[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 194 (Friday, October 4, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Pages 51937-51938]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-25522]
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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
[ER-FRL-5473-7]
Environmental Impact Statements and Regulations; Availability of
EPA Comments
Availability of EPA comments prepared September 16, 1996 through
September 20, 1996 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 FR dated April
05, 1996 (61 FR 15251).
Draft EISs
ERP No. D-AFS-L61207-AK Rating EC2, Upper Carroll Timber Sale,
Implementation, Tongass National Forest, Ketchikan Administrative Area,
Ketchikan Ranger District, Revillagigedo Island, AK.
Summary: EPA expressed environmental concerns based on potential
impacts to water quality and the marine environment from timber harvest
and road building activities on Revillagigedo Island, AK.
ERP No. D-AFS-L65263-ID, Targhee National Forest, Implementation,
Forest Plan Revisions, Bonneville, Butte, Clark, Fremont, Jefferson,
Lemhi, Madison and Teton Counties, ID.
Summary: Our abbreviated review has revealed no EPA concerns with
this project.
ERP No. D-BLM-K67036-NV Rating EO2, Mule Canyon Surface Gold Mine
Development, Operation and Reclamation and Associate Facilities, Plan
of Operation Approval, Battle Mountain District, Lander and Eureka
Counties, NV.
Summary: EPA expressed environmental objection to the proposed
project based on its potential to adversely affect surface and
groundwater. We requested additional information in the final EIS
regarding the impacts of transporting ore to Twin Creeks Mine for
milling; the result of the ecological risk assessment; the selection of
options for pit backfilling and waste rock pile design; design
parameters for several mining and processing facilities; impacts to
wildlife and springs; and mitigation measures.
ERP No. D-CGD-A39137-00 Rating LO, Atlantic Protected Living Marine
Resource Initiative, Implementation, Atlantic Ocean, from Maine to
Florida.
Summary: EPA lacks objection to the proposed action as described in
the draft EIS.
ERP No. D-COE-C36073-NJ Rating EC2, Absecon Island Interim
Feasibility Study, Storm Damage Reduction, Brigantic Inlet to Great Egg
Harbor Inlet, Atlantic County, NJ.
Summary: EPA raised environmental concerns about impacts to benthic
communities and water quality, and potential cumulative impacts
associated with this and other erosion/storm damage protection projects
in New Jersey. Additional information is requested in the final EIS to
address these issues.
ERP No. D-FHW-H40155-MO Rating EC2, MO-13 and MO-7 Highway/Freeway
Improvements, MO-13 from US 24 in Lexington to Truman Reservoir south
of Clinton and MO-7 in the immediate area of Clinton, Funding,
Lafayette, Johnson and Henry Counties, MO.
Summary: EPA expressed environmental concerns about increased noise
levels at adjacent public facilities, inadequate provisions for
avoiding or mitigating wetlands impacts, and the absence of an
evaluation of cumulative, secondary, and indirect effects on the social
and environmental attributes of the project corridor.
ERP No. D-FHW-H40158-MO Rating EC2, U.S. 65 Corridor Construction,
Carollton to Marshall, Funding, COE Section 404 Permit and U.S. Coast
Guard Permit, Carroll, Lafeyette and Saline Counties, MO.
Summary: EPA expressed environmental concerns regarding wetland and
noise impacts and secondary/cumulative impacts. EPA requested that
these issues be more fully addressed in the final EIS.
ERP No. D-FHW-H40159-MO Rating EC2, MO-21 Corridor Transportation
Improvement, between Otto to DeSoto, Funding, COE Section 404 Permit
and NPDES Permit, Jefferson County, MO.
Summary: EPA expressed environmental concerns regarding wetlands
loss and the absence of a regional emissions analysis necessary to
assess project air quality impacts in the St. Louis non-attainment
area.
ERP No. D-FRC-L05217-WA Rating EO1, Upriver FERC No. 3074
Hydroelectric Project, Amendment of the Existing License, Spokane
River, Spokane County, WA.
Summary: EPA raised environmental objections regarding the proposed
action's impacts on water quality and associated impacts on fish and
other aquatic life in the Spokane River.
ERP No. D-NPS-H65005-NB Rating LO, Niobrara National Scenic River,
General Management Plan, Niobrara/Missouri National Scenic Riverways,
Implementation, Brown, Cherry, Keya Paha and Rock Counties, NB.
Summary: EPA expressed no objections to the preferred management
alternative, and no objections to any of the three National Scenic
River boundary alternatives. EPA suggested that Boundary Alternative #2
would, when coupled with the preferred management alternative, provide
the
[[Page 51938]]
greatest protection for the resources of the Niobrara Scenic River
System.
ERP No. D-NPS-L65264-WA Rating LO, Elwha River Ecosystem
Restoration Implemention Project, Olympic National Park, Clallam
County, WA.
Summary: EPA expressed lack of objections for the removal of both
the Glines Canyon and Elwha Dams.
