MAT 2 8 1381
, PROJECT NO. P-204
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT
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Prepared by Puget Sound Naval Shipyard, Bremerton, Washington, for the Department of the Navy, in accordance with OPNAVINST 6240.3 seriesj in compliance with Section 102(2)(c) of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969.
Project Title: Water Pit Facility, MCON Project P-204
Date of Submission; January 1978
MAR 2 4 2016
U S DEPOSITORY COPYPROJECT NUMBER P-204
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT
1.	Introduction
a. Project Description
Project P-204 will provide a dockside facility to accomplish disassembly, inspection, reassembly and interim handling of reactor components during servicing of nuclear powered aircraft carriers. The facility will also be utilized in support of reactor servicing operations on nuclear cruisers and submarines. The facility will require the extension of utilities for lighting, heating, ventilation, electrical services and water to support industrial operations within the facility. The facility will be operated using the proven methods of naval and commercial shipyards in conducting refuelings of naval nuclear-powered ships, as documented in U.S. Navy report of February 1978 (Environmental Monitoring and Disposal of Radioactive Wastes from U.S. Naval Nuclear Powered Ships and Their Support Facilities, 1977).
The facility is required to accommodate projected nuclear cruiser, carrier and submarine refueling operations. The Navy does not currently have facilities suitable for supporting refueling operations on nuclear powered carriers on the West Coast. Review of existing Shipyard facilities indicates that it is not feasible to modify existing facilities to support the projected workload. The new facility provides adequate space to accomplish the projected work in an efficient manner and is located at Dry Dock 5 adjacent to one of the primary sites where ships would be berthed during refueling operations.
b. Existing Environment of Proposed Site
Project P-204 will be located within the "Industrial Zone" of the Naval Shipyard, Puget Sound.. This zone consists of facilities involved in ship construction and repair, drydocking and conversions. The area is bounded by Decatur Avenue on the north, the waterfront on the south, the Naval Supply Center on the west, the main gate on the east. Puget Sound Naval Shipyard is located inside the city limits of Bremerton, Washington.
The Puget Sound Naval Shipyard is the sole naval shipyard facility in the Pacific Northwest. Bremerton is located in Kitsap County, on the Sinclair Inlet, 14 miles due west across Puget Sound from Seattle. The topography of Bremerton consists of flat and rolling surfaces, sloping toward Puget Sound. The predominant native vegetation in the area are douglas fir, cedar and hemlock. Within a distance of 25 to 40 miles in a westerly direction from Bremerton, the Olympic Mountains rise to elevations of 4,000 to 7,000 feet. The higher peaks are covered with snow most of the years and there are several glaciers on Mount Olympus
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(elevation 7,954 feet). In an easterly direction and within a distance of 60 miles, the Cascade Range rises to average elevations of 5,000 to 7,000 feet with snowcapped peaks in excess of 10,000 feet. The Olympic Mountains shield this region from the more intense winter storms moving inland from the North Pacific and the Cascades are very effective in protecting Puget Sound lowlands from the higher summer and lower winter temperatures experienced east of this range.
The climate is predominantly a mid-latitude west coast, marine-type with cool summers, rather mild winters, moist air and a small range in temperature. The position and intensity of the semi-permanent high and low pressure regions over the North Pacific have a decided influence on the climate. The relative humidity is low under these conditions and the hottest days are not unpleasant. The average afternoon temperature during the warmest summer months is in the 70's and the night time readings are in the 50's. Each winter, temperatures can be expected to average about 40 degrees in the afternoon and 30 degrees at night. Average yearly rainfall for Bremerton is 38.06 inches.
The principle activities of the Naval Complex are located within the boundary limits of the city of Bremerton, Washington. Located within the perimeter of the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard are the Naval Hospital, Bremerton; the Naval Supply Center,- Bremerton; the Inactive Ships Maintenance Facility, Bremerton; the " Navy Publications and Printing Service Office, Thirteenth Naval District; and Navy Commissary Store, Bremerton. Jhe Navy Recreation Facility on Kitsap Lake is not contiguous to the city. Family Housing for the Bremerton Complex is located at Jackson Park, northwest of Bremerton; East Park in East Bremerton;, Olall a, 18 miles from Bremerton; and the Officers' Quarters at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard. Due to seismic activity; the Puget Sound has been placed in the highest category zone 3 on U.S. Coast Geodetic Survey Probability Map of the United States.
2.	Relationship of Proposed Action to Land Use Plans, Policies and
Controls for the Affected Area.
No conflicts exist between the proposed action and the land use plans, policies, and controls of the Navy Department for the affected area.
