[Federal Register Volume 59, Number 5 (Friday, January 7, 1994)]
[Notices]
[Pages 1006-1007]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 94-368]
[[Page Unknown]]
[Federal Register: January 7, 1994]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
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]
BILLING CODE 3810-AE-M
