Title : Addendum to EAM -Blk. Isld.Comms Type : Antarctic EAM NSF Org: OD / OPP Date : January 13, 1992 File : opp93054 DIVISION OF POLAR PROGRAMS OFFICE OF THE ENVIRONMENT 202/357-7766 MEMORANDUM Date: January 13, 1992 From: Environmental Officer, DPP Subject: Environmental Action Memorandum (Addendum to Environmental Action Memorandum on Black Island Telecommunications Facility Upgrade - Dated April 1, 1991) To: Electronics Engineer, DPP Files (S.7 - Environment) REF: Environmental Action Memorandum (Installation of a Transportable Earth Station ("STARS") at the Black Island Telecommunications Facility Near McMurdo Station, Antarctica) The Environmental Action Memorandum on Black Island Telecommunications Facility Upgrade dated April 1, 1991, states that significant deviations from the planned parameters must be subjected to additional environmental assessment. This Environmental Action Memorandum (EAM) supplements the April 1, 1991, EAM for new work planned at the U.S. Antarctic Program's (USAP) Black Island Telecommunications Facility near McMurdo Station, Antarctica, during the 1991-1992 austral summer season. The Environmental Officer posed a set of questions relating to the proposed project, and to the potentially affected environ- ment. These questions were responded to by the civilian support contractor's Environmental Engineer on December 29, 1991; the questions and responses are shown below: Environmental Assessment Queries and Responses GENERAL The National Science Foundation's (NSF) support contractor, Antarctic Support Associates, Inc. (ASA) has been tasked with the expansion and installation of satellite earth station equipment for an international satellite (INTELSAT) telecommunications facility. This upgrade is occurring at the existing internation- al maritime satellite high frequency (INMARSAT/HF) receiver facility located at Black Island, Antarctica. This expansion includes installation of a 13-meter radome, satellite earth station radio frequency subsystems, a power system upgrade, a log periodic antenna, and relocation of the helicopter pad. The Black Island site is designed to function as an unoccupied facility. However, construction and maintenance activities require up to ten people at a time to be housed at the site several times during the year. An EAM was approved on April 1, 1991, covering the early stages of proposed construction activities needed to install the satel- lite earth station equipment and a number of site facility up- grades, including installation of two new fuel tanks in a bermed, lined containment area. The EAM also states that: 1) "an above- surface grey-water filtration system would be installed prior to any construction; and, 2) a propane-fired toilet would be used for processing of solid human wastes. All other wastes would be retrograded to McMurdo Station for disposal." ASA now proposes to install an above surface system for treating and evaporating grey water and urine generated at the site between November and February. The system is to include three stages: 1) filtration to remove suspended solids; 2) chlorina- tion to kill pathogens; and, 3) evaporation to consolidate liquid wastes. Evaporation would occur within a small, artificial pond lined with 100 mil (1/10 inch) thick, black flexible-membrane liner. The pond is to be constructed in an area where it would receive full sun at all times during the austral summer. The pond has been sized to accommodate accumulation of water during cold periods when temperatures and solar gain are insufficient to prevent freezing. Solid human wastes would continue to be retro- graded to McMurdo Station for processing in the temporary or in the interim incinerator (when it is available). The design of the treatment system calls for using four-foot welded-steel cubes containing gravel in the first filter and sand in the second. Sand, procured for a previous project, is avail- able at McMurdo Station. On-site fill would be used to supply gravel. A third steel vessel would be used to hold water for chlorination. Chlorine would be added manually and mixed. When the water level in the third vessel reaches a set level a float would be used to signal personnel in the main building to add chlorine. After a residence time of at least one hour, water would be discharged from the chlorination vessel to the evapora- tion pond. The cubes would be painted black to maximize solar heating. The evaporation pond has been sized to maintain a free board of at least eight inches and contain at least four weeks of waste- water, assuming the maximum projected urine and grey-water generation rate of 500 gallons per week and no evaporation or sublimation. The proposed pond dimensions call for a square pond approximately 21 feet across and 20 inches deep. Two-inch, heat-traced Bondstrand (insulated) pipe is proposed to convey water from the building to the treatment system. It is anticipated that the heat tracing would be used only occasionally to keep the insulated pipe from freezing. A pipe which allows water to flow around the filters and directly into the chlorina- tion vessel is proposed for use should the filters freeze. The purpose of this addendum to the original EAM is to consider potential impacts and mitigating measures relating to the proposed urine and grey-water treatment system, as well as the installation of one high-frequency, log-periodic antenna and the relocation of the helicopter pad. These were not considered in the original April 1, 1991, EAM. LAND USE AND PLANNING 1. What is the specific purpose of the proposed