3.	The Probable Impact of the Proposed Action on the Environment.
The proposed project will be located within the "Industrial Zone" of the Shipyard. This area can be characterized as predominantly a man-made, rather than a natural environment. The area is intensively developed, with most of the surface covered either by buildings or pavement. Therefore, the construction and alteration of buildings in this zone will not cause any adverse environmental effects.
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ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT
The proposed facility will be used to support nuclear ship refueling operations. Operation of the facility will be similar to current shipyard operations and will involve no radioactive discharges to the harbor. The water in the water pit will be continuously processed to maintain water chemistry, remove decay heat and filter out any suspended radioactivity which may be deposited in the water during handling of components. The water will be reused rather than discharged. All air exhaust from the facility will be passed through high efficiency particulate air filters and continuously monitored during discharge. Strict monitoring for radioactivity in the water pit as well as for airborne particulate radioactivity will provide early warning of any condition requiring corrective action. The facility is designed to be operated with no adverse effect on the environment under all credible conditions including seismic occurrences.
The history of safe operation of these ships and their support facilities is a matter of record before the Congress and is in the public record. This record clearly demonstrates that the procedures used by the Navy to control discharges of radioactivity from U.S. Naval nuclear powered ships and their support activities are effective in protecting the environment and the health and safety of the general public. These procedures were also reviewed and concurred in by the U.S. Energy Research and Development Administration and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.	■
The procedures for radiological environmental protection in use at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard and by nuclear powered ships at the Shipyard are the same as those which have been proven effective throughout the Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program. A separate assessment of operations of the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard dated December, 1974 showed clearly that shipyard nuclear support work has not had a discernable effect on the environment. Since no significant radiological environmental effects have occurred due to past operations since the 1950's and these stringent procedures will be continued, no significant radiological environmental effects are expected during future Shipyard operations.
The anticipated overall height of the refueling facility is sixty-five to seventy-five feet above ground level. There are several other facilities of comparable height located throughout the Shipyard. It is anticipated that the facility would not provide an unacceptable visual obstruction in the Puget Sound area.
4.	Alternatives to the Proposed Action.
The Project P-204 is proposed to provide suitable facilities for operations that directly support the primary mission of Puget Sound Naval Shipyard. The environmental impact of this facility built anywhere within the "Industrial Zone" of the shipyard would be essentially the
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same. The site chosen best meets the space and locational requirements of the operations to be performed in the building. The only alternative to the proposed project, therefore, is not to build it. This alternative is unacceptable since the lack of such a facility would prevent the accomplishment of refueling operations of nuclear aircraft carriers on the West Coast.
5.	Any Probable Adverse Environmental Effects. Which Cannot be Avoided
Should the Proposal be Implemented.
There are no adverse environmental effects which cannot be avoided. The project expands an existing industrial capability to accommodate . an increased scope of work. The construction of the building will take place in the highly developed industrial area and there should be no adverse environmental effect.
The use of a water/air cooled condenser unit was selected to minimize the potential environmental impact of the heat load dissipated by the facility as opposed to utilization of a salt-water heat exchanger unit which would have dumped the excess heat load to Sinclair Inlet. Depending upon the facility heating demand some of the excess heat will be reclaimed prior to atmospheric discharge to heat the building.
6.	Relationship between Local Short Term Use, of Man's Environment and
Maintenance and Enhancement of Long Term Productivity.
The new proposed shop facility involves no significant alteration of the present environment. The area in which the buildings will be located will probably remain industrial in character for the foreseeable future. The new facility will enhance the productive capacity of this land use.
7.	Any Irreversible and Irretrievable Commitment of Resources that Would be Involved if the Proposed Action is Implemented.
This project will have no adverse impact on natural resources, flora, fauna, etc., and is not detrimental to the environment. No irreversible or irretrievable commitment is involved with this project.
8.	Considerations that Offset Adverse Environmental Effects.
It is considered that no contaminated discharges to the environment will occur. This is due to three major safety considerations: (1) The Ventilation System, (2) The Fluid System and (3) The Construction Design of the Facility.
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ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT
(1)	The normal Ventilation System is continuously high efficiency filtered and monitored prior to all discharges.
(2)	The Fluid System has three separate boundaries which must all fail in order for a contaminated release to reach the evaporative condensers. In addition, the water pit is a seismically designed concrete containment structure with a stainless steel liner.
(3)	The Facility Construction will be designed to resist all wind, flood, seismic, missile and tornado loadings credible at the site location.
9.	Summary
It is concluded that MILCON Project P-204 for construction of a Water Pit Facility will not have a detrimental impact on the environment. It is therefore concluded that a Facility Environmental Impact Statement is not required.
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