[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 185 (Friday, September 23, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 59119-59121]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-24507]


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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Department of the Army, Corps of Engineers


Notice of Availability for the Draft Environmental Impact 
Statement/Environmental Impact Report for Proposed Marine Terminal 
Development at Pier S and Back Channel Navigational Safety Improvements 
in the Port of Long Beach, Los Angeles County, CA

AGENCY: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, DoD.

ACTION: Notice of availability.

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SUMMARY: The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Los Angeles District 
(Regulatory Division), in coordination with the Port of Long Beach, has

[[Page 59120]]

completed a Draft Environmental Impact Statement/Environmental Impact 
Report (DEIS/DEIR) for the Pier S Marine Terminal and Back Channel 
Improvement Project, encompassing approximately 210 acres of land and 
water. 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. Construction duration is estimated at 22 
months.
    The Port of Long Beach requires authorization pursuant to Section 
404 of the Clean Water Act, Section 10 of the Rivers and Harbors Act, 
and Section 103 of the Marine Protection, Research, and Sanctuaries 
Act, to implement various regulated activities in and over waters of 
the U.S. associated with developing Pier S. 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.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

1. Project Site and Background Information

    The 160-acre Pier S site is located in the Port of Long Beach, in 
the Northwest, Northeast, and Middle Harbor Planning Districts. The 
site is bounded on the north by Cerritos Channel and Piers A and B 
(Stevedoring Services of America (SSA) and Toyota Motor Sales) ; on the 
east by Piers C and D; on the south by Southern California Edison (SCE) 
property, the Long Beach Generating Station, Ocean Boulevard and Pier T 
(BP Pipelines North American, Pacific Coast Recycling, Total Terminals 
International, and Weyerhaeuser Company; and on the west by State Route 
47 (SR-47), the Vopak Terminal, and the Southeast Resource Recovery 
Facility (SERRF). The Back Channel is located east of the Pier S site. 
It 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, 63 acres of the total 160-acre terminal 
is paved with asphaltic concrete, and no marine terminal operations 
occur at Pier S.
    The Pier S site is part of a 720-acre parcel sold by Union Pacific 
Resources Corporation (UPRC) to the Port in 1994. 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 UPRC to 
TCL Corporation for the disposal of oil and gas drilling waste in 
shallow impoundments or ``sumps.''
    In March 1999, the Port of Long Beach Board of Harbor Commissioners 
approved a project to develop a marine container terminal on Pier S and 
certified the Pier S Marine Terminal EIR and Application Summary 
Report. Project components included relocation of oil facilities and 
utilities, site remediation, site preparation, dike realignment, wharf 
construction, and construction of other related terminal facilities. 
Site remediation was completed in December 2000. 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. It was recommended that a minimum of 200 feet of 
total clearance be established in the channel (100 feet on each side of 
a maneuvering ship) to allow adequate clearance for the cranes on the 
wharf. In 2000, 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. No significant new environmental impacts were identified in 
the Addendum EIR.
    Since that time, however, the configuration of the proposed 
container terminal and related facilities has been substantially 
modified. It has also be determined that widening the Back Channel 
would be necessary to enhance navigational safety from Middle Harbor 
through the Back Channel to Cerritos Harbor in order to accommodate the 
number and size of ships anticipated to use Pier S. Furthermore, the 
Corps has determined that the scope of the in-water work requires 
preparation of an EIS. Accordingly, this DEIS/DEIR will consider the 
environmental impacts of the proposed marine terminal and Back Channel 
navigational safety improvements.

2. Proposed Action

Dredging of Cerritos Channel and Excavation of Adjacent Uplands

    In order to allow for berthing of larger-class vessels and to 
improve navigational safety within the Cerritos Channel, the proposed 
project would involve widening of Cerritos Channel to to 808 feet 
between Pier A and future Pier S pierhead lines, including dredging of 
approximately 631,000 cubic yards of material from the Cerritos Channel 
and excavation of approximately 1,500,000 cubic yards of rock and 
sediment from the adjacent wharf (total disturbance area of 
approximately 39 acres), and re-alignment of approximately 1,600 feet 
of the existing riprap dike structure. Excavation would result in a 
conversion of 10.3 acres of uplands to open water. The minimum and 
maximum dredge depths extending 80 feet north of the future Pier S 
pierhead line would be -60 feet MLLW and -62 feet MLLW, respectively, 
including a 2-foot over-dredge allowance (overdepth). The proposed 
project would also include the installation of a 3,500-foot-long, 3-
foot-thick, and 60- to 65-foot-deep soil-cement-bentonite barrier along 
the waterfront in order to prevent mixing of shallow (tidal) 
groundwater with stabilized sump material remaining from prior oil 
processing and remediation activities.

