[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 111 (Friday, June 8, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Pages 30915-30916]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-14513]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[ER-FRL-6618-8]


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-L65378-ID Rating EC2, Clean Slate Ecosystem 
Management Project, Aquatic and Terrestrial Restoration, Nez Perce 
National Forest, Salmon River Ranger District, Idaho County, ID.
    Summary: EPA expressed concerns regarding purpose and need, 
alternatives, environmental monitoring, cumulative impacts, prescribed 
burning, and Clean Water Act TMDL protocols. EPA has requested 
inclusion of a more easy to follow statement of overriding purpose and 
need; the addition of a no-grazing alternative that includes active 
habitat restoration; the addition of specific and enforceable 
standards; thresholds and responsible parties for environmental 
monitoring; additional detail on implementation and contingencies for 
the prescribed burning program; additional analysis of cumulative 
impacts, and more detail on the process to be used for addressing TMDL 
protocols.
    ERP No. D-BLM-G65078-NM Rating LO, San Felipe Pueblo Land Exchange, 
Involves Exchanges Federal Lands to Private Lands, Acquisition, 
Sandoval and Santa Fe Cos. NM.
    Summary: EPA has no objection to the proposed plan of action.
    ERP No. D-BLM-K65330-CA Rating LO, Northern and Eastern Colorado 
Desert Plan (Plan), Implementation, Comprehensive Framework for 
Managing Species and Habitats (BLM), Joshua Tree National Park (JTNP) 
and Chocolate Mountains Aerial Gunnery Range, California Desert, 
Riverside, Imperial and San Bernardino Counties, CA.
    Summary: EPA has no objections to the proposed plan.
    ERP No. D-FHW-F40393-MI Rating EC2, I-96/Airport Area Access Study, 
Transportation Improvements, Surrounding the Gerald R. Ford 
International Airport, Kent County, MI.
    Summary: EPA expressed concerns regarding wetlands, woodlands and 
water quality impacts to Thornapple River, Martin and Beck Drain and 
Little Plaster Creek.
    ERP No. D-FHW-F40394-MI Rating EO2, I-94/Rehabilitation Project, 
Transportation Improvements to a 6.7 mile portion of I-94 from east I-
96 west end to Conner Avenue on the east end, Funding and NPDES Permit, 
City of Detroit, Wayne County, MI.
    Summary: EPA expressed environmental objections because of issues 
in the following areas: scope of analysis, purpose and need, 
alternatives analysis, air quality, noise, pedestrian and bicyclist 
impacts, costs, and cumulative impacts.
    ERP No. D-FHW-G40160-OK Rating LO, I-40 Crosstown Expressway 
Transportation Improvements, From I-235/I-35 Interchange West to 
Meridan Avenue, Funding, Oklahoma City, OK.
    Summary: EPA has no objection to the selection of the preferred 
alternative. EPA however asks that additional information on cultural 
resource

[[Page 30916]]

