ELIZABETH RIVER AND SOUTHERN BRANCH NAVIGATION IMPROVEMENTS Validation Study and Environmental Assessment Norfolk District July 2018 Virginia Port Authority 803 Front Street 600 World Trade Center Norfolk, VA 23510 Norfolk, VA 23510 Cooperating agencies: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration/National Marine Fisheries Service, U.S. Department of the Navy i U.S. ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS CIVIL WORKS MISSION Dedicated to providing quality, responsive service to the nation in peace and war. U.S. ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS NAVIGATION MISSION Provide safe, reliable, efficient, and environmentally sustainable waterborne transportation systems for movement of commerce, national security, and recreation. U.S. ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS ENVIRONMENTAL OPERATING PRINCIPLES Foster sustainability as a way of life throughout the organization. Proactively consider environmental consequences of all U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) activities and act accordingly. Create mutually supporting economic and environmentally sustainable solutions. Continue to meet our corporate responsibility and accountability under the law for activities undertaken by the USACE, which may impact human and natural environment. Consider the environment in employing a risk management and systems approach throughout the life cycles of projects and programs. Leverage scientific, economic, and social knowledge to understand the environmental context and effects of USACE actions in a collaborative manner. Employ an open, transparent process that respects views of individuals and groups interested in USACE activities. ii COVER SHEET Elizabeth River and Southern Branch Navigation Improvements, Virginia Validation Study and Environmental Assessment LEAD AGENCY: Department of the Army U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Norfolk District NONFEDERAL SPONSOR: Virginia Port Authority, agent of the Commonwealth of Virginia COOPERATING AGENCIES: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region 3 National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration/National Marine Fisheries Service, U.S Department of the Navy ABSTRACT: The Elizabeth River and Southern Branch Navigation Improvements study area encompasses the Federally improved channel from Lamberts Bend to the Chesapeake Extension in the Elizabeth River, Virginia. The need for this study arises from transportation inefficiencies currently experienced by commercial vessels in the Elizabeth River and Southern Branch of the Elizabeth River. These inefficiencies are projected to continue in the future. Deepening the existing channel to various depths was evaluated and two Action Project Alternatives (a National Economic Development Plan and a Locally Preferred Plan) were evaluated in detail as well as the No Action/Future Without-Project Alternative. Nonstructural measures such as reducing vessel speed in the channel were also considered. The Recommended Plan or Preferred Alternative is the Locally Preferred Plan, which includes the following features: • Deepening the channel from Lamberts Bend to Perdue Farms (Segment 1a) from a required depth of 40 feet to 45 feet deep in Segment 1a, and deepening the channel from Perdue Farms to the Norfolk Southern Lift Bridge (Segment 1b) from a required depth of 40 feet to 42 feet. • Deepening the channel from the Norfolk Southern Lift Bridge to the Gilmerton Bridge (Segment 2), from a required depth of 35 feet to 39 feet deep; and • Continuing to maintain the channel from the Gilmerton Bridge to the Chesapeake Extension to a required depth of 35 feet (Segment 3). The Selected Alternative (Locally Preferred Plan) includes construction and maintenance of these features. Dredged material placement/disposal could occur at the Craney Island Dredged Material Management Area (CIDMMA), and/or upland disposal sites able to handle contaminated material. General operation and maintenance of the CIDMMA would continue with or without implementation of the Preferred Alternative. The project construction is anticipated to begin in approximately 2023 (or earlier depending on funding capability) and following construction, channel depths would be maintained over the 50 year lifecycle of the project. iii EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The results of engineering, economic, environmental, and real estate investigations performed for this Validation Study are being used to determine if there is continued Federal interest in the implementation of authorized navigation improvements on the Norfolk Harbor and Channels Project from the Lamberts Bend to the Chesapeake Extension (Hereafter referred to as the Elizabeth River and Southern Branch Navigation Improvements (ERSB)) (Figure 1). The Virginia Port