Modernization of Coast Guard Base Seattle; Preparation of Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement
| Published date | 07 May 2021 |
| Citation | 86 FR 24637 |
| Record Number | 2021-09523 |
| Section | Notices |
| Court | Coast Guard |
Federal Register, Volume 86 Issue 87 (Friday, May 7, 2021)
[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 87 (Friday, May 7, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 24637-24641]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-09523]
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DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY
Coast Guard
[Docket Number USCG-2021-0183]
Modernization of Coast Guard Base Seattle; Preparation of
Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement
AGENCY: Coast Guard, DHS.
ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare a Programmatic Environmental Impact
Statement; notice of virtual scoping; and request for comments.
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SUMMARY: The United States Coast Guard, as the lead agency, announces
its intent to prepare a Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement
(PEIS). The PEIS will evaluate the potential environmental consequences
of the Coast Guard's Proposed Action to expand and modernize Coast
Guard Base Seattle in Seattle, Washington. Notice is hereby given that
the public scoping process has begun for the preparation of a PEIS for
the Proposed Action. The purpose of the scoping process is to solicit
public comments regarding the range of issues, information, and
analyses relevant to the Proposed Action, including potential
environmental impacts and reasonable alternatives to address in the
PEIS. This PEIS is being prepared in compliance with the National
Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969 and the regulations implemented
by the Council on Environmental Quality. The Coast Guard has determined
that a PEIS is the most appropriate type of NEPA document for this
action because the Proposed Action is anticipated to occur over several
years, and many of the site-specific project details are not known.
This notice also notifies the public that the Coast Guard intends to
host a web-based, web-based project site to provide additional
information to the public and to solicit comments on potential issues,
concerns, and reasonable alternatives that should be considered in the
PEIS.
[[Page 24638]]
Following the scoping period, a Draft PEIS will be prepared and
ultimately circulated for public comment.
DATES: Public Scoping comments and related material must be post-marked
or received by the Coast Guard on or before June 21, 2021. A
representative will respond to substantive and relevant questions
submitted via https://virtual.woodplc.com/VirtualSpace/102907, or
emailed to [email protected], during normal business hours
(Pacific Standard Time) between May 7, 2021-June 14, 2021.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments identified by docket number USCG-
2021-0183 using the Federal eRulemaking Portal at https://www.regulations.gov. See the ``Public Scoping Process'' portion of the
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section for further instructions on
submitting comments. A virtual scoping tool will be available at
https://virtual.woodplc.com/VirtualSpace/102907. If electronic comments
cannot be submitted, written comments can be sent to: U.S. Coast Guard,
Shore Infrastructure Logistics Center, Environmental Management
Division, Attn: Mr. Dean Amundson, 1301 Clay Street, Suite 700N,
Oakland, CA 94612-5203.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For information about this document
call or email Dean Amundson, Coast Guard; telephone 510-637-5541,
[email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This Notice of Intent briefly summarizes the
proposed project, including the purpose and need and possible
alternatives. As required by the National Environmental Policy Act of
1969 (NEPA) and Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) implementing
regulations (40 CFR 1500-1508, specifically Sec. 1502.3), a Federal
agency must prepare an EIS if it is proposing a major Federal action to
analyze the environmental consequences of implementing each of the
alternatives, if carried forward for full review following public
scoping, by assessing the effects of each alternative on the human
environment.
Purpose and Need for the Proposed Action
Base Seattle supports, and will continue to support, the Coast
Guard's execution of its statutory missions, pursuant to 14 U.S.C. 102.
The Coast Guard's Base Seattle is located on Puget Sound in Seattle,
Washington. The Base serves as the homeport for several Coast Guard
cutters and provides a full range of support functions for vessels and
Coast Guard missions in the Pacific Northwest and Polar areas of
operation.
The purpose of the Proposed Action is to provide adequate
facilities and infrastructure at Base Seattle to support current and
future execution of the Coast Guard's statutory missions. Base Seattle
is the largest Coast Guard facility in the Pacific Northwest and is an
essential facility to support Coast Guard missions in the Pacific
Northwest and Polar regions now and for the foreseeable future. To
continue to support Coast Guard mission execution throughout these
regions, expansion and extensive modernization of Base Seattle is
required.
