Title : Stanchion System Upgrade Type : Antarctic EAM NSF Org: OD / OPP Date : December 23, 1991 File : opp93044 DIVISION OF POLAR PROGRAMS OFFICE OF THE ENVIRONMENT 202/357-7766 MEMORANDUM Date: December 23, 1991 From: Environmental Officer, DPP Subject: Environmental Action Memorandum (Above Ground Utility Stanchion System Upgrade, McMurdo Station, Antarctica) To: Files (S.7 - Environment) This Environmental Action Memorandum describes the need for, and location of, newly proposed above ground utility stanchion system upgrades at McMurdo Station, Antarctica. The Environmental Officer posed a set of questions relating to the proposed project, and to the potentially affected environment. These questions were responded to by the civilian contractor's Environmental Engineer on November 18, 1991; the questions and responses are shown below: Environmental Assessment Queries and Responses GENERAL 1. What is the specific purpose of the proposed activity? Mechanical and electrical utility lines will be extended from their present stanchion locations to include buildings where utilities are currently being served and extended to unserved buildings and to future construction sites. Electrical utility systems on poles will be relocated to the above ground stanchion system. As part of this project the fuel line stanchion system will be extended from beyond the COSRAY Building, Building 84, to Pram Point. In addition, salt water intake and brine discharge lines to and from the old water plant are to be replaced. The existing Bondstrand and wooden cribbing will be replaced with new Bondstrand placed upon metal stanchions. Both lines extend from the pump station at the base of Observ- ation Hill to the site of the standby water plant. What alternatives has the contractor considered? The no action alternative and the proposed upgrades. Have probable impacts of all alternatives been considered? Please explain how. Yes. By taking no action, the current utility system will remain the same at McMurdo Station. The current system presents numerous, serious potential environmental problems, such as, leaks from flexible fuel hose and catastrophic failure of the wooden stanchions presently supporting the standby water plant Bondstrand lines resulting in physical damage to the surrounding environment from the escaping water. In addition, some land area within McMurdo Station is contaminated by hydrocarbons associated with past fuel spills. Any water release from the water lines may pick up and carry these hydrocarbons to Winter Quarters Bay. Should the chosen alternative involve potential impacts, how would these impacts be mitigated? The chosen alternative will have some environmental impacts associated with placing of the stanchions. This includes disturbance of the substrate ("soil") from grading, preparing a bed and boring holes for the new stanchions. Areas requiring grading will be done in such a way as to avoid disturbing as much as possible the surrounding areas. However, the surrounding areas have been disturbed by past operations. The benefits to the surrounding environment as a result of the proposed activities outweigh the impacts caused by the new construction to upgrade the system, overall. To minimize construction impacts, precautions will be taken by personnel dismantling existing structures to handle the debris in such a way as to avoid littering the area. All materials will be staged for retrograde from Antarctica. Have measures to assess the indirect costs of the proposed activity been identified or considered? Please explain how. No. LAND USE AND PLANNING 2. What is the specific location of the proposed activity? McMurdo Station, Ross Island, Antarctica. Specifically, this proposed activity will extend the fuel line from the COSRAY Building, Building 84, to Pram Point, extend utility stanchions from behind Dormitory 201 to the Vehicle Maintenance Facility and remove existing Bondstrand and wooden cribbing and replace them with new, more environmentally-compatible materials from the pump station to the standby water plant. What alternative locations has the contractor considered? None. 3. How will aesthetic impacts to the area be handled? All waste materials will be handled and disposed of according to the rules and regulations established by the Antarctic Treaty and the Proposed Code of Conduct for Antarctic Expeditions and guidelines established by the U.S. Antarctic Program (USAP) and ASA. In addition, by consolidating utility systems with the stanchion system, visual aesthetics will be improved. 4. Will the activity have any other indirect impacts on the environment? No. 5. Will the activity change the traditional use of the chosen site? No. 6. Are the physical or environmental characteristics of the land suitable for the activity? Yes. IMPACT OR POLLUTION POTENTIAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 7. Has protection of the environment and human health from unnecessary pollution been considered for the activity (includes such considerations as pollution abatement or mitigation, and waste management [e.g., of noise, dust, fuel loss, disposition of one-time-use materials, construction wastes])? Yes. This activity will benefit the local environment by improving distribution systems for utilities and fuel. Fuel, water and wastewater piping will be more easily inspected for leaks. Much of the utility piping will be upgraded, reducing the chances of leaks. As previously mentioned, all waste materials will be handled according to established rules, regulations and guidelines. Personnel safety will also be a high priority during construction of the stanchions. McMurdo station has experienced many fuel spills over the lifespan of operations there. Consequently, during excavation and drilling activi- ties it is possible to come into contact with pockets of subsurface fuel as was the case with constructing a McMurdo Station road crossing during the 1990-1991 season. Should personnel come into contact with fuel during the drilling phase of the project, they have been instructed to cease drilling until ASA's safety personnel can assess any hazards associated with continued drilling. This will include, but not be limited to, testing the area for explosive atmospheres, assessing the need for personal protective equipment and providing necessary training in its use. 8. Will the activity change ambient air quality at the site? Ambient air quality may experience a temporary decline associated with dust and exhaust emissions created by construction equipment. No long-term change is expected. 9. Will the activity change water quality or flow (drainage), at the site? No. 10. Will the activity change waste generation or management at the site? Temporary changes are expected with removing and replacing the water intake and discharge lines for the standby water plant. Removing the old lines will create additional waste which will have to be processed. As buildings currently not served by McMurdo's sewage system come on line, waste generation change and its management will improve. No longer will these buildings require change-out of U-barrels that presents potential health hazards to personnel who handle them. Human waste generated at these buildings will be introduced to McMurdo's sewage system. Environmental impacts to the system's receiving waters (i.e., Winter Quarters Bay) because of increased sewage flow will be assessed through increased environmental monitoring. 11. Will the activity change energy production or demand, personnel and life support, or transportation requirements at the site? Fuel demand associated with increased vehicle usage will increase during construction. 12. Is the activity expected to adversely affect scientific studies or locations of research interest (near and distant, short-term and long-term)? No. 13. Will the activity generate pollutants that might affect terrestrial, marine or freshwater ecosystems within the environs of the station or inland camp? No. 14. Does the site of the activity serve as habitat for any significant assemblages of Antarctic wildlife (for example, mosses, lichens, antarctic birds or marine animals)? McMurdo Station does not serve as a habitat for any significant assemblage of antarctic wildlife. All areas affected by this activity have been previously disturbed. Although skuas and penguins may visit the areas, none serve as breeding or feeding grounds. HUMAN VALUES 15. Will the activity encroach upon any historical property of the site? No. OTHER CONCERNS (INCLUDING LONG-TERM CONSIDERATIONS) 16. What other environmental concerns are potentially affected by the activity at the site? For example, have impacts associated with decommissioning of the activity been considered (and how)? The materials used in the construction of the utility system will not contain any known hazardous materials, such as asbestos, which would be hazardous or difficult to dispose of in the event that the system be decommissioned. Should the system be decommissioned and dismantled, all materials will be disposed of according to applicable USAP rules, regulations and guidelines for waste management. Finding The Environmental Officer, after reviewing the information presented above, believes that the proposed activity poses neither potentially minor nor transitory impacts to the antarctic environment. In fact, the activity, if completed, will help to safeguard the environment, The contractor is authorized to proceed with the proposed activity. Sidney Draggan