February 19, 1999

RE: Draft Programmatic NEPA/SEPA EIS for the Puget Sound Confined Disposal Study

Dear Interested Party:

The enclosed draft Programmatic NEPA/SEPA EIS for the Puget Sound Confined Disposal Study has been prepared in compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) (40 CFR Parts 1500-1508), and the State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA) (RCW 43.21C). The NEPA lead agency is the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. SEPA lead agency status is shared by the Washington State Department of Ecology and the Washington State Department of Natural Resources.

This draft Programmatic EIS (PEIS) was prepared as a key component of the Puget Sound Confined Disposal Study and is intended to facilitate development of any site-specific confined disposal EIS that might follow. The site-specific EIS could use the PEIS document through "tiering" or "phasing", incorporating relevant aspects of the PEIS by reference and focusing on site-specific issues and impacts. The site-specific EIS would include application of the siting process and selection of candidate sites, site-specific design and impact analyses, and selection of a preferred candidate site(s).

From 6 to 14 million cy of contaminated dredged material from Puget Sound will require confined disposal over the next 15 years. Seven different alternatives for addressing this need are described and evaluated in this draft PEIS: no action, disposal in solid waste landfills, and several types (e.g., in-water, nearshore and upland) of constructed sediment disposal facilities. There is no preferred alternative at this time. All the constructed alternatives and the solid waste landfill alternative are feasible from an engineering perspective and provide long-term confinement. Costs vary substantially among alternatives, with significant economies of scale for larger facilities. The alternatives also have different environmental advantages, disadvantages, and risks.

The draft PEIS evaluation provides initial environmental review and cost analysis of available alternatives. An array of issues concerning the natural and built environments are considered. Key environmental advantages and disadvantages among the alternatives concern habitat loss, changes in upland and aquatic land use, siting difficulty, sediment rehandling requirements and potential short-term environmental exposure, monitoring needs, and aesthetic impacts. Timing, liability, public perception, regulatory issues, and management options are also discussed. The PEIS does not speculate about how the Puget Sound Confined Disposal Study might be affected by state and federal policies on disposal of contaminated sediment that are still under development, and it does not address the proprietary issues related to the use of state-owned aquatic lands, their valuation, nor issues of funding related to cleanup costs.

A 45-day comment period is being provided for reviewers to comment on the draft PEIS. Written comments should be addressed to Dr. Stephen Martin, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, P.O. Box 3755, Seattle, WA 98134-3755, by April 5, 1999. Lack of response by agencies or members of the public within the comment period is construed as a lack of objection to the contents of the draft PEIS. Comments should be concise, specific, and cross referenced with document format. All comments received will be addressed in the final PEIS.

Three informational workshops and two public hearings will be held during the 45-day review period for the draft PEIS to provide opportunities for comments and questions. The informational workshops will provide briefings on the projects, while the public hearings will receive verbal comments. First, a draft PEIS informational workshop is scheduled for March 16, 1999, from 5:30 to 6:45 PM at the Federal Center South, 4735 E. Marginal Way, Seattle, followed by a public hearing from 7:00 to 9:30 PM at the same location. Another informational workshop is scheduled for March 18, 1999, from 5:30 to 6:45 PM at the Tacoma Main Library, Olympic Room, 1102 Tacoma Avenue South, Tacoma. The third informational workshop will be held on March 23, 1999 from 5:30 to 6:45 PM at the Howard Johnson Plaza Hotel, 5640 Kitsap Way, Bremerton, followed by a public hearing from 7:00 to 9:30 PM at the same location. Written comments on the draft PEIS may be submitted at any of these workshops or hearings; oral comments will be accepted only at the public hearings.

A limited number of copies of the draft PEIS will be available to public agencies, organized citizens groups, and private citizens at no charge. Requests should be made by calling Dr. Stephen Martin, (206) 764-3631. If numerous requests are received after copy supplies have been exhausted, additional copies will be printed and will be available for a nominal fee to the public. The public may also examine review copies which have been distributed to the regional libraries listed in Chapter 12 of this document. In addition, the executive summary of the draft PEIS is available for viewing on Ecology’s web site: http://www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/tcp/smu/muds.htm .

Further information on the PEIS may be obtained by contacting Dr. Stephen Martin, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, (206) 764-3631; Mr. Tom Gries, Washington Department of Ecology, (360) 407-7536; and/or Mr. Tim Goodman, Washington Department of Natural Resources, (360) 902-1057.

Following receipt of public comments, a final PEIS will be prepared and issued which will include responses to comments received during the 45-day public comment period.

Sincerely, 

 

Dr. Stephen Martin	Mr. David Bradley	Mr. Paul Silver
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers	Washington Dept. of Ecology	WashingtonDept. of Natural Resources