The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is seeking public review and comment on a proposal by Tesoro Savage Petroleum Terminal, LLC, to construct an oil export terminal located in the Columbia River at the Port of Vancouver, in Clark County, Washington. Comments will be accepted July 2 – Aug. 1, 2015.
In February 2014, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Seattle District, received an application from Tesoro Savage Petroleum Terminal, LLC, for Department of the Army authorization under Section 404 of the Clean Water Act and Section 10 of the Rivers and Harbors Act to construct an oil export terminal at the Port of Vancouver. Proposed activities requiring authorization from the Army Corps include replacing decking, mooring hardware and fender systems, filling hollow steel pilings, removing portions of overwater structures, and installing oil transfer and return lines, a jib crane, manifolds and related facilities on an existing pier. The remainder of the proposed terminal would be built in uplands and does not require Army authorization. Upland work would include constructing rail lines, above-ground storage tanks, buildings, ground modifications to meet seismic standards, and related facilities.
The Corps has determined a standard individual permit process is required for the proposed work, and has issued a public notice to seek public input. The Corps is including in its analysis of the project under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) the specific activities in the Columbia River requiring a Department of Army permit, and the environmental impacts of those specific activities. The Corps will also analyze those portions of the project that would occur outside of the Columbia River, but are integrally tied to the activities requiring a permit and over which the Corps has sufficient control and responsibility to warrant Federal review. The Corps may extend its analysis beyond the specific activities requiring an Army permit only to the extent allowed under existing law, regulation and policy. For this proposal, associated activities that are beyond the control and responsibility of the Corps, such as mainline rail service to bring crude oil to the terminal, cannot be analyzed as part of the permit process.
The Corps is consulting with the Washington Department of Archaeology & Historic Preservation, Tribes, and others under Section 106 National Historic Preservation Act, to evaluate potential impacts to historic properties and cultural resources. The Corps is also consulting with the National Marine Fisheries Service and U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service under Section 7 of the Endangered Species Act (ESA) to evaluate the project’s potential impacts to ESA-listed species and designated critical habitat. Government-to-government consultation with the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation and Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde is also occurring.
Comments should reference NWS-2013-962 and may be sent via e-mail to: nws.tesoro_savage@usace.army.mil. Conventional mail comments may be sent to: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Regulatory Branch, Attention: Mr. Steve Manlow, Post Office Box 3755, Seattle, WA 98124-3755.
The public notice is available on the Seattle District website at:
http://www.nws.usace.army.mil/Missions/CivilWorks/Regulatory/PublicNotices.aspx