mitigation, SHPO coordination, and hazardous waste site baseline data 
be incorporated in the FEIS to strengthen the document.
    ERP No. D-FRC-E08021-00 Rating EC2, Florida Gas Transmission (FGT) 
Phase V Expansion Project, FGT Natural Gas Pipeline and Associated 
Above Ground Facilities, Construction and Operation, Approvals and 
Permit Issuance, several counties of FL, AL and MS.
    Summary: EPA has environmental concerns about the proposed project. 
In particular, air quality, wetlands impact, water quality, noise, 
endangered species and Environmental Justice issues warrant further 
discussion as the project progresses.
    ERP No. D-NOA-L91012-WA Rating EO2, Anadromous Fish Agreements and 
Habitat Conservation Plans for the Welss, Rocky Reach, and Rock Island 
Hydroelectric Projects, Implementation, Incidental Take Permits, Chelan 
and Douglas Counties, WA.
    Summary: EPA objects to selection of Alternative 3 as the preferred 
alternative. The proposed framework for the HCPs fails to demonstrate 
that salmon and fish species of concern would be protected and restored 
during the next 50 years. Specific problems with the framework and 
accompanying analyses include Columbia River bull trout not being 
included in the HCP or extensively analyzed, development of biological 
information being deferred until the writing of the Biological Opinion, 
a lack of monitoring methodology, and inadequate water quality 
information. EPA recommends that NMFS invite USF&WS to become a 
cooperating agency to accommodate inclusion of Columbia River bull 
trout in the context of the HCP and that it address concerns about 
inadequate information and analyses described above.
    ERP No. D-NRS-D28013-WV Rating EC2, Upper Tygart Valley River 
Watershed Plan, Water Supply Project, Approval and Funding, Randolph 
and Pocahontas Counties, WV.
    Summary: EPA expressed environmental concerns regarding loss of 
native trout habitat and wetlands and suggested that more information 
be provided on stream and wetland mitigation.
    ERP No. DA-FHW-F40347-IL Rating EO2, FAP Route 340 (I-355 South 
Extension), Interstate Route 55 to Interstate Route 80, Additional 
Information for the Tollroad/Freeway Alternative, Funding, US Coast 
Guard Permit and COE Section 404 Permit, Cook, DuPage and Will 
Counties, IL.
    Summary: EPA raised objections to the selection of alternatives. 
EPA's objections would be resolved if an additional Supplemental EIS 
were to be issued with a full environmental impact assessment of the 
Lemont Bypass Alternative. Our Section 404 objections would be resolved 
if sufficient wetlands impacts information on the Lemont Bypass 
Alternative is submitted to permit a finding of compliance with the 
Section 404(b)(1) Guidelines.

Final EISs

    ERP No. F-COE-K36107-CA Bolsa Chica Project, Construction/Road 
Construction, Restoration and Flood Control Improvement, Section 10/404 
Permits and Land Use Plan, City of Huntington Beach, Orange County, CA.
    Summary: No formal comment letter was sent to the preparing agency.
    ERP No. F-FHW-E40739-NC US 17 New Bern Bypass Construction, Jones-
Craven County Line to NC-1438 near Vanceboro, Funding, Section 404 and 
U.S. Coast Guard Bridge Permit, Craven County, NC.
    Summary: EPA's review indicates that all earlier concerns have been 
addressed satisfactorily. Adverse community, cultural and natural 
environmental resource impacts have been minimized substantially. The 
4-lane highway improvement project on new alignment includes 
commitments for good mitigation of identified wetlands losses, 
stormwater runoff control, and habitat impacts.
    ERP No. F-IBR-K39049-CA Coachella Canal Lining Water Project, 
Revised and Updated Information, Approval of the Transfers and 
Exchanges of Conserved Coachella Canal Water, Construction, Operation 
and Funding, Riverside and Imperial Counties, CA.
    Summary: EPA recognized the commitment to mitigation for biological 
resources, cumulative impacts, safety, and large mammals. We 
recommended the ROD include additional information on consultation with 
tribal governments on cultural resources and local socioeconomic 
effects from loss of canal seepage water.
    ERP No. FS-COE-K36083-CA Guadalupe River Flood Control and Adjacent 
Streams Investigation, Proposed Modifications to the Guadalupe River 
Project, Downtown San Jose, Santa Clara County, CA.
    Summary: EPA found the FGRER/FSEIS adequately addresses most of the 
issues raised in our comment letter on the DSEIS. We reiterated our 
support for additional measures to control mercury impacts through 
sediment control traps and mitigation measures which would remove 
``hard'' engineered flood control structures in other parts of the 
basin. EPA expressed continued concern with the use of invert 
stabilization mechanisms.

    Dated: June 4, 2001.
Joseph C. Montgomery,
Director, NEPA Compliance Division, Office of Federal Activities.
[FR Doc. 01-14513 Filed 6-7-01; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P