June 2017 Port of Stockton 2017-2021 Maintenance Dredging Sediment Characterization Notice of Intent Prepared for the Port of Stockton June 2017 Port of Stockton 2017-2021 Maintenance Dredging Sediment Characterization Notice of Intent Prepared for Prepared by Port of Stockton Anchor QEA, LLC 2201 West Washington Street 130 Battery Street, Suite 400 Stockton, California 95203 San Francisco, California 94111 Project Number: 160377-01.01 TABLE OF CONTENTS 1 Introduction ................................................................................................................................ 1 1.1 Dredge Project Area Description .................................................................................................................. 1 1.2 Agency Permitting and Review ...................................................................................................................... 2 2 Dredge Plan ................................................................................................................................. 3 2.1 Dredging Method Overview ........................................................................................................................... 3 2.2 Dredging Rates .................................................................................................................................................... 3 2.3 Best Management Practices ............................................................................................................................ 3 2.4 Method of Transporting Dredged Material .............................................................................................. 4 2.5 Dredge Material Placement Sites .................................................................................................................. 5 3 Pre-dredge Sampling Summary ............................................................................................. 6 3.1 Sediment Core Collection ................................................................................................................................ 6 3.2 Sediment Core Sample Processing............................................................................................................... 6 3.3 Background Soil Sample Collection and Processing ............................................................................. 7 4 Pre-dredge Sampling Results ................................................................................................. 8 4.1 Upland Disposal Assessment .......................................................................................................................... 8 4.1.1 Metals....................................................................................................................................................... 8 4.1.2 Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons ............................................................................................... 9 4.1.3 Total Petroleum Hydrocarbons ...................................................................................................... 9 4.2 Antidegradation Assessment .......................................................................................................................... 9 4.2.1 Metals....................................................................................................................................................... 9 4.2.2 Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons ............................................................................................... 9 4.3 Quality Assurance/Quality Control ............................................................................................................... 9 5 Conclusion ................................................................................................................................. 10 6 References .................................................................................................................................. 11 FIGURES Figure 1 Port of Stockton Docks and Dredge Material Placement Sites Figure 2a West Complex Actual Coring Locations Figure 2b East Complex Actual Coring Locations Figure 3a Roberts Island Dredge Material Placement Site Sample Locations Figure 3b Rough and Ready Island Dredge Material Placement Site Sample Locations Notice of Intent i June 2017 TABLES Table 1 Core Collection Summary Table 2 Dredge Management Placement Site Soil Collection Summary Table 3 Sample Inventory Table 4 Sediment Results Table 5 Upland Soil Results Table 6 DI-WET Results Table 7 Surface Water Result APPENDICES Appendix A Field Forms Appendix B Laboratory Data Reports Notice of Intent ii June 2017 ABBREVIATIONS ALS ALS Environmental BMP best management practice CDFW California Department of Fish and Wildlife cy cubic yard DGPS differential global positioning system DI-WET Deionized Water Waste Extraction Test DMPS dredge material placement site DO dissolved oxygen DU dredge unit DWSC Deep Water Ship Channel ESA Endangered Species Act GO Waste Discharge General Order No. R5-2009-0085 LCS laboratory control sample MLLW mean lower low water MS/MSD matrix spike and matrix spike duplicate NMFS National Marine Fisheries Service NOA Notice of Applicability NOI Notice of Intent PAH polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon PEL Probable Effects Level Port Port of Stockton QA/QC quality assurance and quality control R/V research vessel RI Roberts Island RRI Rough and Ready Island RWQCB Central Valley Regional Water Quality Control Board SAP Sampling and Analysis Plan TPH total petroleum hydrocarbons USACE U.S. Army Corps of Engineers USFWS U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Notice of Intent iii June 2017 1 Introduction The Port of Stockton (Port) conducted pre-dredge sediment characterization at 19 berths along the San Joaquin River in the City of Stockton, California (Figure 1). Due to high sedimentation rates in the San Joaquin River, the Port typically conducts maintenance dredging of its berths on an annual basis. To streamline regulatory agency reviews and minimize permitting-related construction delays, the Port is requesting approval from regulatory and resource agencies, including the Central Valley Regional Water Quality Control Board (RWQCB), to conduct maintenance dredging over a 5-year period to maintain adequate navigational and operational depths for commercial vessel traffic. Docks 2 through 13 operate along the waterfront of the Port’s East Complex, and Docks 14 through 20 operate along the neighboring Rough and Ready Island (West Complex; RRI). The RWQCB has issued the Waste Discharge General Order No. R5-2009-0085 (GO; RWQCB 2009) to conduct maintenance dredging to authorized depths, including placement of dredge sediments at dredge material placement sites (DMPSs). Anchor QEA, LLC, has prepared this Notice of Intent (NOI) in accordance with the GO for the Port East and West complexes. The Port is requesting a Notice of Applicability (NOA) for the 5-year maintenance dredging project. 1.1 Dredge Project Area Description The proposed dredge plan includes maintenance dredging at Docks 2 through 20 (Figure 1). Eight dredge units (DUs) were sampled and characterized (Table 1; Figures 2a and 2b). The DU for Docks 12 and 13 will be dredged to a depth of -40 feet mean lower low water (MLLW), plus 2 feet of allowable overdepth. All other DUs will be dredged to a depth of -35 feet MLLW, plus 2 feet of allowable overdepth. Dredged material volume estimates were developed based on recent bathymetric condition surveys conducted by eTrac, Inc., on July 28, 2016, August 24, 2016, and January 19, 2017. The total volume of existing sediment requiring maintenance dredging (including overdepth) at the Port docks is approximately 75,000 cubic yards (cy). Table 1 summarizes the total proposed maintenance dredging volumes for each DU. Proposed dredged material from all docks will be evaluated for disposal at Rough and Ready Island (RRI) and Roberts Island (RI) DMPSs. The Port is requesting approval from the RWQCB to conduct maintenance dredging at its docks over a 5-year period during which additional sediment will deposit within the dredge prism; however, newly deposited sediment would be anticipated to be similar in nature to the sediment that has currently settled at the docks. Therefore, the sediment characterization results collected this spring would be representative of future sediment deposition over a 5-year period. Notice of Intent 1 June 2017 1.2 Agency Permitting and Review The Port’s maintenance dredging efforts require permits from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), including Endangered Species Act (ESA) consultations with the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW). Permits have historically been issued on an episodic and annual basis. Similarly, the Port has historically received approval from the RWQCB to dredge and place material at its upland placement sites on an episodic and annual basis. To minimize efforts on the part of the Port and agencies, and to increase the predictability for dredging timing each year, the Port is in the process of pursuing 5-year programmatic approvals for maintenance dredging of its docks from the USACE (Section 10 Permit). Five-year programmatic permits have already been obtained from CDFW (Section 1600 Permit) and the RWQCB (401 Water Quality Certification). Notice of Intent 2 June 2017 2 Dredge Plan The Port owns and operates all docks along the East