[Federal Register: November 1, 2005 (Volume 70, Number 210)]
[Notices]
[Page 65923-65926]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr01no05-90]
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DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY
Coast Guard
[CGD09-05-127]
Remedial Action Project for Petroleum and Metals Impacted Soil at
Passage Island Light Station, Keweenaw County, MI; Environmental
Assessment
AGENCY: U.S. Coast Guard, DHS.
ACTION: Notice of intent and request for public comments.
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SUMMARY: The U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) announces its intent to prepare an
Environmental Assessment (EA) for remedial action associated with
petroleum and metals impacted soil at the Passage Island Light Station,
Keweenaw County, Michigan. This letter shall serve as notification for
a thirty-day scoping period for the Draft EA. This scoping announcement
provides interested parties with information on the USCG Passage Island
Light Station, existing environment, and proposed action in advance of
issuance of the Draft EA for this project. The Draft EA will assess the
alternatives to address impacted soil at the light station. The USCG
seeks public and agency input on the scope of the Draft EA.
Specifically, the USCG requests input on any environmental concerns
that the public may have related to the existing impacted soil, the
remedial action alternatives, or sources of relevant data or
information for inclusion in the Draft EA.
DATES: Comments and related material must be post-marked on or before
30 days after the date of this notice.
ADDRESSES: Comments and related material regarding the USCG Passage
[[Page 65924]]
Island Draft EA scoping must be received or post-marked on or before 30
days after the date of this notice. Comments may be submitted in
several ways; they must be addressed directly to the Civil Engineering
Unit Cleveland's Environmental Compliance Section and may be mailed, e-
mailed, faxed, or delivered in person. To make sure your comments and
related material are not entered more than once in the public record,
please submit them by only one of the following means:
(1) By mail to Commanding Officer, USCG Civil Engineering Unit
(CEU), Attn: Lynn Keller, 1240 East Ninth Street, Room 2179, Cleveland,
OH 44199-2060.
(2) By delivery to Room 2179 on the twenty-first floor of the
Anthony J. Celebrezze Federal Building, 1240 East Ninth Street,
Cleveland, OH 44199-2060 between 7:30 a.m. and 4 p.m., Monday through
Friday, except Federal holidays. The general office telephone number is
216-902-6200.
(3) By fax to the USCG Civil Engineering Unit at 216-902-6277.
Please indicate on the fax ``Attn: Lynn Keller.''
(4) By electronic mail to
LKeller@ceucleveland.uscg.mil and/or FBlaha@ceucleveland.uscg.mil.
The USCG Civil Engineering Unit Cleveland will maintain the public
record for this notice. Comments submitted as described above will
become part of the public record and will be available for inspection
or copying in Room 2179, located on the twenty-first floor of the
Anthony J. Celebrezze Federal Building, 1240 East Ninth Street,
Cleveland, OH 44199-2060 between 7:30 a.m. and 4 p.m., Monday through
Friday, except Federal holidays. Comments submitted during the Draft EA
scoping period will be included in the Draft EA document as an
Appendix.
You may also view, download, and print draft and final documents
for the Passage Island EA on the USCG CEU Cleveland Web site at http://www.uscg.mil/mlclant/ceucleveland/er/uscgpassagelight.htm.
The CEU
Cleveland Web site navigation page is located at http://www.uscg.mil/mlclant/ceucleveland/
.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: If you have questions about this
notice or the Passage Island EA, you may contact Mr. Frank Blaha at
(216) 902-6255 and FBlaha@ceucleveland.uscg.mil or Ms. Lynn Keller at
(216) 902-6258 and LKeller@ceucleveland.uscg.mil.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Request for Comments
The USCG requests that any interested party provide any additional
information or potential concerns regarding the presence of significant
natural or cultural resources that may be potentially affected by the
project. Persons submitting comments should include their names and
addresses, this notice reference number CGD09-05-127, and the reasons
for each comment. You may submit your comments and materials by mail,
hand delivery, fax, or electronic means as directed under ADDRESSES. If
you choose to submit them by mail or hand delivery, submit them in an
unbound format, no larger than 8\1/2\ by 11 inches, and suitable for
copying and electronic filing. If you submit them by mail and would
like to know if they reached the CEU, please enclose a stamped, self-
addressed postcard or envelope. We will consider all comments and
materials received during the comment period.
