[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 35 (Friday, February 21, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Pages 8013-8014]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-4352]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
[ER-FRL-5477-7]


Environmental Impact Statements and Regulations; Availability of 
EPA Comments

    Availability of EPA comments prepared February 3, 1997 Through 
February 7, 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 
5, 1996 (61 FR 15251).

Draft EISs

    ERP No. D-AFS-J65060-UT Rating EC2, Alta Ski Area Master 
Development Plan Update Approval, Special-Use-Permit and COE Permits 
Issuance, Wasatch-Cache National Forest, Salt Lake Ranger District, 
Salt Lake County, UT.
    Summary: EPA expressed environmental concerns about impacts to 
wetlands and air quality impacts.
    ERP No. D-AFS-J65258-MT Rating EC2, Lewis and Clark National Forest 
Plan, Implementation, Oil and Gas Leasing Analysis, Upper Missouri 
River Basin, several counties, MT.
    Summary: EPA expressed environmental concerns about potential 
cumulative impacts from directional drilling and associated oil and gas 
exploration and development activities. The final EIS should address 
wetland protection, specific air and water quality monitoring and 
validation plans.
    ERP No. D-AFS-J65259-CO Rating EC2, Aspen Highlands Ski Area 
Expansion, Master Development Plan Amendment, COE 404 Permit and 
Special-Use-Permit, White River National Forest, Aspen Ranger District, 
Pitkin County, CO.
    Summary: EPA expressed environmental concerns about inadequate 
modeling and analysis to determine air quality impacts.
    ERP No. D-AFS-K65192-CA Rating EC2, Jaybird Multi-Resource Project, 
Implementation, Downieville Ranger District, Yuba County, CA.
    Summary: EPA expressed environmental concerns that the proposed 
management activities are not directly integrated into the overall 
watershed management plan. The final EIS should clearly define roles 
and responsibilities for monitoring activities.
    ERP No. D-AFS-L65265-WA Rating LO, North Sherman and Fritz Timber 
Sales, Implementation, Colville National Forest, Kettle Falls Ranger 
District, Ferry County, WA.
    Summary: EPA expressed lack of objections. No formal comment letter 
was sent to the preparing agency.
    ERP No. D-AFS-L65280-ID Rating EC2, Mosquito-Fly Project Area, 
Implementation, Harvest Timber, Road Construction and Grant Access to 
Private Land, Idaho Panhandle National Forests, St. Joe Ranger 
District, Shoshone County, ID.
    Summary: EPA expressed environmental concerns about the retention 
of roadless area characteristics, water quality, and cumulative/
indirect impacts.
    ERP No. D-AFS-L67035-OR Rating EO2, Stewart Mining Operation, Plan 
of Operation Approval, Implementation, City Creek, North Umpqua Ranger 
District, Umpqua National Forest, Douglas and Lane Counties, OR.
    Summary: EPA expressed environmental objections about compliance 
with Aquatic Conservation Strategy Objectives provided in the Northwest 
Forest Plan Record of Decision, and about impacts to the Outstandingly 
Remarkable Values recognized in the North Umpqua River and Streamboat 
Creek, from sedimentation and acid rock drainage.
    ERP No. D-BLM-J65191-00 Rating EC2, Standards for Rangeland Health 
and Guidelines for Livestock Grazing Management on Bureau of Land 
Management Administered Lands, Implementation, MT, ND and SD.
    Summary: EPA expressed environmental concerns that the Standards 
and Guidelines may not adequately protect the chemical, physical and 
biological integrity of water quality to meet the Clean Water Act. 
There was confusion concerning what CWA Section 303 water quality 
standards (WQS) mean and how the States implement WQS. Consistency, 
additional information and environmental commitments were requested in 
the final EIS. The final EIS should include specifics of the mitigation 
plans.
    ERP No. D-BLM-K67039-NV Rating LO, Denton-Rawhide Mine Expansion 
Project, Plan of Operation Approval, Implementation, Mineral County, 
NV.
    Summary: EPA expressed a lack of objection.
    ERP No. D-BLM-L65272-ID Rating EC2, Challis Land and Resource 
Management Plan, Implementation, Upper Columbus--Salmon Clearwater 
Districts, Salmon River, Lemhi and Custer Counties, ID.
    Summary: EPA expressed environmental concerns on water quality 
impacts from grazing activities. EPA suggests that the final EIS 
include specifics on mitigation plans, including implementation to 
improve degraded riparian areas.
    ERP No. D-COE-L36104-WA Rating LO, Howard A. Hanson Dam Continued 
Operation and Maintenance Plan, Implementation, Green River, King 
County, WA.
    Summary: Our abbreviated review has revealed no EPA concerns on 
this project.
    ERP No. D-IBR-K31018-AZ Rating EO2, Programmatic EIS--Pima-Maricopa 
Irrigation Project, Construction and Operation, Maricopa and Pinal 
Counties, AZ.
    Summary: EPA had environmental objection with the large scope of 
the proposed action and its long-term sustainability. The PDEIS did not 
persuasively demonstrate that potential adverse environmental impacts 
can be avoided, minimized, or mitigated. EPA recommended prioritization 
of project components for implementation with primary emphasis on 
rehabilitation of existing irrigation systems and agricultural areas. 
EPA also strongly advocated monitoring and adaptive management and 
urged full integration of the local comprehensive water management 
plan. EPA expressed concern with potential adverse impacts to surface 
and groundwater quality, riparian areas, air quality, fish and

