A draft environmental assessment looking at homeporting up to two Coast Guard icebreakers in Juneau is open for public comment. The agency held an open house on the assessment Tuesday at the Juneau Arts and Culture Center.
Mark Ridgway runs the environmental management branch of the Coast Guard’s civil engineering unit in Juneau. He said part of the assessment includes looking at the impacts of building out a dock to accommodate up to two icebreakers.
“We know we need a dock for a boat, and we have the funds to build that dock,” he said. “So right now we have a very rudimentary design for that, and so we have something we can put in front of the public and say, ‘Tell us what you think of our proposed option.’”
The proposed design would rebuild the existing wharf outside the Coast Guard station in downtown Juneau, across the street from KTOO. It would also add a pier that the cutters could dock at.
The Coast Guard has been planning to homeport the icebreaker Storis in Juneau in 2029. Now, there’s a possibility it might homeport a second icebreaker in Juneau, which could increase the number of new Coast Guard personnel and family members.
Ali Maricich is an emergency room nurse at Bartlett Regional Hospital. She was also at the open house and said the prospect of Coast Guard families coming to Juneau feels exciting. She said she’s curious about how healthcare services will be impacted by service members coming to Juneau.
“Working at Bartlett, I think there’s a big question of, what does emergency services look like? What does primary care look like?” Maricich said. “So that might be in my comments.”
The Coast Guard is accepting public comment by email until July 24. Questions and comments can be sent to StationJuneauHomeportingComments@uscg.mil.
