[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 206 (Friday, October 24, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 63609-63610]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-25267]


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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Department of the Army, Corps of Engineers


Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement and 
Conduct Scoping Meeting for the Berths 226-236 [Everport] Container 
Terminal Improvements Project at the Port of Los Angeles, in the City 
and County of Los Angeles, California (SPL-2013-00756-TS)

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

ACTION: Notice of intent.

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SUMMARY: The purpose of this notice is to initiate the scoping process 
for preparation of an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the Los 
Angeles Harbor Department (LAHD) Berths 226-236 [Everport] Container 
Terminal Improvements Project.

DATES: Submit comments concerning this notice on or before November 24, 
2014. A public scoping meeting will be held on November 13, 2014 at 
6:00 p.m. (PST).

ADDRESSES: The scoping meeting location is: Los Angeles Harbor 
Department, Board of Harbor Commissioners hearing room, 425 S. Palos 
Verdes Street, San Pedro, California 90731.
    Mail written comments concerning this notice to: U.S. Army Corps of 
Engineers, Los Angeles District, Regulatory Division, Ventura Field 
Office, ATTN: SPL-2013-00756-TS, 2151 Alessandro Drive, Suite 110, 
Ventura, CA 93001. Comment letters should include the commenter's 
physical mailing address, the project title and the Corps file number 
in the subject line.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Theresa Stevens, Ph.D., U.S. Army 
Corps of Engineers, Los Angeles District, Regulatory Division, Ventura 
Field Office, ATTN: SPL-2013-00756-TS, 2151 Alessandro Drive, Suite 
110, Ventura, CA 93001, (805) 585-2146, [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In accordance with the National 
Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), the Corps is requiring the preparation 
of an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) prior to any permit action. 
The Corps may ultimately make a determination to permit or deny the 
proposed project or a modified version of the proposed project. The 
primary Federal concerns are dredging, dredged material disposal, 
addition of permanent structures in and over navigable waters of the 
U.S., and transport of dredged material for the purpose of ocean 
disposal.
    Pursuant to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) the 
LAHD will serve as Lead Agency in preparing an Environmental Impact 
Report (EIR) for its consideration of development approvals within its 
jurisdiction. The Corps and LAHD have agreed to jointly prepare a Draft 
EIS/EIR to optimize efficiency and avoid duplication. The Draft EIS/EIR 
is intended to be sufficient in scope to address the Federal, state and 
local requirements and environmental issues concerning the proposed 
activities and permit approvals.

    Authority: 33 U.S.C. 403; 33 U.S.C. 1344; 33 U.S.C. 1413.

    1. Project Site and Background Information. The 205-acre project 
site is located on Terminal Island along the east side of the Main 
Channel and immediately south of the State Route 47 bridge. The site is 
within the Port of Los Angeles Community Plan area in the City and 
County of Los Angeles, near the communities of San Pedro and 
Wilmington, and approximately 20 miles south of downtown Los Angeles. 
The purpose of the project is to improve marine shipping and maritime 
commerce to optimize the container-handling efficiency and capacity at 
Berths 226-236, and to accommodate berthing and servicing of the 
largest container ships that may call at the Port of Los Angeles. The 
terminal is operated by Seaside Transportation Services (STS). Everport 
Terminal Services Inc. (ETS) (a wholly owned subsidiary of Evergreen 
Marine Corporation) is the permit holder under a lease agreement 
(Permit No. 888, as amended) between LAHD and ETS.
    2. Proposed Action. The LAHD has proposed to redevelop the existing 
container terminal at Berths 226-236. The following actions require a 
Department of the Army permit. Berths 226-229: Approximately 25,000 
cubic yards (cy) of dredging would increase the design depth from -45 
feet to -53 feet mean lower low water (MLLW), approximately 1,400 
linear feet of king piles and sheet piles would be installed to 
stabilize the wharf, and three new 100-foot gauge overwater gantry 
cranes would be installed and three existing cranes would be modified 
to increase their overall height and reach. Berths 230-232: 
Approximately 7,000 cy of dredging would restore the design depth of -
47 feet MLLW and approximately 1,400 linear feet of sheet piles would 
be installed to stabilize the wharf. Approximately 1,300 cy of dredging 
would restore a design depth of -45 feet MLLW between the berthing 
areas (Berth 229). All proposed depths would include an overdredge 
depth of an additional two feet below the proposed depths described 
above. Dredged material would be beneficially re-used, disposed at an 
approved upland facility, confined disposal facility (CDF) or offshore 
at LA-2. Construction activities are scheduled to begin in 2016, would 
take approximately 24 months to complete and would be phased to 
maintain terminal operations. The following actions do not require a 
Corps permit but indirect and cumulative impacts of these actions will 
be evaluated in the Draft EIS/EIR as required by NEPA: Development of 
approximately 22 acres of existing developed land and 1.5 acres of 
vacant land as new backlands; installation of infrastructure to support 
the new backland area (e.g., cable, electricity, lighting, drainage, 
etc.); closure of portions of Terminal Way, Barracuda Street, Tuna 
Street, and Ways Street within the Project site and rerouting of 
Terminal Way traffic to Cannery Street; improvements to Cannery Street; 
lease amendments to include the new 23.5 acre backland plus 25 acres of 
existing backlands under space assignment; and, extension of the lease 
from the current termination date of 2028 to 2038.
    3. Issues: Potentially significant issues associated with the 
project may include: Aesthetics/visual impacts, air quality emissions, 
biological resource impacts, environmental justice, geologic impacts 
related to seismicity, hazards and hazardous materials, hydrology and 
water quality, noise, traffic and transportation, and cumulative 
impacts from past, present and reasonably foreseeable future projects.
    4. Alternatives. The Draft EIS/EIR will include a co-equal analysis 
of several alternatives. Project alternatives will be further developed 
during this scoping process. Additional alternatives that may be 
developed during scoping will also be considered in the Draft EIS/EIR.
    5. Scoping Process. The Corps and LAHD will jointly conduct a 
public scoping meeting for the proposed project to receive public 
comment regarding the appropriate scope and preparation of the Draft 
EIS/EIR. Participation by Federal, state, and local agencies and other 
interested

[[Page 63610]]

organization and persons is encouraged. This meeting will be conducted 
in English and Spanish.
    6. The Draft EIS/EIR is expected to be available for public review 
and comment in the fall of 2015, and a public meeting will be held 
after its publication.

    Dated: October 2, 2014.
David J. Castanon,
Chief, Regulatory Division.
[FR Doc. 2014-25267 Filed 10-23-14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3720-58-P