[Federal Register Volume 60, Number 232 (Monday, December 4, 1995)]
[Notices]
[Pages 62084-62086]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 95-29433]



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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Intent To Prepare A Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) 
for A Multiuser Disposal Site Program for Contaminated Sediments in 
Puget Sound, WA

ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare a draft EIS.

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SUMMARY: The following are joint lead agencies for the combined Federal 
and State Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (EIS): Federal 
(NEPA): Seattle District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Department of 
Defense; State (SEPA): Washington Department of Ecology and Washington 
Department of Natural Resources.
    The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the Washington Department of 
Ecology, and the Washington Department of Natural Resources, intend to 
prepare a joint federal-state Programmatic Environmental Impact 
Statement under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and the 
Washington State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA). The EIS will evaluate 
disposal alternatives for contaminated sediments from Puget Sound. 
Disposal alternatives that will be evaluated include: (1) Level bottom 
capping and confined aquatic disposal, (2) nearshore confined disposal, 
(3) upland disposal, (4) disposal in solid waste landfills, and (5) 
multiuser access to larger fill projects.
    The need for disposal of contaminated sediments comes from (1) 
dredging of federal and non-federal navigation channels, (2) waterfront 
development projects, (3) environmental cleanup projects directed 
through federal or state enforcement actions, and (4) projects with 
restoration of aquatic habitat as their primary purpose. Preliminary 
investigations estimate there are currently about 20-30 million cubic 
yards of contaminated sediment in Puget Sound, primarily in the 
urbanized bays.
    The current practice of resolving contaminated dredged material 
issues is on a project-by-project basis, resulting in a greater number 
of smaller confined disposal sites that must be monitored and accounted 
for, rather than a few large sites. Because of difficulties with 
disposal, the discovery of contaminated sediments often forces project 
proponents to redesign or abandon a project to avoid dredging. This 
avoidance does not resolve the ongoing adverse effects of the 
contaminated sediments remaining in the environment, and it limits the 
potential economic development of the contaminated waterfront site.
    Development of an effective solution for the safe disposal and 
containment of contaminated sediments from multiple sources in Puget 
Sound is needed. A process to establish, implement, and operate a 
system of multiuser confined disposal sites, and criteria to site the 
facilities, will be developed as part of the EIS. Siting criteria will 
include biological and physical factors, as well as proximity to 
existing sources of contamination. Using siting criteria and the 
evaluation of feasible disposal alternatives, zones of siting 
feasibility in Puget Sound, where multiuser confined disposal sites 
could be located, will be identified in the EIS. Once zones of feasible 
sites are determined, site-specific NEPA/SEPA compliance evaluations 
for all potential sites will be tiered from the completed programmatic 
EIS.

DATES: The lead and cooperating agencies invite and encourage agencies 
and the public to provide written comments on the proposed programmatic 
EIS throughout the scoping process to ensure that all relevant 
environmental issues are considered. Persons or organizations wishing 
to submit scoping comments should do so no later than January 21, 1996.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Questions about the proposed action and DEIS can be answered by: Mr. 
Steve Babcock, Seattle District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Planning 
Branch, 4735 E. Marginal Way S., Seattle, Washington 98124-3755, 
Telephone (206) 764-3651 or Mr. Keith Phillips, Washington Department 
of Ecology, Environmental Investigation and Lab Service Program, P.O. 
Box 47710, Olympia, Washington 98504-7710 Telephone (360) 407-6699 or 
Mr. Timothy Goodman, Aquatic Resources Division, Washington Department 
of Natural Resources, P.O. Box 47000, Olympia, Washington 98504, 
Telephone (360) 902-1057.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

1. Proposed Action

    The proposed action is to evaluate alternatives for siting one or 
more contaminated sediment disposal facilities in Puget Sound, 
Washington. This evaluation will be part of an effort to develop a 
federal/state program to establish one or more multiuser disposal 
siting processes.
    Puget Sound is an estuary of 2,500 square miles. There are 34 
public port districts along Puget Sound, 54 miles of federal navigation 
channels, 10 miles of port terminal ship berths along these channels, 
and more than 200 small boat harbors that require periodic dredging. 
There is currently a lack of capacity for disposal of contaminated 
sediments derived from (1) dredging of federal and non-federal 
navigation channels, (2) waterfront development projects, (3) 
environmental cleanup projects directed through federal or state 
enforcement actions, and (4) projects with restoration of aquatic 
habitat as their primary purpose. The lack of suitable disposal 
alternatives is a major obstacle to effective improvement and 
maintenance of navigation and the most substantial impediment to the 
progress of 

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environmental cleanup and habitat restoration programs. The lack of 
predictable and cost-effective disposal options for contaminated 
sediments leads to cancellation or delay of waterfront development 
projects, resulting in adverse economic effects.
    Based on preliminary investigations of 20 percent of Puget Sound, 
Ecology estimates that the areal extent of known sediment contamination 
is nearly 88 million square feet. Assuming all of the material is 
dredged to a depth of four feet, this area represents roughly 20-30 
million cubic yards of contaminated dredged material. Over the next 20 
years, an estimated 35 million cubic yards will be dredged for 
navigation purposes by the Corps and Navy, port districts and the 
private sector, of which as much as 10 million cubic yards may require 
confined disposal. In addition to navigation dredging projects, a large 
volume of contaminated sediment may be generated by future cleanup 
actions under the federal Comprehensive Environmental Response, 
Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA), and state Model Toxics 
Control Act (MTCA). A preliminary estimate of future contaminated 
sediment volumes from these cleanup actions in Puget Sound is in the 
range of 20 to 30 million cubic yards.

