important factor in this case in the amount of fish and wildlife habitat 

 that may be displaced in establishing a yard. Although there are few 

 yards larger than 1,000 acres, the siting of a facility may utilize a 

 large amount of coastal land and therefore have significant consequences 

 for local habitats. Large acreasges of coastal upland for a facility of 

 this type are usually unavailable; the unfortunate alternative is the 

 extensive filling of wetlands. 



Design : To service a platform-fabrication yard, it is necessary to 

 design navigation channels and a turning basin for launching platforms 

 when completed. The dredging of new channels or the deepening of existing 

 ones will create turbidity and sedimentation in the water and may lead 

 to the smothering of organisms, such as clams and corals. It may also 

 cause reduced photosynthesis because of the decreased penetration of 

 sunlight. If spoil disposal sites are selected too close to sensitive 

 species habitats, there may be detrimental effects on indigenous species 

 from the dumping of materials. If concrete platforms are to be con- 

 structed, a large dry dock (graving dock) will need to be excavated. The 

 Corp of Engineer's Dredge Material Research Program has developed guide- 

 lines and techniques to reduce the effects of dredging and disposal 

 operations which include turbidity-reduction dredge types, operational 

 techniques and scheduling tables [41]. 



Construction : With the need for platform yards to be relatively 

 flat, the major construction activity is alteration of the topography 

 into a flat area. Large open areas are needed for storage of raw materials 

 for the platform- fabrication sections, so vast areas are cleared of 

 vegetation. This causes a drastic change in the microclimate of the area 

 making it uninhabitable for the wildlife species which previously occupied 

 the sector. With the vegetation removed, erosion may occur if appropriate 

 measures are not taken to control it. Without proper control there may 

 be excessive sedimentation into streams and rivers producing degraded 

 fish habitats. 



Operation : The applicant's major environmental problems in operation 

 will be meeting EPA pollutant-discharge standards on waste disposal and 

 runoff water; other environmental problems will involve maintenance and 

 the disposal of dredge spoil. 



Regulatory Factors 



A platform-fabrication yard requires an onshore site of substantial 

 size. Access to open water, demands for electricity, raw materials, 

 transporation, and water for industrial use also pose potential regulatory 

 problems. The onshore site is likely to be subject to Federal, state, 

 and local regulations setting conditions for different aspects of 

 construction. In general, a site in an existing industrial area will 

 receive less regulatory scrutiny from local government than one located 

 in residential or undeveloped natural areas. 



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