The need for the Proposed Action is to address substantial existing
deficiencies in facilities and infrastructure at Base Seattle that
hinder the efficient execution of Coast Guard missions, as well as
provide facility enhancements necessary to support current and future
major cutters homeported at Base Seattle. Three new Polar Security
Cutters are planned to be homeported at Base Seattle. In addition, one
existing icebreaker--CGC HEALY--is expected to remain at Base Seattle,
and up to four other major cutters may be homeported at Base Seattle in
the future, replacing two existing high endurance cutters. Advances in
major cutter technology require infrastructure enhancements and
renovations to accommodate the increased size and shore-side support
requirements associated with these advanced operating assets. The Coast
Guard has identified deficiencies that include, but are not limited to,
a lack of adequate land area, incompatible land uses, shortage of
berthing capacity, out of date and inadequate facilities and
infrastructure, and traffic congestion and parking shortfalls, as well
as the need for improved resiliency in the event of natural disasters,
and improved physical security capabilities.
Modernization and renovation efforts would ensure operational and
mission support requirements are properly provided for and would
enhance the resiliency and long-term sustainability of Base Seattle
facilities and infrastructure. Planning with future mission flexibility
in mind also minimizes the need for costly future infrastructure
modifications and resulting environmental impacts.
Preliminary Proposed Action and Alternatives
Coast Guard has identified a Proposed Action and preliminary
Alternatives for potential consideration in the PEIS. A No-Action and
three preliminary, reasonable Action Alternatives are presented for
consideration for public review and comment. The Proposed Action would
expand Base Seattle and modernize existing facilities and
infrastructure over approximately the next 10 years.
Actions Common to All Alternatives
All three Action Alternatives include several common actions,
including the following:
Demolishing existing, deficient buildings 1, 2, 2 Annex,
10, and 12, and consolidating the functions of these buildings into a
new 3-story, approximately 36,000 square foot Mission Support Building,
and a new 5-story, approximately 75,000-square-foot Base Administration
Building.
Rehabilitating or rebuilding Building 7 and a small area
of Terminal 46 to meet current needs, as well as building codes and
seismic standards, and other potential seismic stabilization throughout
the Base.
Upgrading the main gate of the Base and the security
fencing and functions, including expanding fencing to incorporate any
newly acquired property.
Modernizing communications, electrical, natural gas,
sanitary sewer, potable water, and storm sewer utilities, and
realigning these utilities to correspond with the development pattern
under each of the alternatives.
Realigning parking, roadways, walkways, and landscaping to
correspond with the development pattern under each of the alternatives.
The three Action Alternatives differ in the amount of land proposed
for acquisition.
Alternative 1--Modernization With Land Acquisition at Terminal 46
Under Alternative 1, the Coast Guard would acquire approximately
54.1 acres from the Port of Seattle, consisting of a currently leased,
approximately 1.1 acre parcel within the existing Base footprint and up
to 53 acres of Terminal 46. This alternative would include acquisition
of two existing berths at Terminal 46.
Alternative 2--Modernization With Land Acquisition at Terminals 30 and
46
Under Alternative 2, the Coast Guard would acquire approximately
21.5 acres from the Port of Seattle, consisting of two currently leased
properties within the existing Base footprint, totaling approximately
2.2 acres, approximately 0.3 acre Burlington-North Santa Fe (BNSF)
property, approximately 5.5 acres of Terminal 46, and approximately
13.5 acres of Terminal 30. This alternative would allow for
[[Page 24639]]
development of one new berth on current Coast Guard property and one
new berth on acquired property at Terminal 30.
Alternative 3--Modernization With Reduced Land Acquisition at Terminal
46
Under Alternative 3, the Coast Guard would acquire approximately
24.25 acres from the Port of Seattle, including two currently leased
properties within the existing Base footprint, totaling approximately
2.2 acres, approximately 0.3 acre BNSF property, and approximately
21.75 acres of Terminal 46. This alternative would allow for
development of one new berth on current Coast Guard property and
include acquisition of one existing berth at Terminal 46.
