[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 78 (Friday, April 21, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Page 21469]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-9948]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service


Notice of Availability, Restoration Plan

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Department of the Interior.

ACTION: Notice of availability.

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SUMMARY: The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), on behalf of the 
Department of the Interior and the State of New Hampshire, announces 
the release for public review of the draft Restoration Plan (Plan) for 
the South Municipal Wellfield Superfund Site (Site). The Plan describes 
the trustees' proposal to restore natural resources injured as a result 
of the release of hazardous substances from the Site.

DATES: Written comments must be submitted on or before June 1, 2000.

ADDRESSES: Requests for copies of the Plan may be made to: U.S. Fish 
and Wildlife Service, New England Field Office, 22 Bridge Street, Unit 
1, Concord, New Hampshire 03301.
    Written comments or materials regarding the Plan should be sent to 
the same address.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Molly B. Sperduto or Kenneth C. Carr, 
Environmental Contaminants Program, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 22 
Bridge Street, Unit 1, Concord, New Hampshire 03301.
    Interested parties may also call (603) 225-1411 for further 
information.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The South Municipal Wellfield Superfund 
Site, is located in Peterborough, New Hampshire. Contamination from an 
on-Site ball bearings manufacturing facility, including volatile 
organic compounds, polychlorinated biphenyls and polycyclic aromatic 
hydrocarbons, adversely affected adjacent wetlands. These wetlands were 
impaired due to food web contamination or the reduction and/or loss of 
their biological diversity and productivity. In turn, injury to 
wetland-dependent wildlife, primarily migratory birds, occurred.
    In 1995, the United States of America settled claims for natural 
resource damages associated with the South Municipal Wellfield 
Superfund Site under the authority of the Comprehensive Environmental 
Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) of 1980. The 
settlement proceeds will be used to compensate for injury, destruction, 
or loss of natural resources under trusteeship of the Department of the 
Interior and the State of New Hampshire. The Plan is being released in 
accordance with the Natural Resource Damage Assessment Regulations 
found at 15 CFR part 990. It is intended to describe the trustees' 
proposals to restore natural resources injured as a result of releases 
of contaminants from the Site.
    The Plan describes a number of habitat restoration and protection 
alternatives and discusses the environmental consequences of each. The 
primary goal is to implement a restoration project that compensates for 
impacts to wetlands that provide habitat for migratory birds. Based on 
an evaluation of the various restoration alternatives, acquisition of 
equivalent resources is the preferred alternative. This alternative 
maximizes the benefit to wetland-dependent wildlife, preventing the 
imminent destruction and degradation of an extensive wetland system. 
The trustees believe that the proposed action will not have significant 
impacts on the quality of the physical, biological, and cultural 
environment.
    Interested members of the public are invited to review and comment 
on the Plan. Copies of the Plan are available for review at the U.S. 
Fish and Wildlife Service's New England Field Office in Concord, New 
Hampshire (22 Bridge Street, Unit 1, Concord, New Hampshire). 
Additionally, the Plan will be available for review at the Peterborough 
Town Library. Written comments will be considered and addressed in the 
final Plan at the conclusion of the restoration planning process.

    Authority: The authority for this action is the Comprehensive 
Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act of 1980, as 
amended (``CERCLA''), 42 U.S.C.

    Dated: April 14, 2000.
Ronald E. Lambertson,
Regional Director, Region 5, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
[FR Doc. 00-9948 Filed 4-20-00; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-55-M