2. Alternatives

    The alternatives which will be evaluated in the EIS are:
    a. No action;
    b. Level bottom capping and confined aquatic disposal;
    c. Nearshore confined disposal;
    d. Upland disposal;
    e. Disposal in solid waste landfills; and
    f. Multiuser access to larger fill projects.
These are preliminary alternatives; during the scoping process, the 
public may provide additional alternatives to be considered.
    No action--This alternative would continue the practice of 
resolving contaminated dredged material issues on a project-by-project 
basis. This practice is time-consuming, unpredictable, and expensive 
for the regulated community, the regulatory agencies, and the public. 
It also results in a greater number of smaller confined disposal sites 
that must be monitored and accounted for rather than a few large sites. 
Because of difficulties with disposal, the discovery of contaminated 
sediments will often force project proponents to redesign or abandon a 
project to avoid dredging. This avoidance does not resolve the ongoing 
adverse effects of the contaminated sediments on the environment, and 
it limits the potential economic development of the contaminated water-
front site.
    Level bottom capping and confined aquatic disposal--Both of these 
disposal options involve consolidating contaminated sediments from 
numerous dredging projects at one location and then covering them with 
a cap layer of clean material. The clean cap layer isolates the marine 
environment from the chemicals of concern in the contaminated sediment. 
Level bottom capping is the placement of contaminated sediment in a 
mounded configuration with the clean cap layer on top. Confined aquatic 
disposal uses natural or excavated depressions for placement of the 
contaminated material, or places the material behind constructed 
submerged dikes for containment. In both cases, the contaminated 
material is covered with a clean cap layer.
    Nearshre confined disposal--A nearshore confined disposal facility 
is a diked disposal site adjacent to land in the intertidal and/or 
subtidal zone. The confinement dikes enclose the disposal site from 
adjacent water surfaces and isolate dredged material from adjacent 
waters during placement. Contaminated material would be added to a 
diked cell to a specific elevation and then capped with clean material. 
The site would likely be developed in phases, and cells would be filled 
and capped in stages over the life of the facility. Nearshore sites are 
either finished to grade to allow beneficial use of the site after 
completion, or the finished grade of the clean cap layer is located in 
the intertidal zone to allow planting of aquatic vegetation and habitat 
restoration.
    Upland disposal--This alternative includes the placement of 
contaminated material in an area not influenced by tidal waters. The 
upland site would be diked to confine the dredged material and capped 
with a layer of clean material at completion of the fill. The site 
would be developed in stages and would be filled and closed serially 
over the life of the facility. Design standards for an upland site 
would include liners, monitoring of leachate seeping into soils, 
groundwater monitoring, and a leachate collection and treatment system.
    Disposal in solid waste landfills--Potential disposal of 
contaminated sediments in solid waste landfills would be evaluated 
under this alternative. Municipal landfills are short on capacity and 
subject to water content restrictions. Demolition debris landfills have 
been used in the past for disposal of contaminated sediments, but this 
practice is ending as these sites are closed or subject to additional 
environmental controls. An initial State survey of landfill agencies 
concluded that use of contaminated material as landfill cover would not 
address the needed capacity, and the facilities were not planned to 
accommodate the volume or substantial regulatory, technical, or cost 
issues associated with managing contaminated sediments.
    Multiuser access to larger fill projects--This alternative examines 
the option of providing multiuser access to large fill sites 
constructed and/or maintained by proponents of waterfront activities. 
Proponents of larger fill projects have been reluctant to provide 
multiuser access to their sites because of lost capacity for their own 
projects, extended timeframes for site development and closure, and 
inherited liability.

3. Scoping and Public Involvement

    Public involvement will be sought during the scoping process and 
throughout the course of the project in accordance with NEPA/SEPA 
procedures. A public involvement plan will be developed in early 1996. 
As part of the scoping process, all affected Federal, state, and local 
agencies, Indian Tribes, general public, and other interested private 
organizations, including environmental interest groups, are invited to 
comment on the scope of the EIS.
    To date, the following areas have been identified for analysis in 
the programmatic EIS:
    1. Water quality.
    2. Sediment quality.
    3. Fish and wildlife habitat.
    4. Shoreline and land use.
    5. Recreation.
    6. Transportation.
    7. Human Health.

Two scoping meetings are scheduled: December 13, 1995, at the World 
Trade Center in Tacoma from 7 to 9 p.m.; and December 14, 1995, at the 
Port of Everett Commissioner Hearing Room 7 to 9 p.m. Public workshops 
are tentatively scheduled to precede these scoping meetings from 6 to 7 
p.m. Ongoing communication with agencies, Native American tribes, 
public interest groups, and interested citizens will take place 
throughout the project through the use of public workshops, 
newsletters, and mailings.

4. Schedule

    The scoping summary document is scheduled to be available in June 
1996, and the Draft Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement is 

[[Page 62086]]
tentatively scheduled to be available for review in 1997.
Gregory D. Showalter,
Army Federal Register Liaison Officer.
[FR Doc. 95-29433 Filed 12-1-95; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3710-ER-M