[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 194 (Friday, October 4, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Pages 51937-51938]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-25522]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[ER-FRL-5473-7]


Environmental Impact Statements and Regulations; Availability of 
EPA Comments

    Availability of EPA comments prepared September 16, 1996 through 
September 20, 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 
05, 1996 (61 FR 15251).

Draft EISs

    ERP No. D-AFS-L61207-AK Rating EC2, Upper Carroll Timber Sale, 
Implementation, Tongass National Forest, Ketchikan Administrative Area, 
Ketchikan Ranger District, Revillagigedo Island, AK.
    Summary: EPA expressed environmental concerns based on potential 
impacts to water quality and the marine environment from timber harvest 
and road building activities on Revillagigedo Island, AK.
    ERP No. D-AFS-L65263-ID, Targhee National Forest, Implementation, 
Forest Plan Revisions, Bonneville, Butte, Clark, Fremont, Jefferson, 
Lemhi, Madison and Teton Counties, ID.
    Summary: Our abbreviated review has revealed no EPA concerns with 
this project.
    ERP No. D-BLM-K67036-NV Rating EO2, Mule Canyon Surface Gold Mine 
Development, Operation and Reclamation and Associate Facilities, Plan 
of Operation Approval, Battle Mountain District, Lander and Eureka 
Counties, NV.
    Summary: EPA expressed environmental objection to the proposed 
project based on its potential to adversely affect surface and 
groundwater. We requested additional information in the final EIS 
regarding the impacts of transporting ore to Twin Creeks Mine for 
milling; the result of the ecological risk assessment; the selection of 
options for pit backfilling and waste rock pile design; design 
parameters for several mining and processing facilities; impacts to 
wildlife and springs; and mitigation measures.
    ERP No. D-CGD-A39137-00 Rating LO, Atlantic Protected Living Marine 
Resource Initiative, Implementation, Atlantic Ocean, from Maine to 
Florida.
    Summary: EPA lacks objection to the proposed action as described in 
the draft EIS.
    ERP No. D-COE-C36073-NJ Rating EC2, Absecon Island Interim 
Feasibility Study, Storm Damage Reduction, Brigantic Inlet to Great Egg 
Harbor Inlet, Atlantic County, NJ.
    Summary: EPA raised environmental concerns about impacts to benthic 
communities and water quality, and potential cumulative impacts 
associated with this and other erosion/storm damage protection projects 
in New Jersey. Additional information is requested in the final EIS to 
address these issues.
    ERP No. D-FHW-H40155-MO Rating EC2, MO-13 and MO-7 Highway/Freeway 
Improvements, MO-13 from US 24 in Lexington to Truman Reservoir south 
of Clinton and MO-7 in the immediate area of Clinton, Funding, 
Lafayette, Johnson and Henry Counties, MO.
    Summary: EPA expressed environmental concerns about increased noise 
levels at adjacent public facilities, inadequate provisions for 
avoiding or mitigating wetlands impacts, and the absence of an 
evaluation of cumulative, secondary, and indirect effects on the social 
and environmental attributes of the project corridor.
    ERP No. D-FHW-H40158-MO Rating EC2, U.S. 65 Corridor Construction, 
Carollton to Marshall, Funding, COE Section 404 Permit and U.S. Coast 
Guard Permit, Carroll, Lafeyette and Saline Counties, MO.
    Summary: EPA expressed environmental concerns regarding wetland and 
noise impacts and secondary/cumulative impacts. EPA requested that 
these issues be more fully addressed in the final EIS.
    ERP No. D-FHW-H40159-MO Rating EC2, MO-21 Corridor Transportation 
Improvement, between Otto to DeSoto, Funding, COE Section 404 Permit 
and NPDES Permit, Jefferson County, MO.
    Summary: EPA expressed environmental concerns regarding wetlands 
loss and the absence of a regional emissions analysis necessary to 
assess project air quality impacts in the St. Louis non-attainment 
area.
    ERP No. D-FRC-L05217-WA Rating EO1, Upriver FERC No. 3074 
Hydroelectric Project, Amendment of the Existing License, Spokane 
River, Spokane County, WA.
    Summary: EPA raised environmental objections regarding the proposed 
action's impacts on water quality and associated impacts on fish and 
other aquatic life in the Spokane River.
    ERP No. D-NPS-H65005-NB Rating LO, Niobrara National Scenic River, 
General Management Plan, Niobrara/Missouri National Scenic Riverways, 
Implementation, Brown, Cherry, Keya Paha and Rock Counties, NB.
    Summary: EPA expressed no objections to the preferred management 
alternative, and no objections to any of the three National Scenic 
River boundary alternatives. EPA suggested that Boundary Alternative #2 
would, when coupled with the preferred management alternative, provide 
the

