[Federal Register Volume 59, Number 104 (Wednesday, June 1, 1994)]
[Unknown Section]
[Page 0]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 94-13277]


[[Page Unknown]]

[Federal Register: June 1, 1994]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
National Park Service

 

Katmai National Park and Preserve, AK

AGENCY: National Park Service, Department of the Interior.

ACTION: Notice of termination.

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TITLE: Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) on the Plan of Operations 
for the Katmai Scientific Drilling Project.

SUMMARY: The National Park Service (NPS) in cooperation with the U.S. 
Geological Survey (USGS) is terminating the EIS process for the 
proposed Plan of Operations for the Katmai Scientific Drilling Project 
in designated wilderness of Katmai National Park and Preserve, Alaska.
    An Interagency Coordinating Group for Continental Scientific 
Drilling (ICG/CSD) composed of the USGS, the Department of Energy and 
the National Science Foundation originally requested permission from 
the NPS in October 1988 to conduct scientific drilling in the 
wilderness area in the Valley of Ten Thousand Smokes of Katmai National 
Park. The primary purpose of the proposal was to gain new understanding 
into the nature of explosive volcanic eruptions through scientific 
study of subsurface structures and deposits. Primary objectives of the 
proposal were to study the behavior of magma as it ascends in highly 
explosive eruptions, investigate the transport of metals in igneous 
systems, and test models for the cooling of volcanic vents. To achieve 
the objectives, three core holes were planned within two years of 
operation: one vertical hole to 4,000 feet near Novarupta, the site of 
the historic 1912 eruption; one hole to 3,300 feet deviated from the 
first hole; and one slant hole to about 700 feet through the ashflow 
sheet about three miles from Novarupta.
    Pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) a Notice 
of Intent to prepare an EIS was published in the Federal Register, Vol. 
56 No. 19, on Tuesday, January 29, 1991. Public scoping meetings were 
held on April 15 and 16, 1992, in Anchorage and King Salmon, Alaska, 
respectively. Work ensued on the draft EIS, but due to internal reviews 
and revisions to the original proposal, a draft EIS was not released.
    The ICG/CSD has formally withdrawn its application to the NPS for a 
permit to conduct scientific drilling and related research at Katmai 
National Park and Preserve. The ICG/CSD gave two primary reasons for 
requesting termination of the EIS process: (1) Increased costs since 
the original proposal, and (2) procedural decisions affecting 
preparation and completion of the EIS. The NPS, therefore, will not 
complete the EIS process, and a draft EIS on the Plan of Operations for 
the Katmai Scientific Drilling Project will not be released. If a 
proposal is revived at a future date, the NEPA process will be 
reinitiated.

COMMENTS: For comments or further information on this action contact: 
Joan B. Darnell, Chief, Division of Environmental Quality, National 
Park Service, 2525 Gambell Street, room 107, Anchorage, Alaska 99503, 
Telephone (907) 257-2648.
John M. Morehead,
Regional Director, Alaska Region.
[FR Doc. 94-13277 Filed 05-31-94; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-70-P