[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 74 (Thursday, April 17, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Pages 18755-18756]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-9922]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
[I.D. 040997B]
RIN 0648-XX28
New Bedford Harbor Trustee Council, Draft Restoration Plan and
Environmental Impact Statement (RP/EIS)
AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.
ACTION: Notice of availability of draft restoration plan and
environmental impact statement (RP/EIS).
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: NMFS, acting as Administrative Trustee, announces the
availability of the New Bedford Harbor Trustee Council's (Council)
draft RP/EIS for the restoration of natural resources that have been
injured by releases of hazardous substances, including polychlorinated
biphenyls (PCBs), in the New Bedford Harbor Environment. Written
comments are requested on the draft RP/EIS.
DATES: Written comments are requested by June 2, 1997.
ADDRESSES: Written comments on the draft RP/EIS, requests for inclusion
on the draft RP/EIS mailing list, and requests for copies of any
documents associated with the draft RP/EIS should be directed to: New
Bedford Harbor Trustee Council, c/o NMFS, F/NEO2, 1 Blackburn Drive,
Gloucester, MA 01930.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jack Terrill, Coordinator, 508-281-
9136.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: A Notice of Availability will be mailed to
all agencies, organizations, and individuals who participated in the
scoping process or were identified during the RP/EIS process. Copies of
the RP/EIS have been sent to all participants who have already
requested copies.
A. Background
New Bedford Harbor is located in southeastern Massachusetts at the
mouth of the Acushnet River on Buzzards Bay. Adjacent to the harbor are
the communities of Acushnet, Dartmouth, Fairhaven, and New Bedford. New
Bedford Harbor is contaminated with high levels of hazardous
substances, including PCBs, and is therefore on the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency's (EPA) Superfund National Priorities List, as well
as being identified as a priority Superfund site by the Commonwealth of
Massachusetts. Hazardous materials containing PCBs were discharged
directly into the Acushnet River estuary and Buzzards Bay and
indirectly via the municipal wastewater treatment system into the same
bodies of water. The sources of these discharges were electronics
manufacturers who were major users of PCBs from the time that their
operations commenced in the late 1940s until 1977, when EPA banned the
use and manufacture of PCBs.
B. Cooperating Agencies
There are three natural resource trustees on the Council
representing the Department of Commerce, the Department of the
Interior, and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The Secretary of
Commerce has delegated trustee responsibility to NOAA, with NMFS having
responsibility for restoration. The Secretary of the Interior has
delegated trustee responsibility to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
The Governor of Massachusetts has delegated trustee responsibility to
the Executive Office of Environmental Affairs.
[[Page 18756]]
C. Funding
The source of funding for the Council's actions is a $21 million
restoration fund, established as a result of settlements between the
Federal government, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, and the
companies responsible for releasing PCBs into New Bedford Harbor. A
separate account funds the Harbor cleanup. By law and under the terms
of the settlement agreements, the Council must finalize a restoration
plan for the New Bedford Harbor Environment before funding restoration
projects, although necessary plans and studies may be funded before
completion of the plan.
D. Development of the Draft RP/EIS
The Trustees determined that an EIS was the most appropriate means
to ensure public participation in the development of restoration
alternatives, and to analyze the environmental impact of those
alternatives. A Notice of Intent to prepare the RP/EIS was published in
the Federal Register (60 FR 10835, February 28, 1995) and initial
scoping meetings were held in February and March 1995. Restoration
priorities were determined from the list of resources identified as
having a high probability of injury within the New Bedford Harbor
environment and which would be likely candidates for restoration. The
restoration priorities are: (1)Marshes or wetlands; (2)recreation
areas; (3)water column; (4) habitats; (5)living resources; and
(6)endangered species.
E. Request for Ideas
A request for restoration ideas was published in the Federal
Register (60 FR 52164-52169, October 5, 1995). As a result, 56
restoration ideas were received from citizens, non-profit
organizations, municipalities, academic institutions, state and Federal
agencies, and private businesses. The ideas received are the
alternatives analyzed in the RP/EIS. The ideas were reviewed by the
Council's community and technical advisory committees and legal
counsel. The Committees provided recommendations on which ideas should
be preferred alternatives to the Council. The public was invited to
comment and a public hearing was held on April 30, 1996. The Council
then selected 12 preferred alternatives after considering the public
comment and its committees' recommendation.
F. Alternatives Analyzed in the Draft RP/EIS
The Council is proposing a combination of near-term, future and
emergency actions, and plans and studies, as appropriate, that together
would form the basis of an estuary-wide plan to restore the affected
environment. This plan evaluates general restoration alternatives as
well as specific restoration actions, and establishes a process for the
evaluation, selection, and implementation of future restoration
actions.
G. Preferred Alternatives
From among the 56 ideas, the Council selected 12 preferred
alternatives for near-term implementation. These ideas, by restoration
priority, are as follows:
Marshes or Wetlands
- Hydrologic restoration of Padanaram Salt Marsh, Dartmouth
- Hydrologic restoration of Nonquitt Marsh, Dartmouth
Recreation Areas
- Recreation and habitat improvements to Fort Taber Park, New
Bedford
- Riverside/Belleville Avenue Marine Recreational Park, New Bedford
Water Column
- Hurricane Barrier Box Culvert, New Bedford/Fairhaven
Habitats
- Eelgrass habitat restoration, New Bedford Harbor and Clarks Cove
- Land acquisition, Sconticut Neck, Fairhaven
Living Resources
- Restoration and management of the New Bedford area shellfishery
- Restoration of the Acushnet River herring run
Endangered Species
- Buzzards Bay tern restoration and habitat stabilization
Plans and Studies
- Wetlands restoration planning and implementation
- New Bedford/Fairhaven Harbor Master Plan (aspects related to
natural resources)
On finalization of this plan, the Council will begin implementation
of selected near-term alternatives.
H. Coordination with Ongoing Cleanup Actions
Since the Harbor cleanup is ongoing, restoration actions must be
coordinated with that process to maximize environmental benefits while
ensuring that neither process negates or interferes with the other. As
cleanup of the Harbor proceeds, more restoration options will become
practicable. The Council proposes an event-based process of idea
solicitation and selection to choose future restoration actions,
periodically selecting restoration actions that are practicable,
effective, and appropriate in the context of the ongoing cleanup. Full
public involvement in Council decisionmaking will be maintained in all
aspects of the process.
Authority: 42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq. and 9601 et seq.
Dated: April 10, 1997.
Rolland A. Schmitten,
Assistant Administrator for Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries
Services.
[FR Doc. 97-9922 Filed 4-16-97; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-F
