PUBLIC NOTICE
Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC)
Wastewater Discharge Authorization Program/§401 Certification
555 Cordova Street, Anchorage AK 99501-2617
Phone: 907-269-6285 | Email: DEC-401Cert@alaska.gov

Notice of Application for State Water Quality Certification

Public Notice (PN) Date: April 8, 2026                      PN Reference Number: POA-1937-00008 v1.0
PN Expiration Date: May 8, 2026                              Waterway: Gastineau Channel

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-1937-00008 v1.0 or on or before the public notice expiration date listed above.

Applicant: Petro Marine Services, Matthew Lindsey, 2101 East 63rd Ave, Anchorage, AK 99507, (907) 562-5000; mattl@petro49.com

Agent: PND Engineers, Inc., Lisa Lee, 1506 West 36th Ave, Anchorage, AK 99503; (907) 561-1011; llee@pndengineers.com.

Project Name: Juneau Rock Dump Fuel Terminal Replacement

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

Location: The proposed activity is located within Section 25, T. 041S, R. 067E, Copper River Meridian, in the City and Borough of Juneau, Alaska. Project Site (Latitude, Longitude): 58.290400, -134.39550.

Purpose: Petro Marine seeks to replace an existing pile-supported T-dock and fuel float with a new pile-supported T-dock and construct improvements to existing fuel lines.

Description of Proposed Work: Petro Marine Services (Petro Marine) proposes to replace the existing pile-supported T-dock with a new pile-supported T-dock. The existing tied-back timber retaining wall near shore will be removed entirely and replaced with an armor rock slope revetment. New utilities and fuel lines will be installed.

The existing pile-supported fuel dock, fuel float, mooring, and breasting dolphins and timber retaining wall near shore will be removed in their entirety. Work will be performed primarily from a crane barge and will be supported as necessary from shore. Decking and float materials will first be removed and set on a materials transport barge. Piles will then be extracted with a vibratory hammer and will be placed on the barge. Existing dolphin caps and piles will be removed and similarly placed on the barge. The barge will then be towed to the Seattle area for materials recycling and disposal within an authorized landfill.  Demolition materials will be recycled or disposed of as necessary in accordance with all applicable regulations or will be salvaged or reused by the local community.

Existing fill materials will be excavated using a land-based excavator along the existing waterfront slope where armor rock is to be placed. The excavated materials will be loaded into a truck by the excavator for transport across the site to a stockpile area on site. The stockpiled materials will be saved for beneficial use in an upland area.

Planned improvements in the uplands include a modern tanker truck loading rack, fuel lines, pump control building, general site grading with storm drains, and an oil water separator, all within the existing site footprint. The upland improvements are planned to enhance the circulation of fuel trucks on the site and to modernize stormwater runoff treatment facilities.

The new main dock will consist of large-diameter steel pipe piles, steel pile caps, ACZA-treated glulam stringers, ACZA-treated timber decking, and an energy-absorbing fender system. Two breasting dolphins and two mooring dolphins will be connected by steel access catwalks extending from the main dock on each end of the dock. A pile-supported approach dock of similar design will extend from the shore to the main dock. The approach dock will be connected to shore by a pile-supported concrete abutment. It is anticipated that fuel lines will be rerouted from shore and run alongside the approach dock on supports to a header cabinet to be shared with Delta Western on the main dock. A 4-ton hydraulic crane with an approximate 35-ft reach will be located near the dock face.

Piles will be installed using both vibratory and impact pile driving techniques from a crane barge. Based upon the various pile sizes, the following pile drivers are anticipated for the project:

•Antaeus 325-6 Vibratory Pile Driver/ Extractor

•ICE 28B Vibratory Pile Driver/ Extractor

•Pileco D62 Diesel Impact Hammer

•Vulcan 06 Air Impact Hammer

All new dock and mooring dolphin improvements will be founded on galvanized steel pipe piles equipped with sacrificial anodes to control corrosion. Temporary steel piles and templates will be installed using a vibratory hammer to ensure proper positioning of the permanent piles. Permanent piles will be initially installed with vibratory pile driving equipment and then proofed for proper penetration and load capacity with an impact pile driver. Steel pile caps will be field-welded to the tops of piles to support timber superstructure and decking. Prefabricated steel catwalks will be placed between the main fuel dock and adjacent breasting and mooring dolphins to provide pedestrian access for tending vessel mooring lines.

Approximately 2,200 CY of armor rock will be placed using an excavator along the top of the existing waterfront embankment slope. The armor rock will stabilize the existing embankment slope between the new fuel dock and shore. Existing embankment fill is undersized and prone to coastal erosion. Existing fill above MLLW will be removed and replaced with a 4-foot-thick layer of armor rock to mitigate slope erosion and surficial instability caused by wave and wake activity. Armor rock will consist of large diameter, clean, open-graded quarry stone approximately 2-3 ft in size.

Approximately 10 steel fuel lines, ranging in size from 4” to 8”, will be routed from shore to the dock along steel pile-founded support assemblies. The dock will also be equipped with power, lighting, and potable water.

Refuse and excess materials from the project will be reclaimed, recycled, or disposed of as necessary in accordance with applicable regulations. Project equipment will be demobilized to the port of origin according to the contractor’s needs and means. All remaining project barges will be demobilized either to Seattle, Juneau, or another job site in Alaska.

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.

1. Avoidance: WOTUS could not be entirely avoided for this project because this project is a dock and is dependent on marine access.
2. Minimization: The dock is designed to have the least amount of armor rock needed to protect the dock’s connection to shore and to prevent shoreline erosion around the dock. 2,300 CY of fill that is currently in place along the existing slope will be removed and replaced with new armor rock. Armor rock being placed will be clean, open graded, large-sized angular quarry stones to reduce wave energy and to limit sedimentation. The removed fill consists of blasted rock embankment material, and it will be placed in a stockpile on site and used for general site grading improvements. The contractor will comply with local, state, and federal water quality standards.
3. Mitigation: The project, with an in-kind dock replacement, and complete removal of the float (not replaced) and over 200 existing timber piles, results in a net reduction of overshadowing area and a very small loss of WOTUS. Armor rock placement will replace an existing timber retaining wall and will match neighboring slopes, which were initially constructed of excess rock material. The new slope will create beneficial habitat for intertidal species. As such, no compensatory mitigation is proposed.

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 to participate in this public process, please contact ADA Coordinator Kristin Mabry, kristin.mabry@alaska.gov, 1-907-334-0884; 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.

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