[[Page 51938]]

greatest protection for the resources of the Niobrara Scenic River 
System.
    ERP No. D-NPS-L65264-WA Rating LO, Elwha River Ecosystem 
Restoration Implemention Project, Olympic National Park, Clallam 
County, WA.
    Summary: EPA expressed lack of objections for the removal of both 
the Glines Canyon and Elwha Dams.
    ERP No. D-SFW-L99006-WA Rating EC2, Washington State Department of 
Natural Resources (WDNR) Habitat Conservation Plan (HCP), Issuance of a 
Permit for Incidental Take of Federally-Listed Species and 
Implementation of the Multi-Species Plan for Lands Managed by WDNR, WA.
    Summary: EPA expressed environmental concern regarding aquatic/
terrestrial ecosystem protection and restoration, hydrologic maturity 
models and protection of intermittent and ephemeral streams. EPA 
requested that these issues be addressed in the final document.
    ERP No. DR-USA-A21035-OR Rating EC2, Umatilla Depot Activity, 
Revisions to Disposal of Chemical Agents and Munitions Stored, 
Construction and Operation, Morrow and Umatilla Counties, OR.
    Summary: EPA expressed environmental concerns regarding exposure 
pathways; meterorolgical data and emergency planning. EPA requested 
that these issues be further discussed in the final document.
    ERP No. DS-FHW-H40136-KS Rating EO2, South Lawrence Trafficway 
Construction, Kansas Turnpike I-70 to KS-10/Noria Road, New Information 
concerning KS-10 on the East and US 59 on the West, Funding, COE 
Section 404 Permit and Right-of-Way Acquisition, Douglass County, KS.
    Summary: EPA expressed objections to all three alternative 
alignments evaluated in the supplemental EIS, based on substantial, and 
largely unmitigatible, impacts to wetland areas and the associated 
impacts to the spiritual practices of students at the Haskell Indian 
Nations University located adjacent to the project.

Final EISs

    ERP No. F-AFS-J35009-UT, Upper Provo River Reservoirs Stabilization 
Project, Implementation, Wasatch-Cache National Forest, Kamas Ranger 
District, Summit County, UT.
    Summary: EPA's original concerns have been satisfactorily 
addressed.
    ERP No. F-AFS-K99025-CA, Pacific Pipeline Transportation Project, 
Construction/Operation, Right-of-Way Grant, Special-Use-Permit and COE 
Section 10 and 404 Permits, Angeles National Forest, Santa Barbara, 
Ventura, Los Angeles and Kern Counties, CA.
    Summary: EPA expressed environmental concerns regarding the 
potential biases of statistical methodology and assumptions used in the 
FEIS to evaluate disproportionate impacts to minority/lower-income 
communities. EPA recommended that the USFS, CPUC, and applicant work 
very closely with local communities to refine and develop the proposed 
EJ mitigation measures.
    ERP No. F-COE-K01074-CA, Morrison Creek Mining Reach Upstream North 
of Jackson Highway, Implementation, Community Plan Amendment, Rezoning, 
Use Permit Amendment to Existing Use Permit and COE Section 404 Permit, 
Sacramento County, CA.
    Summary: EPA remains concerned over the potential channelization of 
Morrison Creek and requested that the Corps work with EPA and the 
applicant to explore opportunities to avoid or minimize impacts to 
Morrison Creek. In addition, EPA continued to be concerned over the 
cumulative impacts associated with the proposed action.
    ERP No. F-FDA-C81016-NY, U.S. Food and Drug Administration, 
Construction of Regional Office and Laboratory, Site Specific, Jamaica 
Site, Queen County, NY.
    Summary: EPA believed that the proposed project will not result in 
significant adverse environmental impacts; therefore, EPA had no 
objections to its implementation.
    ERP No. F-FHW-K53007-CA, Alameda Railroad Corridor Consolidated 
Project, Construction from Downtown Los Angeles to the Badger Avenue 
Bridge/CA-91, Funding, COE Section 404 Permit and ICC Approval, Los 
Angeles County, CA.
    Summary: EPA asked that the Record of Decision provide additional 
information and/or mitigation commitments on construction-related 
particulate emissions, the worst-case emergency response plan, 
polychlorinated biphenyls, pollution prevention features, and impacts 
to the City of Compton.
    ERP No. FS-COE-K36100-CA, American River Watershed Flood Plain 
Protection Project, Construction, Operation and Maintenance, Updated 
and Additional Information, Sacramento, Placer and Sutter Counties, CA.
    Summary: EPA concluded that the Detention Dam alternative would 
have unacceptable, unmitigable effects on unique natural resources on 
the North and Middle forks of the American River, and urged the Corps 
not to pursue the Detention Dam alternative. EPA recommended that (1) 
certain non-dam measures should be funded and implemented as soon as 
possible; (2) variable reoperation of Folsom Reservoir should be 
continued to provide a minimum 100-year flood protection until all 
elements of the long-term flood control strategy are completed; (3) 
that the Section 404(b)(1) Guidelines evaluation be revisited and more 
clearly provide the basis for its conclusions; (4) the Corps continue 
its outreach effort to develop the best implementation approaches to 
levee improvements for the Natomas area along the east levee of the 
Sacramento River; (5) the consensus-based Lower American River Task 
Force effort be continued; and (6) the Task Force recommendations for 
stream bank protection and levee improvements be implemented.

    Dated: October 1, 1996.
 William D. Dickerson,
Director, NEPA Compliance Division Office of Federal Activities.
[FR Doc. 96-25522 Filed 10-3-96; 8:45 am]
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