505 NW Anderson Hill

Road, Silverdale, Washington, telephone (206) 396-5976.

Dated: January 3, 1994.

Elsie L. Munsell,

Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Navy (Environment and Safety).

Dated: January 4, 1994.

Michael P. Rummel,

LCDR, JAGC, USN, Federal Register Liaison Officer.

[FR Doc. 94-368 Filed 1-6-94; 8:45 am]

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