58940 Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 211 / Friday, October 31, 1997 / Notices

documents were prepared by NOAA

and EPA to provide the rationale for the

agencies’ decision to approve each state

and territory coastal nonpoint pollution

control program. Section 6217 of the

Coastal Zone Act Reauthorization

Amendments (CZARA), 16 U.S.C.

section 1455b, requires states and

territories with coastal zone

management programs that have

received approval under section 306 of

the Coastal Zone Management Act to

develop and implement coastal

nonpoint pollution control programs.

The EA’s were prepared by NOAA,

pursuant to the National Environmental

Policy Act (NEPA), 42 U.S.C. sections

4321 et seq., to assess the environmental

impacts associated with the approval of

the coastal nonpoint pollution control

programs submitted to NOAA and EPA

by Connecticut, North Carolina and

Maine.

NOAA and EPA have proposed to

approve, with conditions, the coastal

nonpoint pollution control programs

submitted by Connecticut, North

Carolina and Maine. The requirements

of 40 CFR Parts 1500–1508 (Council on

Environmental Quality (GEQ)

regulations to implement the National

Environmental Policy Act) apply to the

preparation of the Environmental

Assessments. Specifically, 40 CFR

section 1506.6 requires agencies to

provide public notice of the availability

of environmental documents. This

notice is part of NOAA’s action to

comply with this requirement.

Copies of the Proposed Findings

Documents, Environmental

Assessments, and Findings of No

Significant Impact may be obtained

upon request from : Joseph P. Flanagan,

Coastal Programs Division (N/ORM3),

Office of Ocean and Coastal Resource

Management, NOS, NOAA, 1305 EastWest Highway, Silver Spring, Maryland,

20910, tel. (301) 713–3121, x201.

DATES: Individuals or organizations

wishing to submit comments on the

proposed Findings or Environmental

Assessments should do so by December

1, 1997.

ADDRESSES: Comments should be made

to: Joseph A Uravitch, Coastal Programs

Division (N/ORM3), Office of Ocean and

Coastal Resource Management, NOS,

NOAA, 1305 East-West Highway, Silver

Spring, Maryland, 20910, tel. (301) 713–

3155, x195.

(Federal Domestic Assistance Catalog 11.419

Coastal Zone Management Program

Administration)

Dated: October 28, 1997.

Nancy Foster,

Assistant Administrator for Ocean Services

and Coastal Zone Management, National

Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Geoffrey H. Grubbs,

Director, Assessment and Watershed

Protection Division, Environmental Protection

Agency.

[FR Doc. 97–28902 Filed 10–30–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3510–12–M

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric

Administration

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION

AGENCY

Coastal Nonpoint Pollution Control

Program: Conditional Approvals,

Findings Documents, Responses to

Comments, and Records of Decision

AGENCY: National Oceanic and

Atmospheric Administration, U.S.

Department of Commerce and the U.S.

Environmental Protection Agency.

ACTION: Notice of conditional approval

of Coastal Nonpoint Pollution Control

Programs and availability of findings

documents, responses to comments, and

records of decision for Rhode Island,

Massachusetts, Michigan, and

Wisconsin.

SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given of the

conditional approval of the Coastal

Nonpoint Pollution Control Programs

(coastal nonpoint programs) and of the

availability of the Findings Documents,

Responses to Comments, and Records of

Decision for Rhode Island,

Massachusetts, Michigan, and

Wisconsin. Section 6217 of the Coastal

Zone Act Reauthorization Amendments

(CZARA), 16 U.S.C. section 1455b,

requires states and territories with

coastal zone management programs that

have received approval under section

306 of the Coastal Zone Management

Act to develop and implement coastal

nonpoint programs. Coastal states and

territories were required to submit their

coastal nonpoint programs to the

National Oceanic and Atmospheric

Administration (NOAA) and the U.S.

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

for approval in July 1995.

NOAA and EPA have approved, with

conditions, the coastal nonpoint

programs submitted by Rhode Island,

Massachusetts, Michigan, and

Wisconsin.

