Source: http://www.thefederalregister.com/d.p/2005-12-27-E5-7870
Timestamp: 2013-05-19 19:59:33
Document Index: 37573035

Matched Legal Cases: ['art 7114', 'art 3944', 'art 6726', 'art 140', 'art 5250', 'art 1739', 'art 30206', 'art 514', 'art 9740', 'art 180']

Los Angeles County, CA—; Long Beach, Piers D, E, and F Marine Terminal
14 CFR Part 7114 CFR Part 3944 CFR Part 6726 CFR Part 140 CFR Part 5250 CFR Part 1739 CFR Part 30206 CFR Part 514 CFR Part 9740 CFR Part 180	Federal Register: December 27, 2005 (Volume 70, Number 247)
DOCID: FR Doc E5-7870
DOCUMENT ACTION: Revised Notice of Intent (NOI).
SUBJECT CATEGORY: Intent To Prepare a Draft Environmental Impact Statement/ Environmental Impact Report for a Permit Application for a Proposed Marine Terminal Expansion at Piers D, E and F in the Middle Harbor District of the Port of Long Beach, Los Angeles County, CA DOCUMENT SUMMARY: The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) is considering an
dredged material in open water to create 48 acres of new land. The
primary reason for the revised notice of intent is because the proposed
terminal expansion project has been modified to utilize additional
existing land to reduce the amount of fill in open water by approximately 20 acres. The primary Federal concern is the dredging and discharging of
materials within waters of the Unites States and potential significant
impacts to the human environment. Therefore, in accordance with the
National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), the Corps is requiring the
preparation of an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) prior to
consideration of any permit action. The Corps may ultimately make a
determination to permit or deny the above project, or permit or deny modified versions of the above project. Pursuant to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), the
Port of Long Beach 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 of Long Beach
have agreed to jointly prepare a Draft EIS/EIR in order to optimize
efficiency and avoid duplication. The Draft EIS/EIR is intended to be
sufficient in scope to address both the Federal and the State and local
SUMMARY: Los Angeles County, CA—; Long Beach, Piers D, E, and F Marine Terminal Expansion Project,
1. Project Site: The proposed project is
located in the southern portion of the Port of Long Beach, California.
The proposed dredge and fill activities would take place at Piers D, E
and F and would involve redeveloping portions of Pier D and
reconfiguring existing wharves and berths at Piers E and F to create a
single 342acre marine terminal to accommodate increasing cargo volumes
being produced by the new generation of larger container vessels.
2. Proposed Action: The project applicant, the Port of Long Beach,
proposes to permanently impact approximately 48 acres of openwater
habitat for dredge and fill activities and to rehabilitate 294 acres of
existing terminal area at Piers D, E and F for the construction of a
new 342acre container terminal in the Port of Long Beach. The proposed
project would reconfigure existing wharves and berths at Piers D, E and
F into one 4,250footlong wharf with four deepwater berths, a
container terminal yard that includes 48 acres of new land and 294
acres of rehabilitated land and an intermodal rail yard. The proposed
project would include dredge and fill activities, new wharf
construction and terminal expansion on adjacent areas that consist of
existing and newly created land. The specific components of the
proposed project would include: dredging to deepen Slip Number Three to
55 Mean Lower Low Water (MLLW) and widen Slip 3 by 110 feet to
accommodate four deepwater berths; filling the 22acre Slip One and
approximately 33 acres of the East Basin between Pier E and F to create
additional terminal area; fill existing submerged land with suitable
dredge and excavated material from Slip 3 and Berth F201; wharf and
container yard redevelopment; new wharf construction; and expansion of
terminal backland capacity. The proposed project would generate
approximately 680,000 cubic yards of dredged material and excavated
material generated by the project would be approximately 1,290,000
cubic yards. Approximately 6,730,000 cubic yards of imported fill from
sources both inside and outside the Harbor District would be required
to complete all the proposed discharges of dredged and fill material in
waters of the United States to create approximately 48 acres of new
land. The proposed construction and rehabilitation activities would be
completed over a 10year period. All of the above construction
activities would include the demolition of existing terminal facilities
as well as existing buildings and infrastructure in both open water and upland areas. 3. Issues: There are several potential environmental issues that
will be addressed in the Draft EIS/EIR. Additional issues may be
identified during the scoping process. Issues initially identified as potentially significant include: 1. Geological issues including dredging and stabilization of fill areas. 2. Potential impacts to marine biological resources. 3. Impacts to air quality. 4. Traffic, including navigation issues, and transportation related impacts. 5. Potential noise impacts. 6. Impacts to public utilities and services. 7. Impact to aesthetic resources. 8. Potential impacts on public health and safety. 9. Cumulative impacts. 4. Alternatives: Several alternatives are being considered for the
proposed marine terminal. These alternatives will be further formulated
and developed during the scoping process and an appropriate range of
alternatives, including the no Federal action alternative, will be considered in the Draft EIS/EIR. 5. Scoping Process: A previous Notice of Intent for the original
project design was published in the Federal Register on August 31,
2004. A public meeting will be held to receive public comment and
assess public concerns regarding the appropriate scope and preparation
of the Draft EIS/EIR. Participation in the public meeting by Federal,
State and local agencies and other interested organizations and persons is encouraged. The Corps of Engineers 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 MagnusonStevens 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
January, 30, 2006, and will start at 7 p.m. Written comments will be accepted until February 13, 2006. 6. Availability of the Draft EIS: The Draft EIS/EIR is expected to
be published and circulated in July of 2006, and a Public Hearing will be held after its publication. Dated: December 14, 2005. Alex C. Dornstauder, Colonel, U.S. Army, District Engineer. [FR Doc. E57870 Filed 122305; 8:45 am]
Comments and questions regarding scoping of the Draft EIS/EIR may be [[Page 76450]]
addressed to: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Los Angeles District,
Regulatory Branch, ATTN: File Number 200401053AOA, P.O. Box 532711,
Los Angeles, California 900532325. Comments or questions can also be
sent to Patricia Shoemaker, Port of Long Beach, P.O. Box 570, Long
Beach, CA 908010570. Phone messages or questions should be directed to
Dr. Aaron O. Allen at 8055852148.