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<br />...-- <br /> <br />..-- <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />e <br /> <br />e <br /> <br />not possible to determine the degree to which future <br />background levels might decrease." <br /> <br />The Port has also committed to controls that will reduce emissions <br />from Bayport, and further minimize the chance of any harm to <br />citizens living near the facility. <br /> <br />The Port has committed to reducing emissions of ozone-forming <br />chemicals well beyond what is required in the Houston clean <br />air plan. <br /> <br />The Port also has committed to reducing diesel emissions <br />through the use of clean fuels and clean engine technologies. <br /> <br />2. Wetlands and Water Quality Matters <br /> <br />The FEIS includes a detailed analysis of the wetlands and other <br />habitat at the Bayport site. The Corps has determined that there <br />are 19.71 acres of wetlands that are subject to federal <br />jurisdiction under the Clean Water Act (CWA), of which 19.28 acres <br />will be impacted by the project. The large majority of those <br />wetlands are on old dredge material disposal areas north of Port <br />Road. <br /> <br />The PHA will mitigate for the loss of these wetlands on a 173.5 <br />acre tract located on Red Bluff Road. The Port will create 66.8 <br />acres of new wetlands, within the Taylor Bayou/Bayport Channel <br />watershed, a ratio of more than 3.4 acres of wetlands for each one <br />acre used to build the terminal. <br /> <br />The .PHA will compensate for other aquatic resources and habitat <br />values. In addition to the created wetlands, the Red Bluff Road <br />site will include: <br /> <br />enhancement of 12 acres of existing wetlands <br /> <br />23.7 acres of forested and shrub uplands <br /> <br />71 acres of restored coastal prairie <br /> <br />a conservation easement will protect the entire 173.5 acre <br />tract <br /> <br />At least 200 acres of inter-tidal marsh will be created as a <br />beneficial use of dredge material. <br /> <br />Critically, the water quality functions of the aquatic resources <br />(both jurisdictional and non-jurisdictional) will be adequately <br />replaced. <br /> <br />The storm water quality plan at Bayport will meet -- and exceed -- <br />all environmental standards. <br /> <br />This program is being implemented even though sampling of storm <br />water at the existing Barbours Cut Terminal has never exceeded any <br />regulatory limits. That record has been set without the high level <br />of protection Bayport will have. <br /> <br />The Bayport Terminal will capture the first inch of rainfall <br />at the terminal and divert it to a holding pond. The first <br /> <br />5/19/2003 <br /> <br />Page 5 of9 <br />