[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 195 (Friday, October 6, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Pages 59835-59836]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-25788]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[ER-FRL-6611-6]


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-K65359-00 Rating EC2, Northern Sierra Amendment to 
the Toiyabe Land and Resource Management, To Unify and Revise 
Management Direction, Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest, Carson Ranger 
District, Stanislaus National Forest, Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit, 
Douglas and Washoe Counties, NV and Alpine and Toulomne Counties, CA.
    Summary: EPA expressed concerns related to purpose and need and the 
timing of the plan amendment in advance of the 15 year deadline for 
Forest Plan revision set for June 23, 2001. Specific concerns were 
expressed regarding the lack of standards and guidelines promoting road 
decommissioning pursuant to the Chief's Natural Resource Agenda and the 
Clean Water Action Plan.
    ERP No. D-AFS-L65362-ID Rating EC2, West Mountain North Project, 
Timber Harvest, Road Construction and Reconstruction), Boise National 
Forest, Cascade Ranger District, Valley County, ID.
    Summary: EPA expressed environmental concerns over water and air 
quality. EPA requested that further information on these concerns be 
provided in the final EIS.
    ERP No. D-COE-E30041-NC Rating EC2, Dare County Beaches (Bodie 
Island Portion) Hurricane Wave Protection and Beach Erosion Control, 
The towns of Nags Head, Kill Devil Hills, Kitty Hawk, Dare County, NC.
    Summary: EPA expressed environmental concerns due to the open-ended 
loss of biotic stability along the project shoreline which was not 
mitigated by the incremental gain in sea turtle nesting habitat.
    ERP No. D-FRC-F03008-00 Rating EO2, Guardian Pipeline Project, 
Proposal to Construct and Operate an Interstate Natural Gas Pipeline 
that would extend from Joliet (Will County), IL and Ixonia (Jefferson 
County), WI.
    Summary: EIS raised objections and identified several issues that 
were not adequately addressed in the Draft EIS, including the 
cumulative impacts analysis, mitigation measures, and the definition of 
the project purpose and need.
    ERP No. D-IBR-K29000-AZ Rating EC2, Central Arizona Project (CAP), 
Allocation of Water Supply and Long-Term Contract Execution, Maricopa, 
Pinal and Pima Counties, AZ.
    Summary: EPA expressed concern that there was minimal discussion 
and commitment to available tools for enhancing water management 
flexibility/reliability and providing long-term sustainable use of the 
allocated water. EPA also had concerns regarding the potential impacts 
to soil salinity, land subsidence, sustainable groundwater yields, and 
the specifics of the long-term water supply contracts. EPA did express 
strong support for the underlying goal of a long-term sustainable water 
supply by achieving a balance between water use/demand and available 
water resources EPA also urged Reclamation to take a role beyond

[[Page 59836]]

just mere allocation of CAP water and to promote efficient, equitable 
and sustainable use of the allocated water as part of this Federal 
action.

Final EISs

    ERP No. F-AFS-J65315-UT, Monroe Mountain Ecosystem Restoration 
Project, Implementation, Fishlake National Forest, Richfield Ranger 
District, Sevier and Piute Counties, UT.
    Summary: EPA has no objection to the proposed action, as this 
document adequately responded to EPA's previous comments on the draft 
EIS.
    ERP No. F-AFS-L65322-AK, Luck Lake Timber Sales Project, 
Implementation, Tongass National Forest, Thorne Bay Ranger District, 
Prince of Wales Island, AK.
    Summary: No formal comment letter was sent to the preparing agency.
    ERP No. F-AFS-L65356-ID, Box Canyon Timber Sale, Vegetative 
Management, Implementation, Palisades Ranger District, Caribou-Targhee 
National Forest, Bonneville County, ID.
    Summary: No formal comment letter was sent to the preparing agency.
    ERP No. F-FHW-G40155-TX, TX-45 Highway Project, Extending from 
Anderson Mill Road just west of US 183 to Farm-to-Market Road 685 (FM-
685) east of IH-35, Funding, Williamson and Travis Counties, TX.
    Summary: EPA has no objection to the action as proposed.
    ERP No. F-NPS-J26002-MT, Lake McDonald/Park Headquarters Wastewater 
Treatment System Rehabilitation, Implementation, COE Section 404 
Permit, Glacier National Park, A Portion of Waterton-Glacier 
International Peace Park, Flathead and Glacier Counties, MT.
    Summary: EPA supports the preferred alternatives, but recommends 
that the site location of the ultimate wastewater treatment plant 
sludge disposal be evaluated and established. The information is needed 
to fully assess and mitigate all potential environmental impacts of the 
management actions.
    ERP No. F-SFW-L65334-WA, Simpson Washington Timberlands Forest 
Management and Timber Harvesting Project, Proposed Issuing of a 
Multiple Species Incidental Take Permit, Mason, Thurston and Gray 
Harbor Counties, WA.
    Summary: No formal comment letter was sent to the preparing agency.

    Dated: October 3, 2000.
Joseph C. Montgomery,
Director, NEPA, Office of Federal Activities.
[FR Doc. 00-25788 Filed 10-5-00; 8:45 am]
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