Dredging and Stabilization of Back Channel

    In order to improve navigational safety within the Back Channel, 
the proposed project would also involve widening the Back Channel to a 
width of 323 feet and a depth of -52 feet (MLLW) plus up to 2 feet of 
overdepth, and widening the Back Channel Turning Basin at piers C, D, 
and S to a diameter of 1,200 feet and a depth of -52 feet (MLLW) plus 
up to 2 feet of overdepth. Total volumes of dredged and excavated 
material would be approximately 250,000 cubic yards of channel sediment 
and approximately 3,000 cubic yards of rock and soil from the adjacent 
wharf. Similar to Cerritos Channel, the Back Channel side slopes would 
be stabilized through the installation of a soil-cement embankment 
stabilization on both sides of the Back Channel and if necessary, at 
the turning basin, as well as through the placement of approximately 
80,000 tons of rip-rap on the exposed slope.

Pier S Wharf

    At present, the Pier S shoreline consists of a rocky slope along a 
non-uniform alignment and depth.

[[Page 59121]]

Improvements to the shoreline and adjacent upland areas are proposed in 
order to safely and efficiently accommodate larger class, modern 
container transport vessels. Specifically, these improvements would 
include the installation of approximately 470,000 tons of imported 
quarry rock for erosion protection, installation of approximately 2,000 
concrete support piles (up to 110 feet in length), and construction of 
a 3,200-linear-foot, steel-reinforced concrete wharf and associated 
crane rails and utilities.

Container Terminal

    The proposed project would include construction of a new 160-acre 
container terminal at Pier S, including LEED-certified terminal 
buildings, above and below-ground utilities, storm drain system, 12 
rail-mounted electric-powered gantry cranes, and intermodal rail yard 
(10-loading tracks), served by a new lead track along the terminal's 
southwest corner.

Modification of Existing Facilities and Infrastructure

    In order to allow for navigational safety in the Back Channel the 
proposed project would involve removal of an abandoned power plant 
intake structure (Long Beach Generating Station), relocation of an oil 
facility, realignment of approximately 2,800 feet of the existing Pier 
T east lead track, and potential modifications to the outfall structure 
of the adjacent Long Beach Generating Station.

Disposal of Dredged Material

    The proposed project would include disposal of approximately 
631,000 cubic yards of dredged material and 1,500,000 cubic yards of 
excavated wharf material from Cerritos Channel, and 250,000 cubic yards 
of dredged material and approximately 3,000 cubic yards of excavated 
wharf material from Back Channel at the agency-approved Middle Harbor 
landfills (i.e., Piers D, E, and F). If required by timing or capacity 
constraints at the Middle Harbor sites, a small amount of chemically-
suitable dredged material could be disposed of at the Western Anchorage 
Disposal Site and the approved LA-2 ocean disposal site following 
testing and agency approval.

3. Alternatives

    Alternatives currently being considered include the following:
    (1) Three-Berth Alternative--Container Terminal With Rail Access, 
Full-Length Wharf, and Back Channel Improvements (Proposed Project);
    (2) Two-Berth Alternative--Container Terminal With Rail Access, 
Reduced-Length Wharf, and Back Channel Improvements;
    (3) Multi-Use Storage Alternative (No Federal Action)--Multi-Use 
Storage Facility Without Wharf or Back Channel Improvements; and,
    (4) No Project Alternative.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Copies of the document are available 
at http://www.polb.com/ceqa, as well as the following locations:
     Port of Long Beach Harbor Administration Building, 925 
Harbor Plaza, Long Beach.
     Long Beach City Clerk, 333 W. Ocean Boulevard, Long Beach.
     Long Beach Main Library, 101 Pacific Avenue, Long Beach.
     San Pedro Regional Branch Library, 931 Gaffey Street, San 
Pedro.
     Wilmington Branch Library, 1300 N. Avalon Boulevard, 
Wilmington.
    Questions about the proposed action and Draft EIS/EIR can be 
answered by John W. Markham, Corps Project Manager, at (805) 585-2150. 
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 SPL-2006-2062, 2151 Alessandro Drive, Suite 
110, Ventura, California 93001. Alternatively, comments can be e-mailed 
to [email protected]. Comments should also be sent to 
Richard D. Cameron, Port of Long Beach, P.O. Box 570, Long Beach, CA 
90801-0570 or e-mailed to [email protected].

Public Hearing and Comment Period

    The Port of Long Beach and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will 
jointly hold a public hearing to receive public comments and to assess 
public concerns regarding the Draft EIS/EIR and project on October 5, 
2011, starting at 7 p.m. (doors open at 6:30 p.m.) in the Long Beach 
City Council Chambers in Long Beach, 333 W. Ocean Blvd., Long Beach, 
California. Written comments will be accepted until the close of the 
45-day public review on November 7, 2011.

Mark D. Cohen,
Deputy Chief, Regulatory Division Los Angeles District.
[FR Doc. 2011-24507 Filed 9-22-11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3720-58-P