[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 27 (Friday, February 10, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Pages 10346-10347]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2017-02780]


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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Department of the Army, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers


Notice of Availability of a Draft Detailed Project Report With 
Integrated Environmental Assessment and Draft Finding of No Significant 
Impact for the Pier 70 Central Basin Continuing Authorities Program 
Section 107 Navigation Improvement Project at the Port of San 
Francisco, San Francisco, CA

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

ACTION: Notice of availability; request for comments.

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SUMMARY: The United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) San 
Francisco District announces the availability of a Draft Detailed 
Project Report with Integrated Environmental Assessment (DPR/EA) and 
draft Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) for review and comment 
for the proposed Pier 70 Central Basin Continuing Authorities Program 
(CAP) Section 107 Navigation Improvement Project in San Francisco, 
California. Pursuant to 33 CFR 230.11 (b) U.S. Army Corps of 
Engineers--Procedures for Implementing [the National Environmental 
Policy Act] NEPA, notice of the availability of this DPR/EA and draft 
FONSI for review and comment is being provided to agencies, 
organizations, and the interested public.

DATES: Comments on the Draft DPR/EA and draft FONSI may be submitted 
starting February 13, 2017 through 5:00 p.m. (PDT), February 28, 2017. 
If comments are provided by mail, they must be received at the address 
below no later than February 28, 2017.

ADDRESSES: The Draft DPR/EA can be viewed online starting February 13, 
2017 at: http://www.spn.usace.army. mil/Portals/68/docs/Environmental/
2017_0213_Central_Basin_Sec107_DraftDPR-EA.pdf.
    Comments may be submitted on the Draft DPR/EA using any of the 
following methods:
     Mail: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, San Francisco 
District, ATTN: Roxanne Grillo, 1455 Market Street, San Francisco, CA 
94103-1398.
     Email: [email protected].
    Comment letters should include the commenter's physical mailing 
address and the project title in the subject line.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Roxanne Grillo, U.S. Army Corps of 
Engineers, San Francisco District, 1455 Market Street, San Francisco, 
CA 94103-1398. Telephone: (415) 503-6859. Email: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 
    1. Project Site and Background Information. The project area 
consists of a turning and maneuvering basin within the waters of the 
San Francisco Bay called the Central Basin Approach Area (Central 
Basin) at the Port of San Francisco's Pier 70 Shipyard located along 
the eastern shore of the City of San Francisco, approximately 1.5 miles 
south of the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge. The Pier 70 Shipyard 
features two dry docks, full pier-side facilities, and an available 
labor force in excess of 1,300, as well as a number of machine shops 
and engineering firms. The Port of San Francisco owns the real property 
and primary equipment for ship repair, such as the dry docks and 
cranes, offering full-service ship repair for commercial and government 
vessels. The facility can accommodate post-Panamax class ships, 
including cruise ships, tankers, container ships, and more.
    The USACE proposes to dredge the Central Basin to an increased 
depth and place the dredged material at a permitted site. The purpose 
of the Proposed Action is to reduce the negative impacts of shoaling in 
the Central Basin to allow vessels to safely and efficiently access the 
Pier 70 Shipyard without the use of high tide. The Proposed Action is 
necessary to reduce transportation costs and user delays for use of the 
repair and service facilities at the Pier 70 Shipyard, increase access 
to the specialized repair and service facilities at the Pier 70 
Shipyard, and improve safety and decrease risk to vessels and operators 
in approaching the Central Basin and Pier 70 Shipyard.
    Pursuant to NEPA, USACE has prepared a Draft DPR/EA analyzing the 
potential environmental impacts of planning, designing, constructing, 
and maintaining a commercial navigation project at the Central Basin. 
The primary action areas for this analysis include the proposed Central 
Basin approach area dredge footprint, the dredged material placement 
site (the San Francisco Deep Ocean Disposal Site as well as the 
alternative placement sites evaluated), and waterways used for vessel 
transit between the dredge and placement sites. The Port of San 
Francisco is the Non-Federal Sponsor (NFS).
    2. Alternatives. The study considers both non-structural and 
structural measures. Non-structural measures include: Lightering, light 
loading, the

[[Page 10347]]

use of favorable tides, and daylight transit only. Structural measures 
proposed include dredging to various depths in combination with dredged 
material placement at a range of sites. Three sets of alternative 
deepening plans were evaluated based on three different depths (30 feet 
mean lower low water [MLLW], 32 feet MLLW, and 35 feet MLLW) and three 
alternative sediment placement locations (beneficial use, deep ocean 
disposal at the San Francisco Deep Ocean Disposal Site, and an in-bay 
site), which resulted in a total of 16 alternatives considered 
including the no-action plan. The final array of four alternatives 
(including the No Action Alternative) from the alternative formulation 
process were carried forward for analysis in the EA.
    The recommended plan (Proposed Action, Agency-Preferred 
Alternative) is the National Economic Development Plan (Alternative 6) 
to dredge the Central Basin to 32 feet MLLW plus two feet of overdepth 
and place all of the material at the San Francisco Deep Ocean Disposal 
Site. Approximately 237,700 cubic yards of material (including the two 
feet of overdepth) would be dredged.

Brenda S. Bowen,
Army Federal Register Liaison Officer.
[FR Doc. 2017-02780 Filed 2-9-17; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3720-58-P