Notice2022-05703
Final Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement Waterways Commerce Cutter Acquisition Program
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Published
March 18, 2022
Issuing agencies
Homeland Security DepartmentCoast Guard
Abstract
The U.S. Coast Guard announces the availability of the Final Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (PEIS) for the Waterways Commerce Cutter (WCC) Program's acquisition and operation of a planned 30 WCCs. In accordance with National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) NEPA implementing regulations, the Final PEIS analyzes the potential environmental and socioeconomic impacts, and identifies related mitigation measures, associated with acquisition and operation of a planned 30 WCCs to replace the capabilities of the existing inland tender fleet (Proposed Action).
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 87 Issue 53 (Friday, March 18, 2022)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 53 (Friday, March 18, 2022)]
[Notices]
[Pages 15443-15445]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2022-05703]
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DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY
Coast Guard
[Docket Number USCG-2021-0191]
Final Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement Waterways
Commerce Cutter Acquisition Program
AGENCY: Coast Guard, DHS.
ACTION: Notice of availability; request for comments.
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SUMMARY: The U.S. Coast Guard announces the availability of the Final
Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (PEIS) for the Waterways
Commerce Cutter (WCC) Program's acquisition and operation of a planned
30 WCCs. In accordance with National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA)
and the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) NEPA implementing
regulations, the Final PEIS analyzes the potential environmental and
socioeconomic impacts, and identifies related mitigation measures,
associated with acquisition and operation of a planned 30 WCCs to
replace the capabilities of the existing inland tender fleet (Proposed
Action).
DATES: Comments and related material must be post-marked or received by
the Coast Guard on or before April 18, 2022. No decision will be made
until at least 30 days after publication of the Notice of Availability
(NOA) in the Federal Register by the U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency, at which time the Coast Guard may execute a Record of Decision
(ROD).
ADDRESSES: The Final PEIS is available in the docket which can be found
by searching the docket number USCG-2021-0191 using the Federal
Decision Making Portal at <a href="https://www.regulations.gov">https://www.regulations.gov</a> and for download
on the project website at <a href="https://www.dcms.uscg.mil/Our-Organization/Assistant-Commandant-for-Engineering-Logistics-CG-4-/Program-Offices/Environmental-Management/Environmental-Planning-and-Historic-Preservation/">https://www.dcms.uscg.mil/Our-Organization/Assistant-Commandant-for-Engineering-Logistics-CG-4-/Program-Offices/Environmental-Management/Environmental-Planning-and-Historic-Preservation/</a>. Requests for additional information should be sent to
U.S. Coast Guard Headquarters, ATTN: LCDR S. Krolman (CG-9327), 2703
Martin Luther King Jr. Ave. SE, Stop 7800, Washington, DC 20593.
We encourage you to submit comments and related material on the
Final PEIS. We will consider all submissions and may adjust our final
action based on your comments. If you submit a comment, please include
the docket number for this notice, indicate the specific section of
this document to which each comment applies, and provide a reason for
each suggestion or recommendation.
Submitting Comments: You may submit comments on the Final PEIS by
one of the following methods:
<bullet> Via the Web: You may submit comments identified by docket
number USCG-2021-0191 using the Federal eRulemaking Portal at <a href="https://www.regulations.gov">https://www.regulations.gov</a>.
<bullet> Via U.S. Mail: U.S. Coast Guard Headquarters, ATTN: LCDR
S. Krolman (CG-9327), 2703 Martin Luther King Jr. Ave. SE, Stop 7800,
Washington, DC 20593. Please note that mailed comments must be
postmarked on or before the comment deadline of 30 days following
publication of this notice to be considered.
Before including your address, phone number, email address, or
other personal identifying information in your comment, you should be
aware that your entire comment--including your personal identifying
information--may be made publicly available at any time. While you can
ask us in your comment to withhold your personal identifying
information from public review, we cannot guarantee that we will be
able to do so.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Please contact Lieutenant Commander S.
Krolman, Waterways Commerce Cutter Program, U.S. Coast Guard; phone
202-475-3104; email <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#105841433d435d523d53573d477164756267716963537f7d7d7562737553656464756250656373773e7d797c"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="7a322b295729373857393d572d1b0e1f080d1b0309391517171f08191f390f0e0e1f083a0f09191d54171316">[email protected]</span></a>.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Coast Guard has a statutory mission to
establish, maintain, and operate aids to navigation (ATON) in the
Inland Waterways and Western Rivers (IW&WR). The IW&WR includes the
Gulf and Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway; the Mississippi, Missouri,
Alabama, Tennessee, Columbia, and Ohio Rivers, their associated
tributaries and other connecting waterways; portions of the Alaska
Inside Passage; portions of the Great Lakes; and several other
navigable waterways around the United States. The 35 cutters and
associated 27 barges that comprise the existing inland tender fleet
servicing the IW&WR are, on average, more than 54 years old and all
have significantly exceeded their design service life of 30 years.
