CORP’S ISSUES DRAFT SUPPLEMENTAL ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT ON THE BERTH 100 PROJECT

Los Angeles, Calif., --- Last week the Corps of Engineers provided the National Resources Defense Council (NRDC) with a final draft supplemental environmental assessment (SEA) on the West Basin Terminal Improvement Project at Berth 100. 

The Corps posted an executive summary on its district Web site, as well as questions and answers regarding the draft SEA.  The final SEA will be posted on the Web site when it is finished, and a hard copy will be provided for informational purposes to anyone who requests a copy in writing.  The questions and answers and the executive summary related to SEA will soon be translated into Spanish and posted to the Corps District Web site.

The purpose of the SEA is to address issues raised by District Judge Margaret Morrow in her order denying a preliminary injunction.  All comments received during the official permit application public comment period continue to be included in the SEA.  The previous permit decision is not under reconsideration.  Federal law does not require public circulation of this document.

The Corps has decided not to publish the draft SEA, to seek public comment or to host a public hearing at this time.  The document is part of ongoing litigation and is not intended for public comment. The original environmental assessment (EA) prepared in support of the Berth 100 permit decision was not circulated for public comment. 

The supplement to that EA, currently being prepared does not change anything, it simply clarifies the presentation.  Changes to the EA included strengthening indirect and cumulative impacts analysis by incorporating other documents and information available to the Corps at the time the permit decision was made in April 2002.  The information comes from a variety of sources, including the Port of Los Angeles’ 1997 EIR and the Corps’ 2000 Main Channel Deepening EIS/EIR, and various additions to both. No new data or analysis are being incorporated into the SEA.
 
The SEA is not related to the West Basin Environmental Impact Statement (EIS).  The Corps will conduct a public hearing and provide for a public comment period when that draft EIS is complete.

For additional information please refer to current district projects on the Web site at http://www.spl.usace.army.mil