Notice of Application for State Water Quality Certification

Public Notice (PN) Date: May 30, 2025                          PN Reference Number: POA-2010-00163 v2.0
PN Expiration Date: June 23, 2025                                                                   Waterway: Wrangell Narrows

Any applicant for a federal license or permit to conduct an activity that might result in a discharge into waters of the United States, in accordance with Section 401 of the Clean Water Act (CWA), must also apply for and obtain certification from the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation that the discharge will comply with the CWA and the Alaska Water Quality Standards (18 AAC 70). The scope of certification is limited to the water quality-related impacts of the activity subject to the Federal license or permit (40 CFR 121.3, 18 AAC 15.180).

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[1] for the discharge of dredged and/or fill materials into waters of the United States (WOTUS), 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 a public hearing with respect to water quality, submit comments via (preferred method) DEC website https://dec.alaska.gov/commish/public-notices/ or email to the DEC email address: DEC-401Cert@alaska.gov with the subject line referencing Public Notice Reference Number: POA-2010-00163 v2.0 or on or before the public notice expiration date listed above.

Applicant: Petersburg Borough, Stephen Giesbrecht, P.O. Box 329, Petersburg, AK 99833, (907) 772-5402; sgiesbrecht@petersburgak.gov

Agent: PND Engineers, Danielle Schultz, 3240 Eastlake Avenue East, Seattle, WA 98102; (206) 315-6811; dschultz@pndengineers.com.

Project Name: Scow Bay Haulout Facility

Dates of the proposed activity are planned to begin and end: 09/01/2025 to 12/31/2027

Location: The proposed activity is located within Section 04, T. 059S, R. 079E, Copper River Meridian, in Petersburg Borough, Alaska. Section 04, T. 059S, R. 079E, Section 04, T. 059S, R. 079E, Section 04, T. 059S, R. 079E, Section 04, T. 059S, R. 079E, Section 04, T. 059S, R. 079E

Project Site (Latitude, Longitude): 56.780363, -132.97307.

With potential discharge location(s) as follows: 56.780061, -132.972761

Purpose: On October 21, 2024 and on October 2, 2024, the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation and the Alaska District U.S. Army Corps of Engineers respectively published public notices for Department of the Army (DA) permit number POA-2010-00163, Wrangell Narrows. This application is a modification to that project, which aims to construct a new boat haul out ramp and extend the existing rock jetty at Scow Bay to develop the site into a functional boat haul out and work yard with a dedicated ramp with capacity for a 100-ton hydraulic trailer, a boarding float, a vessel washdown area, and associated utilities.

Description of Proposed Work: The proposed project now includes a 0.7-acre larger footprint in inter/subtidal waters and an updated project description. The new project description now reads:

The proposed project would discharge 87,985 cubic yards of material into 5.2 acres below the high tide line (19.7 feet above the 0.0-foot contour) of Scow Bay in order to extend the existing jetty, expand and improve the existing gravel pad, construct a boat haul out ramp, and construct a new boat washdown pad. The applicant also proposes to remove one (1) 12-inch timber pile and install seven (7) 12.75-inch steel pipe piles via vibratory below the mean high-water mark (15.2 feet above the 0.0-foot contour) in order to construct an 8-foot by 345-foot boarding float. Piles may be installed via impact hammer, when necessary, if installation cannot be achieved with a vibratory hammer.

Material used to construct the jetty and extension of the existing pad would include armor rock, underlayer rock, shot rock borrow, and base course. When possible, materials would be placed when the site is dewatered (during low tidal conditions); however, initial fill operations would continue regardless of the level of the tide. The proposed expanded pad would include an 8-inch-thick layer of graded and compacted base course material on top of the initially discharged material. A 30-foot by 80-foot

A concrete washdown pad would be constructed at the top of the haul-out ramp. A 960 square-foot utility building would be constructed on site, adjacent to the washdown pad. Following the jetty construction, the haul-out ramp would be constructed. Timber sleepers would be placed directly on top of core rock materials to support precast concrete planks. Individual concrete planks would be tied together with connection plates to create an interconnected haul-out ramp. Any gaps would be filled with clean sand. The ramp would be 62 feet wide by 300 feet long. The top of the ramp would be connected to the extended pad via a cast-in-place concrete approach apron and abutment, measuring approximately 62 feet by 130 feet.

Pile driving operations would commence after the haul-out ramp construction and would occur from a floating barge and from a land-based crane positioned on the haul-out ramp during low tide conditions. Pile installation would use a vibratory hammer when practicable, including the removal of the one piling. Before pile driving, floats would be placed in water and connected.

The proposed work is expected to commence between 2025 and 2027, with work expected to last for 10 to 12 months. No in-water work is planned to be performed between April 1st and June 15th of any given year.

All other information contained in the previous notice remains the same.

After reviewing the application, the Department will evaluate whether the activity will comply with applicable water quality requirements (any limitation, standard, or other requirement under sections 301, 302, 306, and 307 of the CWA, any Federal and state laws or regulations implementing those sections, and any other water quality-related requirement of state law). The Department may certify (or certify with conditions) with reasonable assurance the activity and any discharge that might result will comply with water quality requirements. The Department also may deny or waive certification.

The permit application and associated documents are available for review. To inquire about or 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 MacPherson at 907-269-7553, Megan.MacPherson@alaska.gov or TDD Relay Service 1-800-770-8973/TTY or dial 711 at least 3 days prior to the expiration/closure date of this public notice to ensure that any necessary accommodations can be provided.