Army Corps to Conduct EIS Exploring Port of Long Beach Modifications

The Army Corps of Engineers plans to develop an environmental impact statement for a cost-share feasibility study for improving existing navigation channels at the Port of Long Beach, said the corps in a notice (here). “The purpose of the feasibility study is to provide safe, reliable, and efficient waterborne transportation improvements to the Port of Long Beach,” it said. “The EIS will analyze potential impacts of the recommended plan and a range of alternatives for navigation improvements. Alternatives will include both structural and non-structural measures.” Container vessels at the port cannot load to maximum capacity because of depth limitations in channels accessing the Port’s container terminals, it said. Because of this, port workers are light-loading vessels at the point of origin, causing delays to more and more containerships. The study will look at this problem, as well as others within the context of the persisting inefficient operation of deep draft vessels in the Port’s secondary channels. Structural and non-structural measures will be considered.

A public scoping meeting is scheduled for Jan. 16 from 2-4 p.m., and the draft EIS is expected to be published late this year, after which a public hearing will be held, said the corps.

(Federal Register 01/05/16)