[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 105 (Monday, June 2, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Pages 29726-29727]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-14249]
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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
[ER-FRL-5481-2]
Public Scoping Meeting for EPA's Environmental Impact Statement
for the Final Rule for Environmental Impact Assessment of
Nongovernmental Activities in Antarctica
AGENCY: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
ACTION: Notice of public scoping meeting for EPA's Environmental Impact
Statement (EIS) for the Final Rule for Environmental Impact Assessment
(EIA) of nongovernmental activities in Antarctica.
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PURPOSE: The U.S. EPA, in accordance with Section 102(2)(c) of the
National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), will prepare a Draft EIS for
the proposed final regulations what will provide for: (1) Environmental
impact assessment of nongovernmental activities, including
[[Page 29727]]
tourism, in Antarctica for which the United States is required to give
advance notice under paragraph 5 of Article VII of the Antarctic Treaty
of 1959, and (2) coordination of the review of information regarding
environmental impact assessments received by the United States from
other Parties to the Protocol on Environmental Protection to the
Antarctic Treaty. These final regulations will be prepared pursuant to
the Antarctic Science, Tourism, and Conservation Act of 1996. EPA
invites comments and suggestions on the scope of the rulemaking and
analysis including the environmental and regulatory issues to be
addressed in the EIS.
DATES: The EPA will hold a public meeting on Tuesday, July 8, 1997,
from 10:00 AM until 6:00 PM, at the Arlington Hilton Hotel, 950 North
Stafford Street, Arlington, Virginia, Meeting Title: EPA Public Scoping
Meeting, to receive public input, either verbal or written, on relevant
environmental and regulatory issues which EPA should address in the
Draft EIS. Written comments from the public may also be sent directly
to EPA to the contacts listed below and will be accepted by EPA through
July 15, 1997.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION AND TO BE PLACED ON THE PROJECT MAILING LIST
CONTACT: Mr. Joseph Montgomery or Ms. Katherine Biggs, Office of
Federal Activities (2252A), U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 401 M
Street, SW., Washington, DC 20460; telephone: (202)564-7157 or
(202)564-7144, respectively.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Scoping Meeting Agenda and Public Comments
10:00-12:00 AM--Overview and Discussion of Interim Final Rule for
Environmental Impact Assessment of Nongovernmental Activities in
Antarctica
12:00-1:30 PM--Break
1:30-6:00 PM
a. Presentation of comments by the public on relevant environmental
and regulatory issues which EPA should address in the Draft EIS
b. Open discussion of comments and issues presented by the public
and as proposed in EPA's Notice of Intent published May 9, 1997
(Federal Register/Vol. 62, No. 90/Friday, May 9, 1997/25611-25613)
An integral part of the NEPA process is public participation in the
Scoping process, the key purpose of which is early identification of
the environmental and regulatory issues and alternatives to be
addressed in the Draft EIS. The public will also have an opportunity to
comment on the Draft EIS and the proposed Final Rule which are
anticipated to be made available in January 1998.
II. Background
The Antarctic Science, Tourism, and Conservation Act of 1996 (Act)
implements the Protocol on Environmental Protection (Protocol) to the
Antarctic Treaty (Treaty). Pursuant to the Act, the EPA is required to
promulgate regulations by October 2, 1998, that provide for assessment
of the environmental impacts of nongovernmental activities, including
tourism, in Antarctica and for coordination of the review of
information regarding environmental impact assessments received from
other Parties to the Protocol. The EPA promulgated an Interim Final
Rule on April 30, 1997, (Federal Register/Vol. 62, No. 83/Wednesday,
April 30, 1997/23538-23549) so that the United States would have the
ability to implement its obligations under the Protocol as soon as the
Protocol enters into force. The EPA also prepared an ``Environmental
Assessment of Proposed Interim Rules for Non-Governmental Activity in
Antarctica'' (EA) to evaluate the environmental and cultural impacts of
the interim rule, and issued a Notice of Availability for the EA
(Federal Register/Vol. 62, No. 87/Tuesday, May 6, 1997/Notices/24652).
During the time the Interim Final Rule is in place and before the
October 1998 deadline set by the Act, EPA will promulgate a Final Rule
that will provide for assessment of the environmental impacts of
nongovernmental activities, including tourism, in Antarctica and for
coordination of the review of information regarding environmental
impact assessments received from other Parties to the Protocol. In
support of this regulatory action, EPA is preparing an EIS to consider
the environmental and regulatory issues to be addressed in the Final
Rule and the alternatives for addressing these issues within the rule-
making process. The EPA issued a Notice of Intent to prepare an EIS for
this regulatory action that included a listing of issues that, along
with any other relevant alternatives or issues raised by the public,
will be considered in the Draft EIS (Federal Register/Vol. 62, No. 90/
Friday, May 9, 1997/Notices/25611-25613).
III. Availability of Documents
Copies of the Notice of Availability of the Environmental
Assessment, the Environmental Assessment, Finding of No Significant
Impact, the Interim Final Rule, and Notice of Intent to Prepare an EIS
for the Final Rule are available in the Federal Register as cited above
or may be requested from Mr. Montgomery or Ms. Biggs as listed in the
For Further Information section. These documents are also available on
the World Wide Web at: http//es.inel.gov/oeca/ofa/.
Richard E. Sanderson,
Director, Office of Federal Activities.
[FR Doc. 97-14249 Filed 5-30-97; 8:45 am]
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