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OCT 2 U 2015
CITY OF OCLE,ELES
October 15, 2015 ICICLE
VIA Email and U.S. Mail
Captain Thomas Zwolfer
Commanding Officer,Naval Base Kitsap
120 S. Dewy Street
Bremerton, WA 98314-5020
Dear Captain Zwolfer:
We are writing to express our concerns regarding the proposed construction of a new pier at Coast Guard
Air Station, Port Angeles, which would significantly impact the salmon farming operations of Icicle
Seafoods' subsidiary, American Gold Seafoods(AGS). We would like to discuss these impacts with you,
which we have previously discussed with other stakeholders including the Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe,
and various city, county, and state agencies. We want to work with the Navy to develop an approach that
supports national security objectives without compromising the safety of AGS operations or creating
hardship for our employees or economic loss for the City of Port Angeles.
We believe the Navy's apparent preferred alternative for pier construction would require AGS facilities to
be relocated because the operation of that pier in close proximity conflicts with AGS's operations. AGS
first highlighted its concerns to NAVFAC Northwest personnel in December 2012 regarding the
operation of large vessels in proximity to AGS floating pen structures. Issues including entanglement
hazards, negative acoustic impacts to AGS's operations during construction of the pier, changes to water
circulation patterns that would negatively impact AGS's operations, and diver safety have been discussed
since that time. The safety issues are of particular concern to AGS, and include the possibility of a
collision of a vessel with the company's net pens. A breach of a single AGS pen would result in over
$1,000,000 loss in addition to the worker safety issues associated with such an incident.
We do not believe these operational risks can be mitigated simply by providing guidance to Navy ship
operators and accordingly request that the Navy consider actions to support the relocation of AGS
operations and facilitate permitting requirements and coordination with the U.S. Army Corps of
Engineers.
We would appreciate an opportunity to meet with you the week of October 26th if possible. Please let us
know if you need further information and thank you for your serious consideration of this meeting
request.
Sincerely,
ICICLE SEAFOODS, INC.
Alan Cook
Vice President Aquaculture
cc: Dan Di Guilio, Mayor, City of Port Angeles, P.O. Box 1150, Port Angeles, WA 98362
CAPT Mark Geronime, USN, Commanding Officer Naval Facilities Engineering Command
(NAVFAC)Northwest, 1101 Tautog Circle, Silverdale, WA 98315-110
ICICLE SEAFOODS, INC.
4019 - 21 st Avenue West ® Seattle, WA 98199
P.O. Box 79003 ® Seattle, WA 98119 ® Tel: 206-282-0988 ® Fax: 206-282-7222