20090164 Ver 1_Finding of No Significant Impact_20090807

REPLY TO
ATTZNTXON Ol,
p(nunq
AUG 7 2009
DENR - WATER QUALITY
WETLANDS AND STORMIINATER BRANCH
DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY
596TH U.S. ARMY TRANSPORTATION TERMINAL GROUP (AMMUNITION) (PROVISIONAL)
6280 SUNNY POINT ROAD SE
MILITARY OCEAN TERMINAL, SUNNY POINT
SOUTHPORT, NORTH CAROLINA 28461-5000
Public Works Division July 28, 2009
NOTICE OF AVAILABILITY
FINDING OF NO SIGNIFICANT IMPACT (FONSI)
RAILROAD RECONFIGURATION AND RAIL SYSTEM IMPROVEMENTS
MILITARY OCEAN TERMINAL SUNNYPOINT (MOTSU)
BRUNSWICK COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA, July 2009
TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN: A Finding of No Significant Impact
(FONSI) has been prepared which discusses and responds to
comments received during the 30-day review of the Environmental
Assessment (EA) for the Railroad Reconfiguration and Rail System
Improvements. This project involves the repair and
refurbishment of MOTSU's Main Terminal rail infrastructure
within the North and South Rail Holding Yards and the rail
ingress and egress on the South and Center Wharves. The project
would occur entirely on government owned property. The EA was
prepared in accordance with the National Environmental Policy
Act (NEPA) of 1969 (Title 42 of the United States Code (USC)
4321-4347) guidelines; the Council on Environmental Quality
(CEQ) regulations codified in Title 40 of the Code of Federal
Regulations (CFR) Parts 1500-1508; and Army Regulation (AR) 200-
2 Environmental Effects of Army Actions, March 2002. These
criteria establish the process by which MOTSU considered the
potential environmental effects of the proposed rail
reconfiguration project. The proposed project is consistent
with MOTSU's mission and operational requirements set forth by
the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) and the U.S. Army's
Military Surface Deployment and Distribution Command (SDDC).
The rail reconfiguration is a phased project in as much as the
South Rail Holding Yard will realize reconfigurations and
refurbishments first because of the South Wharf's primary berth
use and container crane locations. The North Rail Holding Yard
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will follow as funds are made available. All permits and
approvals obtained for this project include the full extent of
the project, North and South Rail Holding Yards and the South
and Center Wharves rail ingress and egress routes.
A No Action Alternative was evaluated and two additional
alternatives considered but not fully evaluated as options to
the proposed rail repair and refurbishment project. The No
Action and the two alternatives considered but eliminated are
addressed below:
No Action: Under the No Action Alternative, the Main Terminal's
rail infrastructure would not be reconfigured or refurbished.
MOTSU would continue using 1950's standard No. 8 rail turnouts
designed and constructed for 40-foot to 60-foot flatbed railcars
as opposed to today's standard No. 10 rail turnouts designed for
90-foot to 110-foot flatbed railcars. Under the No Action
Alternative, MOTSU's ability to maximize operational staging
capability in the North and South Rail Holding Yards would not
be realized. The improper sized rail infrastructure would
continue to compromise safety and increase a derailment
potential.
Holding Yard Segregation by Railcar Lengths: The railcar
segregation alternative would upgrade the No. 8 turnouts in only
one of the two holding yards or in reduced numbers in each yard.
In this scenario, the 90-foot to 110-foot flatbed railcars would
be segregated by available No. 10 turnout locations. MOTSU can
receive complete unit trains (100 railcars), and the railcars
are segregated by munitions type as required by military safety
protocol. During intensive operations, the terminal could
physically deplete available holding areas through inefficient
and ineffective rail spur accessibility. The railcar
segregation alternative would be labor intensive, time
inefficient, and operationally ineffective.
Construct New Ammunition Hardstands, Disposal Area No. 2: The
new ammunition hardstands alternative would convert a former
425-acre upland dredged material disposal site, Disposal Area
No.2 (DA2), into new munitions staging hardstands. Such acreage
would significantly increase temporary staging capability while
complying with munition staging regulations. Operationally, the
DA2 staging yard would be truck serviced and containers would be
off loaded onto additional chassis, yard trailers, or grounded
to pads. During vessel operations, the containers would be
reloaded on chassis or trailers and berth staged. This option
increases the number of moves or touches per container thereby,
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increasing operational costs and the potential of a handling
mishap. The new hardstand at DA2 option was rejected for
operational inefficiency and cost.
The proposed railroad repair and refurbishment project's
construction would result in a 0.4 percent loss of potential
timber production area and potential red-cockaded woodpecker
(RCW) foraging habitat in those areas where No. 8 rail turnouts
are replaced with No. 10s, and the required 50-foot rail
easement is re-established. There would be an effect on the
RCW's potential foraging habitat; however, the remaining pine
basal area (BA) calculated from pine trees with Z8" dbh
(diameter breast height) within each cluster's foraging habitat
would retain sufficient basal area as stipulated by U.S. Fish
and Wildlife Service's (USFWS) RCW Recovery Plan. There are no
critical habitats (cavity trees, ecotones) found within the re-
established easement areas that would affect the federal and
state listed RCW or rough-leaved loosestrife (RLL).
MOTSU maintains a National Pollutant Discharge Elimination
System (NPDES) Stormwater Permit Number NCS000208 with an
expiration date of 28 February 2013. As required by permit
stipulation, MOTSU has in place a stormwater pollution
prevention plan with implemented best management practices and
employee training to prevent contaminated stormwater discharges.
The rail reconfiguration areas would continue to be covered by
the current NPDES stormwater permit and any project NC Division
of Water Quality (DWQ) authorization stipulations would be
followed.
Based on MOTSU's 2002 Integrated Cultural Resource Management
Plan (ICRMP) there are no Nationally Registered or eligible
sites within the project footprint.
Project coordination with the Regulatory Division of the US Army
Corps of Engineers, Wilmington District regarding Section 404 of
the Clean Water Act and the NC DWQ regarding 401 Water Quality
Certification has been completed. The project's unavoidable
jurisdictional wetland impacts (0.352 acres) have been mitigated
through participation in the NC Ecosystem Enhancement Program
(NCEEP) by providing 0.5 acres with an in-lieu fee.
The action has been coordinated with the North Carolina Division
of Coastal Management and concurrence that the project is
consistent with the North Carolina Coastal Management Program
has been received.
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This Notice of Availability is being distributed to
known interested persons of the availability of the
further information or to request a hard copy, CD o
copy of the FONSI, contact Ms. Jenny Owens at the a
US Army Corps of Engineers
Wilmington District
ATTN: Ms. Jenny Owens
69 Darlington Avenue
Wilmington, NC 28403
Phone [phone]
Fax [phone]
[e-mail]
Sincerely,
notify all
FONSI. For
electronic
dress below.
Richard P. Lockwood,
Environmental Engineer
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