Notice2022-22075
Draft Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement Expansion and Modernization of Base Seattle
Primary source
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Published
October 11, 2022
Issuing agencies
Homeland Security DepartmentCoast Guard
Abstract
In accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969 as amended and the Council on Environmental Quality NEPA Regulations, the U.S. Coast Guard announces the availability of the Draft Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (PEIS) for the Expansion and Modernization of Base Seattle. The Draft PEIS analyzes the potential environmental and socioeconomic impacts, and identifies related mitigation measures, associated with land acquisition, facility and infrastructure modernization, and continued operation to support current and future Coast Guard missions at Base Seattle. By this notice, Coast Guard is announcing the availability of the draft PEIS for public review and comment.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 87 Issue 195 (Tuesday, October 11, 2022)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 195 (Tuesday, October 11, 2022)]
[Notices]
[Pages 61344-61346]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2022-22075]
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DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY
Coast Guard
[Docket Number USCG-2021-0183]
Draft Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement Expansion and
Modernization of Base Seattle
AGENCY: Coast Guard, DHS.
ACTION: Notice of Availability for Draft Programmatic Environmental
Impact Statement Expansion and Modernization of Base Seattle; and
request for comments.
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SUMMARY: In accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act
(NEPA) of 1969 as amended and the Council on Environmental Quality NEPA
Regulations, the U.S. Coast Guard announces the availability of the
Draft Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (PEIS) for the
Expansion and Modernization of Base Seattle. The Draft PEIS analyzes
the potential environmental and socioeconomic impacts, and identifies
related mitigation measures, associated with land acquisition, facility
and infrastructure modernization, and continued operation to support
current and future Coast Guard missions at Base Seattle. By this
notice, Coast Guard is announcing the availability of the draft PEIS
for public review and comment.
DATES: Comments and related material must be post-marked or received by
the Coast Guard on or before December 2nd, 2022.
ADDRESSES: The PEIS can be reviewed 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>. Comments can be submitted to docket number
USCG-2021-0183 using the Federal eRulemaking Portal at <a href="https://www.regulations.gov/">https://www.regulations.gov/</a>. See the ``Public Participation and Request for
Comments'' portion of the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section for further
instructions on submitting comments.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Requests for additional information
should be sent to Dean Amundson, Coast Guard; telephone 510-637-5541,
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#85c7e4f6e0d6e0e4f1f1e9e0d5c0ccd6c5f0f6e6e2abe8ece9"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="cb89aab8ae98aeaabfbfa7ae9b8e82988bbeb8a8ace5a6a2a7">[email protected]</span></a>.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Pursuant to section 102(2)(c) of the
National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969, sections 4321 et seq.
of Title 42 United States Code, and Council on Environmental Quality
Regulations (sections 1500-1508 of Title 40 Code of Federal Regulations
[CFR]; CEQ), the Coast Guard announces the availability of a Draft PEIS
for public comment. The Coast Guard published a Notice of Intent (NOI)
to prepare a PEIS on May 7, 2021 (FR24637). The NOI formally announced
a formal 45 day scoping period in which comments were received. The
Coast Guard used these comments to develop the Draft PEIS that is the
subject of this Notice.
I. Public Participation and Comments
The Coast Guard invites you to review the Draft PEIS. The Coast
Guard will consider all submissions and may adjust our final analysis
and decision 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 Draft PEIS by
one of the following methods:
<bullet> Via the Web: You may submit comments identified by docket
number USCG-2021-0183 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, Shore Infrastructure
Logistics Center, Environmental Management Division, Attn: Mr. Dean
Amundson, 1301 Clay Street, Suite 700N, Oakland, CA 94612-5203. Please
note that mailed comments must be post-marked on or before the comment
deadline of December 2nd, 2022.
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 in the docket.
II. Public Comment and Meeting
After publication of this Notice of Availability (NOA) of the Draft
PEIS, the Coast Guard will receive public comments for 57 days. During
this time period, the Coast Guard will hold a public meeting in
Seattle, Washington. The public meeting will provide an additional
opportunity to submit written comments on the Draft PEIS. The date and
time of the public meeting will be announced in the Seattle Times. If
special assistance is required to attend the meeting, contact the U.S.
Coast Guard as indicated in FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT.
Upon the completion of the 57 day public comment period, the Coast
Guard
[[Page 61345]]
will prepare comment responses and publish its Final 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.
III. Purpose and Need
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. 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.
