[Federal Register: June 20, 2003 (Volume 68, Number 119)]
[Notices]
[Page 36983-36984]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr20jn03-63]
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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
[ER-FRL-6641-3]
Environmental Impact Statements and Regulations; Availability of
EPA Comments
Availability of EPA comments prepared pursuant to the Environmental
Review Process (ERP), under section 309 of the Clean Air Act and
section 102(2)(c) of the National Environmental Policy Act as amended.
Requests for copies of EPA comments can be directed to the Office of
Federal Activities at (202) 564-7167. An explanation of the ratings
assigned to draft environmental impact statements (EISs) was published
in the Federal Register dated April 4, 2003 (68 FR 16511).
Draft EISs
ERP No. D-AFS-B65010-VT Rating EC2, Greendale Project,
Establishment of the Desired Condition stated in the Green Mountain
National Forest Land and Resource Management Plan, Manchester Ranger
District, Town of Western, Windor County, VT.
Summary: EPA expressed environmental concerns with respect to
riparian zone management, herbicide use, wetland resource impacts and
mitigation. ERP No. D-AFS-J65377-CO Rating EC2, Missionary Ridge Burned
Area Timber Salvage Project, Timber Harvesting, San Juan National
Forest north of Durango, LaPlata County, CO.
Summary: EPA has environmental concerns about soil erosion,
disturbance, compaction; runoff and potential degradation of water
quality and habitats in streams and reservoirs; sedimentation of
streams and water storage reservoirs; fish and wildlife impacts to
sensitive species; and the potential to establish and spread noxious
weeds. EPA recommended restricting harvests to less sensitive lands
with ground-based logging, no additional road construction and avoiding
harvests in the Roadless Area.
ERP No. D-AFS-K61157-CA Rating LO, Interface Recreation Trails
Project, Recreation Route System Development, Implementation,
Stanislaus National Forest, Calaveras Ranger District, Calaveras
County, CA.
Summary: EPA had no objections to the proposed recreational trail
management plan.
ERP No. D-AFS-K65247-CA Rating EC2, Giant Sequoia National Monument
Management Plan, Implementation, Establishment of Management Directions
for Land and Resources, Sequoia National Forest, Fresno, Kern and
Tulare Counties, CA.
Summary: EPA expressed environmental concerns that the preferred
alternative replaces specific land allocations and standards and
guidelines derived from the Sierra Nevada Forest Plan Amendment with
less specific management guidelines, adversely impacting old forest
habitat and water quality. In addition, the preferred alternative does
not include specific road decommissioning targets and an implementation
plan that responds to continuing environmental impacts identified in
the Roads Analysis.
ERP No. D-FTA-J40159-CO Rating LO, West Corridor Project,
Transportation Improvements in the Cities of Denver, Lakewood and
Golden, Light Rail Transit (LET), Jefferson County, CO.
Summary: EPA has no significant environmental objections to the
proposed project. However, EPA recommends that the Final EIS includes
data on the safety of using light rail transit and buses versus
automobiles for transportation as well as including the new air quality
standards for PM2.5 and ozone.
ERP No. DS-BLM-K67051-NV Rating EC2, Millennium Expansion Project,
New Facilities Construction and Existing Gold Mining Operations
Expansion, Plan-of-Operations Approval, Winnemucca, Humboldt County,
NV.
Summary: EPA expressed environmental concerns based on the
potential ecological risks associated with the proposed closure
strategies for the heap leach pads.
EPA recommended that the Final Supplemental EIS provide additional
information regarding the fate and
[[Page 36984]]
transport of contaminants from the spent ore and its drain down
solutions, including metals uptake through the food chain, and more
detailed information on the proposed closure process; existing water
quality; impacts to air quality, including mercury emissions; and
mitigation and monitoring measures.
