BREMERTON — The U.S. Navy has prepared the Land-Water Interface (LWI) and Service Pier Extension (SPE) Final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS), which is available for public review July 15 to Aug. 15.
The completion of the Final EIS follows years of research, analysis, regulatory and tribal consultations and public involvement. The Navy held two public scoping meetings in February 2013 and two public meetings in March 2015 to provide information and receive public comments on the Draft EIS.
In the Final EIS, the Navy evaluated the potential environmental impacts from the construction and operation of new security structures and for the extension of the existing Service Pier on Naval Base Kitsap (NBK) at Bangor.
Regulations provide for a 30-day public review and wait period after the Final EIS is published before the Navy may make a decision and take action on the proposal. During this time, the public has the opportunity to see how the Navy has adjusted the document from the Draft EIS.
Comments may be submitted via mail by Aug. 15, to:
Naval Facilities Engineering Command (NAVFAC) Northwest
Attn: Dr. Robert Senner
LWI/SPE EIS Project Manager
1101 Tautog Circle, Suite 203
Silverdale, WA 98315-1101
The Final EIS is available for public review online at www.nbkeis.com/lwi and at the following public libraries:
— Bremerton (Sylvan Way)
— Port Hadlock
— Port Townsend
— Poulsbo
— Seattle Central
— Silverdale
The Final EIS includes all tribal government, agency and public comments received during the 60-day public review and comment period (Feb. 13, 2015, to April 13, 2015) along with Navy responses to those comments.
The Final EIS is also being reviewed by agency and Navy leadership, including the Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Energy, Installations and Environment, who will make the final decision regarding which alternative will be selected to accomplish the proposed action.
Proposed Actions
The Navy proposes two actions: to construct and operate new LWI security structures; extend the existing Service Pier and construct associated support facilities.
The purposes of the proposed actions are to comply with Department of Defense (DOD) directives to protect Navy Ohio-Class (Trident) submarines from increased and evolving threats and to prevent the seizure, damage or destruction of military assets (LWI); and provide additional berthing capacity and improve associated support facilities for existing home-ported and visiting submarines at NBK Bangor (SPE).
These projects are independent actions, but are being analyzed in the same EIS due to efficiencies, their geographic proximity and the potential to affect the same resources.
The project website can be found by visiting www.nbkeis.com/lwi to review the Final EIS, and learn more about the projects. For additional information about regional Navy activities, please visit the Commander, Navy Region Northwest (CNRNW) website at www.cnic.navy.mil/regions/cnrnw.
— Edited by Michelle Beahm