ERP No. D-SFW-L99006-WA Rating EC2, Washington State Department of
Natural Resources (WDNR) Habitat Conservation Plan (HCP), Issuance of a
Permit for Incidental Take of Federally-Listed Species and
Implementation of the Multi-Species Plan for Lands Managed by WDNR, WA.
Summary: EPA expressed environmental concern regarding aquatic/
terrestrial ecosystem protection and restoration, hydrologic maturity
models and protection of intermittent and ephemeral streams. EPA
requested that these issues be addressed in the final document.
ERP No. DR-USA-A21035-OR Rating EC2, Umatilla Depot Activity,
Revisions to Disposal of Chemical Agents and Munitions Stored,
Construction and Operation, Morrow and Umatilla Counties, OR.
Summary: EPA expressed environmental concerns regarding exposure
pathways; meterorolgical data and emergency planning. EPA requested
that these issues be further discussed in the final document.
ERP No. DS-FHW-H40136-KS Rating EO2, South Lawrence Trafficway
Construction, Kansas Turnpike I-70 to KS-10/Noria Road, New Information
concerning KS-10 on the East and US 59 on the West, Funding, COE
Section 404 Permit and Right-of-Way Acquisition, Douglass County, KS.
Summary: EPA expressed objections to all three alternative
alignments evaluated in the supplemental EIS, based on substantial, and
largely unmitigatible, impacts to wetland areas and the associated
impacts to the spiritual practices of students at the Haskell Indian
Nations University located adjacent to the project.
Final EISs
ERP No. F-AFS-J35009-UT, Upper Provo River Reservoirs Stabilization
Project, Implementation, Wasatch-Cache National Forest, Kamas Ranger
District, Summit County, UT.
Summary: EPA's original concerns have been satisfactorily
addressed.
ERP No. F-AFS-K99025-CA, Pacific Pipeline Transportation Project,
Construction/Operation, Right-of-Way Grant, Special-Use-Permit and COE
Section 10 and 404 Permits, Angeles National Forest, Santa Barbara,
Ventura, Los Angeles and Kern Counties, CA.
Summary: EPA expressed environmental concerns regarding the
potential biases of statistical methodology and assumptions used in the
FEIS to evaluate disproportionate impacts to minority/lower-income
communities. EPA recommended that the USFS, CPUC, and applicant work
very closely with local communities to refine and develop the proposed
EJ mitigation measures.
ERP No. F-COE-K01074-CA, Morrison Creek Mining Reach Upstream North
of Jackson Highway, Implementation, Community Plan Amendment, Rezoning,
Use Permit Amendment to Existing Use Permit and COE Section 404 Permit,
Sacramento County, CA.
Summary: EPA remains concerned over the potential channelization of
Morrison Creek and requested that the Corps work with EPA and the
applicant to explore opportunities to avoid or minimize impacts to
Morrison Creek. In addition, EPA continued to be concerned over the
cumulative impacts associated with the proposed action.
ERP No. F-FDA-C81016-NY, U.S. Food and Drug Administration,
Construction of Regional Office and Laboratory, Site Specific, Jamaica
Site, Queen County, NY.
Summary: EPA believed that the proposed project will not result in
significant adverse environmental impacts; therefore, EPA had no
objections to its implementation.
ERP No. F-FHW-K53007-CA, Alameda Railroad Corridor Consolidated
Project, Construction from Downtown Los Angeles to the Badger Avenue
Bridge/CA-91, Funding, COE Section 404 Permit and ICC Approval, Los
Angeles County, CA.
Summary: EPA asked that the Record of Decision provide additional
information and/or mitigation commitments on construction-related
particulate emissions, the worst-case emergency response plan,
polychlorinated biphenyls, pollution prevention features, and impacts
to the City of Compton.
ERP No. FS-COE-K36100-CA, American River Watershed Flood Plain
Protection Project, Construction, Operation and Maintenance, Updated
and Additional Information, Sacramento, Placer and Sutter Counties, CA.
Summary: EPA concluded that the Detention Dam alternative would
have unacceptable, unmitigable effects on unique natural resources on
the North and Middle forks of the American River, and urged the Corps
not to pursue the Detention Dam alternative. EPA recommended that (1)
certain non-dam measures should be funded and implemented as soon as
possible; (2) variable reoperation of Folsom Reservoir should be
continued to provide a minimum 100-year flood protection until all
elements of the long-term flood control strategy are completed; (3)
that the Section 404(b)(1) Guidelines evaluation be revisited and more
clearly provide the basis for its conclusions; (4) the Corps continue
its outreach effort to develop the best implementation approaches to
levee improvements for the Natomas area along the east levee of the
Sacramento River; (5) the consensus-based Lower American River Task
Force effort be continued; and (6) the Task Force recommendations for
stream bank protection and levee improvements be implemented.
Dated: October 1, 1996.
William D. Dickerson,
Director, NEPA Compliance Division Office of Federal Activities.
[FR Doc. 96-25522 Filed 10-3-96; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-U
