[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 168 (Tuesday, August 31, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Pages 53053-53054]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 04-19874]


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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 Permit Application for a Proposed 
Marine Terminal Expansion at Piers D, E and F in the Middle Harbor 
District of the Port of Long Beach, Los Angeles County, CA

AGENCY: Army Corps of Engineers, Los Angeles District, DoD.

ACTION: Notice of Intent (NOI).

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SUMMARY: The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) is considering an 
application for Section 404 and Section 10 permits to conduct dredge 
and fill activities to redevelop and consolidate two existing container 
terminals for the construction of a 342-acre marine terminal including 
redevelopment of 272 acres of existing land and the placement of 
dredged material in open water to create 70 acres of new land.
    The primary Federal concern is the dredging and discharging of 
materials within waters of the Unites States and potential significant 
impacts to the human environment. Therefore, in accordance with the 
National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), the Corps is requiring the 
preparation of an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) prior to 
consideration of any permit action. The Corps may ultimately make a 
determination to permit or deny the above project, or permit or deny 
modified versions of the above project.
    Pursuant to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), the 
Port of Long Beach 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 of Long Beach 
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 both the Federal and the state and local 
requirements and environmental issues concerning the proposed 
activities and permit approvals.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Comments and questions regarding 
scoping of the Draft EIS/EIR may be addressed to: U.S. Army Corps of 
Engineers, Los Angeles District, Regulatory Branch, ATTN: File Number 
2004-01053-AOA, P.O. Box 532711, Los Angeles, California 90053-2325. 
Comments or questions can also be sent to Stacey Crouch, Port of Long 
Beach, P.O. Box 570, Long Beach, CA 90801-0570. Phone messages or 
questions should be directed to Dr. Aaron O. Allen at 805-585-2148.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

1. Project Site

    The proposed project is located in the southern portion of the Port 
of Long Beach, California. The proposed dredge and fill activities 
would take place at Piers D, E and F and would involve redeveloping 
portions of Pier D and reconfiguring existing wharves and berths at 
Piers E and F to create a single 342-acre marine terminal to 
accommodate increasing cargo volumes being produced by the new 
generation of larger container vessels.

2. Proposed Action

    The project applicant, the Port of Long Beach, proposes to 
permanently impact approximately 70 acres of open-water habitat for 
dredge and fill activities and to rehabilitate 272 acres of existing 
terminal area at Piers D, E and F for the construction of a new 342-
acre container terminal in the Port of Long Beach. The proposed project 
would reconfigure existing wharves and berths at Piers D, E and F into 
one 4,250-foot-long wharf with four deep-water berths, a container 
terminal yard that includes 70 acres of new land and 272 acres of 
rehabilitated land and an intermodal rail yard. The specific components 
of the proposed project would include: widening Slip Number Three to 
480 feet and deepening it to -55 to -60 feet Mean Lower Low Water 
(MLLW); excavating one million cubic yards of material from Berths D28-
D31; filling Slip One with 2.7 million cubic yards of structurally 
suitable dredge and excavated material; placement of an additional 
770,000 cubic yards in waters of the United States for the construction 
of a rock dike to the contain the proposed fill at Slip One; filling 
the East Basin between Piers E and F with 4.06 million cubic yards of 
dredged material, including the construction of a rock dike to contain 
the fill area; and construction of 2,260 linear feet of pile supported 
concrete wharves. The proposed construction and rehabilitation 
activities would be completed over a 12-year period. All of the above 
construction activities would include the demolition of existing 
terminal facilities as well as existing buildings and infrastructure in 
both open water and upland areas.

3. Issues

    There are several potential environmental issues that will be 
addressed in the Draft 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 to marine biological resources.
    3. Impacts to air quality.
    4. Traffic, including navigation issues and transportation related 
impacts.
    5. Potential noise impacts.
    6. Impacts to public utilities and services.
    7. Impact to aesthetic resources.
    8. Potential impacts on public health and safety.
    9. Cumulative impacts.

4. Alternatives

    Several alternatives are being considered for the proposed marine 
terminal. These alternatives will be further formulated and developed 
during the scoping process and an appropriate range of alternatives, 
including the no federal action alternative, will be considered in the 
Draft EIS/EIR.

5. Scoping Process

    A public meeting will be held to receive public comment and assess 
public concerns regarding the appropriate scope and preparation of the 
Draft EIS/EIR. Participation in the public meeting by Federal, state, 
and local agencies and other interested organizations and persons is 
encouraged.
    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

[[Page 53054]]

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 at the Port of Long Beach on 
September 27, 2004 and will start at 6:30 PM. Written comments will be 
received until October 4, 2004.

6. Availability of the Draft EIS

    The Draft EIS/EIR is expected to be published and circulated in 
April of 2005, and a Public Hearing will be held after its publication.

David H. Turk,
Colonel, Corps of Engineers, Acting District Engineer.
[FR Doc. 04-19874 Filed 8-30-04; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3710-92-P