Frequently Asked Questions

The Navy’s Proposed Action is to construct a new multi-mission dry dock at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard & Intermediate Maintenance Facility (PSNS & IMF). The Proposed Action includes the demolition, replacement, and/or construction of other piers, wharves, moorings, cranes, buildings, and support facilities to accommodate the new multi-mission dry dock. Proposed support facilities include a new forge shop and an expanded Radio Hill complex at Naval Base Kitsap-Bangor. The Navy also proposes dredging to create adequate water depth at wharves and piers and as required for construction of new structures.

Several projects included in the Notice of Intent published in June 2022 are no longer part of the Proposed Action. Pier 5 demolition, Pier 6 replacement, and Dry Dock 6 seismic upgrades are not currently funded or programmed for implementation, and a future construction schedule has not been determined. If the speculative nature of these potential projects changes, the Navy will comply with NEPA obligations as applicable.

The purpose of the Proposed Action is to address critical deficiencies in dry dock capability, capacity, and seismic survivability at Naval Base Kitsap-Bremerton to enable PSNS & IMF to meet its mission to support the Navy’s nuclear fleet.

The Proposed Action is needed because:

• PSNS & IMF does not have the dry dock capability to support the Navy’s newest Ford-class aircraft carriers.
• PSNS & IMF does not have the dry dock and pier capacity to conduct the required future overhauling, refueling, inactivating, and recycling of nuclear-powered submarines. PSNS & IMF must also maintain the capacity to perform emergent work such as battle damage repair.
• PSNS & IMF has the only dry dock on the West Coast that can accommodate a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, and it does not meet current Department of Defense (DoD) Unified Facilities Criteria (UFC) design standards for seismic performance.

PSNS & IMF is the Navy’s primary provider for the maintenance, repair, modernization, and recycling of ships, submarines, and aircraft carriers in the Pacific Fleet. PSNS & IMF is the only Navy shipyard on the West Coast with a dry dock that can accommodate the large size of nuclear-powered aircraft carriers for repair and maintenance. Additionally, PSNS & IMF is the only Navy shipyard that is approved to recycle nuclear-powered submarines.

PSNS & IMF does not have the dry dock capability to support the Navy’s newest Ford-USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78) class aircraft carriers and, if the Navy does not implement this action, the Navy would eventually lose its ability to service aircraft carriers at the shipyard, thereby failing to support the operational readiness of the fleet. Additionally, there is only one dry dock on the West Coast, Dry Dock 6, that can accommodate a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, and it does not meet current DOD Facilities Criteria design standards for seismic performance. The Navy needs to build a new dry dock that addresses seismic survivability for Naval Base Kitsap-Bremerton and services Ford-class aircraft carriers.

Two alternatives are currently under consideration, in addition to a No Action Alternative. The No Action Alternative would not meet the purpose and need for the Proposed Action, but as required by NEPA, the No Action Alternative is analyzed to provide a baseline for measuring the environmental impacts of the action alternatives. There are two alternative locations for the proposed multi-mission dry dock: Dry Dock 3 and Mooring A. Both alternatives would include demolition, replacement, and/or construction of other piers, wharves, moorings, cranes, buildings, and support facilities, and dredging to create adequate water depth at wharves and piers. Alternative 2 (Preferred Alternative) includes construction of a new forge shop and an expanded Radio Hill complex at Naval Base Kitsap-Bangor. Alternative 3 also includes an expanded Radio Hill complex at Naval Base Kitsap-Bangor and the creation of a new turning basin in Sinclair Inlet.

Dry Dock 3 is the preferred location for the multi-mission dry dock because this dry dock is too small to allow reliable docking for any of the Navy’s currently commissioned nuclear vessels. Around 2040, the Navy expects to finish recycling Los Angeles-class submarines, which must be lengthened to get into Dry Dock 3. Once they are all recycled, Dry Dock 3 will no longer be usable to support fleet requirements.

