[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 122 (Friday, June 23, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Pages 39146-39147]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-15979]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[ER-FRL-6608-5]


Environmental Impact Statements and Regulations; Availability of 
EPA Comments

    Availability of EPA comments prepared 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 14, 2000 (65 FR 20157).

Draft EISs

    ERP No. D-AFS-L65353-ID Rating EC2, Lakeface-Lamb Fuel Reduction 
Project, To Reduce the Risk of Lethal Fires within a Wildland/Urban 
Interface, Implementation, Idaho Panhandle National Forests, Priest 
Lake Ranger District, Bonner County, ID.
    Summary: EPA expressed environmental concerns about the potential 
adverse impacts to water quality from sediment. EPA recommends that the 
selected alternative in the final EIS address ATV use and demonstrate 
that adequate funding will be allocated to maintain redeveloped roads 
to environmental and safety standards.
    ERP No. D-AFS-L65354-ID Rating EO2, Iron Honey Resource Area 
Project,

[[Page 39147]]

Aquatic, Vegetative and Wildlife Habitat Improvement Activities, 
Implementation, Coeur d'Alene River Ranger District, Idaho Panhandle 
National Forests, Kootenai and Shoshone Counties, ID.
    Summary: EPA expressed objections based on the potential adverse 
impacts to water quality and wildlife. EPA recommends that the final 
EIS present more discussion on the relative merits of passive and 
active restoration to meet project objectives.
    ERP No. DS-COE-E36167-FL Rating EO2, Central and Southern Florida 
Project for Flood Control and Other Purposes, Everglades National Park 
Modified Water Deliveries, New Information concerning Flood Mitigation 
to the 8.5 Square Mile Area (SMA), Implementation, South Miami, Dade 
County, FL.
    Summary:
    EPA expressed environmental objections to Alternative 1 since its 
structural approach maximizes internal surface water and wetland 
drainage. EPA had no objection with Alternative 5 since it restores the 
area to its natural conditions. In addition, EPA requested that all 
internal surface waters within any leveed area must be treated to 
marsh-ready levels before delivery into the Everglades National Park 
and that zoning within the protected area must be enforced to reduce 
water quality degradation.

Final EISs

    ERP No. F-AFS-J65296-MT Swamp Timber Sales Project, Implementation,
    Kootenai National Forest, Fortine Ranger District, Lincoln County, 
MT.
    Summary:
    EPA continues to express environmental concerns with the preferred 
alternative in comparison to alternative D, the environmentally 
preferred alternative. However, the preferred alternative did include 
many beneficial features such as road reconstruction, decommissioning 
and access restrictions, and riparian buffers and fencing, and harvest 
prescriptions to mitigate impacts.

    Dated: June 20, 2000.
Joseph C. Montgomery,
Director, NEPA Compliance Division, Office of Federal Activities.
[FR Doc. 00-15979 Filed 6-22-00; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P