[Federal Register: September 12, 2003 (Volume 68, Number 177)]
[Notices]
[Page 53725-53726]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr12se03-40]
[[Page 53725]]
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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Department of the Army, Corps of Engineers
Intent To Prepare a Draft Environmental Impact Statement/
Environmental Impact Report for a Proposed Marine Terminal Development
at Pier S In the Port of Long Beach, Los Angeles County, CA
AGENCY: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Los Angeles District, DoD.
ACTION: Notice of intent.
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SUMMARY: The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) is considering the
development of Pier S Marine Terminal Project (Proposed Action). The
development of Pier S would result in a 160-acre marine container
terminal, and would include four elements: dredging, wharf
construction, and container cranes; container yard; terminal buildings
and truck gates; and an intermodal rail yard.
The primary Federal concern is the dredging and discharging of
materials within waters of the U.S. and potential impacts on the human
environment. Under section 404 of the Clean Water Act, the Corps is
authorized to approve discharges of dredged or fill material into
waters of the U.S. Under Section 10 of the Rivers and Harbors Act, the
Corps may authorize activities that could affect navigable waters. The
Corps is preparing an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) pursuant to
the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) prior to deciding whether
or not to authorize the Proposed Action. The Corps may ultimately make
a determination to permit or deny the Proposed Action, or permit or
deny alternatives to the Proposed Action.
Pursuant to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), the
Port will serve as Lead Agency for the preparation of an Environmental
Impact Report (EIR) for its consideration of development approvals
within its jurisdiction. The Corps and the Port have agreed to jointly
prepare a Draft EIS/EIR in order to optimize efficiency and avoid
duplication. The Draft EIS/EIR is intended to be sufficient in scope to
address federal, state, and local requirements and environmental issues
concerning the proposed activities and permit approvals.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Questions about the proposed action
and Draft EIS/EIR can be answered by Mr. Joshua Burnam, Corps Project
Manager, at 213-452-3294. Comments regarding the scope of the Draft
EIS/EIR shall be addressed to: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Los
Angeles District, Regulatory Branch, ATTN: File Number 1999-16479-JLB,
PO Box 532711, Los Angeles, California 90053-2325. Copies should also
be sent to Stacey Crouch, Port of Long Beach, PO Box 570, Long Beach,
CA 90801-0570.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
1. Project Site and Background Information. Pier S is an
approximately 170-acre marine terminal site in the Terminal Island
Harbor Planning District of the Port. The site was formerly used as an
active oil and gas production field from the 1930s until 1999. From
1951 to 1969, a portion of the site was leased by the United Pacific
Resources Corporation (UPRC) to the now defunct TCL Corporation for the
disposal of oil and gas drilling waste in shallow impoundments or
``sumps.'' Testing conducted in the 1980s indicated that TCL
Corporation disposed of materials other than those permitted under
lease agreement.
As a continuing effort to remediate contaminated soils and allow
for expanding port uses, the Port and the California Department of
Toxic Substances Control entered into a voluntary cleanup agreement in
September 1997 to investigate and remediate contamination. Several
phases of subsurface investigations conducted between 1991 and 1997
characterized subsurface contamination. The total volume of sump
material on site was estimated to be approximately 180,000 cubic yards.
Chemical analyses of soil and shallow groundwater identified organic
and inorganic contaminants.
In 1998 and 1999, an EIR for a marine container terminal on Pier S
was prepared. The Port's Board of Harbor Commissioners certified the
EIR in March 1999, approving the Pier S marine container terminal.
Project components included: relocation of oil facilities and
utilities; site remediation; site preparation; dike realignment; wharf
construction; and other terminal facilities. The relocation of oil
facilities and utilities, site remediation, which included
investigation and remediation of approximately 25 acres of sump
material and contaminated groundwater, and site preparation, which
included raising the existing ground surface to approximately 15 feet
Mean Lower Low Water by placing approximately 4.5 million cubic yards
of material on site, have all been completed. The dike realignment,
wharf construction, and terminal facilities project components were
evaluated in this EIR.
2. Proposed Action. The proposed dredge and fill activities would
take place at Pier S and would involve dike realignment and wharf
construction activities. Approximately 3,200 feet of concrete pile-
supported wharf would be constructed as part of this project.
