Petro Marine seeks state water quality sign-off to rebuild its Ketchikan fuel dock

Petro Marine Services has asked the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation to certify that rebuilding its Ketchikan fuel dock on Tongass Narrows would meet state water quality standards. DEC posted the request Oct. 7 and takes public comment through Nov. 6. In the request, Petro Marine describes itself as Ketchikan's only fuel supplier.

DEC can certify the project, certify it with conditions, deny certification or waive it. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will not issue its own permit until DEC certifies or waives. The Corps' separate comment period closed Aug. 24.

The work covers Petro Marine's Terminal 1 dock. The company would pull 118 old timber and steel piles and drive 54 permanent steel piles, plus 24 temporary guide piles removed afterward. Workers would remove the fuel float and approach dock; the float would be barged to Wrangell for reuse. The main dock would grow about 10 feet and gain a new ship fueling station. Drilling to anchor piles in bedrock would produce an estimated 81 cubic yards of drill spoils, the only discharge the project lists. Construction would run from August 2027 to January 2028, with about 103 hours of pile work spread over roughly 120 days that would not necessarily be consecutive.

"Infrastructure has aged past its useful life, and the vessel berthing arrangement requires reconfiguration to safely accommodate all vessels in the busy waterfront area," the company said in its certification request.

The Corps' July notice found the project may affect threatened humpback whales and endangered fin whales, and said the Corps would begin Endangered Species Act consultation with the National Marine Fisheries Service. It also found the work may adversely affect habitat for five salmon species, though not substantially. The Corps said removing the creosote-treated timber piles would improve water quality over the long term.