There is no redundant vessel capability within the Coast Guard,
Department of Homeland Security (DHS), or other government agencies.
Without replacement of the existing inland tender fleet, the Coast
Guard could face an increasing risk of failure to maintain the
capability to execute its ATON mission and provide timely ATON services
in the IW&WR and other navigable waters around the United States. The
Proposed Action would enable the continued safe navigation of waters
that support the nation's economy through maritime commerce throughout
the Marine Transportation System.
Similar to the existing inland tender fleet's operations, the
Proposed Action would include vessel operations to establish, operate,
and maintain the lighted and unlighted buoys and beacons to maintain
the United States Visual ATON System. This mission contributes to
protecting national interests by ensuring safe and efficient flow of
commercial vessel traffic through our nation's waters.
Full operational capability would be achieved when all planned WCCs
have been produced and are operational. Coast Guard WCC operations and
training would occur after delivery of each WCC from the shipbuilder to
the Coast Guard. For example, the first WCC delivery to the Coast Guard
is expected in 2024 and the cutter would then be operational in 2025.
The last WCC is expected to be delivered and operational approximately
by 2030.
The Proposed Action would include WCC operation, maintenance, and
commissioning of a planned 11 WCC construction class (WLIC) tenders to
replace the existing capabilities of 13 inland construction tenders; a
planned 16 River Buoy class (WLR) tenders to replace the capabilities
of the river buoy tenders; and a planned three Inland Buoy class (WLI)
tenders to replace the capabilities of the inland buoy tenders.
Although there are three classes proposed and design specifications are
not final, the design would maximize commonality between the three
classes to reduce sustainment costs, training needs, and other
associated requirements.
The Final PEIS analyzes the potential environmental and
socioeconomic impacts associated with the Proposed Action, including
direct, indirect, and cumulative effects, and mitigation measure to
minimize impacts.
The Coast Guard completed an Endangered Species Act (ESA) Section 7
and Essential Fish Habitat consultation with the National Marine
Fisheries Service (NMFS) on U.S. Coast Guard Federal Aids to Navigation
Program on
[[Page 15444]]
April 19, 2018. The Coast Guard obtained U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
(USFWS) concurrence on the determination that there would be no effect
to ESA listed species from vessel design and construction. An ESA
Section 7 consultation with the USFWS on U.S. Coast Guard Federal Aids
to Navigation Program remains on-going and is inclusive of all WCC
operations, which is expected to be completed before the first planned
WCC is operational in 2025. The USFWS expects to complete formal
consultation and issue their opinion on the USCG ATON Biological
Evaluation in December 2022 and before the first new WCC is
constructed. The WCC Proposed Action is included in the ESA
consultations with NMFS and the USFWS.
The Coast Guard identified three reasonable alternatives that would
meet the purpose and need of the Proposed Action; these three Action
Alternatives are analyzed in detail in the Final PEIS.
1. Alternative 1 (Preferred Alternative): The Coast Guard would
acquire a planned 30 WCCs to replace the capabilities of the existing
inland tender fleet (consisting of 35 cutters and 27 barges) to fulfill
mission requirements in federal waterways, including the vast network
of the IW&WR. The proposed WCCs would consist of a planned 16 WLRs, a
planned 11 WLICs, and a planned three WLIs. The first WCCs would
potentially be operational as soon as 2025, with a planned 30 WCCs
delivered and operational approximately by 2030. A planned four WLR and
WLIC vessels could be constructed per year, dependent upon industry
capability, beginning in 2025 and continuing until 27 total WLRs and
WLICs have been received. The first WLI would not be expected until
2027 with a planned two WLIs being delivered in a year, dependent upon
industry capability. WCCs are expected to be operational within 3
months of the time of acceptance from the contractor. During
construction of the WCCs, Coast Guard would have up to two dozen
personnel imbedded in the contractor's workspaces for design and
construction review and inspection. This construction schedule would
allow for the existing inland tender fleet to remain present with no
service interruptions to Coast Guard missions.
2. Alternative 2: The Coast Guard would explore hybrid government
and contracted options for mission performance. Ship platforms would
meet similar technical specifications discussed in Alternative 1.
Scenarios include: Contractor-owned vessels that are government-
operated (Coast Guard employees or a partner agency provides the crew
for third-party, contractor-owned vessels); government-owned vessels
that are contractor-operated (a commercial operating company provides
the crew for Coast Guard or partner agency owned vessels); or
contractor-owned and contractor-operated systems (Coast Guard provides
neither the vessels nor personnel).