The Navy’s preferred alternative is Alternative 2: Multi-Mission Dry Dock at Dry Dock 3. Under Alternative 2, the Navy would:

Construction

• New multi-mission dry dock at dry dock 3 location, including Wharf 6 and Wharf 7
• New Pier 2
• New Shipfitter-welder shop and new shipyard support building
• At Naval Base Kitsap-Bangor, new forge shop and Radio Hill complex expansion
• New Pier 4

Demolition

• Demolish dry dock 3, Piers 6 and 7, and pile footings from former Pier 8
• Demolish Hammerhead Crane, shipfitter-welder shop, forge shop, storage building, and other upland buildings
• Demolish Pier 4

A dry dock is a narrow basin constructed near the shoreline that can be flooded to allow a vessel to navigate in, then drained to allow a vessel to come to rest on a dry platform. The purpose of a dry dock is to get a vessel out of the water for repair and maintenance work. PSNS & IMF in Bremerton currently has six dry docks.

The proposed dry dock at Bremerton dry dock would be designed and built to serve multiple missions and therefore would be classified as a multi-mission dry dock.

Dry Dock 6 seismic upgrades are no longer part of the Proposed Action. Seismic upgrades to Dry Dock 6 are not currently funded or programmed for implementation, and a future construction schedule has not been determined. If the Navy decides to proceed with these potential projects at a later date, the Navy will analyze potential environmental impacts in accordance with NEPA requirements.

A turning basin is an in-water area outside of a dry dock entrance that allows a ship to turn and align before it enters the dry dock. A turning basin must be wide and deep enough to accommodate the vessels that would use the dry dock. Dredging for a turning basin is only proposed for Alternative 3.

The forge shop is an industrial building at the shipyard where the Navy manufactures parts and equipment required to repair vessels. If the Navy builds the proposed multi-mission dry dock at Dry Dock 3, this building would be demolished. Under Alternative 2 (Preferred Alternative), the Navy would construct a new forge shop at Naval Base Kitsap-Bangor. The forge shop can be located at Naval Base Kitsap-Bangor because this type of work could be done outside of the shipyard. Parts and equipment built at the new forge shop would then be transported to the shipyard.

The Navy’s mission no longer requires the Hammerhead Crane, which was built in 1933, to support large battleship gun turrets. This work has not existed for many years and the crane cannot be certified for other uses. The crane’s design is obsolete and replacement parts are unavailable. It also lacks modern safety features and it does not meet today’s seismic standards. The crane has degraded after a quarter century of non-use and it would be very costly for the Navy to maintain it in a safe condition. In 1996, the Navy spent approximately $4.26 million to repaint the crane to prevent corrosion. If the crane remained in place, it would require significant structural work and repainting. The cost for interior and exterior painting alone would be much higher than the previous painting effort, which occurred more than 20 years ago. Additionally, the pier foundation would require significant improvement to meet modern seismic design criteria.

Through Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA), the Navy is consulting with the Washington State Historic Preservation Officer, the National Park Service, and other interested parties on the removal of the Hammerhead Crane and other historic properties that could be adversely affected by the proposed project. Mitigation measures will be consulted on as part of the Section 106 process of the NHPA. Potential mitigation measures for demolition of Navy structures may include photographs and written documentation, as well as interpretive or educational materials.

An Environmental Impact Statement is a detailed public document that provides an assessment of the potential environmental impacts of a major federal action. An EIS informs both decision-makers and the public of the potential environmental impacts of a proposed action and its reasonable alternatives.

An EIS is considered the appropriate document for comprehensively analyzing the Proposed Action to construct a new dry dock and improve associated waterfront infrastructure at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard and Intermediate Maintenance Facility.

As part of the EIS process, the Navy identifies and assesses the potential environmental impacts on a variety of resource areas (e.g., biological resources and cultural resources). The Draft EIS includes an assessment of the current conditions of each environmental resource, and an analysis of this project’s effects to that resource. The Draft EIS also analyzes measures that would avoid, minimize, or mitigate environmental impacts. If you have comments or concerns about specific environmental issues, we welcome your comments during this public comment period.

Yes. Your comments are important because they highlight issues you would like to see addressed in the Final EIS. The purpose of the public input component of the NEPA process is for the Navy to provide information to the public on the Proposed Action and alternatives, and for the Navy to obtain feedback on the issues that the public and stakeholders believe should be considered in the Final EIS.

Public participation helps the Navy make informed decisions. The Navy welcomes public input on the environmental analysis included in the Draft EIS.