activities? A. The purpose of the urine and grey-water treatment system would be to reduce or eliminate the need to retrograde urine and grey water collected in barrels at Black Island by treating the small amount of urine and grey water on site in an environmentally safe manner. B. The installation of one HF log-periodic antenna is proposed to improve communications in the McMurdo Sound vicinity, in the near-term. C. Relocation of the helicopter landing pad would be required due to the proposed installation of the 7.2 meter antenna for the Satellite Tracking and Reception Specialists (STARS) project and the permanent INTELSAT radome in 1993. What alternatives has the contractor considered? A. Three alternatives have been considered for the urine and grey-water treatment system. The first is the "no action" alternative, that would require that waste water continue to be retrograded to McMurdo Station. The second alternative considered was construction of a more complex treatment and evaporation system. The selected alternative calls for a very simple system to minimize construction and maintenance requirements. B. Two alternatives have been considered for the installation of the log periodic antenna. The first was to continue utilizing the McMurdo receive antennas to support communications in the near-term. These antennas do not adequately satisfy current requirements. The second alternative was to install one close-range (0 to 600 mile) near-vertical incident antenna as proposed here at Black Island (the selected remote HF receiver site for McMurdo's communication's operations). C. No alternatives to the relocation of the helicopter pad were considered feasible. Relocation would be necessary to accommodate the growing communication needs of the U.S. Antarctic Program (USAP) in the Ross Sea Area. Due to the installation of the STARS antenna, the pad must be moved. Due to facility congestion and site topography one suitable location was available allowing clear unobstructed access. Approval for aviation-related activities at the pad new site has been granted by the on-site VXE-6 Operations Officer. Have probable impacts of all alternatives been considered? Please explain how. A. The impacts associated with the current waste-water management system include expending energy to produce, transport and dispose of barrels and the waste water they contain. Barrels must be transported to and from Black Island either by helicopter or over land. A potential impact from the selected alternative is the release of waste water due to a leak in the filter boxes or pond liner, overfilling of the pond, or severe winds pushing water over the edge of the pond. Water released from the system would be expected to infiltrate into the ground, which is covered by fine-grained rock in the area, and freeze. The system is to be located at least one- half mile from the island shore. Accidentally released water would not be expected to reach the ocean. Additional potential impacts include release of chlorine required for the chlorination chamber (as well as the production of toxic trihalomethanes during and after the chlorination process), genera- tion of odors, and transfer of disease or contami- nants to birds which may attempt to drink the waste water in the pond. It is expected that some salts will precipitate out in the pond. If the pond becomes completely dry these solids may be swept out of the pond by winds, which are typically very high in the area. Construction of an alternative design, such as the grey-water evaporation box being constructed using plexiglass and solar panels for use in the Dry Valleys, would also have the potential to leak or overflow waste water onto the ground. B. The impact of utilizing the existing HF receiver site antennas in McMurdo is that near-range communications in McMurdo Sound would be limited. The impact of installing the antenna on Black Island as proposed is limited to the impact of drilling seven ten-foot holes in the ground to anchor the guy wires used to assist the antenna structure in resisting the high wind forces often experienced in the area. During erection of the 70-foot antenna vehicle traffic and construction activity would occur in the immediate vicinity of the antenna. The antenna would only serve as a receiver for satellite signals, that is, it would not emit high frequency waves. As such the antenna is not con- sidered a source of potentially harmful energy and would not be expected to affect either human health or wild life. C. The helicopter landing pad would consist of an area which has been graded level and covered by wood. The new helicopter pad would be identical to the current pad and would include re-use of the existing wood platform. A small amount of regrading of the proposed pad location would be required to make it safely level. Should the chosen alternatives involve potential impacts, how would these impacts be mitigated? A. The potential for release of wastewater would be mitigated by taking steps to ensure the pond liner and filters are constructed carefully, installed properly, and inspected and maintained to anticipate and prevent leakages. This would include placing the flexible membrane liner over a smooth surface free of sharp objects, not placing equipment on the liner which could puncture it, and prohibiting personnel from walking on the liner unnecessarily. The pond would be sized to provide adequate freeboard to minimize the probability of wind pushing water out of the pond. The entire system would be inspected at least weekly when people are present at the site