Construction of the wharf would include excavation of the existing
shoreline to straighten the shoreline and widen the Cerritos Channel to
808 feet between the Pier A and future Pier S pierhead lines to
accommodate the passage of a 22 container wide vessel (approximately
188 feet in width) through the channel. Widening of the Cerritos
Channel would create approximately 10.7 acres of new water surface
area. Wharf excavation would include removing approximately 1,200,000
cubic yards of material to be disposed of as described below, driving
approximately 1,950 concrete piles (up to 110 feet in length), and
reconstructing the shoreline with up to 500,000 tons of imported quarry
run and armor rock. In addition to wharf excavation, approximately
500,000 cubic yards of material that may or may not be suitable for
unconfined aquatic disposal would be dredged from the Cerritos Channel
for ship berthing. Material would be deposited at agency-approved, in-
water and/or upland disposal sites.
Wharf construction may include rail access, automobile import/
export, or a multi-use storage area. The majority of the backlands of
the Pier S terminal (up to 100 acres) would be developed for container
storage, and could be utilized without a DA permit. Both wheeled and
grounded operations would be served by various terminal equipment
including trucks, yard tractors, reach stackers, top-picks, straddle
carriers, and rubber-tired gantry cranes. The terminal would include
buildings, facilities, and other structures needed to support container
terminal operations and administration. Building construction is
anticipated to include, but not be limited to, fourteen structures. Two
truck gates (main gate and secondary gate) with sign bridges, raised
pedestals, scales, and infrastructure required to mount and operate
optical character recognition equipment would be constructed at the
southwest (main gate) and southeast (secondary gate) corners of the
terminal. A pedestrian footbridge may also be constructed over the main
gate complex. Truck access to the terminal would be through the main
gate complex from New Dock Street and through the secondary gate from
Pier T Avenue. The terminal may include an intermodal railyard
facility, consisting of eight tracks totaling approximately 13,750
lineal feet. The facility would have the
[[Page 53726]]
capacity to accommodate two twenty-car unit trains (each car is 309
feet long and has five, articulated wells in which containers can be
stacked two high).
3. Issues. There are several potential environmental issues that
will be addressed in the EIS/EIR. Additional issues may be identified
during the scoping process. Issues initially identified as potentially
significant include:
1. Geological issues including dredging and stabilization of fill
areas.
2. Potential impacts on marine biological resources, including
endangered species.
3. Marine water circulation and water and sediment quality.
4. Impacts on air quality.
5. Traffic, including navigation issues, and transportation related
impacts.
6. Potential noise impacts.
7. Impacts on public utilities and services.
8. Impact on aesthetic resources.
9. Potential impacts on public health and safety.
10. Environmental justice issues.
11. Cumulative impacts.
4. Alternatives. Alternatives initially being considered for the
proposed project development include the following:
a. Marine Container Terminal with Rail Access (preferred).
b. Marine Container Terminal without Rail Access.
c. Landfill Alternative--construction of a new marine terminal by
creating a new landfill in the harbor.
d. Non-containerized use of terminal (lumber, autos).
e. Reduced Wharf and Reduced Dredging Alternative.
f. Non-shipping use-park, cruise terminal, commercial development,
empty container storage.
g. No Federal action alternative--construction and use of only
upland portions of the site.
5. Scoping Process. The Corps and the Port will jointly conduct a
scoping meeting for the proposed project. English and Spanish
translation services will be provided at the meeting. The public
scoping meeting will be held to receive public comment and assess
public concerns regarding the appropriate scope of the Draft EIS/EIR.
Participation in the public meeting by federal, state and local
agencies and other interested organizations and persons are encouraged.
Parties interested in being added to the Corps' electronic mail
notification list for the Pier S marine terminal project or other
projects in the Port of Long Beach can register at: http://www.spl.usace.army.mil/regulatory/register.html.
This list will be used
in the future to notify the public about scheduled hearings and
availability of future public notices.
The Corps of Engineers will also be consulting with the U.S. Fish
and Wildlife Service under the Endangered Species Act and Fish and
Wildlife Coordination Act, and with the National Marine Fisheries
Service under the Magnuson-Stevens Act. Additionally, the EIS/EIR will
assess the consistency of the proposed Action with the Coastal Zone
Management Act and potential water quality impacts pursuant to Section
401 of the Clean Water Act.
The public scoping meeting for the Draft EIS/EIR will be held on
September 25th, 2003, at 6 p.m, at the Port of Long Beach
administration building. The Corps and the Port will separately
transmit local notices of the meeting prior to the event. Written
comments will be received until October 10th, 2003.
6. Availability of the Draft EIS/EIR. The Draft EIS/EIR is expected
to be published and circulated sometime between Winter 2003 and Spring
2004, and a new public notice and public hearing will be held after its
publication.
Richard G. Thompson,
Colonel, U.S. Army, District Engineer.
[FR Doc. 03-23205 Filed 9-11-03; 8:45 am]
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