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Glossary:
Biological Opinion - A document that is the product of
formal consultation, stating the opinion
of the USFWS or NMFS on whether or not
a federal action is likely to jeopardize
the continued existence of listed species
or result in the destruction or adverse
modification of critical habitat.
Bubble Curtain - A device used during
pile-driving without cofferdams that will
surround the large-diameter piles and
generate bubbles to attenuate peak underwater
sound pressure levels (SPLs), which may
adversely affect fish and marine mammals.
view
larger bubble curtain schematic
Cofferdam - A temporary watertight enclosure built in
the water and pumped dry to expose the bottom so that construction
of piers can be undertaken.
Dredged Materials Management Office - An interagency coordination
group, consisting of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency, the San Francisco Bay Conservation
and Development Commission, the State Lands Commission, and the
Regional Water Quality Control Board, that determines the suitability
of in-Bay disposal for dredged materials.
Eelgrass - Eelgrass is a native marine plant indigenous
to the soft-bottom bays and estuaries of the Northern Hemisphere.
Eelgrass plays many important roles within the estuary system
and provides a nursery area for many important fish and shellfish
species.
Environmental Impact Statement - A report that analyzes
potential environmental impacts of a proposed project in compliance
with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA).
Fill - Earth used to create embankments
or to raise low-lying areas in order to
bring them to grade. Under ACOE jurisdiction,
fill is defined as material used for the
primary purpose of replacing an aquatic
area with dry land, or a change in the
bottom elevation of a water body. Under
BCDC jurisdiction, fill is defined as
any solid, pile-supported, floating, cantilevered,
or suspended material that is placed bayward
of the mean high tide line, or the 5-foot
contour line where marshlands are present.
Hydroacoustic Monitoring - Monitoring using hydrophones
that will document underwater sound pressure levels, frequency
pattern and wave-form characteristics.
Hydrophone - A sensor designed to respond to waterborne
vibrations.
Incidental Harassment Authorization
- An authorization to incidentally take
a small number of marine mammals by harassment
(i.e., high sound pressure levels).
Incidental Take - A take (harassing,
harming, pursuing, hunting, shooting,
wounding, killing, trapping, capturing,
or collecting of a listed species) that
is incidental to, and not the purpose
of, the carrying out of an otherwise lawful
activity.
Mitigation - Measures taken to minimize adverse environmental
impacts.
National Environmental Policy Act - The United States'
basic national charter for protection of the environment.
Pile - A rod or shaft-like linear
object driven into the earth as a foundation
or support for a structure.
Pile Installation Demonstration Project (PIDP) - The
PIDP was conducted in the central San Francisco Bay between October
23 and December 12, 2000 to evaluate engineering and environmental
factors associated with installing large steel pipe piles. The
PIDP involved driving three steel pipe piles, using two types
of hydraulic hammers, one with a maximum energy rating of 500
kilojoules (kJ) (referred to as the small hammer) and one with
a maximum rating of 1,700 kJ (referred to as the large hammer).
Each pile had four segments, which were welded together on site.
The PIDP also tested two different types of in-water sound attenuating
equipment, an air bubble curtain and a proprietary fabric barrier
system with an aerating mechanism, in addition to driving one
pile without attenuation devices. As such, the PIDP was a demonstration
project to investigate construction requirements, identify potential
problems, make modifications to equipment, and examine effectiveness
of sound attenuation devices for the East Span Project.
Predation - The act of preying or plundering.
Record of Decision (ROD) - A public document that explains
the reasons for a project decision and
summarizes any mitigation measures that
will be incorporated into the project.
Obtaining the ROD is the last step in
the NEPA process. After a ROD is received,
permits and right-of-way can be acquired.
Self-Monitoring Program - A monitoring program conducted
by a waste discharger to document compliance with RWQCB requirements
and to facilitate prevention and abatement of pollutant discharges.
Trestle - A structure, usually consisting of many short
spans, used temporarily to construct a permanent bridge.
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