[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 214 (Friday, November 3, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Pages 66243-66245]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-28283]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

(ER-FRL-6612-4)


Environmental Impact Statements and Regulations; Availability of 
EPA Comments

    Availability of EPA comments prepared October 16, 2000 through 
October 20, 2000 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

[[Page 66244]]

    April 14, 2000 (65 FR 20157).

Draft EISs

    ERP No. D-AFS-L65366-AK Rating EC2, Woodpecker Project Area, Timber 
Harvesting, Dispersed Recreation Opportunities and Watershed 
Improvements, Implementation, Tongass National Forest, Petersburg 
Ranger District, Mitkof Island, Petersburg, AK.
    Summary: EPA expressed environmental concerns with the greater 
potential for impacts to water, soil and wildlife resources under 
Alternative 2, the preferred alternative. Alternative 2 calls for the 
highest level of road construction and the second highest level of 
harvesting. EPA recommended additional analysis and changes in the 
final EIS to further address and mitigate impacts to water quality and 
fish habitat.
    ERP No. D-AFS-L67038-ID Rating EO2, Genesis Placer Claim Gold 
Suction Dredging, Plan of Operations, Nez Perce National Forest, Red 
River Ranger District, Red River a Tributary to the South Fork 
Clearwater River, ID.
    Summary: EPA expressed environmental objections on the proposed 
suction dredging project because of the potential to violate applicable 
water quality standards for turbidity and sediment, and as well as 
degrade aquatic habitat, and result in adverse effects to listed and 
sensitive fish species. Alternative 2 lacks mitigation measures and EPA 
recommends that the final EIS include additional site-specific 
information on project reach, potential impacts to aquatic resources, 
compliance with standards and environmental thresholds, monitoring, and 
estimated risk and uncertainties of project implementation as well as 
detailed mitigation measures.

    ERP No. D-BLM-J65325-WY Rating EC2, Jack Morrow Hills Coordinated 
Activity Plan, Implementation, Rock Springs, Portions of Sweetwater, 
Fremont and Subelette Counties, WY.
    Summary: EPA expressed environmental concerns based on the need to 
fully disclose environmental impacts, especially for the preferred 
alternative, project objectives which are not consistent with the Green 
River Management Plan and level of detail for the proposed adaptive 
management plan, such as including threshold values to protect 
wildlife.

    ERP No. D-BLM-K67052-NV Rating EO2, Newmont Gold Mining, South 
Operations Area Project Amendment, Operation and Expansion, Plan of 
Operations, Elko and Eureka Counties, NV.
    Summary: EPA expressed environmental objections to the proposed 
expansion of Newmont's South Operations Area, due to potential 
significant adverse impacts to water and air quality. Specifically, 
potential acid rock drainage, contaminated pit lake water and mercury 
emissions to the air. EPA requests that the final EIS include 
additional acid generating potential analysis, pollution prevention 
measures, mitigation, and project monitoring.

    ERP No. D-NPS-F61019-MN Rating EC2, Voyageurs National Park General 
Management, Visitor Use and Facilities Plans, Implementation, 
Koochiching and St. Louis Counties, MN.
    Summary: EPA expressed environmental concerns with the consistency 
of NPS actions related to proposed wilderness designation, scope of 
decisions to be made, characterization of existing conditions and 
impacts associated with the alternatives, and alternatives analysis.

    ERP No. D-SFW-K39063-CA Rating EC2, Bolsa Chica Lowlands 
Restoration Project, Creation of Wetland Habitat Areas, Approval and 
Issuance of USCOE Section 404 and USCGD Bridge Permits, Orange County, 
CA.
    Summary: EPA has expressed concerns with the proposal because the 
probability of success of the preferred alternative is unknown. 
Implementation would result in irreversible destruction of the existing 
wetland complex and irretrievable commitment of project funds in the 
construction of an ocean inlet and 6-lane highway bridge. EPA 
recommended that less-structural and less-costly alternatives be 
considered as interim measures to enhance the existing wetland and 
aquatic habitats at Bolsa Chica, while the probabilities associated 
with the preferred alternative modeling studies are tested and 
validated further. EPA also recommended the FEIS consider an evaluation 
of alternative mitigation sites which could fulfill the Ports 
mitigation requirements if the preferred alternative is not selected.

Final EISs

    ERP No. F-AFS-K65227-CA 64-Acre Tract Intermodal Transit Center, 
Construction and Operation, Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit, Tahoe 
City, Placer County, CA.
    Summary: No formal comment letter was sent to the preparing agency.

    ERP No. F-BLM-G65069-NM Rio Puerco Resource Management Plan 
Amendment, Managing Land and Resource for EL Malpais National 
Conservation Area and Chain of Craters Wilderness Study Area, Lies 
South of the City of Grants, Cibola County, NM.
    Summary: EPA expressed no objections to the preferred alternative.

    ERP No. F-BLM-G65071-NM Albuquerque Field Office Riparian and 
Aquatic Habitats Management, To Restore and Protect, Rio Puerco 
Resource Management Plan Amendment (RMPA), Cibola, Sandoval, McKinley, 
Rio Arriba, Bernalillo, Valencia and Santa Fe Counties, NM.
    Summary: EPA had no objections.

    ERP No. F-BLM-L65339-OR North Bank Habitat Management Area (NBHMA)/
Area of Critical Environmental Concern (ACEC), Federally Endangered 
Columbian White-Tailed Deer (CWTD) and Special Status Species Habitat 
Enhancements to Ensure Viability Over Time, Implementation, OR.
    Summary: No formal comment letter was sent to the preparing agency.

    ERP No. F-NPS-J65285-MT Interagency Bison Management Plan for State 
of Montana and Yellowstone National Park, Implementation, Maintain a 
wild, Free Ranging Population, Address the risk of Brucellosis 
Transmission, Park and Gallatin Counties, MT.
    Summary: EPA continues to express environmental objections with 
adverse impacts to the Yellowstone Bison herd, excluding elk from the 
Brucellosis management plan, segmentation of NEPA, and the level of 
action being taken given the extremely low risk to livestock from 
Brucellosis.

    ERP No. F-SFW-J64007-00 Plum Creek Native Fish Habitat Conservation 
Plan, Issuance of an Incidental Take Permit for Federally Protected 
Native Fish Species, MT, ID and WA.
    Summary: EPA has reviewed the Native Fish Habitat Conservation Plan 
(NFHCP) and Proposed Permit for Taking of Federally Protected Native 
Fish Species on Plum Creek Timber Company Land. The EPA expressed 
environmental concerns regarding integration of the NFHCP with the 
overall conservation efforts in the entire project area; adequacy of 
resources for the Services for oversight and evaluation of the Permit 
and NFHCP; the level of protection of proposed riparian management 
prescriptions; NFHCP-TMDL consistency; and the adequacy of the proposed 
monitoring and adaptive management program.


[[Page 66245]]


    Dated: October 31, 2000.
Joseph C. Montgomery,
Director, NEPA Compliance Division, Office of Federal Activities.
[FR Doc. 00-28283 Filed 11-2-00; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P