NOAA and EPA have prepared a

Findings Document for each 6217

program submitted for approval. The

Findings Documents were prepared by

NOAA and EPA to provide the rationale

for the agencies’ decision to approve

each state and territory coastal nonpoint

program. Proposed Findings

Documents, Environmental

Assessments, and Findings of No

Significant Impact prepared for the

coastal nonpoint programs submitted by

Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Michigan,

and Wisconsin were made available for

public comment in the Federal Register.

Public comments were received and

responses prepared on the program

submitted by Rhode Island. No public

comments were received on the

programs submitted by Massachusetts,

Michigan, and Wisconsin.

In accordance with the National

Environmental Policy Act (NEPA),

NOAA has also prepared a Record of

Decision on each program. The

requirements of 40 CFR Parts 1500–1508

(Council on Environmental Quality

(CEQ) regulations to implement the

National Environmental Policy Act)

apply to the preparation of a Record of

Decision. Specifically, 40 CFR section

1505.2 requires an agency to prepare a

concise public record of decision at the

time of its decision on the action

proposed in an environmental impact

statement. The Record of Decision shall:

(1) state what the decision was; (2)

identify all alternatives considered,

specifying the alternative considered to

be environmentally preferable; and (3)

state whether all practicable means to

avoid or minimize environmental harm

from the alternative selected have been

adopted.

In March 1996, NOAA published a

programmatic environmental impact

statement (PEIS) that assessed the

environmental impacts associated with

the approval of state and territory

coastal nonpoint programs. The PEIS

forms the basis for the environmental

assessments NOAA has prepared for

each state and territorial coastal

nonpoint program submitted to NOAA

and EPA for approval. In the PEIS,

NOAA determined that the approval

and conditional approval of coastal

nonpoint programs will not result in

any significant adverse environmental

impacts and that these actions will have

an overall beneficial effect on the

environment. Because the PEIS served

only as a ‘‘framework for decision’’ on

individual state and territorial coastal

nonpoint programs, and no actual

decision was made following its

publication, NOAA has prepared a

NEPA Record of Decision on each

individual state and territorial program

submitted for review.

Copies of the Findings Documents,

Responses to Comments, and Records of

Decision may be obtained upon request
Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 211 / Friday, October 31, 1997 / Notices 58941

from: Joseph A. Uravitch, Chief, Coastal

Programs Division (N/ORM3), Office of

Ocean and Coastal Resource

Management, NOS, NOAA, 1305 EastWest Highway, Silver Spring, Maryland,

20910, tel. (301) 713–3155, x195.

(Federal Domestic Assistance Catalog 11.419

Coastal Zone Management Program

Administration)

Dated: October 28, 1997.

Nancy Foster,

Assistant Administrator for Ocean Services

and Coastal Zone Management, National

Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Robert H. Wayland, III,

Director, Office of Wetlands, Oceans and

Watersheds, Environmental Protection

Agency.

[FR Doc. 97–28903 Filed 10–30–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3510–12–M

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric

Administration

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION

AGENCY

Coastal Nonpoint Pollution Control

Program: Conditional Approvals,

Findings Documents, Responses to

Comments, and Records of Decision

AGENCY: National Oceanic and

Atmospheric Administration, U.S.

Department of Commerce and the U.S.

Environmental Protection Agency.

ACTION: Notice of conditional approval

of Coastal Nonpoint Pollution Control

Programs and availability of Findings

Documents, Responses to Comments,

and Records of Decision for America

Samoa, the Commonwealth of the

Northern Mariana Islands, Guam,

Delaware, Maryland, and Pennsylvania.

SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given of the

conditional approval of the Coastal

Nonpoint Pollution Control Programs

(coastal nonpoint programs) and of the

availability of the Findings Documents,

Responses to Comments, and Records of

Decision for American Samoa, the

Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana

Islands, Guam, Delaware, Maryland, and

Pennsylvania. Section 6217 of the

Coastal Zone Act Reauthorization

Amendments (CZARA), 16 U.S.C.

section 1455b, requires states and

territories with coastal zone

management programs that have

received approval under section 306 of

the Coastal Zone Management Act to

develop and implement coastal

nonpoint programs. Coastal states and

territories were required to submit their

coastal nonpoint programs to the

National Oceanic and Atmospheric

Administration (NOAA) and the U.S.

