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,''tom °° ~sTON ~00~0 <br />,\ ~ alp,,; :~_ ...:~q ~. <br />` o p4 ~,,f <br />a ~ <br />p p ~' - H <br />a "~ <br />z s~ <br />~, ~ ~e <br />°~o S~'ON _. '~ti~°oo <br />Position Paper <br />USAGE'S FINAL ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT <br />EIE PROPOSED BAYPORT CONTAINER AND CRUISE TERMINAL <br />The Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) prepared and released on May 16, <br />2003 by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USAGE) evaluates the Bayport Container & Cruise <br />Terminal (Bayport project) proposed by the Port of Houston Authority (PHA) along with <br />alternative sites picked for review by the USAGE. The FEIS takes into consideration all of the <br />public comments that were submitted following the USACE's release of the draft environmental <br />impact statement (DEIS) in November 2001. <br />Originally scheduled to end on June 16, the public comment period will now close on <br />July 16. The USAGE will consider public comments on the FEIS in the finalization of its <br />Record of Decision (ROD), which is expected in late August. The ROD will authorize one of <br />three actions related to a construction permit for Bayport: 1) issuance of the permit, 2) issuance <br />of the permit with modifications or conditions, or 3) denial of the permit. The USACE's permit <br />decision is expected to be announced in September. <br />1. Air Quality Matters <br />• Bayport will comply with the Houston area's clean air plan. In fact, all of the Bayport <br />emissions were overestimated in the plan. <br />o Onsite Bayport nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions estimated in the FEIS are only 33.5% <br />of the onsite Bayport emissions assumed and included in the clean air plan. <br />o Emissions from Bayport will.be below the health-based National Ambient Air <br />Quality Standards (NAAQS) established by the federal Environmental Protection <br />Agency (EPA) in the surrounding neighborhoods. <br />o Emissions from Bayport will be below the air quality standards for diesel particulate <br />established by the EPA and the State of California. <br />Any of the alternative sites would have air impacts that are equal to or greater than <br />Bayport. <br />o Operational emissions from all of the alternative sites would have the same level of <br />impacts for ozone, carbon monoxide (CO), nitrogen oxide (NOx), sulfur dioxide <br />(S02), diesel particulate and PM10 (particles with a diameter of 10 microns or less). <br />BAWORT POSITION PAPBR <br />page 1 of 7 <br />May 2003 <br />