No-Action Alternative
The Coast Guard will also analyze a No-Action Alternative. For the
purposes of this PEIS, the No-Action Alternative is defined as not
implementing Base expansion and facility and infrastructure
modernization requirements. This would result in a loss of operational
capabilities.
Scope of Analysis for the PEIS
The Coast Guard is proposing to undertake a removal action at Base
Seattle pursuant to Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation,
and Liability Act actions (CERCLA) (42 United States Code 9601) in
conjunction with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, to address
known contamination. The Coast Guard will not make a decision on any
CERCLA actions since they fall outside of the scope of a NEPA analysis,
consistent with 40 CFR 1501.1(a)(6). The impacts of any current and
potential future CERCLA projects will be considered within the baseline
of the affected environment under the PEIS.
Summary of Expected Impacts
Acoustic and physical stressors associated with the Proposed Action
may potentially impact the physical and biological environment in and
around Base Seattle. The primary potential physical stressor is from
the construction and operation of facilities and infrastructure.
Stressors associated with the Proposed Action may potentially impact
air quality, ambient sound, biological resources (including critical
habitat), coastal resources, cultural resources (including Tribal
fishing rights), traffic and circulation, and socioeconomic resources.
The PEIS will evaluate the likelihood that a resource would be
exposed to or encounter a stressor and identify the potential impact
associated with that exposure or encounter. The likelihood of an
exposure or encounter is based on the stressor, location, and timing
relative to the spatial and temporal distribution of each biological
resource or critical habitat. Most work associated with the proposed
action would occur on shore and could potentially affect terrestrial
resources; there is the potential for some in-water activities that
could affect aquatic resources.
Anticipated Permits and Authorizations
The Proposed Action is programmatic in nature and specific projects
are anticipated to occur over the next decade. Many of the site-
specific project details are not known. As such, permits and
authorizations will be identified in the PEIS. Certain approvals may be
completed as part of the PEIS, but many of the specific permits and
authorizations would not necessarily be issued for site-specific
projects until they are programmed, funded, and design details are
developed. Implementation of all alternatives will ultimately require
compliance with the following laws and regulations through issuance of
permits and/or authorizations:
The Coastal Zone Management Act (CZMA; 16 U.S.C. 1451 et seq.) was
enacted to protect the coastal environment from demands associated with
residential, recreational, and commercial uses. The Coast Guard would
determine the impact of the Proposed Action and provide a Coastal
Consistency Determination or Negative Determination to the Washington
Department of Ecology for the proposed modernization activities at Base
Seattle.
The Endangered Species Act (ESA) of 1973 (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.)
provides for the conservation of endangered and threatened species and
the ecosystems on which they depend. The Coast Guard anticipates
engaging with the National Marine Fisheries Service and the U.S. Fish
and Wildlife Service, pursuant to Section 7 of the ESA, which have
jurisdiction over ESA-listed species and critical habitat (50 CFR
402.14(a)). Project specific consultation under Section 7 may not
necessarily occur until a later date when site specific project details
are known.
The Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA; 16 U.S.C. 1361 et seq.)
regulates ``take'' of marine mammals in U.S. waters. The term ``take''
as defined in Section 3 (16 U.S.C. 1362) of the MMPA, means ``to
harass, hunt, capture, or kill, or attempt to harass, hunt, capture, or
kill any marine mammal.'' ``Harassment'' was further defined in the
1994 amendments to the MMPA as any act of pursuit, torment, or
annoyance which (i) has the potential to injure a marine mammal or
marine mammal stock in the wild (i.e., Level A Harassment); or (ii) has
the potential to disturb a marine mammal or marine mammal stock in the
wild by causing disruption of behavioral patterns, including, but not
limited to, migration, breathing, nursing, breeding, feeding, or
sheltering (i.e., Level B Harassment). The Coast Guard anticipates
engaging with the National Marine Fisheries Service although actual
authorization for potential Level B Harassment from construction
activities may not necessarily occur until a later date when site
specific project details are known.
