[Federal Register: February 10, 1999 (Volume 64, Number 27)]
[Notices]               
[Page 6675-6676]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr10fe99-115]

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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service

 
Notice of Availability; Oil Spill Restoration Plan and 
Environmental Assessment

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior

ACTION: Notice of availability

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SUMMARY: The Fish and Wildlife Service, on behalf of the Department of 
the Interior, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration 
(Administration), the State of Washington, and the Makah Tribe, 
announces the release for public review of the Draft Restoration Plan 
and Environmental Assessment for the Tenyo Maru Oil Spill (Plan/
Assessment). The Plan/Assessment covers the Natural Resource Trustees' 
(Trustees) proposal to restore natural resources injured as a result of 
the 1991 Tenyo Maru fishing vessel oil spill.

DATES: Written comments must be submitted on or before April 12, 1999.

ADDRESSES: Requests for copies of the Plan/Assessment may be made to: 
Fish and Wildlife Service, 510 Desmond Drive SE, Suite 102, Lacey, 
Washington 98503, Attn: Cindy M. Chaffee. The Plan/Assessment is also 
available for download at http://www.r1.fws.gov. and http://
www.darcnw.noaa.gov/tenyo.htm. Written comments regarding the Plan/
Assessment should be sent to the same mailing address as requests for 
copies of the Plan/Assessment.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Cindy M.Chaffee, Fish and Wildlife 
Service, 510 Desmond Drive SE, Suite 102, Lacey, Washington 98503. 
Interested parties may also call (360) 753-4324.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On July 22, 1991, a Japanese fishing vessel 
(Tenyo Maru) and a Chinese freighter (Tuo Hai) collided about 20 miles 
northwest of Neah Bay, Washington, spilling at least 100,000 gallons of 
oil. Beaches were fouled with oil from Vancouver Island, British 
Columbia to northern Oregon. While impacts were scattered along the 
entire Washington State shoreline and the northern beaches of Oregon, 
the heaviest oiling occurred along the Makah Indian Reservation and the 
Olympic National Park shoreline. Seabirds, and to a lesser extent, kelp 
habitats, were demonstrated to have been injured by the spill. The 
trustees documented that common murres (Uria aalge) and federally 
threatened marbled murrelets (Brachyramphus marmoratus) were killed, as 
well as rhinoceros auklets

[[Page 6676]]

(Cerorhinca moncerata), tufted puffins (Fratercula cirrhata), Cassin's 
auklets (Ptychoramphus aleuticus) and pigeon guillemots (Cepphus 
columba). Oil was observed in many of the giant kelp (Macrocystis) and 
bull kelp (Nereocystis) dominated kelp beds from Cape Alava north to 
Tatoosh Island and from Tatoosh Island east to Waadah Island.
    Claims for natural resource damages were settled by consent decree 
under the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 (Act), 33 U.S.C. Sec. 2701 et seq. 
Under the consent decree, the defendants agreed to pay approximately 
$5.2 million to the natural resource trustees to compensate the public 
for the injury, destruction, and loss of natural resources resulting 
from the spill. The Plan/Assessment is presented to the public by the 
Trustees responsible for restoration implementation under the consent 
decree and is consistent with the Natural Resource Damage Assessment 
Regulations found at 15 CFR, Part 990. The Plan/Assessment describes 
the affected environment and illustrates potential restoration 
alternatives to restore, rehabilitate, replace, or acquire the 
equivalent of natural resources injured in the Tenyo Maru oil spill and 
their environmental consequences.
    The preferred restoration alternative selected by the Trustees is 
an integrative restoration approach that restores populations of 
injured resources, provides quality habitat, and allows natural 
recovery. Proposed restoration efforts will include the combination of 
protection and enhancement activities that have the greatest potential 
to restore the injured natural resources, with particular emphasis on 
seabirds. The Plan/Assessment proposes to restore injured resources by: 
(1) Restoring common murre colonies within the Copalis National 
Wildlife Refuge; (2) contributing to an oiled wildlife rehabilitation 
center; (3) educating the general public on human disturbance of 
nesting seabird colonies; (4) reducing seabird by-catch in coastal set-
net fisheries; (5) protecting marbled murrelet habitat; and (6) 
reducing siltation in rivers.
    Interested members of the public are invited to review and comment 
on the Plan/Assessment. Copies of the plan are available for review at 
the Fish and Wildlife Service's Western Washington Office in Lacey, 
Washington (510 Desmond Drive SE, Suite 102); the Olympic Coast 
National Marine Sanctuary in Port Angeles, Washington (Federal 
Building, 138 West 1st Street, Suite 7) and; the Makah Tribe at Neah 
Bay, Washington (Old Air Force Building #15). Additionally the Plan/
Assessment will be available for review at the Fish and Wildlife 
Service's web site http://www.rl.fws.gov, at Administration's web site 
http://www.darcnw.noaa.gov/tenyo.htm, and at public libraries in 
Clallam, Jefferson, Grays Harbor, and Pacific Counties.
    Written comments will be considered and addressed in the final 
Restoration Plan and Environmental Assessment at the conclusion of the 
restoration planning process.

    Dated: February 2, 1999.
Thomas J. Dwyer,
Acting Regional Director, Region 1, Portland, Oregon.
[FR Doc. 99-3198 Filed 2-9-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-55-P