[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 63 (Friday, April 2, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 15969-15970]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-8183]
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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
[ER-FRL-6241-4]
Environmental Impact Statements and Regulations; Availability of
EPA Comments
Availability of EPA comments prepared March 8, 1999 through March
12, 1999 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 10, 1998 (63 FR 17856).
Draft EISs
ERP No. D-AFS-B65005-NH Rating EC2, Appalachian Mountain Club (AMC)
Huts and Pinkham Notch Visitor Center (PNVC) Continued Operations,
Special Use Permit and Possible COE Permit Issuance, White Mountain
National Forest, Grafton and Coos Counties, NH.
Summary: EPA expressed environmental concerns with regard to the
analysis of impacts to water supply, ground water and wetlands and
asked that those issues be addressed in the final EIS in order to fully
evaluate the environmental acceptability of the proposed project.
ERP No. D-AFS-B65008-VT Rating EC2, Mount Snow/Haystack Resort,
Expansion of Snowmaking Coverage and Development of Alternative Water
Supplies, Special-Use-Permit and COE Section 404 Permit, Green Mountain
National Forest, Manchester Ranger District, Windham County, VT.
Summary: EPA expressed environmental concerns pertaining to water
quality impacts and asked for a more complete discussion of cumulative
effects associated with the development of the proposed snowmaking
infrastructure. EPA supported the proposed changes that would bring
existing water withdrawals in line with established flow criteria and
encouraged the Forest Service to use the comments on the DEIS to frame
discussions about modifications to the existing water withdrawal
settlement agreement.
ERP No. D-AFS-J65217-UT Rating EC2, Brighton Ski Resort Master
Development Plan Updated, Implementation, Wasatch-Cache National
Forest, Salt Lake City, UT.
[[Page 15970]]
Summary: EPA expressed environmental concerns from based primarily
on the need for identifying potential adverse impacts to wetlands
resources from snow storage. The final EIS should include additional
mitigation measures to reduce impacts to the aquatic ecosystem.
ERP No. D-AFS-J65293-MT Rating EC2, Taylor Fork Timber Sale and
Road Restoration, Implementation, Buck Creek, Taylor Fork Creek and
Eldridge Creek, Gallatin National Forest, Madison Ranger, Hebgen Lake
Ranger District, Yellow Stone, Gallatin County, MT.
Summary: EPA expressed environmental concerns due to lack of
information regarding wetlands, existing watershed conditions, and
potential impacts to westslope cutthroat trout.
ERP No. D-AFS-J65298-CO Rating EC2, South Fork Salvage Analysis
Area, Implementation, Routt Divide Blowdown, Land and Resource
Management Plan, Medicine Bow-Routt National Forests, Hahns Peak/Bears
Ears Ranger District, Rounty County, CO.
Summary: EPA expressed environmental concerns and requested
information on impacts from road reconstruction actions and
identification of any roads in Streamline Management Zones (SMZs).
ERP No. D-AFS-L61218-ID Rating EC2, Frank Church--River of No
Return Wilderness (FC-RONRW), Implementation for the Future Management
of Land and Water Resource, Bitterroot, Boise, Nez Perce, Payette and
Salmon-Challis National Forests, ID.
Summary: EPA expressed environmental concerns related to the
potential adverse of using herbicides to manage noxious weeds in
wilderness areas.
ERP No. D-AFS-L65313-ID Rating EC2, Silver Creek Integrated
Resource Project, Implementation, Middle Fork Payette River, Boise
National Forest, Boise and Valley Counties, ID.
Summary: EPA expressed environmental concerns with potential
adverse impacts to water quality, air quality and wilderness habitat.
ERP No. D-AFS-L65314-OR Rating EO2, Mill Creek Watershed Timber
Sales Project, Implementation, Ochoco National Forest, Crook County,
OR.
Summary: EPA expressed environmental objections with the proposed
alternative and with potential adverse impacts to water quality,
wildlife and riparian conservation areas.
ERP No. D-AFS-L65315-ID Rating EO2, West Fork Potlatch Timber
Harvesting, Road Construction, Reforestation and Watershed Restoration,
Palouse Ranger District, Latah County, ID.
Summary: EPA expressed environmental concerns related to the lack
of an adequate water quality analysis, impacts associated with road
construction, and the failure to treat the Potlatch basin as a key
watershed. EPA recommends that the Forest Service consider the value of
withdrawing the EIS and issuing a revised document.
ERP No. D-AFS-L65320-00 Rating EC2, Targhee National Forest Open
Road and Open Motorized Trail Analysis, To Implement a new Travel Plan,
several counties, ID and Lincoln and Teton Counties, WY.
Summary: EPA expressed environmental concerns with potential
impacts to water quality, cutthroat trout, canada lynx and their
habitat.
ERP No. D-BLM-K65214-AZ Rating EC2, Dos Pobres/San Juan Mining Plan
and Land Exchange, Implementation of two Open Pit Copper Mines and one
Central Ore Facility, NPDES and COE Section 404 Permits, Graham County,
AZ.
Summary: EPA expressed environmental concerns over potential
impacts to air resources, water resources and quality, and water-
related biologic resources. EPA expect that additional mitigation
measures of clarification of planned mitigation and monitoring, and
inclusion of other additional requested information in the Final EIS
may alleviate or reduce these concerns. EPA level of concern over
potential impacts to air and water resources has also been raised by
the physical magnitude and potential long time line of the Proposed
Action.
ERP No. D-NPS-L61222-WA Rating LO, Lake Roosevelt National
Recreation Area, General Management Plan, Implementation, Ferry, Grant,
Lincoln, Okanogan and Stevens Counties, WA.
Summary: EPA had no objection to the preferred alternative. EPA did
request further discussion about how the Lake Roosevelt Management
Agreement affects development of a new plan; the effect of lake level
fluctuations on recreation facilities: water resources; geology; and
sustain ability.
Final EISs
ERP No. F-AFS-K65176-CA Sequoia National Forest Trail System Plan,
Implementation, Amendment to the Sequoia National Forest Land and
Resource Management Plan, Fresno, Kern and Tulare Counties, CA.
Summary: EPA expressed environmental concerns with the final plan.
Elements of the plan may conflict the moratorium on construction in
road-less areas, and the Clean Water Action Plan, and EPA requested
that the Forest Service suspend evaluation and construction of new
motorized trails pursuant to the Forest Plan amendment pending the
release or the Forest Service's long-term transportation policy and the
completion of the Sierra Nevada Forest Plan Amendment NEPA process.
ERP No. F-BLM-L61219-AK Squirrel River Wild and Scenic River
Suitability Study, Designation and Non-Designation, National Wild and
Scenic Rivers System, AK.
Summary: Review of the Final EIS was not deemed necessary. No
formal comment letter was sent to the preparing agency.
ERP No. F-NPS-E61038-TN Stones River National Battlefield General
Management Plan and Development Concept Plan, Implementation, Ruthford
County, TN.
Summary: EPA recommends that new building construction and
renovations meet energy efficiency strategies, as outlined in the
American Society for Heating, Refrigeration and Air Conditioning
Efficiency guidelines. Any contractors working in the Stones River
floodplain should be required to conform to ``Floodplain Management
Guidelines'', which were issued as NPS ``Special Directive 93-4'' in
1993.
Dated: March 30, 1999.
William D. Dickerson,
Director, NEPA Compliance Division, Office of Federal Activities.
[FR Doc. 99-8183 Filed 4-1-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-U
