Notice of Application for State Water Quality Certification

Public Notice (PN) Date: June 12, 2026                     PN Reference Number: POA-2020-00293 v1.0
PN Expiration Date: July 13, 2026                             Waterway: Sagavanirktok River

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-2020-00293 v1.0 or on or before the public notice expiration date listed above.

Applicant: Alyeska Pipeline Service Company, Wesley Willson, 615 Bidwill Avenue, Fairbanks, AK 997017574, (907) 450-4112; wes.willson@alyeska-pipeline.com

Project Name: Sagavanirktok River TAPS Material Site

Dates of the proposed activity are planned to begin and end: 08/01/2026 to 12/31/2026

Location: The proposed activity is located within Section 22, T. 4N, R. 14E, Umiat Meridian, in the North Slope Borough, Alaska.  Project Site (Latitude, Longitude): 69.675000, -148.64900.

Purpose: The applicant proposes to discharge approximately 150,000 cubic yards of alluvial gravel in up to 126 acres below the ordinary high-water mark of the Sagavanirktok River to mine gravel from a gravel bar.

Description of Proposed Work: Extracted gravel would be hauled for long-term stockpiling on a nearby, existing gravel pad adjacent to the Trans Alaska Pipeline. The applicant states mining will be performed during low water conditions using an excavator and bulldozer to scrape the top of a relatively uniform gravel bar above the water line. Setbacks, isolation berms, and restoration details for protecting water quality and fish populations are covered in the enclosed plan. If environmental and resource factors delay completion of the production past freeze-up, mining could be continued into the winter season. Hauling and stockpiling the material would be done primarily with articulated rock trucks along the pipeline work pad, supplemented as needed by highway transportation routes.

The applicant states that gravel stockpiles mined from this site in the fall of 2021 and 2022 have been depleted. The gravel was used for local routine maintenance and repair of damaged flood control structures, including the 2025 breakup flood. The availability of a gravel stockpile in the area makes it possible to rapidly mitigate flood-damaged structures and conduct routine maintenance of the right-of-way work pad on a timely basis during the short summer construction season.

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: The applicant states that no wetland would be filled or affected by the proposed mining.
2. Minimization: The applicant states the project will avoid adverse impacts to water flow, floodplain, and existing vegetation in riparian areas. Heavy equipment use would be confined to the existing TAPS work pad and unvegetated gravel bars. All fueling will be done on the right-of-way outside the active floodplain. Mining would not be conducted in flowing water and will not extend into the water table. Access within the mining site will be routed as much as possible to avoid small, isolated waters or very minor stream braids. One or two temporary gravel ramps would be installed if needed for equipment access from the end of the existing access road to the gravel bar and then removed after mining is completed. The piling of gravel on the gravel bar/s for loading the hauling equipment will be of a short-term duration only. Any fish encountered in pools will be captured and released in the waterways nearby. Alyeska plans to use a number of BMPs to protect water quality in the Sagavanirktok River as described below.

   BMP – SUSTAINABLE QUANTITY OF GRAVEL MINED: As described in both the attached Permit Narrative and the attached Operations Material Site OMS 130-3 Mining and Reclamation Plan, Alyeska will mine volumes of depositional gravel that can be recharged by the Sagavanirktok River within 2 to 4 years. See the references in the documents for Sagavanirktok River recharge rates (Toniolo et al, 2019).

   BMP – MINING ONLY DURING LOW WATER LEVELS IN THE SAGAVANIRKTOK RIVER: As described in the attached Permit Narrative, Alyeska plans to mine only during low water conditions using an excavator and bulldozer to excavate/scrape the top of the gravel bars above the water line. Mining will not be conducted in any flowing water. If water levels rise in the Sagavanirktok River, Alyeska will cease mining and remove equipment from the site.

   BMP – LIMITED ACCESS TO THE GRAVEL BAR: As described in both the attached Permit Narrative and the attached Operations Material Site OMS 130-3 Mining and Reclamation Plan, Alyeska will route the temporary gravel (or snow) ramp to avoid any small isolated waters or very minor river braids. Gravel ramps will be installed if needed for equipment access from the end of existing access roads and then removed after mining is completed.

   BMP – MINING LESS THAN +/- 3 FEET BELOW SURFACE: As described in both the attached Permit Narrative and the attached Operations Material Site OMS 130-3 Mining and Reclamation Plan, Alyeska will only excavate above the elevation of the active water in the Sagavanirktok (water table), to an approximate depth of 3 feet. It is anticipated that most mining operations will be 1 foot to 3 feet below surface level. Material will be removed in shallow, smooth, even lifts.

   BMP – 50 FOOT SETBACK FROM THE RIVER BANK: As described in both the attached Permit Narrative and the attached Operations Material Site OMS 130-3 Mining and Reclamation Plan, Alyeska will not mine any closer than 50 feet from the existing bank of the Sagavanirktok River.

   BMP – 30 FOOT SETBACK FROM THE ACTIVE WATER LEVEL OF THE SAGAVANIRKTOK RIVER: As described in both the attached Permit Narrative and the attached Operations Material Site OMS 130-3 Mining and Reclamation Plan, Alyeska will not perform any mining activities closer than 30 feet from the active water level of the Sagavanirktok River.

   BMP – ISOLATION BERM: As described in both the attached Permit Narrative and the attached Operations Material Site OMS 130-3 Mining and Reclamation Plan, Alyeska will construct a 3-foot-high gravel isolation berm.

   BMP – RESTRICT HEAVY EQUIPMENT USE TO UNVEGETATED GRAVEL BAR: As described in both the attached Permit Narrative and the attached Operations Material Site OMS 130-3 Mining and Reclamation Plan, Alyeska will drive and operate bulldozers, excavators and other heavy equipment only on unvegetated gravel bars.

   BMP – REMOVAL OF ISOLATION BERM AND RE-GRADING AFTER MINING: As described in both the attached Permit Narrative and the attached Operations Material Site OMS 130-3 Mining and Reclamation Plan, Alyeska will grade the site level, contour the site to minimize water ponding, and slope it towards the downstream end at the end of the mining season.

   BMP – MINIMAL STOCKPILES: As described in both the attached Permit Narrative and the attached Operations Material Site OMS 130-3 Mining and Reclamation Plan, Alyeska will remove the gravel and take it off site instead of stockpiling. All temporary stockpiles will be removed less than 5 days after completion of active mining operations.

   BMP – NO PUMPING WATER FROM SITE: As described in both the attached Permit Narrative and the attached Operations Material Site OMS 130-3 Mining and Reclamation Plan, Alyeska will not need to do any dewatering since the gravel will be mined above the level of the water table. Any water (such as precipitation) will rapidly percolate into the permeable sandy gravel river bar material.

   BMP – SEDIMENTATION CONTROL MEASURES: As described in both the attached Permit Narrative and the attached Operations Material Site OMS 130-3 Mining and Reclamation Plan, Alyeska will install specific BMPs (as dictated by site conditions) to minimize sediment from leaving the site, including silt fences and wattles.

   BMP – WATER DIVERSION: As described in both the attached Permit Narrative and the attached Operations Material Site OMS 130-3 Mining and Reclamation Plan, Alyeska will install specific BMPs (as dictated by site conditions) to route water around the site, such as temporary culverts and low water crossings.

3. Mitigation: The applicant has provided the following explanation why compensatory mitigation should not be required: The gravel mining will not occur in wetlands. The proposed source bar has been subjected to disturbances from past floods and icing events and supports only sparse vegetation, if any. Therefore, impact to local flora will be minimal and no additional 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 that 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 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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