[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 59 (Friday, March 27, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 14922-14923]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-8111]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[ER-FRL-5490-3]


Environmental Impact Statements and Regulations; Availability of 
EPA Comments

    Availability of EPA comments prepared March 09, 1998 Through March 
13, 1998 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 11, 1997 (62 
FR 16154).

Draft EISs

    ERP No. D-AFS-K65082-CA Rating EC2, Payen, Pass Creek and English 
Range Allotments, Grazing Land Management Plan, Implementation, Tahoe 
National Forest, Sierraville Ranger District, Sierra and Nevada 
Counties, CA.
    Summary: EPA expressed environmental concerns about insufficient 
site information to develop a monitoring plan and suggested the final 
EIS contain environmental indicators and establish threshold values to 
measure improvement.
    ERP No. D-BLM-J31025-WY Rating EO2, Greybull Valley Irrigation 
District Dam and Reservoir Project, Issuance of Right-of-Way Permit and 
COE Section 404 Permit, Park County, WY.
    Summary: EPA expressed environmental objections about cumulative 
adverse impacts to the aquatic system of the Greybull River and 
requested that the water conservation alternative be pursued.
    ERP No. D-BLM-J60019-WY Rating EC2, Cave Gulch-Bullfrog-Waltman 
Natural Gas Development Project, Implementation, Platte River Resource 
Area, Natrona County, WY.
    Summary: EPA expressed environmental concerns about impacts to a 
regional ground water recharge area

[[Page 14923]]

and suggested the final EIS develop site-specific ground water data and 
define the selected protection measures.
    EERP No. D-BLM-J67026-MT Rating EC2, Golden Sunlight Mine 
Expansion, Implementation of Amendment 008 to Operating Permit No. 
0065, COE Section 404 Permit, Whitehall, Jefferson County MT.
    Summary: EPA expressed environmental concerns about implementing 
the proposed environmental mitigation measures and suggested the final 
EIS calculate the final bonding amount needed to comply with water 
quality standards in perpetuity and improve the groundwater mixing zone 
procedure.
    ERP No. DR-AFS-K65184-CA Rating EC2, Aock Creek Recreational Trails 
Management Plan, Implementation, Additional Information, Eldorado 
National Forest, Georgetown Ranger Director, Eldorado County, CA.
    Summary: EPA expressed environmental concerns about numerous 
substantive changes to the Forest Service's preferred alternative, and 
recommended that the Forest Service take additional steps to address 
high road densities and excessive sediment delivery in the project 
area. The final monitoring plan identify specific sedimentation 
minimization targets and follow-up actions.
    ERP No. D1-AFS-J65111-MT, Rating EC2, Flathead National Forest, 
Management Direction Plan Related to Old Growth Forests, Forest Plan 
Amendment No. 21, Implementation, Flathead, Lake, Lincoln, Missoula and 
Lewis and Clark Counties, MT.
    Summary: EPA expressed environmental concerns and recommends that 
the preferred alternative be modified to include areas of old growth to 
monitor ecological responses and to allow protect biodiversity and 
grizzly bear habitat.

Final EISs

    ERP No. F-AFS-J61098-MT, Lost Trail Ski Area Expansion Project, 
Implementation, New Master Development Plan, Bitterroot National 
Forest, Sula Ranger District, Ravalli County, MT.
    Summary: EPA expressed environmental concerns about inadequate 
wetlands mitigation, potential water quality degradation associated 
with increased wastewater pollutant loading, lack of adequate analysis 
and disclosure or indirect growth related impacts and air quality 
impacts.
    ERP No. F-AFS-J65263-SD, Anchor Hill Mine Expansion Project in Gilt 
Edge Mine, Plan-of-Operations, Approval, Black Hills National Forest, 
SD.
    Summary: The Final EIS has addressed many of EPA's comment however, 
EPA has remaining concerns about the inadequate cash reclamation 
bonding, the absence of post closure operations and maintenance (O&M) 
funding/bonding and contingency plans, and long term water quality 
protection.
    ERP No. F-AFS-J65271-MT, Jericho Salvage Timber Sale, 
Implementation, Salvage Treatments and Temporary Road Construction, 
Helena National Forest, Helena Ranger District, Powell County, MT.
    Summary: EPA expressed environmental concerns about proposed 
reduction of streamside buffer zone widths below INFISH recommended 
widths, and inadequate water quality/aquatics monitoring for the 
detection and mitigation of all potential environmental impacts of the 
management actions.

    Dated: March 24, 1998.
William D. Dickerson,
Director, NEPA Compliance Division, Office of Federal Activities.
[FR Doc. 98-8111 Filed 3-26-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-U