Notice2025-13483
Notice of Public Meeting for the Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the Proposed Bremerton Waterfront Infrastructure Improvements at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard and Intermediate Maintenance Facility, Naval Base Kitsap-Bremerton (EISX-007-17-USN-1654671600)
Primary source
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Published
July 18, 2025
Issuing agencies
Defense DepartmentNavy Department
Abstract
Pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), the U.S. Department of the Navy (DoN), as the lead agency, has prepared and filed with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) a Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) which evaluates the potential environmental impacts of constructing and operating a new multi-mission dry dock (M2D2) and associated waterfront infrastructure improvements at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard and Intermediate Maintenance Facility (PSNS & IMF) on Naval Base Kitsap-Bremerton. The Proposed Action also includes dredging to create adequate water depth at wharves and piers and as required for construction of new structures. Some existing upland shipyard functions affected by construction at PSNS & IMF would be moved to Naval Base Kitsap-Bangor. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Seattle District and the EPA, Region 10 are cooperating agencies with the DoN in the preparation of the EIS. The DoN also worked closely with the Suquamish Indian Tribe of the Port Madison Reservation, Skokomish Indian Tribe, Port Gamble S'Klallam Tribe, Jamestown S'Klallam Tribe, and Lower Elwha Tribal Community to develop the DEIS. The DoN published a Notice of Intent to prepare an EIS in the Federal Register on June 8, 2022 (Volume 87, number 110) that initiated a 30-day scoping period ending on July 11, 2022. The Notice of Intent discussed several projects that are no longer part of the Proposed Action. Three potential future actions--Pier 5 demolition, Pier 6 replacement, and Dry Dock 6 (DD6) seismic upgrades--are not currently funded or programmed for implementation, and a future construction schedule has not yet been determined. If the DoN decides to proceed with these potential projects at a later date, the DoN will analyze potential environmental impacts in accordance with NEPA requirements and Navy implementation policies.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 90 Issue 136 (Friday, July 18, 2025)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 90, Number 136 (Friday, July 18, 2025)]
[Notices]
[Pages 33930-33931]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2025-13483]
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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Department of the Navy
Notice of Public Meeting for the Draft Environmental Impact
Statement for the Proposed Bremerton Waterfront Infrastructure
Improvements at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard and Intermediate Maintenance
Facility, Naval Base Kitsap-Bremerton (EISX-007-17-USN-1654671600)
AGENCY: Department of the Navy (DoN), Department of Defense (DoD).
ACTION: Notice.
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SUMMARY: Pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), the
U.S. Department of the Navy (DoN), as the lead agency, has prepared and
filed with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) a Draft
Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) which evaluates the potential
environmental impacts of constructing and operating a new multi-mission
dry dock (M2D2) and associated waterfront infrastructure improvements
at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard and Intermediate Maintenance Facility
(PSNS & IMF) on Naval Base Kitsap-Bremerton. The Proposed Action also
includes dredging to create adequate water depth at wharves and piers
and as required for construction of new structures. Some existing
upland shipyard functions affected by construction at PSNS & IMF would
be moved to Naval Base Kitsap-Bangor. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers,
Seattle District and the EPA, Region 10 are cooperating agencies with
the DoN in the preparation of the EIS. The DoN also worked closely with
the Suquamish Indian Tribe of the Port Madison Reservation, Skokomish
Indian Tribe, Port Gamble S'Klallam Tribe, Jamestown S'Klallam Tribe,
and Lower Elwha Tribal Community to develop the DEIS. The DoN published
a Notice of Intent to prepare an EIS in the Federal Register on June 8,
2022 (Volume 87, number 110) that initiated a 30-day scoping period
ending on July 11, 2022. The Notice of Intent discussed several
projects that are no longer part of the Proposed Action. Three
potential future actions--Pier 5 demolition, Pier 6 replacement, and
Dry Dock 6 (DD6) seismic upgrades--are not currently funded or
programmed for implementation, and a future construction schedule has
not yet been determined. If the DoN decides to proceed with these
potential projects at a later date, the DoN will analyze potential
environmental impacts in accordance with NEPA requirements and Navy
implementation policies.
DATES: With the filing of the DEIS, the DoN is initiating a 45-day
public review and comment period on the DEIS beginning on July 18, 2025
and ending on September 3, 2025. The public can submit comments during
the DEIS public review and comment period, during the in-person public
meeting, online at the project website, by email, or by U.S. mail. All
comments must be postmarked or submitted electronically by 11:59 p.m.
