Los Angeles, Calif., (April 19, 2002) --.The Los Angeles District of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) has completed its review of a request by the Port of Los Angeles (POLA) to fill 1.29 acres of San Pedro Bay immediately North of the Vincent Thomas Bridge at a site the Port Designates as Berth 100.  The USACE has approved the request subject to the POLA’s agreement to abide by conditions that minimize adverse impacts to the environment.
 
This authorization will allow the POLA to perform construction activities necessary to build a 1200 ft. long concrete wharf. Construction of this wharf will allow container ships to offload their cargos directly to the Berth 100 area.  Current practice requires the ships to offload their cargoes at other locations and move containers by truck to Berth 100 to be staged for movement from the Port area.
 
Included in the conditions of this permit are requirements to:
•        Compensate for the 1.29 acres of impacted wetlands;
•        Monitor construction activities to prevent the spread of exotic species and minimizing adverse impacts to native species; and
•        Dispose of dredged material at an approved upland disposal site.
 
In presenting its proposed project the POLA also identified several improvements to traditional operating procedures.  Theses actions, documented in the POLA’s  “China Shipping Side Letter” are intended to further decrease impacts to the environment and the community.  Reporting of the POLA’s progress in implementing these initiatives has also been included as a condition of the permit.
 
In reaching this decision the USACE conducted an extensive public involvement process that included:
•        The issuance of a public notice describing the proposed project and soliciting comments from interested individuals and organizations.
•        The publication of all comments received as well as the applicant’s response to those comments on the Internet.
•         The holding of a Public Hearing at San Pedro High School to receive additional comment on the proposed activity.  The transcript of this hearing was also published on the Internet.

The permit as well as the Environmental Analysis of the proposed project will be posted to the Internet after all parties to the permit have signed the documents. 
 
For additional information, please contact the Los Angeles District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Public Affairs Office at 213-452-3921.