[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 192 (Friday, October 3, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Pages 51856-51857]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-26350]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[ER-FRL-5484-9]


Environmental Impact Statements and Regulations; Availability of 
EPA Comments

    Availability of EPA comments prepared September 1, 1997 Through 
September 5, 1997 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 
11, 1997 (62 FR 16154).

DRAFT EISs

    ERP No. D-AFS-J61098-MT Rating EC2, Lost Trail Ski Area Expansion 
Project, Implementation, New Master Development Plan, Bitterroot 
National Forest, Sula Ranger District, Ravalli County, MT.
    Summary: EPA expressed environmental concerns about potential 
increased wastewater pollutant loadings to area ground water, and lack 
of analysis and disclosure of potential indirect effects of induced 
development. Additional information is needed to fully assess and 
mitigate all potential environmental impacts of the management actions.
    ERP No. D-MMS-L02026-AK Rating LO, Beaufort Sea Planning Area Outer 
Continental Shelf Oil and Gas Lease Sale 170 (1997) Lease Offering, 
Offshore Marine, Beaufort Sea Coastal Plain, North Slope Borough of 
Alaska.
    Summary: EPA does not foresee having any environmental objections 
to the proposed project.

Final EISs

    ERP No. F-BLM-J60018-UT Price Coalbed Methane Gas Resources 
Project, Construction, Federal and Non-Federal Lands, Permit-to-Drill 
Application, Right-of-Way Grants and COE Section 404 Permits, Carbon 
and Emery Counties, UT.
    Summary: The Final EIS addresses most of EPA's air quality concerns 
on the proposed project and EPA still recommend a cumulative effects 
analysis in the Price area.
    ERP No. F-BLM-J60019-WY Cave Gulch-Bullfrog-Waltman Natural Gas 
Development Project, Implementation, Platte River Resource Area, 
Natrona County, WY.
    Summary: While the Final EIS addresses most concerns expressed in 
our comment letter on the draft EIS. EPA still maintains environmental 
concerns about the protectiveness of the proposed plans for ground 
water and surface water.
    ERP No. F-DOE-L36109-00 Watershed Management Program Standards and 
Guidelines, Implementation, ID, NV, MT, OR, WA and WY.
    Summary: Review of the Final EIS has been completed and the project 
found to be satisfactory. No formal comment letter was sent to the 
preparing agency.
    ERP No. F-UAF-G11031-TX Programmatic EIS--Kelly Air Force Base 
(AFB), Disposal and Reuse, Implementation, San Antonio County, TX.
    Summary: EPA has reviewed the lead agency's responses to EPA 
comments offered on the draft statement. EPA finds the FEIS has 
reasonably addressed our concerns and therefore we have no further 
comments.
    ERP No. F-UAF-K11080-CA Programmatic EIS--McClellan Air Force Base 
(AFB) Disposal and Reuse Including Rezoning of the Main Base, 
Implementation, Federal Permits, Licenses or Entitlements, Sacramento 
County, CA.
    Summary: EPA was generally satisfied with the additional 
information provided, but continues to express concerns about 
groundwater overdraft.
    ERP No. F-UMC-K11067-00 Yuma Training Range Complex Management, 
Operation and Development, Marine Corps Air Station Yuma, Goldwater 
Range, Yuma and La Paz Cos., AZ and Chocolate Mountain Range, Imperial 
and Riverside Counties, CA.
    Summary: EPA commented that the Final EIS addresses the concerns 
that were expressed in the Draft EIS.
    ERP No. F-UMC-K24018-CA Sewage Effluent Compliance Project, 
Implementation, Lower Santa Margarita Basin, Marine Corps Base Camp 
Pendleton, San Diego County, CA.
    Summary: EPA commented that while additional alternatives were not 
developed or advanced in the Final EIS, the additional information 
regarding Clean Water Act Section 404 requirements that EPA requested 
was provided.
    ERP No. F-USA-K11073-AZ Western Army National Guard Aviation 
Training Site Expansion Project, Designation of an Expanded Tactical 
Flight Training Area (TFTA), Development or Use of a Helicopter Gunnery 
Range and Construction and Operation of various Facilities on the 
Silver Bell Army Heliport (SBAH), Maricopa, Pima and Pinal Counties, 
AZ.
    Summary: EPA commented regarding analysis of water, noise, 
biological resources and NEPA issues that the Army has addressed our 
concerns.
    ERP No. FR-USA-G11029-AR Disposal of Chemical Agents and Munitions 
Stored at Pine Bluff Arsenal, Site-Specific Impacts Associated with On-
Site Disposal, Construction and Operation and Approval of Permits, 
Jefferson County, AR.
    Summary: EPA had no objection to the selection of the preferred 
alternative described in the Revised Final EIS.
    Other: ERP No. LD-AFS-J65268-CO Rating EO2, North Fork of the South 
Platte and the South Platte Rivers, Wild and Scenic River Study, To 
Determine their Suitability for Inclusion into the National Wild and 
Scenic Rivers System, Pike and San Isabel National Forests, Comache and 
Cimarron National Grasslands, Douglas, Jefferson, Park and Teller 
Counties, CO.
    Summary: EPA expressed environmental objections with the first 
agency preferred alternative (local community protection) because the 
DLEIS did not include how this would be accomplished or what the 
impacts would be. EPA expressed environmental concerns with the second 
agency preferred alternative (congressional

[[Page 51857]]

recommendation) because it did not recommend equal protection to the 
Outstandingly Remarkable Values of several river segments within the 
study area and did not fully consider the broader implications of 
designation on other, nearby wilderness and roadless areas.

    Dated: September 30, 1997.
William D. Dickerson,
Director, NEPA Compliance Division, Office of Federal Activities.
[FR Doc. 97-26350 Filed 10-2-97; 8:45 am]
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