Any applicant for a federal license or permit to conduct an activity that might result in a discharge into navigable waters, in accordance with Section 401 of the Clean Water Act (CWA) of 1977 (PL95-217), also must apply for and obtain certification from the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation that the discharge will comply with the CWA, the Alaska Water Quality Standards, and other applicable State laws.
Notice is hereby given that a request for a CWA §401 Water Quality Certification of a Department of the Army Permit application, Corps of Engineers’ PN Reference Number indicated above has been received for the discharge of dredged and/or fill materials into waters of the United States (WOUS), including wetlands, as described below, and shown on the project figures/drawings. The public notice and related project figures/drawings are accessible from the DEC website at https://dec.alaska.gov/water/wastewater/.
To comment on the project or request for a public hearing with respect to water quality, submit comments electronically via the DEC public notice site at https://water.alaskadec.commentinput.com?id=T6Nc7MQkU on or before the public notice expiration date listed above.
Applicant: Trident Seafoods Corporations, Jarred Brand, 303 Shilshole Ave NW, Seattle, Washington, 98107 Seattle, WA 98107; (206) 783-3818; jbrand@TridentSeafoods.com.
Agent: Solstice Alaska Consulting, Inc., Emerald Hagy, 2607 Fairbanks Street Unit B, Anchorage, AK 99503; (907) 929-5960; emerald@solsticeak.com.
Project Name: Trident Facility Support and Storage Area Project
Location: The proposed activity is located within Section 20, 21, 29, T. 73S, R. 118W; Seward Meridian; in Aleutians West Census Area, Alaska. Project Site (Latitude, Longitude): 53.83600, -166.58600. With potential discharge location of shot rock and armor rock at: 53.836, -166.586.
Purpose: The applicant’s stated purpose of the Trident facility support and storage area is to provide the needed area to support a new seafood processing facility and associated commercial fishing operations in Unalaska. The project is needed to ensure that the future Trident seafood processing facility has adequate space to stage additional processing equipment and provide gear storage for Trident’s commercial fishing vessels.
Trident is currently planning a state-of-the-art seafood processing facility adjacent to the proposed support and storage area that will set a new environmental standard in fish processing. The proposed facility will reduce the amount of water it takes to process a pound of seafood (on average 1.89 gallons per pound) by approximately half, increase the number of times each gallon of water can be reused, and increase the protein capture rate to produce wastewater that exceeds Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation (ADEC) seafood processing plant outfall regulations (Undercurrent News 2022). The proposed facility would also be tied into the existing electrical grid. This would help spread the cost of electricity generation and support the City’s mission of transitioning to renewable energy sources (City of Unalaska 2023; City of Unalaska 2011; KUCB 2022).
The proposed project would provide much needed land to support the efficient and safe operations of the new processing facility. Although there is currently some land available in the area, it is not enough to meet the future needs of the planned processing facility. Initially, the area would be used to stage building material for the proposed processing facility. Once constructed, the area would transition to storage for equipment, including seasonal machinery that is moved out of the facility when not in use, containers for storing frozen fish, and other facility-related equipment and materials. This new area will also allow Trident to use the full extent of the existing land for a processing plant that places the citywide effort to protect and respect Unalaska’s environment, natural beauty, and natural resources at the forefront (City of Unalaska 2011).
Project Description: The proposed project would place fill 2.1 acres of fill to the north of the existing dock and 5.2 acres of fill to the south.
The applicant proposes to discharge 50,000 cubic yards of fill (43,192 cubic yards of shot rock and 6,808 cubic yards of armor rock) into 2.1 acres below the high tide line (HTL, 4.7 foot above the 0.0 foot contour) and mean high water mark (MHWM, 3.4 foot above the 0.0 foot contour) of Captains Bay, a navigable water of the U.S., north of the existing fill on-site (North Area) and 120,000 cubic yards of fill material (113,152 cubic yards of shot rock and 6,848 cubic yards of armor rock) into 5.2 acres below the HTL and MHWM south of the existing site (South Area) for expansion of the existing gravel production facility for use as a seafood processing facility with associated storage.
The north area would have a top surface ranging from 40 feet to 100 feet wide and would be about 13 feet above MLLW (0 feet). The side slopes of the fill would be 1.5 feet (horizontal) to 1 feet (vertical) and would be reinforced with 2 foot to 3 foot diameter armor rock extending from 13 feet above MLLW to 10 feet below MLLW.