IV. Scope of Analysis
The Draft PEIS identifies and examines the proposed action to
expand and modernize Base Seattle, the reasonable alternatives
available to the Coast Guard, and assesses the potential environmental
impact of each. Future decisions to homeport major cutters at Base
Seattle, as well as the fate of cutters currently homeported at Base
Seattle, are independent actions from the modernization program
evaluated in this PEIS and therefore these actions are not within the
scope of the PEIS analysis. Additionally, the EPA is the lead agency
for a potential removal of contamination in Slip 36 at Base Seattle
under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and
Liability Act (CERCLA). Since the Coast Guard is not the lead agency,
and the project is being completed under CERCLA (exempt from NEPA),
this action is independent of the Base Seattle modernization.
V. Alternatives
The Coast Guard has determined the requirements to modernize and
upgrade existing facilities and infrastructure at Base Seattle. These
requirements include resolving incompatible land uses, increasing
berthing capacity, upgrading existing facilities and infrastructure,
reducing congestion and parking shortfalls, providing a safer work
environment, enhancing physical security capabilities, and providing
new infrastructure, as necessary.
All action alternatives include demolition, rehabilitation/
renovation, and construction of structures. In addition to buildings,
the proposed construction actions would include utility replacement,
upgrade, and modernization; seismic soil stabilization; upgrades to
base security (fencing); expanded parking and flexible use space; and
repair of internal road surfaces, hardscaping, and landscaping.
Once the program is fully executed, Base Seattle population would
increase from the current level of 1,140 to an estimated 1,900
personnel.
The Coast Guard identified three reasonable alternatives that would
meet the purpose and need of the Proposed Action.
1. Alternative 1: Modernization with Additional Land and Two Berths
at Terminal 46 (Preferred Alternative). Under Alternative 1,
approximately 27 to 54 acres of land would be acquired, including the
1.1-acre Belknap property and between 26 and 53 acres at Terminal 46
from the Port of Seattle. The acquired property at Terminal 46 would
provide 1,070 linear feet of new Coast Guard berthing space. In
addition to the construction activities discussed above, Alternative 1
would include the re-construction of portions of Terminal 46.
2. Alternative 2: Modernization with Additional Land from Terminals
30 and 46. Alternative 2 would expand Base Seattle both to the north
and south. Under Alternative 2, many of the proposed infrastructure
modernization and expansion elements would occur within the current
Base boundaries or on land acquired at Terminal 30 and berthing
requirements would be satisfied by the development of two new berths to
the south (Pier 35 E/F). Land acquired at Terminal 46 would be used for
active cutter support services, material laydown areas, and AT/FP
setbacks. Land acquisition under Alternative 2 would include 21.5 to
29.5 acres of land, with the majority being 13.5 to 21.5 acres at
Terminal 30, which would include Jack Perry Memorial Park. Two new
berths would provide 1,120 linear feet of wharf space. The berths would
be constructed through the Pier 35E/F development with one berth on
currently owned Coast Guard property and a second berth constructed on
acquired property at Terminal 30.
3. Alternative 3: Modernization with Additional Land and One Berth
at Terminal 46. Under Alternative 3, Base Seattle would expand to the
north through land acquisition at Terminal 46 and would infill the
current Base footprint by acquiring currently leased properties. The
minimum acquired land would total approximately 24.25 to 32.25 acres
with the majority of land being 21.75 to 29.75 acres at Terminal 46.
These elements include satisfying berthing requirements with
construction of one new berth within the current Base boundaries (Pier
35E) and one additional existing berth at Terminal 46. Under this
alternative, one existing berth totaling 560 LF would be acquired at
Terminal 46. No further modifications are required for this berth. One
berth would be constructed on Coast Guard property at proposed Pier 35.
The Coast Guard also carried forward the No Action Alternative for
detailed analysis in the Draft 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.
VI. Findings of the Draft PEIS
The Draft PEIS analyzes the potential environmental and
socioeconomic impacts associated with the Proposed Action, action
alternatives and the No Action Alternative; including direct, indirect,
and cumulative effects, and mitigation measure to minimize impacts.
Resource areas analyzed in the Draft PEIS include: land use, geological
resources, water resources, transportation, air quality, biological
resources, socioeconomics and
[[Page 61346]]
environmental justice, cultural resources, noise, utilities and public
services, hazardous materials and wastes, visual resources,
recreational resources, and greenhouse gases and climate change.
Based on the analysis presented in the Draft PEIS, significant
adverse impacts could occur to land use/Coastal Zone Management and
socioconomics/environmental justice. Due to the programmatic nature of
the Proposed Action, the analysis determined that there are adverse
potentially significant impacts to cultural resources. When considered
with other projects there will be both significant and potentially
significant cumulative impacts. The Coast Guard invites public response
and comments on the Draft PEIS to assist the Coast Guard in improving
the analysis and mitigation of environmental impacts associated with
the Proposed Action.
Dated: September 29, 2022.
C.J. List,
Rear Admiral, USCG.
[FR Doc. 2022-22075 Filed 10-7-22; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 9110-04-P
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