for evidence of liner integrity or waste water release from the system. Chlorine will be stored as a dry powder. Chlorine containers will be clearly marked and stored in a designated, enclosed storage area. Some odors may be released from the treatment system, especially as the water moves through the filters. However, the system would be placed approximately 300 feet downwind of the station buildings, such that odors should not be noticeable. The system is expected to perform aerobically, so that odors and such gases as methane associated with anaerobic decomposition should not be generated. Soaps and detergents used at the site are biodegrad- able, non-toxic products. The water in the pond would not, therefore, contain heavy metals or other toxic substances that could affect antarctic wild- life in the area. Chlorination would be used to destroy pathogens and prevent possibility of birds being exposed to, and acting as vectors of, disease- carrying organisms. B. Rock drilling necessary to install guy wires to support the antenna would be done using a Cobra rock drill, and is not expected to disturb ground outside the immediate vicinity of the antenna. The small amount of material removed by drilling (esti- mated to be three to four cubic feet) would be spread around the area to create a smooth appear- ance. Construction personnel would be advised and assisted to minimize the extent of the area impacted by construction activities. Construction materials and debris would be carefully stored to prevent blowing debris. C. As the new helicopter pad location would be in a previously disturbed area currently used as a parking area for tractors, the slight amount of regrading required to level the area is not expected to cause significant environmental impact. Regrad- ing would not unnecessarily extend beyond the proposed pad location. Have measures to assess the indirect costs of the proposed activities been identified or considered? Please explain how. A. The proposed project would decrease transportation and energy requirements by eliminating the need to transport barrels. B. Due to current limitations in near-term communica- tions the long term benefits of the antenna would out weigh its installation costs. C. No. The pad would have to be relocated. LAND USE AND PLANNING 2. What are the specific locations of the proposed activities? A. The proposed site for the urine and grey-water treatment system is located north of the fuel tanks at the existing INMARSAT/HF receiving telecommunications facility near Mt. Melania on Black Island. E166ø 15' 00" Latitude, S78ø 07'00" Longitude. See attached site plan. B. The proposed antenna site is indicated on the site plan included in the April 1, 1991 EAM for the proposed project. C. The location proposed for relocation of the helicopter pad is approximately 300 feet south of the existing pad location. What alternative locations has the contractor considered? None. 3. How will aesthetic impacts to the area be handled? A. By locating the urine and grey-water treatment system 300 feet from station buildings visual impacts and potential odor release should be minimized. The proposed system would require less maintenance than the current system, especially the grey-water holding system. B. The log periodic antenna consists of one 70-foot tower and an antenna curtain which covers an area approximate- ly 200 feet by 160 feet. An antenna curtain consists of a grid of wires laid on the ground and attached to the antenna. As the primary purpose for the Black Island site is to support communications, and fifteen towers exist at present, the addition of the proposed antenna would have minimal visual impact. C. Relocating the pad from its existing location approximately 300 feet south would have no aesthetic impact. 4. Will the activities have any other indirect impacts on the environment? None are expected. 5. Will the activities change the traditional use of the chosen site? Yes. The location of the waste water treatment system, antenna and helicopter pad are currently open space. 6. Are the physical or environmental characteristics of the land suitable for the activities? Yes. POLLUTION POTENTIAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 7. Has protection of the environment and human health from unnecessary pollution been considered for the activities (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])? A. The proposed waste water project is expected to improve the existing waste water system at the site by eliminating the need to transport urine and grey water for release elsewhere. The mitigating measures discussed above are intended to prevent unnecessary pollution. Monitoring of the characteristics of chlorine-treated effluent would be required to indicate the potential formation of toxic, chlorinated by- products (e.g., trihalomethanes). B. During the installation of the antenna seven ten-foot anchor-rods must be installed by drilling three-inch holes which would cause some minor dust evolution and noise. All crating material (as well as all other solid construction wastes) would be retrograded to McMurdo for proper disposal. C. Regrading the new helicopter pad site may temporarily produce dust emissions. However, as the amount of regrading required is expected to be minimal, the amount of dust generated is expected to be small. 