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

for approval in July 1995.

NOAA and EPA have approved, with

conditions, the coastal nonpoint

programs submitted by American

Samoa, the Commonwealth of the

Northern Mariana Islands, Guam,

Delaware, Maryland, and Pennsylvania.

NOAA and EPA have prepared a

Findings Document for each 6217

program submitted for approval. The

Findings Documents were prepared by

NOAA and EPA to provide the rationale

for the agencies’ decision to approve

each state and territory coastal nonpoint

program. Proposed Findings

Documents, Environmental

Assessments, and Findings of No

Significant Impact prepared for the

coastal nonpoint programs submitted by

American Samoa, the Commonwealth of

the Northern Mariana Islands, Guam,

Delaware, Maryland, and Pennsylvania

were made available for public

comment in the Federal Register. Public

comments were received and responses

prepared on the programs submitted by

Delaware, Maryland, and Pennsylvania.

No public comments were received on

the programs submitted by American

Samoa, the Commonwealth of the

Northern Mariana Islands, and Guam.

In accordance with the National

Environmental Policy Act (NEPA),

NOAA has also prepared a Record of

Decision on each program. The

requirements of 40 CFR Parts 1500–1508

(Council on Environmental Quality

(CEQ) regulations to implement the

National Environmental Policy Act)

apply to the preparation of a Record of

Decision. Specifically, 40 CFR section

1505.2 requires an agency to prepare a

concise public record of decision at the

time of its decision on the action

proposed in an environmental impact

statement. The Record of Decision shall:

(1) State what the decision was; (2)

identify all alternatives considered,

specifying the alternative considered to

be environmentally preferable; and (3)

state whether all practicable means to

avoid or minimize environmental harm

from the alternative selected have been

adopted.

In March 1996, NOAA published a

programmatic environmental impact

statement (PEIS) that assessed the

environmental impacts associated with

the approval of state and territory

coastal nonpoint programs. The PEIS

forms the basis for the environmental

assessment NOAA has prepared for each

state and territorial coastal nonpoint

program submitted to NOAA and EPA

for approval. In the PEIS, NOAA

determined that the approval and

conditional approval of coastal

nonpoint programs will not result in

any significant adverse environmental

impacts and that these actions will have

an overall beneficial effect on the

environment. Because the PEIS served

only as a ‘‘framework for decision’’ on

individual state and territorial coastal

nonpoint programs, and no actual

decision was made following its

publication, NOAA has prepared a

NEPA Record of Decision on each

individual state and territorial program

submitted for review.

Copies of the Findings Documents,

Responses to Comments, and Records of

Decision may be obtained upon request

from: Joseph A. Uravitch, Chief, Coastal

Programs Division (N/ORM3), Office of

Ocean and Coastal Resource

Management, NOS, NOAA, 1305 EastWest Highway, Silver Spring, Maryland,

20910, tel. (301) 713–3155, x195.

(Federal Domestic Assistance Catalog 11.419

Coastal Zone Management Program

Administration)

Dated: October 28, 1997.

Nancy Foster,

Assistant Administrator for Ocean Services

and Coastal Zone Management, National

Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Robert H. Wayland, III,

Director, Office of Wetlands, Oceans and

Watersheds, Environmental Protection

Agency.

[FR Doc. 97–28904 Filed 10–30–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3510–12–M

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric

Administration

[I.D. 102297B]

Pacific Fishery Management Council;

Public Meetings

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),

Commerce.

ACTION: Notice of public meetings.

SUMMARY: The Pacific Fishery

Management Council’s Coastal Pelagic

Species Plan Development Team will

hold a series of public meetings.

DATES: The meetings will be held

Thursday, November 13, 1997;

Thursday, December 11, 1997; Friday,

January 16, 1998; Thursday, February

19, 1998. All sessions will begin at 10

a.m. and may go into the evening until

business for the day is completed. See

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION for the

schedule of meetings.

ADDRESSES: Meetings in La Jolla will be

in the large conference room at NMFS

Southwest Fisheries Science Center,