Little South America is shaping up to be one of Unalaska's busiest marine centers. The Carl E. Moses small boat harbor is reaching completion, and now a different project might be on the verge of starting up.

Northern Mechanical has filed a request to build a barge-loading facility on the western side of Little South America, which would be used for shipping material from two area quarries. Right now, Northern Mechanical loads its quarry rock at a dock by the city landfill. However, that dock is set to disappear once the city completes its landfill expansion project.

“Since that facility would no longer be available, the applicant is looking for an alternative facility from which to load quarry material, or aggregate, onto barges for shipment,” says Jack Hewitt, who handled the permit application for the Army Corps of Engineers.

The Army Corps solicited public comment on the project during September and October. According to Hewitt, the state’s historic preservation officer provided input on cultural sites and historical sites that are in the proposed construction area. The Army Corps and the state would be required to work together to ensure that impact on those sites is minimized.

The public notice of the application for the permit also states that endangered species habitat will also have to be considered during project construction. Northern sea otters, Steller’s eiders, and Steller sea lions can often be spotted near the proposed site.

“There are [Endangered Species Act] issues, and we are conducting informal consultations with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and National Marine Fisheries,” says Hewitt.

Northern Mechanical’s application was filed in July. The Army Corps currently is expected to make its decision on the permit within six weeks.

Additionally, city council is expected to discuss tideland regulations related to this project at their November 22 meeting.