Pacific Time on September 3, 2025 to be considered in the development
of the Final EIS. Concurrently, the Navy is conducting a Section 106
process under the National Historic Preservation Act, or NHPA that
requires federal agencies to consider the effects projects may have on
historic properties. The public can submit written comments for the
Section 106 process during this public review and comment period.
One public meeting will be held in the form of an open house
session to allow interested individuals to review information presented
in the DEIS. DoN representatives will be available during the open
house session to provide information and answer questions about the
Proposed Action and environmental analysis. There will not be a formal
presentation. The public meeting is scheduled for the following date,
time and location:
1. Thursday, August 7, 2025, from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Pacific
Time at the Marvin Williams Recreation Center; 725 Park Avenue,
Bremerton, WA 98337.
ADDRESSES: The DoN invites all interested parties to submit comments on
the Bremerton Waterfront Infrastructure Improvements DEIS during the
public review and comment period ending on September 3, 2025. Comments
may be received:
<bullet> at the in-person public meeting;
<bullet> electronically through the project website:
<a href="http://BremertonWaterfrontImprovementsEIS.com">BremertonWaterfrontImprovementsEIS.com</a>;
<bullet> electronically through email:
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#3950575f5679055819514b5c5f04" http: BremertonWaterfrontImprovementsEIS.com">BremertonWaterfrontImprovementsEIS.com</a>">info@<a href="http://BremertonWaterfrontImprovementsEIS.com">BremertonWaterfrontImprovementsEIS.com</a></a>; or
<bullet> by mail to Naval Facilities Engineering Systems Command
Northwest; Attention: EIS Project Manager, 1101 Tautog Circle, Room
210, Silverdale, Washington 98315.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Navy Region Northwest, 1100 Ramirez de
Arellano Road, Room 213, Silverdale, WA 98315, Attention: Ms. Julianne
Leinenveber, Public Affairs Specialist, 360-867-8525,
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#bbd1ced7d2dad5d5de95de95d7ded2d5ded5cdded9dec995d8d2cdfbcec895d5dacdc295d6d2d7"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="29435c45404847474c074c07454c40474c475f4c4b4c5b074a405f695c5a0747485f5007444045">[email protected]</span></a>, or visit the project website at
https://
[[Page 33931]]
BremertonWaterfrontimprovementseis.com.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: PSNS & IMF is the DoN's primary provider for
the maintenance, repair, modernization, inactivation, and recycling of
ships, submarines, and aircraft carriers in the Pacific Fleet. PSNS &
IMF is the only DoN shipyard on the West Coast with a dry dock that can
accommodate nuclear-powered aircraft carriers for repair and
maintenance. Additionally, PSNS & IMF is the only DoN shipyard that is
approved to recycle nuclear nuclear-powered submarines.
Much of the infrastructure at PSNS & IMF is over 100 years old and
was primarily designed for building and maintaining ship classes that
are no longer part of the Naval fleet. Other than the construction of
DD6 in the early 1960s, the shipyard has had few major infrastructure
updates since World War II, which has led to significant ship
maintenance delays.
The purpose of the Proposed Action is to address critical
deficiencies in dry dock capability, capacity, and seismic
survivability at Naval Base Kitsap-Bremerton to enable PSNS & IMF to
meet its mission to support the DoN's nuclear fleet. The Proposed
Action is needed because: (1) PSNS & IMF does not have the dry dock
capability to support the DoN's newest Ford-class carriers; (2) PSNS &
IMF does not have the dry dock and pier capacity to conduct the
required future overhauling, refueling, inactivating, and recycling of
nuclear-powered ships, and PSNS & IMF must also maintain the capacity
to perform emergent work such as battle damage repair; and (3) PSNS &
IMF has the only dry dock on the West Coast that can accommodate a
nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, and it does not meet seismic criteria
under the DoD safety certification program nor under the DoD Unified
Facilities Criteria.
The DEIS analyzes two action alternatives that meet the purpose of
and need for the Proposed Action and the No Action alternative. Under
the No Action alternative, Alternative 1, there would be no change from
the status quo. The action alternatives (Alternatives 2 and 3) are
differentiated by the location of the new M2D2 and the locations of
various infrastructure improvements.