Background and Purpose
Passage Island is located in the northwestern reaches of Lake
Superior, about 60 miles north of Michigan's Keweenaw Peninsula, 22
miles east of Grand Portage, Minnesota, and 35 miles south of Thunder
Bay, Ontario. The USCG Passage Island Light Station is located on
Passage Island, three and one quarter miles off the northeastern tip of
Isle Royale in Lake Superior, within the Isle Royale National Park.
Congress designated about 99 percent of Isle Royale National Park as
Wilderness in 1976. In addition, Isle Royale was designated a U.S.
Biosphere Reserve by the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and
Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in 1980.
The USCG lighthouse and associated facilities are located on the
southernmost portion of Passage Island, Section 9, T67N R32W, Houghton
Township, Keweenaw County, Michigan. Areas of petroleum and metals
impacted soils from Light Station activities occupy approximately 0.25
acres of the 6.3-acre site. In accordance with Part 201, Environmental
Remediation, of the Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Act
(NREPA) of 1994, as amended (Michigan Part 201), the Michigan
Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ) requires that the
environmental impacts associated with former operations at the site be
investigated and mitigated.
The USCG performed a Phase I Environmental Site Assessment (ESA) in
1997. The Phase I ESA identified possible sources of environmental
impact and recommended a Site Investigation (SI) be performed to
characterize and delineate the potential sources. The USCG performed an
SI at the Passage Island Light Station in 2001. Based on the results of
the SI, the USCG concluded that petroleum and metals impacted soils
exist at concentrations in excess of the Residential Criteria
established under the Michigan Part 201. The impacted area is
approximately 8,000 square feet. The depth of impact is approximately 6
inches and the volume of impacted soil is approximately 150 cubic
yards. In order to mitigate environmental and human health impacts of
the impacted soils, the USCG proposes remedial actions for the site.
NEPA Requirements and Proposed Soil Remediation Project Description
In accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of
1969 (Section 102(2)(c)), as implemented by the Council on
Environmental Quality (CEQ) regulations (40 CFR parts 1500-1508),
Department of Transportation (DOT) Order 5610.C (Procedures for
Considering Environmental Impacts), and USCG Policy (NEPA: Implementing
Procedures and Policy for Considering Environmental Impacts, COMDTINST
M16475.1D (Commandant's Instruction)), the USCG intends to prepare an
EA. The purpose of the EA is to develop an approach and direction for
implementing a petroleum and metals impacted soil remedial project for
the impacted area at Passage Island Light Station. Following completion
of the EA, the USCG will either file a Finding of No Significant Impact
(FONSI) or prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) to evaluate
potentially significant environmental impacts.
NEPA requires Federal agencies to consider all significant aspects
of environmental impacts that may result from a proposed action, to
inform the public of potential impacts and alternatives, including the
no action alternative, and to facilitate public involvement in the
assessment process. The core of our impact assessment process is our
EA. The EA will include, among other topics, discussions of the purpose
and need for the proposed action, a description of alternatives, a
description of the affected environment, and an evaluation of the
environmental impacts of the proposed action and alternatives. To date,
the USCG has identified the following alternatives for analysis in the
EA:
[[Page 65925]]
Excavation and re-contouring (no backfill) with off-site
disposal as hazardous waste; restricted site closure;
Excavation and re-contouring (no backfill) with on-site
stabilization of contaminated soil and off-site disposal of stabilized
soil as non-hazardous waste; restricted site closure; and,
No Action (Status Quo).