Authority (VPA) requested the re-evaluation of a portion of the project which was authorized under Section 201 of the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) of 1986 (Public Law 99-662) for the construction of the Norfolk Harbor and Channels, Virginia, Project, as described in House Document 99-85, dated 18 July 1985, entitled “Norfolk Harbor and Channels, Virginia.” The original authorization included channel deepening from 45 to 55 feet within the Thimble Shoal Channel and the Norfolk Harbor Channel (northern portion of the Main Branch of the Elizabeth River) and 57 feet within the Atlantic Ocean Channel. These channels are currently under study as part of a separate General Reevaluation Report (GRR). The original authorization also included channel deepening from 40 to 45 feet in the Main Branch of the Elizabeth River and the upper portion of the Elizabeth River Southern Branch and 35 to 40 feet in the Elizabeth River Southern Branch ((ERSB) and these channels are included in this Validation Study. There have been no authorized channel improvements to the ERSB channel segments constructed to date; however, the Department of the Navy did deepen a portion of the existing 40-foot channel to a depth of 47 feet for national defense purposes. This study is being conducted under Section 216 of the Flood Control Act of 1970 (Public Law 91-611), which authorizes the review of completed projects in the interest of navigation and related purposes to determine the feasibility of further port deepening. DESCRIPTION OF REPORT This Validation Study and Environmental Assessment (EA) documents the study process and presents the results of investigations and analyses conducted to evaluate modifications to the existing Federal navigation system within ERSB to improve its ability to efficiently serve the current and future vessel fleet and process the forecasted cargo volumes. It presents: (1) a survey of existing and future conditions; (2) an evaluation of related problems and opportunities; (3) development of potential alternatives; (4) a comparison of costs, benefits, adverse impacts, and feasibility of those alternatives; and (5) identification of a National Economic Development (NED) Plan and a Recommended Plan. PURPOSE AND NEED The commodities passing through the ERSB between 2009 and 2015 averaged 8.4 million tons annually. The major commodity exports consisted of dry-bulk grains; barge petroleum; dry-bulk fertilizers; scrap iron; general cargo; liquid-bulk chemicals; lards, fats, and oils; and wood pellets. The major commodity imports consisted of barge aggregates; barge petroleum; dry- bulk fertilizers; liquid-bulk fertilizers; liquid-bulk petroleum; dry-bulk chemicals; dry-bulk aggregates; general cargo; liquid-bulk chemicals; and ores and minerals. The current vessel fleet moving the commodities through the waterway consists of bulkers, general cargo vessels, dry cargo barges, tankers, gas carriers, and tank barges. The largest vessels are 100K DWT bulkers and 200K DWT tankers. Many vessels in the current fleet have drafts greater than the currents depths of the waterway and are underutilized and inefficiently operated, thereby foregoing potential transportation cost savings available from the economies of scale associated with more complete vessel loading. It is not anticipated that a fleet transition iv will occur for ERSB with the implementation of navigation improvements. Instead, as the channel gets deeper, the utilization of the channel will increase with the transfer of cargo from smaller to larger vessels in the existing fleet. In this way, calls by smaller vessels are eliminated and larger vessels are able to utilize capacity that cannot currently be used given the existing channel depth. Figure 1. Norfolk Harbor and Channels. Green portion indicates ERSB study location. ALTERNATIVES AND RECOMMENDED PLAN Utilizing the Corps’ Planning Process as specified in ER 1105-2-100, plan formulation was conducted with a focus on achieving the Federal objective of water and related land resources project planning, which is to contribute to National Economic Development (NED) consistent with protecting the Nation's environment, pursuant to national environmental statutes, applicable executive orders, and other Federal planning requirements. Plan formulation also considers all effects, beneficial or adverse, to each of the four evaluation accounts identified in the Principles and Guidelines (1983), which are National Economic Development, Environmental Quality, Regional Economic Development, and Other Social Effects. Alternative plans combining multiple structural and nonstructural measures to improve the safety and efficiency of the navigation system were considered. To determine whether the v Federal government should participate in implementing navigation improvements, the expected returns to the