Under Alternative 2, the DoN would construct a new M2D2 on the east
side of PSNS & IMF, at the location of existing DD3. A new forge shop
and expanded Radio Hill complex would be constructed at Naval Base
Kitsap-Bangor. The DoN would also demolish Piers 4, 6 and 7,
deconstruct and remove the Hammerhead Crane on Pier 6, and construct a
new Pier 2. The DoN would replace Pier 4 with a new pier. Pier 6 would
be replaced with the new Wharf 6 at the M2D2 west wall and Pier 7 would
be replaced with the new Wharf 7 at the M2D2 east wall.
Under Alternative 3, the DoN would construct an M2D2 in the center
of the PSNS & IMF waterfront, at the current location of Mooring A. The
DoN would also demolish Mooring A and Pier 4 and deconstruct and remove
the Hammerhead Crane on Pier 6. The DoN would replace Pier 4 with a new
pier. The Radio Hill complex at Naval Base Kitsap-Bangor would be
expanded.
Both alternatives would require dredging to create adequate water
depth at wharves and piers and as required for construction of new
structures, but Alternative 3 would also require dredging to create a
turning basin. Temporary construction methods include 18 temporary
mooring buoys, an off-site contractor multi-use site(s) and a temporary
construction access pier as well as caisson transport to the project
location. Alternative 2 would also require a temporary cofferdam.
Alternative 2 is the DoN's preferred alternative because it would have
fewer environmental impacts than Alternative 3, based on a comparison
of dredge areas, in-water fill, and net increase in overwater coverage.
The DEIS evaluates the potential environmental impacts associated
with air quality, water resources, geological resources, biological
resources, cultural resources, American Indian traditional resources,
land use and recreation, visual resources, noise, utilities and
infrastructure, transportation, marine navigation, public health and
safety, hazardous materials and wastes, and socioeconomics. The
analyses also evaluate the potential interaction of the Proposed Action
with reasonably foreseeable future actions. The DEIS identifies various
environmental commitments by the DoN to avoid, minimize, or mitigate
environmental effects.
Additionally, the DoN is conducting all coordination, consultation,
and permitting activities required by the Clean Water Act, Rivers and
Harbors Act, Endangered Species Act, Marine Mammal Protection Act,
Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, National
Historic Preservation Act, Coastal Zone Management Act, and other
applicable laws and regulations. The DoN is conducting government-to-
government consultations with federally recognized Tribes that could be
affected by the Proposed Action.
The DEIS has been distributed to various Federal, State, local
agencies and Tribes, as well as other interested individuals and
organizations. In addition, copies of the DEIS have been distributed to
the following libraries for public review:
1. Kitsap Regional Library, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., 612 Fifth
Street, Bremerton, WA 98337;
2. Kitsap Regional Library, Sylvan Way Branch, 1301 Sylvan Way,
Bremerton, WA 98310;
3. Kitsap Regional Library, Port Orchard Branch, 87 Sidney Avenue,
Port Orchard, WA 98366;
4. Kitsap Regional Library, Silverdale Branch, 3650 NW Anderson
Hill Road, Suite 101, Silverdale, WA 98383;
5. Seattle Public Library, Central Library Branch, 1000 Fourth
Avenue, Seattle, WA 98104.
An electronic copy of the DEIS is also available for public viewing
at: <a href="http://BremertonWaterfrontImprovementsEIS.com">BremertonWaterfrontImprovementsEIS.com</a>.
The public involvement process is helpful in identifying public
concerns and local issues to be considered during the development of
the Final EIS and encouraging comments on the environmental analysis.
Federal, State, and local agencies; federally recognized Tribes and
Tribal groups; non-governmental organizations; and interested persons
are encouraged to provide substantive comments on the Proposed Action
and the environmental analysis, as well as the project's potential to
affect historic properties as it relates to Section 106 of the NHPA.
All comments provided at the in-person public meeting, electronically
via the project website, emailed, or mailed to the addresses provided
in the ADDRESSES section by 11:59 p.m. Pacific Time on September 3,
2025 will be considered during the development of the Final EIS.
Dated: July 15, 2025.
T.O. Walker,
Lieutenant Commander, Judge Advocate General's Corps, U.S. Navy,
Federal Register Liaison Officer.
[FR Doc. 2025-13483 Filed 7-17-25; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3810-FF-P
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