The USCG-preferred remedial action method involves excavation of
contaminated soil using a vacuum truck located on a barge in Lake
Superior, adjacent to the excavation area. Soils would be loosened with
hand tools and then vacuumed up. Field screening would be conducted
using hand-held x-ray fluorescence (XRF) equipment to assess the
excavation extents for the metals-impacted soil. A photoionization
detector (PID) would be used to assess the excavation extents for the
petroleum-impacted soil. Confirmatory soil samples would be collected
from the sidewalls and floor of the excavation to ensure that soil
impacted at concentrations exceeding levels approved by Michigan
Department of Environmental Quality (Michigan Residential Criteria or a
Calculated Site-Specific Criteria) has been removed. At the request of
the National Park Service (NPS), backfill material would not be brought
on-site due to concerns regarding introduction of non-native and
invasive species. Site restoration would include smoothing out the
sides of the excavations and ensuring proper drainage and protection of
structure foundations. Contaminated soil would be directly transferred
to containers on a barge as the soil is vacuumed up. The containerized
soil would then be transported by barge to Duluth, Minnesota, where it
will be loaded onto trucks. The trucks would transport the soil to an
approved Type I hazardous waste Treatment-Storage-Disposal Facility
(TSDF). Due to the high lead levels, the soil would be treated at the
landfill via stabilization to meet the Toxicity Characteristic Leaching
Procedure (TCLP) standards prior to disposal. The proposed TSDF and
disposal facility for hazardous soil is either Onyx Special Services in
Menominee Falls, WI or EQ in Belleville, MI. The USCG would need to
comply with the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA)
Resources Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) large quantity generator
requirements, which include payment of fees and filing necessary
reports. In addition, due to disposal of hazardous waste, the USCG
could be placed on the Hazardous Waste Compliance Docket and the site
could potentially be listed as a National Priorities List (NPL) site. A
deed restriction would be placed on the property to limit use.
Groundwater use would be restricted and the current recreational land
use and zoning would be maintained.
In addition to the USCG preferred method described above, one
alternative remedial action method under consideration would include
contaminated soil excavation, on-site soil stabilization and off-site
disposal as a non-hazardous waste. This alternative would include using
a vacuum truck located on a barge in Lake Superior, adjacent to the
excavation area. Soils would be loosened with hand tools and then
vacuumed up. Field screening would be conducted using hand-held XRF
equipment to assess the excavation extents for the metals-impacted
soil. A PID would be used to assess the excavation extents for the
petroleum-impacted soil. Confirmatory soil samples would be collected
from the sidewalls and floor of the excavation to ensure that soil
impacted at concentrations exceeding the Michigan Residential Criteria
or Calculated Site-Specific Criteria (if approved by Michigan
Department of Environmental Quality) has been removed. At the request
of the NPS, backfill material would not be brought on-site due to
concerns regarding introduction of non-native and invasive species.
Site restoration would include smoothing out the sides of the
excavations and ensuring proper drainage and protection of structure
foundations. Soil would be mixed with a stabilizing agent prior to
transportation to a dock in Duluth, Minnesota. The soil would then be
transported to a non-hazardous waste disposal facility. The proposed
non-hazardous waste disposal facility is K&W located in Ontonagon, MI.
A deed restriction would be placed on the property to limit use.
Groundwater use would be restricted and the current recreational land
use and zoning would be maintained.
Due to NEPA requirements and the sensitive nature of the sub-Arctic
environment and presence of listed plant species at Passage Island
Light Station, the no action alternative is also being considered in
lieu of performing a soil removal for remedial action. The MDEQ does
not support this alternative as the soil contamination at the site is
seen as a threat to humans and water resources.
Several other remedial alternatives have been considered and will
be discussed briefly in the EA due to their limited applicability at
the site in question. These alternatives include the following:
Hot spot removal;
Soil stabilization;
Phytoremediation;
Heap leaching;
Soil capping/engineered barrier;
Soil washing;
Groundwater surface water interface (GSI) and drinking
water pathway elimination and no further action;
Risk Assessment and no further action;
State listed/threatened/species of concern plant species
relocation (combined with other alternatives).
