[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 177 (Friday, September 12, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Pages 53725-53726]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-23205]



[[Page 53725]]

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

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.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

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]
BILLING CODE 3710-92-P