Lanterna Rally

Author: United States. Army. Corps of Engineers. San Francisco District

Publisher:

Published: 2015

Total Pages:

ISBN-13:

The United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) and the San Francisco Bay Regional Water Quality Control Board (Regional Water Board) have prepared a Draft Environmental Assessment (EA)/ Environmental Impact Report (EIR) to address the potential environmental effects of the maintenance dredging of federal navigation channels in San Francisco Bay and the associated placement of dredged materials from 2015 to 2024. The USACE proposes to continue maintenance dredging of the federal navigation channels in San Francisco Bay to maintain the navigability of the channels. The Regional Water Board proposes to issue a Clean Water Act Section 401 water quality certification, and may also issue waste discharge requirements, for USACE's continued maintenance dredging operations in San Francisco Bay. The Draft EA/EIR evaluates in detail the potential environmental impacts of four alternatives: the No Action/No Project Alternative, the Proposed Action/Project, and two reduced hopper dredge use alternatives. The analysis will support decision making by USACE, the Regional Water Board, and other agencies regarding implementation of the proposed project, and will satisfy compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act, the California Environmental Quality Act, and other pertinent laws and regulations. Additionally, for those maintenance dredging projects that involve discharge of dredged or fill material into waters of the United States, the EA/EIR is intended to serve as the Section 404(b)(1) analysis for maintenance dredging in compliance with the Clean Water Act. Under NEPA, USACE determined that the proposed activity would not significantly affect the quality of the physical, biological, and human environment under any of the alternatives. The USACE's Draft Finding of No Significant Impact is included with the Draft EA/EIR. Under CEQA, the Regional Water Board determined that the No Action/ No Project Alternative and Proposed Action/Project would have significant project and cumulative impacts to delta smelt and longfin smelt from entrainment. The Regional Water Board determined that these impacts would be reduced to less than significant under the reduced hopper dredge use alternatives with minimization of hopper dredge use, implementation of the minimization measures, and compensatory mitigation proposed under these alternatives.