[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 209 (Friday, October 27, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Pages 64437-64439]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-27678]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[ER-FRL-6611-2]


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-COE-H36109-MO Rating EO2, Chesterfield Valley Flood 
Control Study, Improvement Flood Protection, City of Chesterfield, St. 
Louis County, MO.
    Summary: EPA raised objections, noting that significant floodplain 
management issues exist. EPA encouraged the Corps to reevaluate 
alternatives to lessen impacts.
    ERP No. D-COE-K36134-CA Rating 3, Murrieta Creek Flood Control and 
Protection, Implementation, Riverside County, CA.
    Summary: EPA stated that the draft EIS failed to adequately assess 
potentially significant environmental impacts of the proposed project. 
EPA believes that the proposed project would result in significant 
unmitigated impacts to wetlands and other waters of the U.S., important 
wildlife habitat, and air quality and that alternatives exist that 
would reduce these impacts, provide flood protection, and restore and 
enhance Murrieta Creek within the proposed project area. EPA has 
determined that this project as proposed is not consistent with or 
otherwise in

[[Page 64438]]

compliance with the Section 404(b)(1) Guidelines of the Clean Water 
Act. A Clean Air Act conformity determination is also needed for this 
project.
    ERP No. D-DOE-L00008-00 Rating EC2, Programmatic--Accomplishing 
Expanded Civilian, Nuclear Energy Research and Development and Isotope 
Production Missions in the United States, Including the Role of the 
Fast Flux Test, ID, TN, WA.
    Summary: EPA expressed concerns about: The project need; site-
specific impacts from the proposed accelerator(s) or research reactor; 
the project's consistency with future land uses at Superfund sites and 
the funding of clean-up at these sites; and, the inclusion of 
decommissioning of the fast flux test facility in the EIS. EPA requests 
that information to address these concerns be included in the final 
EIS/ROD.
    ERP No. D-MMS-G39008-00 Rating EC2, Programmatic EIS--Proposed Use 
of Floating Production, Storage and Offloading Systems on the Gulf of 
Mexico, Outer Continental Shelf, Western and Central Planning Areas, 
TX, LA, MS, AL and FL.
    Summary: EPA expressed environmental concerns relating to air 
quality/general conformity and requests additional information on these 
issues. In addition, EPA suggests Alternative B (Alternative A with 
General Restrictions or Conditions) be considered as the preferred 
alternative.
    ERP No. D-NRC-J00031-UT Rating EC2, Skull Valley Band of Goshute 
Indians Reservation Project, Construction and Operation of Independent 
Spent Fuel Storage Installation and Related Transportation Facilities, 
Permits and Approvals, Tooele County, UT.
    Summary: EPA expressed concerns about occupational radiation 
exposures, about sufficiency of financial assurance to protect the 
environment, transportation emergency response and water quality.
    ERP No. D-USN-K11034-CA Rating LO, Point Mugu Sea Range Naval Air 
Warfare Center Weapons Division (NAWCWPWS), Proposes To Accommodate TMD 
Testing and Training, Additional Training Exercises, Ventura, Los 
Angeles, Santa Barbara, San Diego and San Luis Obispo Counties, CA.
    Summary: While EPA has no objection to the proposed action, EPA 
requests that the Final EIS and the Record of Decision include a formal 
commitment to project monitoring and mitigation.
    ERP No. DS-AFS-G65062-NM Rating LO, Agua/Caballos Timber Sale, 
Harvesting Timber and Managing Existing Vegetation, New Information and 
a New Preferred Alternative, Carson National Forest, EL Rito Ranger 
District, Arriba County, NM.
    Summary: EPA expressed lack of objections.
    ERP No. DS-COE-K32010-HI Rating EC2, Modifications to (Kalaeloa) 
Barbers Point Harbor, Proposal to Enhance Harbor Operations and 
Economic Efficiency, and Improve Port Safety, Oahu, HI.
    Summary: EPA expressed environmental concerns regarding water 
quality impacts due to project construction and operation, adverse 
impacts to coral populations, and mitigation for adverse impacts. Based 
upon information in the DSEIS it appears that wastewater from harbor 
operations may contribute to the documented water quality problems of 
the harbor and nearshore waters, and, accordingly, EPA believes it is 
appropriate to evaluate wastewater management improvements at the 
harbor as a component to this project.
    ERP No. DS-COE-K36098-CA Rating EO2, Prado Dam Water Conversion 
Plan, Implementation, New Information Concerning New and Modified Flood 
Protection Features, Remaining Features of the Santa Ana River Project 
(SARP) and Stabilization of the Bluff Toe at Norco Bluffs, Riverside, 
Orange and San Bernardino Counties, CA.
    Summary: EPA expressed environmental objections based upon 
projected and potential impacts to air quality, and aquatic resources, 
as well as the adequacy of mitigation for air and water impacts. EPA 
asked the Corps to identify additional mitigation measures to reduce 
air emissions associated with the Clean Water Act Section 404(b)(1) 
regulations. EPA raised serious concerns that the EIS presented an 
extremely limited range of alternatives for the three project 
components.

