[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 52 (Friday, March 15, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Pages 10754-10756]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-6289]



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[[Page 10755]]


ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
[ER-FRL-5414-4]


Environmental Impact Statements and Regulations; Availability of 
EPA Comments

    Availability of EPA comments prepared February 26, 1996 through 
March 1, 1996 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, 1996 (60 
FR 19047).

Draft EISs

ERP No. D-AFS-J67022-MT

    Rating EO2, Asarco Rock Creek Copper and Silver Mining Construction 
and Operation Project, Plan of Operations Approval, Special Use 
Permit(s), Road Use Permit, Mineral Material Permit, Timber Sale 
Contract and COE Section 404 Permit Issuance, Kootenai National Forest, 
Sanders County, MT.
    Summary: EPA expressed environmental objections to the proposed 
action based on the integrity of an unlined impoundment, potential 
groundwater contamination, lack of information on the acid generating 
potential of the ore and waste rock, ability for the underground 
reservoir to contain high volumes of poor quality water and lack of 
details in the mine closure plan.
    ERP No. D-AFS-K61140-CA Rating EC2, Dinkey Allotment Livestock 
Grazing Strategies, Implementation, Sierra National Forest, Fresno 
County, CA.
    Summary: EPA expressed environmental concerns about adverse impacts 
from extensive chiselling, gullying, streambank erosion and disturbed 
meadow/reparian ecosystems which have been caused in part by past 
grazing pressures and we urged selection of a reduced grazing strategy 
which will reverse the above adverse impacts and promote recovery of 
the damaged watersheds. See ``The Forest Service Program for Forest and 
Rangeland Resources: A Long-Term Strategic Plan''.

ERP No. D-AFS-K65176-CA

    Rating EC2, Sequoia National Forest Trail System Plan, 
Implementation, Amendment to the Sequoia National Forest Land and 
Resource Management Plan, Fresno, Kern and Tulare Counties, CA.
    Summary: EPA expressed environmental concerns over potential water 
quality, fishery and soil impacts. The DEIS did not provide specific 
information on existing water quality for eight major watersheds in the 
area, making it difficult to ascertain specific project impacts. The 
FEIS should contain more detailed information on how the project will 
affect each watershed and discuss the applicability of the Clean Water 
Act's stormwater permit provisions.

ERP No. D-AFS-K65177-00

    Rating EC2, North Shore Ecosystem Management Project, 
Implementation, Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit, Washoe and Placer 
County, CA and NV.
    Summary: EPA expressed environmental concerns regarding potential 
impacts to water quality in the Lake Tahoe Basin. EPA requested that 
the FEIS provide further discussion on the relation between Forest 
Service ``Thresholds of Concern'' for watersheds and compliance with 
Water Quality Standards and whether herbicide use would be a part of 
reforestation actions.

ERP No. D-AFS-K82005-CA

    Rating EC2, Placerville Nursery Pest Management Plan, 
Implementation, Camino, El Dorado County, CA.
    Summary: EPA expressed environmental concerns regarding the 
project's compliance with pesticide and toxicity requirments in the 
applicable Clean Water Act Basin Plan for the area, and urged the 
Forest Service to employ methyl bromide and other chemicals at the 
nursery only after non-chemical control methods are determined to be 
ineffective in terms of pest management.

ERP No. D-AFS-L61206-OR

    Rating LO, Upper Deschutes Wild and Scenic River and State Scenic 
Waterway, Management Plan, Implementation, Deschutes National Forest, 
Deschutes County, OR.
    Summary: EPA expressed lack of objections to the proposed project.

ERP No. D-BLM-J67019-MT

    Rating EO2, Zortman and Landusky Mines Reclamation Plan 
Modifications and Mine Life Extensions, Approval of Mine Operation, 
Mine Reclamation and COE Section 404 Permits, Little Rocky Mountains, 
Phillip County, MT.
    Summary: EPA expressed environmental concerns because the Draft EIS 
discloses that there is no assurance that efforts to restore and 
protect ground and surface waters will be effective or in place as a 
condition to mine expansion. EPA recommended that the Final EIS address 
in greater detail the potential effects to groundwater aquifer 
underlying the Fort Belnap Indian Reservation and a cost and 
feasibility analysis of altervatives 3 and 7.

