[Federal Register: September 19, 2002 (Volume 67, Number 182)]
[Notices]
[Page 59073-59074]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr19se02-59]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Fish and Wildlife Service
Notice of Availability of the Draft Joint Restoration Plan and
Environmental Assessment for the Lower Fox River and Green Bay Area
AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior, lead; National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration, Commerce, cooperating agency; Bureau of
Indian Affairs, Interior, invited to be a cooperating agency, response
pending.
ACTION: Notice of 30 day comment period.
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SUMMARY: This notice advises the public and other agencies of the
availability of the draft document titled ``Joint Restoration Plan and
Environmental Assessment for the Lower Fox River and Green Bay Area''
(Plan) for public review and comment. Prior to implementing restoration
projects Federal agencies are required to analyze alternatives to
restore, rehabilitate, replace and/or acquire the equivalent of those
natural resources injured and related services lost to the public
associated with those resources. This analysis is contained in the Plan
as required by the National Environmental Protection Act (NEPA) for the
Federal action of restoration project implementation. This notice is
provided pursuant to Natural Resource Damage Assessment and Restoration
(NRDAR) regulations (43 CFR 11.81(d)(4)) and NEPA regulations (40 CFR
1506.6).
DATES: Written comments must be received on or before October 21, 2002.
ADDRESSES: Persons wishing to review the document may obtain copies by
contacting: Colette S. Charbonneau, 1015 Challenger Court, Green Bay,
Wisconsin 54311, Telephone: (920) 465-7407, Fax: (920) 465-7410, e-
mail: colette--charbonneau@fws.gov. The document is also available at
the following Internet address: http://midwest.fws.gov/nepa/. See
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section for library addresses where copies
may also be viewed.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
The U.S. Department of the Interior (represented by the U.S. Fish
and Wildlife Service and the Bureau of Indian Affairs), U.S. Department
of Commerce (represented by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administrations), Oneida Tribe of Indians of Wisconsin, Menominee
Indian Tribe of Wisconsin, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
and Michigan Attorney General (Trustees) are trustees for natural
resources considered in this NRDAR project, pursuant to subpart G of
the National Oil and Hazardous Substances Pollution Contingency Plan
(40 CFR 300.600 and 300.610) and Executive Order 12580.
The Trustees have a Memorandum of Agreement which establishes a
Trustee Council to develop and implement a restoration plan for
ecological restorations in the Fox River Valley and Green Bay
watershed. The Trustees followed the NRDAR regulations found at 43 CFR
part 11 for the development of the Plan.
The draft Joint Restoration Plan and Environmental Assessment will
be finalized prior to implementation after all public comments received
during the public comment period are considered. Any significant
additions or modifications to the Plan as restoration actions proceed
will be made available for public review before any tasks called for in
the addendum or modification are undertaken.
The objective of the NRDAR process in the Lower Fox River and Green
Bay area is to compensate the public, through environmental
restoration, for losses to natural resources that have been caused by
historic releases of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) into the
environment. The Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and
Liability Act (CERCLA, more commonly known as the Federal ``Superfund''
law) [42 U.S.C. 9601, et seq.] and the Federal Water Pollution Control
Act (commonly known as the Clean Water Act (CWA)) [33 U.S.C. 1251, et
seq.] authorize states, federally recognized tribes, and certain
Federal agencies that have authority to manage or control natural
resources, to act as ``trustees'' on behalf of the public, to restore,
rehabilitate, replace, and/or acquire natural resources equivalent to
those harmed by release of hazardous substances. The Trustees have
worked together, in a cooperative process, to determine appropriate
restoration activities to address natural resource injuries caused by
historic releases of PCBs into the Lower Fox River and Green Bay
environment. The results of this administrative process are contained
in a series of planning and decision documents that have been published
for public review under CERCLA and the CWA. Natural resource damages
received, either through negotiated settlements or adjudicated awards,
must be used to restore, rehabilitate, replace and/or acquire the
equivalent of those natural resources that have been injured. The Plan
addresses the Trustees' overall approach
[[Page 59074]]
to restore, rehabilitate, replace or acquire the equivalent of natural
resources injured by the release of PCBs into the Lower Fox River and
Green Bay environment.
Public Involvement
Interested members of the public are invited to review and comment
on the Plan. Copies can be requested from the address listed above.
Comments on the Plan should be sent to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service at the address listed above. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
will provide copies of all comments to the other Trustees. All comments
received from individuals become part of the official public record.
Requests for such comments will be handled in accordance with the
Freedom of Information Act and the Council on Environmental Quality's
NEPA regulations (40 CFR 1506.6(f)). Our practice is to make comments,
including names and home addresses of respondents, available for public
review during regular business hours. Individual respondents may
request that we withhold their home address from record, which we will
honor to the extent allowable by law. If a respondent wishes us to
withhold his/her name and/or address, this must be stated prominently
at the beginning of the comment.
Addresses
In addition to obtaining a personal copy of the document at the
address listed above, copies will also be available for onsite review
at the Appleton Public Library, 225 North Oneida Street, Appleton,
Wisconsin; Brown County Library, 515 Pine Street, Green Bay, Wisconsin;
Door County Library, 104 South Fourth Avenue, Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin;
Oneida Community Library, 201 Elm Street, Oneida, Wisconsin; Oshkosh
Public Library, 106 Washington Avenue, Oshkosh, Wisconsin; and the
Escanaba Public Library, 400 Ludington Street, Escanaba, Michigan.
Dated: September 6, 2002.
William F. Hartwig,
Regional Director, Region 3, Fort Snelling, MN.
[FR Doc. 02-23787 Filed 9-18-02; 8:45 am]
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