The logistical costs of contracting a combination of unique hulls
to satisfy the requirements to service ATON in the proposed action
areas would exceed the corresponding costs of maintaining a class of 30
cutters that would be built specifically to conduct missions in the
Coast Guard's proposed action areas. Similarly, one-for-one replacement
would cost far more per replacement hull because it eliminates any
workforce savings associated with a ship with capabilities designed
specifically to conduct Coast Guard missions in the IW&WR. Major
challenges to any combined fleet are that the assets would not be able
to communicate in real time, they would operate at differing levels of
efficiency (resulting in decreased efficiency throughout the ATON
system), and they would incur increased maintenance costs.
3. Alternative 3: The mixed fleet alternative would involve a
combination of cutters and shore-based assets (including Aids to
Navigation team units), implementation of electronic ATON, and use of
contracted ATON services to achieve Coast Guard ATON missions
throughout the IW&WR. To accomplish a mixed fleet solution, additional
Coast Guard ATON personnel and teams would be required. To accommodate
the additional ATON teams, existing facilities would require expansion
and construction of new shore based facilities could be necessary. Use
of electronic ATON instead of physical ATON could also prove necessary.
Similar to Alternative 2, the logistical costs to satisfy the
requirements to service ATON in the proposed action areas would exceed
the corresponding costs of maintaining a class of 30 cutters that would
be built specifically to conduct missions in the IW&WR. Additionally,
similar to Alternative 2, major challenges with this approach are that
assets would not be able to communicate in real time, they would
operate at differing levels of efficiency (resulting in decreased
efficiency throughout the system), and they would incur increased
maintenance costs.
The Coast Guard also carried forward the No Action Alternative for
detailed analysis in the Final PEIS. While the No Action Alternative
would not satisfy the purpose and need for the Proposed Action, this
alternative was retained to provide a comparative against which to
analyze the effects of the Action Alternatives as required under CEQ's
NEPA regulation.
Resource areas analyzed in the Final PEIS include: Air quality,
ambient sound, bottom habitat and sediments, water quality, biological
resources and critical habitat, and socioeconomic resources.
Stressors analyzed in the Final PEIS include: Acoustic stressors
(fathometer and Doppler speed log noise, vessel noise, ATON signal
testing noise, tool noise, and pile driving noise) and physical
stressors (vessel movement, bottom devices, construction, brushing,
pile driving, unrecovered jet cone moorings, ATON retrieval devices,
and tow lines).
Based on the analysis presented in the Final PEIS, potentially
adverse impacts could occur to biological resources (that is, from
disturbance); however, practical mitigation measures presented in the
Final PEIS reduce any of these potential adverse effects. As a result,
impacts to all resource areas would be less-than-significant (that is,
negligible, minor, or moderate) adverse or beneficial, which may result
in the Coast Guard making a finding of no significant impact in the
ROD. However, these findings are not final until the Coast Guard
executes a ROD.
The Coast Guard held two virtual public scoping meetings and on
September 24, 2021, the Coast Guard published a Notice of Availability
(NOA) and a request for comments on the Draft PEIS (86 FR 53086). The
Coast Guard received three letters commenting on the Draft PEIS. The
Coast Guard considered and addressed in the Final PEIS comments
received on the Draft PEIS during the comment period. Public comments
did not result in the addition of substantive revisions to the Draft
PEIS. Responses to comments are in Appendix G of the Final PEIS. An
electronic copy of the Final PEIS is posted on the following web page:
<a href="https://www.dcms.uscg.mil/Our-Organization/Assistant-Commandant-for-Engineering-Logistics-CG-4-/Program-Offices/Environmental-Management/Environmental-Planning-and-Historic-Preservation/">https://www.dcms.uscg.mil/Our-Organization/Assistant-Commandant-for-Engineering-Logistics-CG-4-/Program-Offices/Environmental-Management/Environmental-Planning-and-Historic-Preservation/</a>.
After publication of this NOA of the Final PEIS, the Coast Guard
will prepare and publish its ROD announcing which Alternative is
environmentally preferred and which Alternative it selects for
implementation. Publication of the Final ROD will occur no sooner than
30 days after the publication of the Final
[[Page 15445]]
PEIS. This notice is issued under authority of NEPA, specifically in
compliance with 42 U.S.C. 4332(2)(C) and CEQ implementing regulations
in 40 CFR parts 1500 through 1508.
Dated: March 14, 2022.
Aaron Pagnotti,
Waterways Commerce Cutter Program Manager.
[FR Doc. 2022-05703 Filed 3-17-22; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 9110-04-P
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