8. Will the activities change ambient air quality at the site? A. Volatilization of some wastewater constituents, some chlorine (and possibly some by-products of chlorination) may occur, however, these emissions are expected to be minimal. In addition, water would evaporate from the system. Fuel use by the system and consequent air emissions would be minimal because the system would use gravity flow and is designed to use the heat tracing system on the piping only when absolutely necessary. B. Other than emissions from construction equipment the installation of the antenna would have no affect on the air quality. C. Same as discussed in item 8.B. above. 9. Will the activities change water quality or flow (drainage), at the site? A. Yes. The area where the evaporation pond would be located would have to be regraded to provide a flat, bermed area. B. No. C. No. 10. Will the activities change waste generation or management at the site? A. Waste generation would temporarily increase during construction. Much of the system, such as the filters, would be fabricated in McMurdo to minimize on-site construction work. The system is intended to improve wastewater management at the site. B. Waste generation would temporarily increase during the installation of the antenna. All unused materials would be retrograded to McMurdo. C. No. 11. Will the activities change energy production or demand, personnel and life support, or transportation requirements at the site? A. By reducing or eliminating the need to transport urine and grey-water barrels to and from the site the proposed waste water system would decrease energy and transportation requirements. B. No. The antenna is a receive-only antenna and as such does not require energy. C. No. The helicopter pad relocation would not affect the expected number of helicopter flights to Black Island. 12. Are the activities expected to adversely affect scientific studies or locations of research interest (near and distant, short-term and long-term)? A. No. Currently, scientific work at the site relates to telecommunications systems. Such systems would not be affected by the proposed wastewater system or potential impacts identified. If water is released from the system it could alter the natural moisture content of the surrounding soils, rendering the site unsuitable for certain geologic and engineering research. However, there is no reason evident that the specific location would be selected for geologic or engineering research, and steps would be taken to minimize the potential for release of water from the system. B. No. Black Island is currently used for the majority of the telecommunications. The addition of another antenna would assist in increasing USAP communications abilities. C. No. 13. Will the activities generate pollutants that might affect terrestrial, marine or freshwater ecosystems within the environs of the station or inland camp? A. No. Potential exposure is limited to terrestrial animals such as birds. The system is expected to contain only such nutrients, found in human waste and soaps, as nitrogen and phosphorous, and some residual chlorine. However, the system would not be expected to contain important levels toxic pollutants, and it would not be expected to attract antarctic wildlife. B. No. C. No. 14. Do the sites of the activities serve as habitat for any important assemblages of Antarctic wildlife (for example, mosses or lichens, or antarctic birds or marine animals)? A. None, other than skuas, seen very infrequently at the site. The site has not evidenced important assemblages of antarctic wildlife. B. No. C. No. HUMAN VALUES 15. Will the activities encroach upon any historical property of the site? No. OTHER CONSIDERATIONS 16. What other environmental concerns are potentially affected by the activities at the sites? For example, have impacts associated with decommissioning of the activity been considered (and how)? With the exception of the seven anchor-rods required to secure the proposed antenna the remainder of the proposed activities are limited to above-ground construction. The proposed wastewater treatment system and helicopter pad could be decommissioned with out leaving behind any materials. The antenna and related equipment could be removed with the exception of the anchor rods, which would likely be left in place. Finding After reviewing the information contained in the addendum, the Environmental Officer believes that the proposed projects will pose neither minor nor transitory environmental impacts. Nonetheless, there is a potential for the production of biologically important chlorinated substances that may be by- products associated with the effluent chlorination process. In order to demonstrate whether such by-products (i.e., trihalo- methanes) do form while the wastewater treatment system is operation, the contractor shall develop a short-term effluent monitoring project to detect such substances. Should such substances be found to be generated during the wastewater treatment process such measures as effluent de-chlorination (after the one-hour time period required to inactivate disease- producing organisms associated with human wastes) of the effluent shall be effected. The success and any de-chlorination attempts will be accompanied by subsequent monitoring for the presence of such chlorinated by-products as trihalomethanes. The contractor shall consult with the Environmental Officer, DPP and with the Environmental Engineer, DPP on the planning and implementation of any such monitoring and de-chlorination projects. Given these provisos, the contractor is authorized to commence with the additional facility upgrades described in this EAM. Sidney Draggan Attachments Site Plan cc: Head, Safety, Environment and Health Implementation Team, DPP Environmental Engineer, DPP