EA Issues
Issues that the USCG has identified for analysis to date include
the effects of the remediation project alternatives on the following
resources:
Land Use (Recreation) and Aesthetics;
Historic and Cultural Properties;
Vegetation, Wildlife, Threatened and Endangered Species;
Water Quality;
Human Health;
Air Quality;
Soil Depletion and Regeneration;
Noise;
Transportation (Shipping and Boating); and,
Generation of Hazardous Materials and Waste.
Cultural Resources
The USCG Passage Island Light Station was established by Executive
Order in 1871, and remaining structures at the site date back to 1882.
The Passage Island Light Station is eligible for listing on the
National Register of Historic Places. In August 2004, a Phase I
archaeological cultural resource survey was conducted for the Passage
Island Light Station site. Based on a Phase I survey program that
combined archival research with pedestrian reconnaissance and
subsurface testing, it has been determined that there are no
significant prehistoric or historic resources within the 0.25-acre
study area. This survey was submitted to the Michigan State Historic
Preservation Office (SHPO) along with the required documentation for a
project review for the proposed soil remediation work. The Michigan
SHPO determined that the proposed action will have no adverse effect on
historic and cultural resources at the site as long as the USCG ensures
that structures are not damaged during clean up activities and proper
grading is achieved.
Natural Resources
Topographically, the Passage Island Light Station area is similar
to the nearby Isle Royale. Elevations range
[[Page 65926]]
from 620 to 640 feet above mean sea level or approximately 20 to 40
feet above the immediately adjacent Lake Superior (600 feet above mean
sea level). The light station area is located at the crest of a bedrock
outcrop, bounded on the south, east, and west by wave-cut exposures
leading down to Lake Superior, and to the north by forested portions of
the island. Soils have developed, accumulated, or been placed in
general proximity to the various Light Station structures and in low
areas between bedrock exposures. Vegetation in the Light Station
vicinity is limited to grasses, weeds, and few small woody shrubs. No
Federally listed plant or animal species have been identified.
Specimens of one State Threatened plant species, prickly saxifrage
(Saxifraga tricuspidata), are located in the vicinity of the Light
Station, but outside of the contamination footprint. The USCG has
obtained Michigan Department of Natural Resources (MDNR) Permit
1615 for the take of this State Threatened Species if
necessary to perform the clean up work. Specimens of twisted whitlow
grass (Draba arabisans), a State Species of Concern, are located within
the contamination footprint. According to MDNR, there are no legal
obligations to protect a State Listed Special Concern plant species.
Public Comment and Document Accessibility
The USCG encourages public participation in the Draft EA process.
The scoping period will start with publication of this notice in the
Federal Register. Following the scoping process, the USCG will prepare
a Draft EA. Public notices will be mailed or e-mailed to those that
have requested a copy of the Draft EA. This period will provide the
public with an opportunity to review the document and to offer
appropriate comments.
Comments received during the public scoping period and Draft EA
review period will be available in the public record and made available
in the Final EA.
All draft and final documents will be available online for viewing
and downloading at the USCG CEU Cleveland web site (see ADDRESSES).
Additionally, a hard copy of all draft and final documents will be
available in the following public libraries for public inspection and
copying:
Portage Lake District Library--Houghton, MI
Mackinaw Area Public Library--Mackinaw City, MI
Peter White Public Library--Marquette, MI
Bayliss Public Library--Sault Sainte Marie, MI
Duluth Public Library--Duluth, MN
Lansing Public Library--Lansing, MI
If you have any questions regarding this notice, please contact
Frank Blaha or Lynn Keller of the USCG Civil Engineering Unit Cleveland
Environmental Compliance staff at (216) 902-6255 and (216) 902-6258,
respectively.
Dated: October 17, 2005.
J.M. Peters,
Commanding Officer, United States Coast Guard, Civil Engineering Unit,
Cleveland.
[FR Doc. 05-21726 Filed 10-31-05; 8:45 am]
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