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PEBBLE PROJECT CHAPTER 4: ENVIRONMENTAL CONSEQUENCES FINAL ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT 4.12 TRANSPORTATION AND NAVIGATION The Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) analysis area for this section includes the transportation and navigation resources that could be affected by the mine site, port, transportation corridor, material sites, and natural gas pipeline corridor for each alternative. This includes surface transportation from the mine site to Cook Inlet and a small section of the Sterling Highway, air transportation from airports across the region (Dillingham to Anchorage), and water transportation on Cook Inlet, Iliamna Lake, and navigable rivers from the mine site to Cook Inlet. Navigation also includes deepwater port construction and usage from local to global users. Local and regional land, air, and water transportation systems and activities in the EIS analysis area are included. Potential impacts include: • Additional vehicle traffic in the road-connected communities of Iliamna, Newhalen, Kokhanok, Nondalton, and Pedro Bay • Off-road transportation access to subsistence areas • Beneficial alternative routes for transporting goods • Increased flight frequency to affected airports and communities • Additional vessel traffic on Cook Inlet, with a higher volume during construction, and increased marine traffic in the port area • Additional vessel traffic on Iliamna Lake • Impediment of navigation along navigable rivers • Re-routes of winter over-ice traffic on Iliamna Lake due to creation of open water The magnitude of impacts from the project is determined by the amount of surface, air, and water traffic that would be interrupted or displaced. The duration and geographic extent of impacts depends on the location and season in which the disturbance occurs during construction, operations, or closure. Long-term impacts would last throughout the life of the project (i.e., years to decades); short-term effects would be temporary, lasting only through the construction phase, or months to years. The potential or likelihood of impacts is related to how likely the project would be to impact surface, air, and water transportation. Impacts from releases of diesel and other substances can be found in Section 4.27, Spill Risk. 4.12.1 Summary of Key Issues Table 4.12-1: Summary of Key Issues for Transportation and Navigation Transportation Alternative 1a Alternative 1 and Alternative 2 and Alternative 3 and Mode Variants Variants Variant Surface Kokhanok, Iliamna, and South of Iliamna Lake, Same as Same as Transportation Newhalen would impacts would be the Alternative 1a, except Alternative 2, except experience an increase same as Alternative 1a. impacts from traffic at that the road from in volume of road traffic North of Iliamna Lake, Kokhanok would occur Diamond Point to the due to new road the impacts would be at Pedro Bay instead. mine site would be connections in the truck traffic on the mine During operations, the routed through Pedro project area through access road from the pipeline ROW may Bay. During operations. north ferry terminal to the create a route for ATV operations and There would be 35 round mine site. Construction or snowmachine traffic closure, this road trips by truck per day on impacts would be the between ferry would increase traffic the mine access road same as Alternative 1a, terminals. in Pedro Bay from except the road would mine operations and and the port access road. The Williamsport-Pile not cross the Newhalen also from the public, Bay Road would River Road. because this road experience a high- would connect the JULY 2020 PAGE | 4.12-1 PEBBLE PROJECT CHAPTER 4: ENVIRONMENTAL CONSEQUENCES FINAL ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT Table 4.12-1: Summary of Key Issues for Transportation and Navigation Transportation Alternative 1a Alternative 1 and Alternative 2 and Alternative 3 and Mode Variants Variants Variant The Kokhanok East volume increase in communities on the Ferry Terminal Variant traffic that would last northern side of would change the the life of the project. Iliamna Lake over terminus of the port The Summer-Only land to each other access road but would Ferry Operations and to Cook Inlet. not change traffic Variant and Pile- The Concentrate volume. Supported Dock Pipeline Variant would The Summer-Only Ferry Variant would have reduce truck traffic on Operations Variant similar effects to the transportation would double truck traffic surface transportation corridor from 35 round in the summer and as these variants under trips per day to 18; a eliminate it in winter. Alternative 1. controlled access The Pile-Supported service road would be Dock Variant would not constructed along the affect surface extension of the transportation. pipeline to Iniskin Bay. Air During construction, 10 Same as Alternative 1a. Iliamna air traffic would Same as Transportation flights per week would The variants would not be the same as under Alternative 2. land at the Kokhanok affect air transportation. Alternative 1a. This airport. During alternative would use operations, increased air the Pile Bay Airstrip traffic of up to 10 