Environmental Assessment for the Replacement of the Pier and Boat Ramp at the U.S
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Draft Environmental Assessment for the Repairs and Replacement of the Boat Ramp and Pier at the US Border Patrol Air and Marine Facility, Ponce, Puerto Rico Environmental Assessment for the Replacement of the Pier and Boat Ramp at the U.S. Border Patrol & Air and Marine Facility, Ponce, Puerto Rico U.S. Customs and Border Protection February 2019 Draft Environmental Assessment for the Repairs and Replacement of the Boat Ramp and Pier at the US Border Patrol Air and Marine Facility, Ponce, Puerto Rico Environmental Assessment for the Replacement of the Pier and Boat Ramp at the U.S. Border Patrol & Air and Marine Facility, Ponce, Puerto Rico Environmental Assessment for the Replacement of the Pier and Boat Ramp at the U.S. Border Patrol & Air and Marine Facility, Ponce, Puerto Rico Lead Agency: U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Proposed Action: The demolition and removal of the temporary structure, removal of the original pier, construction of a new pier, and replacement of the boat ramp at 41 Bonaire Street in the municipality of Ponce, Puerto Rico. The replacement boat ramp would be constructed in the same location as the existing boat ramp, and the pier would be constructed south of the Ponce Marine Unit facility. For Further Information: Joseph Zidron Real Estate and Environmental Branch Chief Border Patrol & Air and Marine Program Management Office 24000 Avila Road, Suite 5020 Laguna Niguel, CA 92677 [email protected] Date: February 2019 Abstract: CBP proposes to remove the original concrete pier, demolish and remove the temporary structure, construct a new pier, replace the existing boat ramp, and continue operation and maintenance at its Ponce Marine Unit facility at 41 Bonaire Street, Ponce, Puerto Rico. As a part of CBP’s Ramey Sector, the Ponce Marine Unit supports vessel inspection of foreign ships and small passenger vessels, safety and security inspections at waterfront facilities, and pollution incident investigations. CBP requires the ability to safely and efficiently launch boats from the Ponce Marine Unit to support mission-critical operations. CBP uses Midnight Express vessels, each at 39 feet in length. Larger SAFE 410 Apostle vessels, at 41 feet in length, may replace the Midnight Express vessels in the near future. Following Hurricane Maria, which hit the island of Puerto Rico in September 2017, the original concrete pier at the facility was displaced and is now unusable. CBP constructed a temporary structure in the location of the original pier in order to continue operations. The temporary structure and the boat ramp at the facility are inadequate in size and length to support two CBP vessels and, when needed, one seized vessel. CBP proposes to remove the original pier and temporary structure, replace the existing boat ramp, and construct a new pier to enable CBP to carry out its mission by providing adequate infrastructure to support boating operations. Specifically, Ponce Marine Unit must support operations of two SAFE 410 Apostle vessels docked at the same time. CBP evaluated two alternatives in this Environmental Assessment: the No-Action and the Proposed Action alternatives. CBP’s proposed action includes the demolition and removal of the original pier and temporary structure, construction of a new pier, and replacement of the existing boat ramp. The replacement boat ramp would be constructed in the same location as the existing boat ramp and the pier would be constructed south of the Ponce Marine Unit facility. Draft Environmental Assessment for the Repairs and Replacement of the Boat Ramp and Pier at the US Border Patrol Air and Marine Facility, Ponce, Puerto Rico Environmental Assessment for the Replacement of the Pier and Boat Ramp at the U.S. Border Patrol & Air and Marine Facility, Ponce, Puerto Rico Executive Summary U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) prepared this Environmental Assessment (EA) to analyze the potential impacts of the Proposed Action: demolition and removal of the temporary structure, removal of the original concrete pier, construction of a new pier, replacement of the boat ramp, and continued operation and maintenance of CBP’s Ponce Marine Unit facility in Ponce, Puerto Rico. The EA was prepared in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA), as amended (42 U.S.C. § 4321 et seq.); Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) Regulations for Implementing the Procedural Provisions of NEPA (40 CFR 1500–1508); DHS Implementation Manual 023-01-001-01, rev. 01 “Implementation of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA)” (DHS 2014); the Environmental Public Policy Act of Puerto Rico; the Puerto Rico Environmental Quality Board’s Regulation for Evaluation and Processing of Environmental Documents; and the Puerto Rico Joint Regulation for Construction and Land Use Permits. CBP has not concluded consultation with NOAA Fisheries (in compliance with the Endangered