[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 191 (Monday, October 3, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 61092-61093]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-25421]


=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Department of the Navy


Notice of Intent To Prepare a Supplement to the Draft 
Environmental Impact Statement for the TRIDENT Support Facilities 
Explosives Handling Wharf, Naval Base Kitsap at Bangor, Silverdale, 
Kitsap County, WA

AGENCY: Department of the Navy, DoD.

ACTION: Notice.

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

SUMMARY: Pursuant to section 102 of the National Environmental Policy 
Act of 1969, and the regulations implemented by the Council on 
Environmental Quality (40 CFR parts 1500-1508), the Department of the 
Navy (DoN) announces its intent to prepare a Supplement to the Draft 
Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) for the proposed second 
Explosives Handling Wharf (EHW-2) at Naval Base Kitsap at Bangor, 
Silverdale, WA. The Supplement to the DEIS will focus on the 
methodology used to assess the potential for injurious impacts to the 
marbled murrelet from impact pile driving, the construction and 
operation of new facilities and associated infrastructure, and 
compensatory mitigation options under consideration.
    Dates and Addresses: Written comments must be submitted within 45 
days of the Federal Register publication date for the U.S. 
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Notice of Availability (NOA) of 
this Supplement to the DEIS, and should be addressed to: Naval 
Facilities Engineering Command Northwest, 1101 Tautog Circle, 
Silverdale, WA 98315-1101, Attn: Christine Stevenson, EHW-2 EIS Project 
Manager. Written comments may also be submitted online at http://ehw.nbkeis.com during the comment period.

[[Page 61093]]


FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Naval Facilities Engineering Command 
Northwest, 1101 Tautog Circle, Silverdale, WA 98315-1101, Attn: 
Christine Stevenson, EHW-2 EIS Project Manager, 360-396-0080; or http://ehw.nbkeis.com.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On May 15, 2009, the DoN provided notice in 
the Federal Register (74 FR 22900) of its intent to prepare an EIS for 
TRIDENT Support Facilities EHW-2, Naval Base Kitsap at Bangor, 
Silverdale, Kitsap County, WA and to announce public scoping meetings. 
The DoN held public scoping meetings in Poulsbo, Port Ludlow, and 
Seattle, WA during June 2009. The DoN prepared and filed a DEIS with 
the EPA to evaluate the potential environmental effects of constructing 
and operating an EHW-2 at Naval Base Kitsap Bangor. A NOA was published 
in the Federal Register by the EPA on March 18, 2011 (76 FR 14968) for 
the DoN's DEIS, announcing availability of the DEIS and commencing the 
45 day public comment period. The DoN extended the public comment 
period to 60 days and published a notice of extension of the comment 
period for the DEIS in the Federal Register on May 3, 2011 (76 FR 
24868). The EPA published a NOA revision on May 13, 2011 (76 FR 28029) 
announcing the comment period extension. The DoN's Notice of Public 
Hearing for the DEIS was published in the Federal Register on March 21, 
2011 (76 FR 15302). Public hearings were held in Poulsbo, Chimacum, and 
Seattle, WA to receive oral and written comments on the Draft EIS.
    This Supplement to the DEIS will include analysis of new 
information that has become available since release of the DEIS. The 
DEIS analysis of noise impacts to the marbled murrelet, a species 
listed as federally threatened under the Endangered Species Act, was 
based on an underwater physical injury threshold of 180 dBpeak re: 
1[micro]Pa for any single impact hammer strike. Concurrent with 
publication of the DEIS, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) 
proposed an interim criterion of 183 dB Sound Exposure Level (SEL) re: 
1[micro]Pa\2\-sec. The USFWS and the DoN collaborated to form the 
Marbled Murrelet Science Panel to assist in development of a 
scientifically-based injury criterion. The USFWS accepted the panel's 
recommendation and notified the DoN on August 5, 2011 that the 
Endangered Species Act section 7 consultation on EHW-2 would be based 
on this new criterion. This Supplement analyzes the impacts to the 
marbled murrelet for all alternatives, based on the new underwater 
noise injury criterion of 202 dB SEL re: 1[micro]Pa\2\-sec cumulative 
of all impact hammer strikes in a 24-hour period.
    The DEIS analyzed the impacts of modifying or demolishing 
approximately 20 existing facilities and/or structures in proximity to 
the EHW-2 to comply with Department of Defense Explosives Safety Board 
and Naval Ordnance Safety and Security Activity requirements to protect 
buildings located in the vicinity of explosives handling operations. 
Since release of the DEIS, the DoN has determined that four new 
buildings and associated infrastructure would be constructed to replace 
the functions of five buildings to be demolished. This Supplement will 
analyze the impacts from construction and operation of the four new 
buildings and associated infrastructure. Three buildings would be 
constructed on a 2.6 acre upland site located northwest of Service Pier 
and 2.2 miles south of the existing EHW. These buildings would house 
the functions of an Administrative/Construction Field Office, an Inert 
Storage building, a Rigging Shop, and a Refit Support Facility and 
would include paved and fenced storage areas, associated roads, 
parking, and sidewalks. The fourth building, a pure water facility, 
would be constructed along the Bangor waterfront at the end of Delta 
Pier on a 0.5 acre site located approximately 1.0 miles south of the 
existing EHW. This facility would house the function of the existing 
Pure Water Facility to be demolished and would consist of a treatment 
building, an auxiliary water storage tank, liquid nitrogen storage 
tank, sewage tank and pump, loading aprons, parking areas, and new 
water lines between the facility and Delta Pier.
    The DEIS presented compensatory mitigation the DoN is considering 
and identified the In Lieu Fee (ILF) Program as the preferred 
compensatory mitigation for the unavoidable impacts to aquatic 
resources from the proposed action as described in the Mitigation 
Action Plan in the DEIS. Since the public release of the DEIS, further 
development of the ILF Program has occurred. In addition to the 
preferred ILF compensatory mitigation strategy, the DoN is also 
considering other compensatory mitigation alternatives. The DoN 
continues to review the feasibility, habitat values, and potential 
benefits of all mitigation alternatives. This Supplement discusses 
compensatory mitigation alternatives in regard to Dabob Bay 
Conservation and Washington State Parks Mitigation.
    The DoN is soliciting comments on the Supplement to the DEIS. 
Federal, state, and local agencies, American Indian tribes, and 
interested persons are encouraged to provide written comments. All 
written comments will become part of the public record and will be 
responded to in the Final EIS. Written comments must be postmarked 
within 45 days of the Federal Register publication date for the EPA's 
NOA of this Supplement to the DEIS. Written comments should be 
submitted to: Naval Facilities Engineering Command Northwest, 1101 
Tautog Circle, Silverdale, WA 98315-1101, Attn: Christine Stevenson, 
EHW-2 EIS Project Manager. Written Comments may also be submitted 
online at http://ehw.nbkeis.com during the comment period.
    All public comments previously received during the March through 
May 2011 DEIS public comment period are still valid and will be 
considered and addressed in the Final EIS for this action. Previously 
submitted comments need not be resubmitted. A NOA of the Supplement to 
the DEIS will be published by the EPA in the Federal Register. No 
decision will be made to implement the proposed action until the EIS 
process is completed and a Record of Decision is signed by the DoN.

    Dated: September 28, 2011.
J. M. Beal,
Lieutenant Commander, Office of the Judge Advocate General, U.S. Navy, 
Federal Register Liaison Officer.
[FR Doc. 2011-25421 Filed 9-30-11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3810-FF-P