[Federal Register Volume 59, Number 186 (Tuesday, September 27, 1994)]
[Unknown Section]
[Page 0]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 94-23782]


[[Page Unknown]]

[Federal Register: September 27, 1994]


                                                   VOL. 59, NO. 186

                                        Tuesday, September 27, 1994
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Forest Service

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Office of the Secretary
[FES 94-30]

 

Availability of the Final Environmental Impact Statement for the 
Exxon Valdez Oil Spill Restoration Plan

AGENCIES: Forest Service, Department of Agriculture, and the Office of 
the Secretary, Department of the Interior. National Marine Fisheries 
Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of 
Commerce is a cooperating agency.

ACTION: Notice of Availability of the Final Environmental Impact 
Statement for the Exxon Valdez Restoration Plan.

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SUMMARY: On behalf of the Exxon Valdez Trustee Council, the Department 
of Agriculture, Forest Service announces the availability of the Final 
Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) for the Exxon Valdez Oil Spill 
Restoration Plan. The responsible official for the preparation of the 
FEIS is the Regional Forester, Phil Janik. The Restoration Plan will 
establish management direction and guide all natural resource 
restoration activities covered by the civil settlement to the Exxon 
Valdez oil spill.

DATES: It is anticipated that a decision will be made on the 
Restoration Program approximately 30 days after publication of the 
Notice of Availability by the Environmental Protection Agency in the 
Federal Register.

ADDRESSES: Copies of a Summary of the FEIS or copies of the FEIS itself 
are available on request from the Oil Spill Public Information Office, 
645 G. Street, Anchorage, Alaska, 99501. Phone number (907) 278-8008 or 
within Alaska (800) 478-7745, outside Alaska (800) 283-7745. Copies 
also will be sent to public libraries in Anchorage, Juneau, Fairbanks, 
Valdez, Cordova, Kodiak, Homer, and Seward, Alaska.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

A. Introduction

    On October 8, 1991, a federal court approved settlement between the 
State and Federal Governments and Exxon under which Exxon will pay $1 
billion in criminal restitution and civil damages to the governments. 
The State and Federal Trustees will receive $900 million in civil 
damages from Exxon over the 10 years. The funds are to be used to 
restore to their pre-spill condition the natural resources and the 
services they provide, injured by the Exxon Valdez oil spill. This 
includes the restoration of any natural resources injured, lost or 
destroyed and the services provided by that resource or which replaces 
or substitutes for the injured, lost or destroyed resource and affected 
services. Restoration includes all phases of injury assessment, 
restoration, replacement, and enhancement of natural resources, and 
acquisition of equivalent resources and services.
    All decisions about restoration and uses of restoration funds are 
made by six natural resources Trustees, three Federal and three State. 
The three Federal Trustees are: The Administrator for the National 
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce, 
and the Secretaries of the Department of Agriculture and of the 
Interior. The three State Trustees are: The Commissioners of Fish and 
Game, and Environmental Conservation, and the Attorney General. A 
Trustee Council, located in Alaska, composed of the three State 
Trustees and designees of the three Federal Trustees, is responsible 
for decisions relating to the assessment of injuries, uses of the 
restoration funds, and all restoration activities including the 
preparation of a Restoration Plan.
    On April 10, 1992 (57 FR 12473-12475) on behalf of the Exxon Valdez 
Trustee Council, the Forest Service published a Notice of Intent to 
prepare an EIS on the Restoration Plan. This was later revised on 
January 14, 1994 (59 FR 2352-2353).
    The Trustee Council released a Draft Restoration Plan in November 
1993, which was the proposed action for the analysis conducted in the 
FEIS. The Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) was released for 
public comment on June 17, 1994 (59 FR 31191) followed by a 45-day 
comment period ending on August 1, 1994.

B. Comments

    The comment period on the DEIS was 45 days from the date the 
Environmental Protection Agency's notice of availability appears in the 
Federal Register. During the comment period for the DEIS public 
meetings were held on the following dates at the locations shown:

June 27, 1994--Anchorage, AK
June 29, 1994--Seward, AK
July 1, 1994--Homer, AK
July 5, 1994--Kodiak, AK
July 7, 1994--Cordova, AK
July 19, 1994--Valdez, AK

    In addition, a teleconference was held on July 20, 1994. 
Opportunities for involvement were provided in the following 
communities:

Akhiok
Chignik
Chignik Lagoon
Chignik Lake
Cordova
Fairbanks
Homer
Ivanof Bay
Juneau
Karluk
Kodiak
Larsen Bay
Nanwalek
Old Harbor
Ouzinkie
Perryville
Port Graham
Port Lions
Seldovia
Seward
Soldotna
Tatitlek
Valdez
Whittier

    Dated: September 21, 1994.
George T. Frampton, Jr.,
Assistant Secretary for Fish and Wildlife and Parks, Department of the 
Interior.
    Dated: September 19, 1994.
Phil Janik,
Regional Forester, Alaska Region, Forest Service, Department of 
Agriculture.
[FR Doc. 94-23782 Filed 9-26-94; 8:45 am]
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