Species Act), at the time of the completion of the Final EA, however CBP will continue consultation and will integrate agreed upon BMPs and mitigation measures into the Proposed Action. CBP will also obtain a permit in compliance with Section 404 of the Clean Water Act from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, as well as necessary permits from the government of Puerto Rico, prior to construction. Background CBP’s proposed action includes demolition and removal of the temporary structure, removal of the original concrete pier, construction of a new pier, replacement of the boat ramp, and continued operation and maintenance of CBP’s Ponce Marine Unit facility located at 41 Bonaire Street in the municipality of Ponce, Puerto Rico. CBP is a Federal law enforcement organization within DHS dedicated to serving and protecting the American people. The mission of CBP is “To safeguard America’s borders thereby protecting the public from dangerous people and materials while enhancing the Nation’s global economic competitiveness by enabling legitimate trade and travel.” The Ponce Marine Unit, leased and operated by CBP, is part of a Border Patrol & Air and Marine (BPAM) facility in CBP’s Ramey Sector. It is a part of the Caribbean Air and Marine Branch (CAMB) within the Southeast Region of Air and Marine Operations. The facility supports vessel inspection of foreign ships and small passenger vessels, safety and security inspections at waterfront facilities, and pollution incident investigations. The original concrete pier was displaced by Hurricane Maria and is unusable. A temporary structure was constructed in the location of the original pier in order to continue CBP operations and meet mission requirements. The temporary structure and boat ramp are inadequate in size and length to support two CBP vessels and, when needed, one seized vessel. CBP uses Midnight Express vessels, which total 39 feet in length. Larger SAFE 410 Apostle vessels, which total 41 feet in length, may replace the Midnight Express vessels in the near future. Purpose and Need CBP needs to provide a sufficient docking and launch capability for the maintenance and repair of CAMB’s marine assets in accordance with their mission needs. The purpose of the proposed action is to replace the existing insufficient pier and boat ramp facility to fulfill the marine basing and operations and maintenance requirements for the Ponce Marine Unit. i Draft Environmental Assessment for the Repairs and Replacement of the Boat Ramp and Pier at the US Border Patrol Air and Marine Facility, Ponce, Puerto Rico Environmental Assessment for the Replacement of the Pier and Boat Ramp at the U.S. Border Patrol & Air and Marine Facility, Ponce, Puerto Rico The site’s pier and boat ramp are used 24 hours per day, 365 days per year to access the adjacent inlet to the Caribbean Sea. As a result of age and use, the condition of the facilities has deteriorated to the point that they no longer adequately support CBP’s mission requirements. Hurricane Maria also caused severe damage to the facility, rendering the original concrete pier unusable. The Proposed Action would afford CBP with • more efficient and effective means of launching, loading, and unloading boats; • rapid detection and accurate characterization of potential threats; • increased efficiency in surveillance and interdiction; • long-term viability of critical infrastructure; and • enhanced safety and security of CBP agents and personnel. Proposed Action and Alternatives CBP evaluated two alternatives in this EA: the No-Action and Proposed Action alternatives. Under the No-Action Alternative, a new pier would not be constructed and the boat ramp would not be replaced, and the CBP Ponce Marine Unit would continue its operation from the Ponce Marine Unit in its current conditions. Under the Proposed Action, the replacement boat ramp would be constructed in the same location as the existing boat ramp, and the pier would be constructed south of the Ponce Marine Unit facility. Alternatives Considered but Eliminated from Further Consideration Location and layout Alternatives: During the project planning phase, CBP considered additional pier locations, including construction of the replacement pier in the same location as the original concrete pier and temporary structure to be removed as part of this action. CBP also considered an “L” shaped pier in the original pier location to allow for additional space for maneuver CBP vessels. However, due to the shallow waters and limited space within the small cove where the original pier and temporary structure are located, CBP determined that constructing a replacement pier in this location would not allow adequate space for vessels to maneuver and access the pier. In addition, the pier would not be long enough to accommodate two docked vessels at the same time. Sea Wall Alternative: CBP also considered developing a sea wall for wave attenuation as part of the Proposed Action. However, a CBP-conducted wave study determined that a sea wall was not needed to support the project.