The south area would have a top surface of approximately ranging from 150 feet to 200 feet wide and would be about 13 feet above MLLW (0 feet). The side slopes of the fill would be 1.5 feet (horizontal) to 1 feet (vertical) and would be reinforced with 2 foot to 3 foot diameter armor rock extending from 13 feet above MLLW to 10 feet below MLLW.
Additional Information: A DA permit (POA-2012-00556, Captain Bay) was issued to Bering Shai Marine, LLC, on April 2, 2013, to “construct a 380-foot by 1,175-foot solid fill dock by discharging 250,000 cubic yards of fill material and 2,100 cubic yards of rip rap below the high tide line (HTL) of Captains Bay, a navigable water of the United States. The material will be placed behind a steel, open cell bulkhead, and will encompass a 9.2-acre footprint below the HTL. A fender system will be mounted on the sheet pile face. An unnamed creek will be rerouted around the facility through a 500-foot concrete channel. The work will be completed in two phases, with an initial phase consisting of a 300-foot by 300-foot solid fill dock and mooring dolphin system. Phase One will require 28,000 cubic yards of fill and 3,100 cubic yards of rip rap, discharged into 2.3 acres below the HTL. Phase Two will subsume the structure constructed during Phase One, scheduled to be completed within five years.”
Phase One and the required compensatory mitigation for Phase One were completed. The permit was modified (POA-2012-00556-M1) on September 20, 2018, authorizing flattened bulkhead construction material, as opposed to open cell, the compensatory mitigation plan was modified, and the permit expiration date was extended to September 30, 2023.
The permit was transferred to LFS, Inc. (dba Trident Seafoods Corporation) on February 11, 2022. A permit modification (POA-2012-00556-M2) was issued on May 3, 2022, as follows: “Phase Two will include the construction of a 1,240 linear foot solid fill dock by discharging 131,000 cubic yards of fill material and 4,700 cubic yards of rip rap below the HTL of Captains Bay, a navigable water of the U.S. Fill material will be placed behind a steel, sheet pile bulkhead, and will encompass a 9.9-acre footprint below the HTL, of which 2.3 acres was completed under Phase One. A fender system will be mounted on the sheet pile face. An unnamed creek will be rerouted around the facility through a 500-foot concrete channel.”
The current proposal would be the third modification of the original permit.
Applicant Proposed Mitigation: The applicant proposes the following mitigation measures to avoid, minimize, and compensate for impacts to waters of the United States from activities involving discharges of dredged or fill material.
- Avoidance: The purpose of the project is to place fill to support future uplands seafood processing facility and associated commercial fishing vessels. The project is needed to ensure that the future seafood processing facility at this site has adequate space to house equipment that will set a new environmental standard in fish processing, stage additional processing equipment, and provide gear storage for commercial fishing vessels. To meet the project purpose and need, construction must occur within waters of the United States. The project will be located within the already industrialized section of Captains Bay.
- Minimization: The project used the most compact design practicable for the needs of the project to minimize impacts to waters of the United States. Trident has progressed into the final stages of design for the new processing facility. The new facility’s footprint was reduced and subsequently the amount of fill needed to support the facility was reduced as well. As a result, Trident was able to dismiss the originally proposed action (13.6 acres of fill) for an alternative with a smaller footprint (7.3 acres of fill).
- Compensatory Mitigation: Trident Seafoods proposes to complete an Out-of-Kind Permittee-Responsible Compensatory Mitigation Project to offset to amount and type of impact that the placement of fill will have on Unalaska’s aquatic resources. Specifically, Trident Seafoods will target one of the largest threats to the Unalaska marine ecosystem, marine debris, by completing reoccurring cleanup efforts.
After reviewing the application, the Department may certify there is reasonable assurance the activity, and any discharge that might result, will comply with the CWA, the Alaska Water Quality Standards, and other applicable State laws. The Department also may deny or waive certification.
The permit application and associated documents are available for review. For inquires or to request copies of the documents, contact dec-401cert@alaska.gov, or call 907-269-6285.
Disability Reasonable Accommodation Notice
The State of Alaska, Department of Environmental Conservation complies with Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990. If you are a person with a disability who may need special accommodation in order to participate in this public process, please contact ADA Coordinator Megan Kohler at 907-269-4198 or TDD Relay Service 1-800-770-8973/TTY or dial 711 prior to the expiration date of this public notice to ensure that any necessary accommodations can be provided.