The Clean Water Act (33 U.S.C. 1251, et seq.), Section 404
regulates the discharge of dredged or fill material into waters of the
United States and the Rivers and Harbors Act (33 U.S.C. 403), Section
10 regulates the obstruction or alteration of navigable waters of the
United States. The Coast Guard anticipates that a very limited amount
of work conducted as part of the Proposed Action may require a permit
from the Corps of Engineers under either the Clean Water Act or Rivers
and Harbors Act. Actual authorization for permits will be obtained, if
necessary, once site specific project details are known.
The National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA; 16 U.S.C. 470, et
seq.), Section 106, requires that each federal agency identify and
assess the effects its actions may have on historic resources,
including potential effects on historic structures, archaeological
resources, and tribal resources. The Coast Guard would determine if any
historic resources are present in the project area, evaluate the
potential for the proposed action to adversely affect these resources,
and consult with the Washington State Historic Preservation Officer and
any interested or affected Tribes to resolve any adverse effects by
developing and evaluating alternatives or measures that could avoid,
minimize, or mitigate impacts.
The Clean Air Act (42 U.S.C. 7401, et seq.) regulates emissions
from both stationary (industrial) sources and mobile sources. The Coast
Guard would evaluate the potential for increased emissions during
construction and operation of modernized facilities to determine if the
emissions would be in conformity with the State Implementation Plan for
attainment of National Ambient Air Quality Standards.
In addition, Coast Guard will complete Consultation with all
affected Federally Recognized Tribes on a
[[Page 24640]]
government-to-government basis in accordance with Executive Order
13175.
Schedule for the Decision-Making Process
Following the scoping period announced in this Notice of Intent,
and after consideration of all comments received during scoping, Coast
Guard will prepare a Draft PEIS for the expansion and modernization of
Base Seattle. Once the Draft PEIS is completed, it will be made
available for a 45-day public review and comment period. Coast Guard
will announce the availability of the Draft PEIS in the Federal
Register and local media outlets. Coast Guard expects the Draft PEIS
will be available for public review and comment in 2021. In meeting CEQ
regulations requiring EISs to be completed within 2 years the Coast
Guard anticipates the Final PEIS would be available in 2022.
Availability of the Final PEIS would be published in the Federal
Register. If approved, land acquisition would be expected to occur soon
after completion of this PEIS, with the first rehabilitation projects,
construction projects, or both, expected to begin as early as 2022.
Because construction details and designs are not available at this
time, new information may become available after the completion of the
PEIS. Should new information become available after the completion of
the Draft or Final PEIS, supplemental NEPA documentation may be
prepared in support of new information or changes in the Proposed
Action considered under the PEIS.
Public Scoping Process
The Notice of Intent initiates the scoping process, which guides
the development of the PEIS. The Coast Guard is seeking comments on the
potential environmental impacts that may result from the Proposed
Action or preliminary Alternatives. The Coast Guard is also seeking
input on relevant information, studies, or analyses of any kind
concerning impacts potentially affecting the quality of the human
environment as a result of the Proposed Action. NEPA requires federal
agencies to consider environmental impacts that may result from a
Proposed Action, to inform the public of potential impacts and
alternatives, and to facilitate public involvement in the assessment
process. The PEIS would include, among other topics, discussions of the
purpose and need for the Proposed Action, a description of
alternatives, a description of the affected environment, and an
evaluation of the environmental impact of the Proposed Action and
alternatives.
The Coast Guard intends to follow the CEQ regulations implementing
NEPA (40 CFR 1500 et. seq.) by scoping through public comments.
Scoping, which is integral to the process for implementing NEPA,
provides a process to ensure that (1) issues are identified early and
properly studied; (2) issues of little significance do not consume
substantial time and effort; (3) the Draft PEIS is thorough and
balanced; and (4) delays caused by an inadequate PEIS are avoided.
Public scoping is a process for determining the scope of issues to
be addressed in this PEIS and for identifying the issues related to the
Proposed Action that may have a significant effect on the environment.