Final EISs

    ERP No. F-BLM-G65073-NM Farmington Field Office Riparian and 
Aquatic Habitat Management, To Restore and Protect, Farmington Riparian 
and Aquatic Habitat Management Plan, San Juan, McKinley, Rio Arriba and 
Sandoval Counties, NM.
    Summary: EPA expressed no objections on the Final EIS.
    ERP No. F-BLM-G65074-NM Taos Field Office Riparian and Aquatic 
Habitat Management, To Restore and Protect, Colfax, Harding, Los 
Alamos, Mora, Rio Arriba, San Miquel, Santa Fe, Taos and Unison 
Counties, NM.
    Summary: EPA expressed lack of objections on the Final EIS.
    ERP No. F-COE-E01013-FL Programmatic EIS--Rock Mining--Freshwater 
Lakebelt Plan, Limestone Mining Permit, Section 404 Permit, 
Implementation, Miami-Dade County, FL.
    Summary: EPA raised concerns over the cumulative impacts of this 
proposal, the significant uncertainties associated with the 
effectiveness of subsequent assessment/planning measures as well as in 
determining whether environmental impacts can be mitigated to 
acceptable levels.
    ERP No. F-COE-K36118-CA Guadalupe River Watershed Planning Study, 
Multi-Objective Capital Improvement Project on the Guadalupe River 
between Highway 101 to Interstate 880 and Interstate 280 to Blossom 
Hill Road, Santa Clara Valley Water District, Santa Clara County, CA.
    Summary: No formal comment letter was sent to the preparing agency.
    ERP No. F-NPS-K61150-CA Anacapa Island Restoration Project, 
Implementation, Channel Islands National Park, Ventura County, CA.
    Summary: EPA's comments were adequately addressed.
    ERP No. F-SFW-K90030-CA San Dieguito Wetland Restoration Project, 
Implementation, Comprehensive Restoration Plan, COE Section 404 Permit, 
Cities of Del Mar and San Diego, San Diego County, CA.
    Summary: No formal comment letter was sent to the preparing agency.
    ERP No. F-USN-K11103-GU Surplus Navy Property Identified in the 
Guam Land Use Plan (GLUP '94) for Disposal and Reuse, Implementation, 
GU.
    Summary: No formal comment letter was sent to the preparing agency.
    ERP No. FA-IBR-J35005-00 Animas-La Plata Project (APL Project), 
Municipal and Industrial Water Supply, Reservoir Construction in Ridges 
Basin, Implementation and Water Acquisition, Additional Information 
concerning Project Alternatives Developed in 1996 through 1997, CO and 
NM.
    Summary: EPA provided suggestions to ameliorate the adverse impact 
of operating the project upon the Jicarilla Apache and Navajo Tribes in 
New Mexico, including prioritizing construction of Indian water 
projects in the San Juan Basin based on currently unmet public health 
supply needs, considering legislative measures to allow the Colorado 
Ute Tribes to market their water to the tribal needs in New Mexico for 
the Navajo Nation and the Jicarilla-Apache Tribe, and equitably 
allocating water provided to San Juan River federal beneficiaries of 
the Animas-La Plata Project. EPA also recommended that the Record of

[[Page 64439]]

Decision include a commitment that allocation of water to San Juan 
River Basin users of federal facilities in the event of a shortage for 
fish flows will be reduced equitably, including the project 
beneficiaries of the Animas-La Plata Project.
    ERP No. FS-UAF-G11031-TX Programmatic EIS--Kelly Air Force Base 
(AFB) Disposal and Reuse, New and Updated Information, Joint Military 
and Civil Use of the Runway and other Airfield Facilities, Joint Use 
Agreement, Bexar County, San Antonio, TX.
    Summary: EPA has no further comments to offer and awaits receipt of 
the Record of Decision.

    Dated: October 24, 2000.
Ken Mittelholtz,
Environmental Protection Specialist, Office of Federal Activities.
[FR Doc. 00-27678 Filed 10-26-00; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P