[Federal Register Volume 60, Number 155 (Friday, August 11, 1995)]
[Notices]
[Pages 41072-41073]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 95-19939]



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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
[ER-FRL-4725-6]


Environmental Impact Statements and Regulations; Availability of 
EPA Comments

    Availability of EPA comments prepared June 24, 1995 Through June 
28, 1995 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) 
260-5076.
    An explanation of the ratings assigned to draft environmental 
impact statements (EISs) was published in FR dated April 14, 1995 (60 
FR 19047).

Draft EISs

ERP No. D-AFS-J65233-MT

    Rating EC2, Murphy Timber Sales, Harvesting Timber, Road 
Construction and Prescribed Burning, Kootenai National Forest, Fortine 
Ranger District, Lincoln County, MT.
    Summary: EPA expressed environmental concerns about increased water 
yield and sediment production and resultant aquatic effects, 
particularly in the Deep Creek basin, and the lack of information 
regarding water quality monitoring, exceedances of open road density 
standards, and potential air quality impacts.

ERP No. D-AFS-J65234-MT

    Rating EC2, Beaver Woods Vegetation Management Project, 
Implementation, Bitterroot National Forest, West Fork Ranger District, 
Ravalli County, MT.
    Summary: EPA expressed environmental concerns about potential 
increased water and sediment yields and proposed activities in critical 
watersheds and in watersheds where peak stream flow thresholds are 
already being exceeded. EPA requested additional information to fully 
assess and mitigate potential environmental impacts of the management 
actions.

ERP No. D-AFS-J65235-MT

    Rating EC2, Bass Lake Dam Reconstruction, Operation and 
Maintenance, Temporary-Use-Permit, Bitterroot National Forest, 
Stevensville Ranger District, Ravalli County, MT.
    Summary: EPA expressed environmental concerns about the potential 
impacts resulting from equipment access along the old road and trail 
into the Wilderness Area, and impacts of the concrete maintenance 
program and pipe and concrete housing replacement. EPA requested 
additional information to fully assess and mitigate potential 
environmental impacts of the management actions.

ERP No. D-AFS-K65167-CA

    Rating EO2, California Spotted Owl Habitat Management Plan, 
Implementation, Sierra Nevada National Forests, CA.
    Summary: EPA had environmental objections with whether the proposed 
management framework would be successful given the complexity 
variability of Sierra Nevada forests ecosystems and the lack of 
information on these ecosystems. EPA requested additional information 
on potential impacts to aquatic species and habitat, as well as fire 
risk, salvage activities, monitoring methods, cumulative impacts, and 
management tradeoffs.

ERP No. D-GSA-A80027-AZ

    Rating LO, Evo A. Deconcini Federal Building--United States 
Courthouse, Construction and Site Selection, Central Business Area 
(CBA), City of Tucson, Pima County, AZ.
    Summary: EPA had no environmental objection to the project.

ERP No. D-NOA-A91062-00

    Rating EC2, Atlantic Coast Weakfish Fishery, Fishery Management 
Plan, Implementation, Weakfish Harvest Control in the Atlantic Ocean 
Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), off the New England, Mid-Atlantic and 
South Atlantic Coast.
    Summary: EPA had environmental concerns with some aspects of the 
regulations and requested that additional information be included in 
the FEIS on the exemption for the Block Island Sound area and on the 
impacts that other fisheries may have on the weakfish fishery.

ERP No. D-TVA-E32075-TN

    Rating EC2, Upper Tennessee River Navigation Improvement Project, 
Rehabilitation and/or Construction, Ckickamauga Dam--Navigation Lock 
Structural Improvement Alternative, Funding, NPDES Permit, Coast Guard 
Bridge Permit and COE Section 404 Permits, Tennessee River, Hamilton 
County, TN.
    Summary: EPA expressed environmental concerns over potential 
impacts to spawning fish populations, air quality, and wetlands. EPA 
also noted the need for additional analyses to support conclusions 
regarding potential environmental impacts.

ERP No. DS-FHW-E54009-NC

    Rating EC2, US 117 Corridor Improvement Project, US 13/70 at 
Goldsboro, North to US 301 in Wilson, Funding and COE Section 404 
Permit, Updated and Additional Information, Wayne and Wilson Counties, 
NC.
    Summary: EPA continues to express environmental concerns about the 
preferred alternative. Potential impacts to the Little River need to be 
avoided in order to fully protect this aquatic resource.

[[Page 41073]]


ERP No. DS-NAS-A12031-00

    Rating EC2, Programmatic EIS--Sounding Rocket Program (SRP), 
Updated Information concerning Programmatic Changes since the 1973 
FEIS, Site-Specific to Wallops Flight Facility (WFF), Wallops Island, 
VA; Poker Flat Research Range (PFRR), Fairbanks, AK and White Sands 
Missile Range (WSMR), White Sands, NM and on a Global Scale.
    Summary: EPA expressed environmental concerns that, while the 
Sounding Rocket Program (SRP) as a whole does not seem to have 
significant direct impacts on the environment, it may present 
cumulative impacts at the local level. As a result, EPA requests some 
additional information.

ERP No. DS-RUS-E08017-FL

    Rating EC2, Hardee Unit 3; 440 Megawatt (MW) Natural Gas and Oil 
Fired Combined Cycle Electric Power Station Construction and Operation, 
Funding, Approval and NPDES Permit Issuance, Hardee County, FL.
    Summary: EPA expressed environmental concerns regarding impacts to 
air and water quality, and requested that additional information be 
presented in the final EIS supplement.

Final EISs

ERP No. F-BLM-K67026-CA

    Briggs Open Pit Heap Leach Gold Mine Project, Construction and 
Operation, NPDES Permit and COE Section 404 Permit, Inyo County, CA.
    Summary: The final EIS fully addressed EPA's environmental concerns 
regarding potential impacts to surface water and wetlands, facilities 
design, closure, reclamation and maintenance of the heap leach pad, and 
contingency measures. EPA also commented that BLM should consider new 
information regarding Native American interests in the proposed project 
before a Record of Decision is issued.

ERP No. F-GSA-L81009-WA

    Seattle Federal Courthouse Building (Project # ZWA 81061), 
Implementation, Site Selection, Construction and Operation, King 
County, WA.
    Summary: EPA commented that the final EIS effectively addressed 
EPA's comments on the draft EIS.

    Dated: August 8, 1995.
William D. Dickerson,
 Director, NEPA Compliance Division, Office of Federal Activities.
[FR Doc. 95-19939 Filed 8-10-95; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-U