Feb. 2, 2014
Written by Michelle Conerly
Pacific Sunday News
Two local sea turtle populations could be affected negatively by
work outlined in a new environmental assessment announced by the U.S.
Navy.
The Navy is looking to rehabilitate and modernize its existing X-Ray Wharf near Apra Harbor on Naval Base Guam to accommodate larger vessels by creating a fill-supported wharf and two mooring dolphins.
To do so would require both pile driving and dredging, the report states.
Dredging is cleaning out a waterbed by scooping out mud, weeds or rubbish with a dredge.
To complete the project, which could take about two years, a total area of about 103,500 cubic yards within 17.2 acres would need to be dredged to get the area to 35 feet deep, said William Austin, public affairs officer at Naval Facilities Engineering Command Marianas.
The report states "the Navy determined that the proposed action is likely to adversely affect Endangered Species Act-protected sea turtles due to elevated in-water noise levels from pile driving."
Brent Tibbatts, fisheries biologist from the Guam Department of Agriculture, said hawksbill and green sea turtles are two species that can be found foraging and possibly nesting in inner Apra Harbor, and would most likely feel any negative effects from the military work.
Combined, there are on average 22 sea turtles in the area per year, with peak sightings from July to October, Tibbatts said.
The safety boundary of the pile-driving noise to physically affect the sea turtles is about 150 feet, Tibbatts said, and an approximately 3,000-foot boundary is given before behavioral changes, such as swimming away from the noise, would occur.
If a turtle were to swim within
the 150-foot range of the work, damage could occur to the animal's
ears, brain, lungs and eyes, said Tibbatts.
Startling endangered animals and anything else that would affect an endangered species is considered a violation, but the Navy has applied for an Incidental Take Statement, which would allow for the changing of behavior for a short period of time since the work to be done won't cause any permanent damage, Tibbatts said.
In terms of dredging, the efforts by the Navy to control sediments in the past have been inadequate according to Tibbatts, who said that Agriculture would be monitoring that activity to make sure there aren't any disturbances.
The comment period ended this week and the Navy now will review the comments and, depending on the nature of the comment Austin said, they could be incorporated in the final environmental assessment.
The Navy is looking to rehabilitate and modernize its existing X-Ray Wharf near Apra Harbor on Naval Base Guam to accommodate larger vessels by creating a fill-supported wharf and two mooring dolphins.
To do so would require both pile driving and dredging, the report states.
 |
| Green Sea Turtle. |
To complete the project, which could take about two years, a total area of about 103,500 cubic yards within 17.2 acres would need to be dredged to get the area to 35 feet deep, said William Austin, public affairs officer at Naval Facilities Engineering Command Marianas.
The report states "the Navy determined that the proposed action is likely to adversely affect Endangered Species Act-protected sea turtles due to elevated in-water noise levels from pile driving."
Brent Tibbatts, fisheries biologist from the Guam Department of Agriculture, said hawksbill and green sea turtles are two species that can be found foraging and possibly nesting in inner Apra Harbor, and would most likely feel any negative effects from the military work.
Combined, there are on average 22 sea turtles in the area per year, with peak sightings from July to October, Tibbatts said.
The safety boundary of the pile-driving noise to physically affect the sea turtles is about 150 feet, Tibbatts said, and an approximately 3,000-foot boundary is given before behavioral changes, such as swimming away from the noise, would occur.
 |
| Hawksbill Sea Turtle. [nps.gov] |
Startling endangered animals and anything else that would affect an endangered species is considered a violation, but the Navy has applied for an Incidental Take Statement, which would allow for the changing of behavior for a short period of time since the work to be done won't cause any permanent damage, Tibbatts said.
In terms of dredging, the efforts by the Navy to control sediments in the past have been inadequate according to Tibbatts, who said that Agriculture would be monitoring that activity to make sure there aren't any disturbances.
The comment period ended this week and the Navy now will review the comments and, depending on the nature of the comment Austin said, they could be incorporated in the final environmental assessment.
