Department of the Army, Corps of Engineers June 15, 2012 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Los Angeles District Regulatory Division (Corps), in coordination with the Los Angeles Harbor Department/Port of Los Angeles, has completed a Final Environmental Impact Statement/Environmental Impact Report (EIS/EIR) for the Berths 302-306 American Presidents Line (APL) Container Terminal Project. This Notice serves as the 30-day Notice of Availability for the Final EIS/EIR for the project, which will conclude on July 16, 2012. Berths 302-305 are currently operational and encompass approximately 291 acres of land and water including 12 container cranes, a 4,000-foot-long wharf, utility infrastructure, truck gates, intermodal rail, and terminal buildings to support operations. The Project would result in an additional 12 container cranes distributed among Berths 302-306 with eight new cranes proposed at Berth 306, a new 1,250-foot-long wharf at Berth 306, and development of 41 acres of backlands for container storage and distribution, including installation of utility infrastructure to support future automation at Berth 306 and the 41 acre backland. The Project would result in an approximately 347-acre marine container terminal, and would include the following construction and operational elements: Dredging, wharf construction, additional container cranes; expanded container yard and associated structures and utilities; modification of truck gates, associated structures, and roadwork. The Port of Los Angeles (Port) requires authorization pursuant to Section 10 of the Rivers and Harbors Act, and Section 103 of the Marine Protection, Research, and Sanctuaries Act, to implement regulated activities in and over waters of the U.S. associated with expanding the existing APL container terminal. The Corps and the Port as the state lead agency prepared an EIS/EIR in order to optimize efficiency and avoid duplication. The EIS/EIR is intended to be sufficient in scope to address federal, state, and local requirements and environmental issues concerning the proposed activities and permit approvals. The following proposed activities require authorization from the Corps: (1) Construction of a new 1,250-foot-long concrete pile-supported wharf at Berth 306 which is immediately adjacent to the existing 4,000-foot-long wharf at Berths 302-305, (2) installation of 12 new gantry cranes between Berths 302-306 with at least eight (8) new cranes at Berth 306 associated with development and operation of the 41-acre backlands at Berth 306, (3) dredging of approximately 20,000 cubic yards (cy) of sediment from Berth 306 to increase the depth to -55 feet mean lower low water (MLLW) plus an additional two feet of overdepth dredging to - 57 feet MLLW, and (4) disposal of dredged material in Berth 243-245 confined disposal facility (CDF), the Cabrillo Shallow Water Habitat Area, or at LA-2 (unconfined ocean disposal).