ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT OF REGULATION OF UNITED STATES COAST GUARD VESSEL AND TRAINING DISCHARGES IN GREATER FARALLONES AND CORDELL BANK NATIONAL MARINE SANCTUARIES Prepared by: Office of National Marine Sanctuaries National Ocean Service National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration U.S. Department of Commerce August 2018 This page intentionally left blank Environmental Assessment TABLE OF CONTENTS 1.0 INTRODUCTION, PURPOSE OF, AND NEED FOR ACTION ................................................. 1-1 1.1 SUMMARY OF PROPOSED ACTION.................................................................................................... 1-1 1.2 BACKGROUND .................................................................................................................................. 1-1 1.3 PURPOSE OF PROPOSED ACTION ...................................................................................................... 1-9 1.4 NEED FOR PROPOSED ACTION ....................................................................................................... 1-10 1.5 CONTENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT ............................................................................... 1-10 2.0 DESCRIPTION OF ALTERNATIVES ........................................................................................... 2-1 2.1 PREFERRED ALTERNATIVE .............................................................................................................. 2-1 2.1.1 SEWAGE/GRAYWATER ALTERNATIVE 1 (PREFERRED ALTERNATIVE) ......................................... 2-2 2.1.2 TRAINING ALTERNATIVE 1 (PREFERRED ALTERNATIVE) ............................................................ 2-4 2.2 OTHER PROPOSED ALTERNATIVES .................................................................................................. 2-6 2.2.1 SEWAGE/GRAYWATER ALTERNATIVE 2 ....................................................................................... 2-6 2.2.2 SEWAGE/GRAYWATER ALTERNATIVE 3 ....................................................................................... 2-6 2.2.3 TRAINING ALTERNATIVE 2 ........................................................................................................... 2-9 2.2.4 TRAINING ALTERNATIVE 3 ........................................................................................................... 2-9 2.3 OVERVIEW OF ALTERNATIVES. ........................................................................................................ 2-9 2.4 ALTERNATIVES CONSIDERED AND ELIMINATED. .......................................................................... 2-13 3.0 AFFECTED ENVIRONMENT ........................................................................................................ 3-1 3.1 LEGAL, REGULATORY, AND POLICY OVERVIEW ............................................................................. 3-1 3.1.1 SEWAGE AND GRAYWATER DISCHARGES .................................................................................... 3-2 3.1.2 TRAINING DISCHARGES ................................................................................................................ 3-9 3.2 NATURAL ENVIRONMENT .............................................................................................................. 3-14 3.3 HUMAN USES AND CULTURAL RESOURCES .................................................................................. 3-25 4.0 ENVIRONMENTAL CONSEQUENCES ....................................................................................... 4-1 4.1 EFFECTS ANALYSIS OF PREFERRED ALTERNATIVE (SEWAGE/GRAYWATER ALTERNATIVE 1 AND TRAINING ALTERNATIVE 1) ................................................................................................................... 4-3 4.1.1 NATURAL ENVIRONMENT ............................................................................................................. 4-3 4.1.2 HUMAN USES AND CULTURAL RESOURCES ............................................................................... 4-13 4.2 EFFECTS ANALYSIS OF SEWAGE/GRAYWATER ALTERNATIVE 2 .................................................. 4-20 4.2.1. NATURAL ENVIRONMENT .......................................................................................................... 4-21 4.2.2 HUMAN USES AND CULTURAL RESOURCES ............................................................................... 4-24 4.3 EFFECTS ANALYSIS OF TRAINING ALTERNATIVE 2 ....................................................................... 4-26 4.3.1 NATURAL ENVIRONMENT ........................................................................................................... 4-27 4.3.2 HUMAN USES AND CULTURAL RESOURCES ............................................................................... 