Final EISs
ERP No. F-AFS-F65035-WI, Cayuga Project Area, Various Resource
Management Projects, Implementation, Chequamegon-Nicolet National
Forest, Great Divide Ranger District, Ashland County, WI.
Summary: EPA has no objections to the FEIS since design features
will avoid and reduce potential impacts, and the project is consistent
with the Forest Management Plan.
ERP No. F-AFS-J65373-MT, Canyon Lake Dam and Wyant Lake Dam
Project, Access to their Facilities with Prescribe Terms and
Conditions, Authorization, Canyon Creek Irrigation District (CCID),
Bitterroot National Forest, Selway Bitterroot Wilderness, Ravalli
County, MT.
Summary: EPA expressed environmental concerns about potential
sedimentation and wetlands impacts that may occur during dam breaching
and repair work, and noted the need for completed permits and
authorizations prior to construction.
ERP No. F-FHW-E40787-AL, Memphis to Atlanta Corridor Study, Alabama
State Line to I-65, Funding and U.S. Army COE Section 404 Permit
Issuance, Colbert, Franklin, Lauderdale, Lawrence, Limestone and Morgan
Counties, AL.
Summary: EPA continues to have environmental concerns regarding the
preferred alternative, specially related to protect impacts associated
with wetlands and aquatic resources, storm water, noise, relocations,
and other natural habitat impacts. EPA recommends that commitments for
wetland and aquatic resource mitigation be included in the ROD and
mitigation for noise and relocation impacts should be considered
further.
ERP No. F-FHW-E40793-00, Appalachian Corridor I-66 Highway
Construction, US 23/119 south of Pikeville, KY eastward to the King
Coal Highway southeast of Matewan, Funding and U.S. Army COE Section
404 Permit Issuance, Pike County, KY and Mingo County, WV.
Summary: EPA continues to have environmental concerns with the
proposed project. Specifically, EPA recommends that avoidance and/or
mitigation of wetlands and stream impacts should be monitored and
addressed as the project progresses. Furthermore, EPA recommends that
impacts to ecosystems from the conversion of woodlands should be
monitored and addressed as necessary.
ERP No. F-NPS-E65061-FL, Biscayne National Park General Management
Plan Amendment, Evaluation of the Effects of Several Alternatives for a
Long-Term Management Plan, Stillsville, Biscayne National Park,
Homestead, Miami-Dade County, FL.
Summary: EPA fully supports National Park Service's two leasing
alternatives of the Stillsville structures with appropriate waste water
and trash management.
ERP No. F-NPS-J61022-MT, Glacier National Park--Going-to-Sun Road
Rehabilitation Plan to Protect and Preserve a National Historic
Landmark, Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park, The World's First
International Peace Park, A World Heritage Site, MT.
Summary: EPA did not identify any potential environmental impacts
requiring substantive changes to the proposal and expressed lack of
objections.
ERP No. F-SFW-E91013-FL, Proposed Rulemaking for: The Incidental
Take of Small Numbers of Florida Manatees (Trichechus manatus
latirostris) Resulting from Government Programs Related to Watercraft
Access and Watercraft Operation in the State of Florida, FL.
Summary: EPA supports the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's
Preferred Alternative that proposes legislation allowing unintentional
taking of small numbers of Florida manatees in three regional
populations.
ERP No. FA-FHW-J40030-UT, US-189, Wildwood to Heber Valley, between
the junctions with UT-92 and US-40, Funding, Utah and Wasatch Counties,
UT.
Summary: No formal comment letter was sent to the preparing agency.
ERP No. F-FHW-B50013-RI, Sakonnet River Bridge Rehabilitation or
Replacement Project, Portsmouth & Tiverton, Newport County, RI.
Summary: EPA has no significant objections to the preferred
alternative.
Dated: June 17, 2003.
Joseph C. Montgomery,
Director, NEPA Compliance Division, Office of Federal Activities.
[FR Doc. 03-15672 Filed 6-19-03; 8:45 am]
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