[[Page 8014]]

wildlife habitat, and public health and safety.
    ERP No. D-STA-G50009-00 Rating LO, Programmatic EIS--International 
Bridge Crossing Project, Construction and Operation, Along the United 
States-Mexico Border from EL Paso to Brownsville, TX, Presidential 
Permit, NM and TX.
    Summary: EPA had no objection to the proposed action.
    ERP No. D-UMC-K24018-CA Rating EC2, Sewage Effluent Compliance 
Project, Implementation, Lower Santa Margarita Basin, Marine Corps Base 
Camp Pendleton, San Diego County, CA.
    Summary: EPA expressed environmental concerns with the alternative 
analysis and requested clarification of wetland issues.
    ERP No. DA-DOE-A22076-NM Rating LO, Waste Isolation Pilot Plant 
Disposal Phase, Updated Information, Disposal of Transuranic Waste, 
Carlsbad, NM.
    Summary: EPA expressed lack of objections to the preferred 
alternative.

Final EISs

    ERP No. F-AFS-J60017-CO Fraser Valley Loop Transmission Line 
Project, Construction, Operation, Associated Operations and Maintenance 
Activities, Approval of Permits, Arapaho and Roosevelt National 
Forests, Grand County, CO.
    Summary: EPA continued to express environmental concerns that many 
of the potential impacts to wetlands, old growth, and raptor nests will 
not be known until a biological survey of the area is done. EPA also 
expressed environmental concern over possible conflicts that may still 
exist between this EIS and draft land management plans.
    ERP No. F-AFS-J65242-MT Checkerboard Land Exchange, Plan of 
Approval and Implementation, Kootenai, Lolo and Flathead National 
Forests, Lincoln, Flathead and Sanders Counties, MT.
    Summary: EPA expressed environmental concerns about potential 
adverse water quality and fisheries impacts that could occur on lands 
exchanged to the Plum Creek Timber Company (PCTC) due to high intensity 
timber harvesting and road building activities by PCTC on these lands.
    ERP No. F-AFS-K65189-CA, Cavanah Multi-Resource Management Project, 
Implementation, Enhancing Forest Health and Productivity, Tahoe 
National Forest, Foresthill Ranger District, Placer County, CA.
    Summary: EPA expressed environmental concerns that the number of 
proposed road obliterations will not be adequate to improve water 
quality.
    ERP No. F-BLM-K67037-NV, Twin Creeks Mine Consolidation and 
Expansion, which Encompasses the former Rabbit Creek Mine and the 
former Chimmey Creek Mine, Plan of Operation Approval and Permit 
Issuance, Winnemucca District, Humboldt County, NV.
    Summary: Review of the Final EIS was not deemed necessary. No 
formal comment letter was sent to the preparing agency.
    ERP No. F-COE-G39029-LA, Programmatic EIS--Marsh Management 
Project, Hydrologic Manipulation, COE Section 10 and 404 Permit 
Issuance, Coastal Wetland of Louisiana a part of the Coastal Wetlands 
Planning, Protection and Restoration Act (CWPPRA) River Basins, LA.
    Summary: EPA recommended that the Record of Decision identify the 
future directions or activities that can be implemented by the COE to 
address hydrologic manipulation issues in coastal Louisiana.
    ERP No. F-COE-G85180-LA, Estelle Plantation Partnership Municipal 
Golf Course and Housing Development, Implementation, Jefferson Parish, 
LA.
    Summary: EPA continued to have environmental concerns regarding the 
preferred actions but defers further comment pending completion of the 
Clean Water Act Section 404 Permit processing.
    ERP No. F-FHW-K40214-CA, Alternatives to Replacement of the 
Embarcadero Freeway and the Terminal Separator Structure, (Formerly CA-
480) Implementation, Permit Approvals and Funding, San Francisco 
County, CA.
    Summary: Review of the Final EIS was not deemed necessary. No 
formal comment letter was sent to the preparing agency.
    ERP No. F-GSA-C81017-NY, US Brooklyn Court Project, Demolition of 
the Emanuel Celler Federal Building, Construction of a New Courthouse 
and Renovation/Adaptive Reuse of the General Post Office at Cadman 
Plaza East, Kings County, NY.
    Summary: EPA continued to have environmental concerns about the 
meteorological data used in the air model. EPA has requested that 
updated information be used in a revised modeling analysis.

    Dated: February 18, 1997.
B. Katherine Biggs,
Associate Director, NEPA Compliance Division, Office of Federal 
Activities.
[FR Doc. 97-4352 Filed 2-20-97; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-U