[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 17 (Friday, January 26, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Pages 3805-3806]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E7-633]



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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Department of the Army, Corps of Engineers


Notice of Intent To Prepare a Draft Environmental Impact 
Statement/ Environmental Impact Report (DEIS/DEIR) for a Proposed 
Marine Terminal Development at Pier S and Back Channel Navigational 
Safety Improvements in the Port of Long Beach, Los Angeles County, CA

AGENCY: Army Corps of Engineers, DOD.

ACTION: Notice of intent (NOI).

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SUMMARY: The Port of Long Beach (Port) is proposing to develop the Pier 
S Marine Terminal and Back Channel Navigational Safety Improvements 
Project (Proposed Action). The development of Pier S and Back Channel 
improvements would result in an approximately 160-acre marine container 
terminal, and would include the following elements: property 
acquisition; dredging, wharf construction, other waterside 
improvements, and container cranes; container yard and associated 
structures; terminal buildings and other structures; truck gates, 
associated structures, and roadwork; intermodal rail yard, structures, 
and dual rail lead; and utility and oil facility relocation.
    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. 
Pursuant to Section 102(2)(c) of the National Environmental Policy Act 
of 1969 (NEPA) as implemented by the Council on Environmental Quality 
(CEQ), 40 CFR 1500-1508, the Corps is preparing an Environmental Impact 
Statement (EIS) to evaluate the potential effects of the Proposed 
Action on the environment. 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 DEIS/DEIR in order to optimize efficiency and avoid 
duplication. The DEIS/DEIR 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 Dr. Aaron O. Allen, Chief, North 
Coast Section, at (805) 585-2148. Comments regarding the scope of the 
DEIS/DEIR shall be addressed to: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Los 
Angeles District, Ventura Field Office, ATTN: File Number 2006-02062-
AOA, 2151 Alessandro Drive, Suite 110, Ventura, California 93001. 
Alternatively, comments can be e-mailed to 
[email protected]. Comments shall also be sent to Matthew 
Arms, Port of Long Beach, P.O. Box 570, Long Beach, CA 90801-0570.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 1. Project Site and Background Information. 
The 160-acre Pier S site is located in the Port of Long Beach, Terminal 
Island Harbor District. The site is bounded on the north by Cerritos 
Channel and the Pier A Marine Terminal; on the east by the Back 
Channel, Southern California Edison (SCE) property, and the Long Beach 
Generation Plant; on the south by Ocean Boulevard and Pier T; and on 
the west by SR 47 and the Vopak Terminal Long Beach and City of Long 
Beach property. The Back Channel is located east of the Pier S site and 
is bounded on the north by the Inner Harbor Turning Basin and Pier A 
Terminal; on the east by Pier D; on the south by Middle Harbor; and on 
the west by Pier T. Currently, approximately 60 acres of the total 160-
acre terminal is paved with asphaltic concrete, and no marine terminal 
operations occur at Pier S.
    In July 2000, a safety issue was raised concerning the ability to 
move a ship safely in the Cerritos Channel while other ships were 
berthed at both Pier S and Pier A, across the channel. To address the 
above issue, an Addendum to the Final EIR for the Pier S Marine 
Terminal was completed. The Addendum analyzed the proposed project 
modifications that would reduce impacts to navigational safety by 
widening the channel by 108 feet, bringing the total channel width to 
808 feet. Accordingly, this DEIS/DEIR will consider the environmental 
impacts of the proposed marine terminal and Back Channel navigational 
safety improvements.
    2. Proposed Action. The proposed project would construct a 160-acre 
marine terminal on Pier S. Dredge and fill activities would involve 
dike realignment, berth deepening, and wharf construction. Construction 
of the wharf would include excavation of the existing shoreline to 
straighten the shoreline and widen the Cerritos Channel between the 
Pier A and future Pier S pierhead lines to accommodate the passage of 
modern container vessels through the channel. Widening of the Cerritos 
Channel would create approximately 10 acres of new water surface area. 
Wharf excavation would include removing approximately 1,500,000 cubic 
yards of material and reconstructing the shoreline with imported quarry 
run and armor rock. In addition to wharf excavation, approximately 
600,000 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. Dredging of the Back Channel would be conducted to 
extend the navigable width of the channel to approximately 315 feet at 
the full dredge depth. Approximately 250,000 cubic yards of material 
below MLLW (including materials that are either suitable or unsuitable 
for open ocean disposal) would be dredged from designated side walls of 
the Back Channel and Inner Harbor Turning Basin at the intersection of 
the Back and Cerritos channels to facilitate the navigation of ships 
expected to serve the Inner Harbor terminals. The minimum and maximum 
dredge depths in the Cerritos Channel, Back Channel, and Inner Harbor 
Turning Basin would be -52 feet MLLW and -54 feet MLLW, respectively. 
The maximum dredge depth of -54 feet MLLW includes a 2-foot allowance 
over the target depth of -52 ft MLLW. The terminal would include 
buildings, facilities, and other structures needed to support container 
terminal operations and administration. The terminal would include an 
intermodal rail yard facility consisting of eight tracks.
    3. Issues. There are several potential environmental issues that 
will be addressed in the DEIS/DEIR. Additional issues may be identified 
during the scoping process. Issues initially identified as potentially 
significant include:
    1. Air pollutant emissions from construction and operation.
    2. Potential impacts on marine biological resources, including 
endangered species.
    3. Geological issues including dredging and stabilization of fill 
areas.
    4. Marine water circulation and water and sediment quality.
    5. Potential impacts on public health and safety.
    6. Noise during construction and operation.

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    7. Impacts to public facilities and utilities.
    8. Traffic, including navigation issues, and transportation related 
impacts.
    9. Environmental justice.
    10. Cumulative impacts.
    11. Growth-inducing impacts.
    4. Alternatives. Alternatives initially being considered for the 
proposed project development include the following:
    (1) Marine Container Terminal with Rail Access and Back Channel 
Improvements (Preferred Alternative);
    (2) Marine Container Terminal with Rail Access and Reduced Wharf 
and Back Channel Improvements;
    (3) Multi-Use Storage Facility without Wharf and Back Channel 
Improvements (No Federal Action); and
    (4) No Project/No Federal Action Alternative.
    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 DEIS/DEIR. 
Participation in the public meeting by federal, state, and local 
agencies and other interested organizations and persons is encouraged. 
The Corps 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 at the City Hall Council Chambers in Long Beach on February 22, 
2007 at 6:30 p.m. Written comments will be received until March 14, 
2007.
    6. Availability of the DEIS/DEIR. The joint lead agencies expect 
the DEIS/DEIR to be published and circulated in July of 2007. A Public 
Hearing will be held during the public comment period for the DEIS/
DEIR.

    Dated: January 10, 2007.
David J. Castanon,
Chief, Regulatory Branch, Los Angeles District.
 [FR Doc. E7-633 Filed 1-25-07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3710-KF-P