4-29 4.4 EFFECTS ANALYSIS OF EFFECTS ANALYSIS OF NO ACTION ALTERNATIVE (SEWAGE/GRAYWATER ALTERNATIVE 3 AND TRAINING ALTERNATIVE 3) .............................................................................. 4-31 4.4.1 NATURAL ENVIRONMENT ........................................................................................................... 4-32 4.4.2 HUMAN USES AND CULTURAL RESOURCES ............................................................................... 4-35 4.5 CUMULATIVE IMPACTS .................................................................................................................. 4-40 4.5.1 PROJECTS WITH POTENTIAL TO CONTRIBUTE TO CUMULATIVE IMPACTS.................................. 4-40 4.5.2 NATURAL ENVIRONMENT ........................................................................................................... 4-40 4.5.3 HUMAN USES AND CULTURAL RESOURCES ............................................................................... 4-42 4.6 SUMMARY ...................................................................................................................................... 4-43 i Environmental Assessment 5.0 RESPONSES TO COMMENTS....................................................................................................... 5-1 6.0 REFERENCES ................................................................................................................................... 6-1 APPENDICES A. LIST OF PREPARERS .......................................................................................................................... A-1 B. REQUIRED CONSULTATIONS ............................................................................................................ B-1 C. LIST OF AGENCIES CONSULTED ....................................................................................................... C-1 FIGURES FIGURE 1-1: GREATER FARALLONES AND CORDELL BANK NATIONAL MARINE SANCTUARIES .......... 1-2 FIGURE 2-1: SEWAGE/GRAYWATER ALTERNATIVE 1 (PREFERRED ALTERNATIVE ............................... 2-3 FIGURE 2-2: TRAINING ALTERNATIVE 1 (PREFERRED ALTERNATIVE).................................................. 2-5 FIGURE 2-3: SEWAGE/GRAYWATER ALTERNATIVE 2 ............................................................................ 2-7 FIGURE 2-4: SEWAGE/GRAYWATER ALTERNATIVE 3 ............................................................................ 2-8 FIGURE 2-5: TRAINING ALTERNATIVE 2 .............................................................................................. 2-10 FIGURE 2-6: TRAINING ALTERNATIVE 3 .............................................................................................. 2-11 FIGURE 3-1: SPATIAL PATTERNS OF OFFSHORE TRANSPORT, KRILL AND JUVENILE SALMON IN COASTAL CENTRAL CALIFORNIA, MAY-JUNE ..................................................................................... 3-24 FIGURE 3-2: PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF A MARINE LOCATION MARKER .................................. 3-34 TABLES TABLE 1-1: SUMMARY OF TYPES AND ESTIMATED QUANTITIES OF PROPOSED USCG VESSEL SEWAGE AND GRAYWATER DISCHARGES ............................................................................................................ 1-7 TABLE 1-2: SUMMARY OF TYPES AND ESTIMATED MAXIMUM NUMBERS OF PROPOSED USCG TRAINING DISCHARGES ......................................................................................................................... 1-8 TABLE 2-1: OVERVIEW OF ALTERNATIVES FOR PROPOSED USCG SEWAGE/GRAYWATER AND TRAINING DISCHARGES IN GFNMS AND CBNMS .............................................................................. 2-12 TABLE 3-1: USCG SUMMARY OF VESSEL POLLUTION CONTROL DISCHARGE RESTRICTIONS FOR SEWAGE AND GRAYWATER ................................................................................................................... 3-6 TABLE 3-2: LIST OF ESA PROTECTED SPECIES IN OFFSHORE WATERS OF GFNMS AND CBNMS .... 3-20 TABLE 3-3: SUMMARY OF USCG VESSELS OPERATING IN GFNMS AND CBNMS AND PROPOSED DISCHARGES ........................................................................................................................................ 3-30 TABLE 3-4: TYPES OF AMMUNITION AND PYROTECHNIC MATERIALS USED DURING LIVE FIRE TRAININGS ........................................................................................................................................... 3-32 TABLE 3-5: TYPES OF MARINE MARKERS DISCHARGED DURING SAR TRAININGS ............................ 3-33 TABLE 3-6: RESEARCH IN GFNMS AND CBNMS ............................................................................... 3-37 TABLE 4-1: SOUND LEVELS FOR MUNITIONS USED DURING LIVE FIRE TRAININGS .......................... 4-12 TABLE 4-2: PROJECTS WITH