instead of the employee flights and one Kokhanok Airport, and scheduled cargo flight the construction cargo per week would affect and passenger flight Iliamna and Kokhanok frequencies to Pile Bay airports, plus additional would be similar to flight unscheduled cargo frequencies to flights. Kokhanok Airport Kokhanok under would need improved Alternative 1a. Impacts navigation systems and to Pedro Bay and Pile lighting. Bay would be similar to those discussed for Kokhanok under Alternative 1a, including the use of the airport at Pedro Bay during construction. Water The Amakdedori port and Impacts from A new port at Diamond Effects on Cook Inlet Transportation lightering system would Amakdedori port and Point would add similar and rivers would be add new structures to effects to Cook Inlet structures in Cook Inlet the same as Cook Inlet that would would be the same as and also require Alternative 2. increase the risk of vessel Alternative 1a. dredging, which would Alternative 3 would 1 allision . There would be Impacts on Iliamna Lake increase the risk of not require a ferry a noticeable increase in water transportation vessel allision. These and would eliminate barge and vessel traffic would be the same as in new structures and effects on winter during operations. The Alternative 1a in existing vessel traffic in traffic on Iliamna new structures and frequency of traffic, but Iliamna Bay would not Lake that would additional marine traffic the ferry route and be expected to restrict occur under would not be expected to pipeline placement water transportation. Alternative 1a, restrict water would be different and Bridges over the Alternative 1, and transportation. therefore change the Newhalen River, Pile Alternative 2. Bridges over the specific pattern of traffic River, and Iliamna The Concentrate Newhalen and Gibraltar across Iliamna Lake. River would introduce Pipeline Variant rivers would introduce Winter travel over pilings and bridges that would not change the pilings and the height of Iliamna Lake would be would increase the risk impacts to water the bridges as obstacles, impacted from open of vessel allision, transportation. which would increase the water caused by the ice- although they are not JULY 2020 PAGE | 4.12-2 PEBBLE PROJECT CHAPTER 4: ENVIRONMENTAL CONSEQUENCES FINAL ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT Table 4.12-1: Summary of Key Issues for Transportation and Navigation Transportation Alternative 1a Alternative 1 and Alternative 2 and Alternative 3 and Mode Variants Variants Variant risk of vessel allision. breaking ferry. This expected to restrict The bridges are not effect would not take water transportation. expected to restrict water place with the Summer- The Summer-Only transportation. Only Ferry Operations Ferry Operations The ferry terminals would Variant. Variant would have add new structures to Impacts from the similar impacts to this Iliamna Lake that could Kokhanok East Ferry variant under increase the risk of Terminal Variant would Alternative 1. vessel allision and there be similar but in a Winter travel over would be additional different location. The frozen Iliamna Lake traffic. The new Summer-Only Ferry would be impacted, but structures and additional Operations Variant this ferry route traffic would not be would have the same in- experiences fewer expected to restrict water water structures but average days of ice transportation. would increase ferry than the route under Winter travel over trips from one to two Alternative 1a. This Iliamna Lake would be round trips per day in the effect would not take impacted from open summer, and zero in the place with the water caused by the ice- winter. This variant Summer-Only Ferry breaking ferry. would not be expected Operations Variant. to restrict water The Newhalen River transportation. North Crossing Variant would have the same impacts as Alternative 2. Navigation The Amakdedori port and Same as Alternative 1a. A new port at Diamond Effects on Cook Inlet lightering system would Frequency of traffic Point would add similar and rivers would be add new structures to would remain the same. structures in Cook Inlet similar to Cook Inlet that would Location of the north and also require Alternative 2. This increase the risk of ferry terminal and dredging, which would alternative would not vessel allision. The new pipeline in Iliamna Lake increase the risk of require a ferry and structures would not be would cause a difference vessel allision. These would eliminate the expected to restrict in the traffic pattern on new structures in impacts to Iliamna navigation. Iliamna Lake. Iliamna Bay would not Lake navigation that Bridges over the Impacts from the be expected to restrict would occur under Newhalen and Gibraltar Kokhanok East Ferry navigation. Alternative 1a, rivers would introduce Terminal Variant would Bridges over the Alternative 1 and pilings and the height of be similar but in a Newhalen River, Pile Alternative 2. the bridges as obstacles, different location. The River, and Iliamna River The Concentrate which would increase the Summer-Only Ferry would introduce pilings Pipeline Variant risk of allision.

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