ERP No. D-BLM-K65179-AZ

    Rating EC2, Morenci Land Exchange, Implementation, Exchange of 
Federal Lands for Private Lands, Safford District, Greenlee, Graham, 
Cochise and Pima Counties, AZ.
    Summary: EPA expressed environmental concerns regarding the 
proposed land exchange. We recommended withdrawing the offered lands 
from mineral entry and requested additional information in the FEIS on 
the condition and management plan for the selected and offered lands 
and on potential impacts of the proposal to air, water resources and 
reclamation.

ERP No. D-BLM-L61205-OR

    Rating LO, Bal'diyaka Interpretive Center Construction and 
Operation to Present the Natural History of Oregon's Southern Coast; 
the Cultural Heritage of the Coos, Lower Umpqua and Siuslaw Indians and 
Local US Coast Guard History, Implementation, Coos Bay District, 
Gregory Point, Coos County, OR.
    Summary: EPA expressed lack of objections to the proposed project.

ERP No. D-DOE-A09824-00

    Rating EC2, Programmatic EIS--Waste Management, Managing Treatment, 
Storage and/or Disposal of Radioactive and Hazardous Waste for Five 
Types of Waste: Low-Level Radioactive; Low-Level Mixed; Transuranic 
Radioactive; High-Level Radioactive and Hazardous Waste, Sites 
Selection Around the United States.
    Summary: EPA requested additional information to strenghten the 
final EIS and provide more clarity to the public.

ERP No. D-NPS-G65063-NM

    Rating LO, Pecos National Historical General Management Plan and 
Development Concept Plan, Implementation, San Miguel and Santa Fe 
Counties, NM.
    Summary: EPA had no objections to the preferred alternative.

ERP No. D-NPS-G65065-NM

    Rating LO, Carlsbad Caverns National Park General Management Plan, 
Implementation, Eddy County, NM.
    Summary: EPA expressed lack of ojections to the preferred 
alternative.

[[Page 10756]]


ERP No. D-NPS-L65258-ID

    Rating LO, Hagerman Fossil Beds National Monument, General 
Management Plan, Implementation, Twin Falls and Gooding County, ID.
    Summary: EPA expressed lack of objections.

ERP No. D-USN-K11066-CA

    Rating EC2, Camp Pendleton Marine Corps Air Stations (MCAS) Tustin 
and EL Toro Marine Corps Base (MCB) Realignment, Implementation, COE 
Section 404 Permit, San Diego County, CA.
    Summary: EPA expressed environmental concerns and requested 
additional information on cumulative impacts to the Santa Margarita 
River flood zone and watershed, wetlands and biological resources.

Final EISs

ERP No. F-AFS-G65059-NM

    Santa Fe Ski Area Master Development Plan, Upgrading and Expansion, 
Special-Use-Permit, Santa Fe National Forest, Espanola Ranger District, 
Santa Fe County, NM.
    Summary: EPA had no objections to the preferred alternative.

ERP No. F-UAF-E10007-GA

    F-15 Fighter Aircraft Conversion at Dobbins Air Force Base (AFB), 
Marietta, GA to B-1B Bomber Aircraft at Robins AFB, Warner Robins, GA 
and Training Airspace Modifactions Servicing the Savannah Combat 
Readiness Training Center (CRTC) Area, GA.
    Summary: EPA expressed lack of objection to this project.

ERP No. F-USN-K11050-HI

    Bellows Air Force Station Land Use and Development Plan, 
Implementation, Waimanalo, Honolulu County, HI.
    Summary: EPA expressed lack of objection to this project.

Regulations

ERP No. R-BIA-A99206-00

    25 CFR Chapter V and Part 900--Indian Health Service: Indian Self-
Determination and Education Assistance Act Amendments; Proposed Rule.
    Summary: EPA suggested that the methodologies for establishing the 
carrying capacities of range units specifically include measures that 
ensure compliance with applicable sections of federal environmental 
law.

ERP No. R-DOI-A60117-00

    25 CFR Part 161--Navajo Partitioned Land Grazing Regulations--
Proposed Rule.
    Summary: EPA suggested that the proposed regulation indicate that 
the Bureau of Indian Affairs and Indian Health Service will exercise 
independent review of information submitted during environmental 
reviews and that this regulation describe how environmental reviews 
will be conducted for land acquisitions under Indian Self-Determination 
grants and contracts.

    Dated: March 12, 1996.
William D. Dickerson,
Director, NEPA Compliance Division, Office of Federal Activities.
[FR Doc. 96-6289 Filed 3-14-96; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P