The scoping process begins with publication of this notice. The Coast
Guard seeks to do the following during the scoping process:
Invite the participation of Federal, State, and local
agencies, any affected Indian tribe, and other interested persons;
Consult with affected Federally Recognized Tribes on a
government-to-government basis in accordance with Executive Order 13175
and other policies. Native American concerns, including potential
impacts on Treaty rights, Indian trust assets, and cultural resources,
will be given appropriate consideration;
Determine the scope and the issues to be analyzed in depth
in the PEIS;
Indicate any related environmental assessments or
environmental impact statements that are not part of the PEIS;
Identify other relevant environmental review and
consultation requirements, such as Coastal Zone Management Act
consistency evaluations, and threatened and endangered species and
habitat impacts; and
Indicate the relationship between timing of the
environmental review and other aspects of the application process.
With this Notice of Intent, Federal, State, Tribal, and local
agencies with jurisdiction or special expertise with respect to
environmental issues in the project area are asked to formally
cooperate with the Coast Guard in the preparation of the PEIS.
Once the scoping process is complete, Coast Guard will prepare a
Draft PEIS and will publish a Federal Register notice announcing its
public availability. The public will be provided with an opportunity to
review and comment on the Draft PEIS. After Coast Guard considers those
comments, the Final PEIS will be prepared and its availability
similarly announced to solicit public review and comment. Comments
received during the Draft PEIS review period will be available in the
public docket and made available in the Final PEIS.
Pursuant to the CEQ regulations, Coast Guard invites public
participation in the NEPA process. This notice requests public
participation in the scoping process, establishes a public comment
period, and provides information on how to participate.
The 45-day public scoping period begins May 7, 2021 and ends June
21, 2021. Comments and related material submitted to the online docket
via https://www.regulations.gov/ must be received by the Coast Guard on
or before June 21, 2021, and mailed submission, must be postmarked on
or before that same date.
We encourage you to submit specific, timely, substantive, and
relevant comments through the Federal portal at http://www.regulations.gov, on the site provided when searching the above
docket number or searching for ``Base Seattle PEIS.'' If comments
cannot be submitted using http://www.regulations.gov, contact the Base
Seattle Environmental Planning Program Manager at 510-637-5541 for
additional help.
In submissions, please include the docket number for this Notice of
Intent and provide reasoning for comments. To be considered timely,
comments must be received on or before June 21, 2021 to be considered
in the Draft PEIS. Comments mailed to the contact above must be
postmarked by June 21, 2021. We will consider all substantive and
relevant comments received during the comment period.
We accept anonymous comments. Comments we post to https://www.regulations.gov will include any personal information you have
provided. For more about privacy and submissions in response to this
document, see DHS's eRulemaking System of Records notice (85 FR 14226,
March 11, 2020).
We review all comments received, but we will only post comments
that address the topic of the notice. We may choose not to post off-
topic, inappropriate, or duplicate comments that we receive. Documents
mentioned in this Notice of Intent as being available in the docket,
and posted public comments, will be in the online docket at http://www.regulations.gov and can be viewed by following that website's
instructions.
Virtual Public Involvement
Consistent with CEQ's recently issued scoping regulation, 40 CFR
1501.9, the Coast Guard will host a web-based
[[Page 24641]]
project site to provide additional information to the public on the
Proposed Action and alternatives. Website visitors will be able to
access relevant information via presentations, site maps, and project
summaries, as well as submit questions and view responses to Frequently
Asked Questions. Substantive and relevant questions will be answered
during normal business hours (Pacific Standard Time) from May 7, 2021
through June 14, 2021. The web-based project site will be available at
https://virtual.woodplc.com/VirtualSpace/102907. Formal Submission of
Public comments must be submitted to the docket, or by mail, as
previously described under the Public Scoping section.
Comments received in response to this solicitation, including names
and addresses of those who comment, will be part of the public record
for this Proposed Action.
Dated: April 30, 2021.
Carola J. List,
Rear Admiral, U.S. Coast Guard, Assistant Commandant for Engineering
and Logistics.
[FR Doc. 2021-09523 Filed 5-6-21; 8:45 am]
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