[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 117 (Thursday, June 18, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Page 33371]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-16209]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[ER-FRL-5497-7]


Second Public Scoping Meeting for EPA's Environmental Impact 
Statement for the Final Rule for Environmental Impact Assessment of 
Nongovernmental Activities in Antarctica

AGENCY: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice of second public scoping meeting for EPA's Environmental 
Impact Statement (EIS) for the final rule for environmental impact 
assessment (EIA) of nongovernmental activities in Antarctica.

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SUMMARY: The U.S. EPA, in accordance with Section 102(2)(c) of the 
National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), will prepare a Draft EIS for 
proposed final regulations that will provide for: (1) environmental 
impact assessment of nongovernmental activities, including tourism, in 
Antarctica for which the United States is required to give advance 
notice under paragraph 5 of Article VII of the Antarctic Treaty of 
1959; and (2) coordination of the review of information regarding 
environmental impact assessments received by the United States from 
other Parties to the Protocol on Environmental Protection to the 
Antarctic Treaty. These final regulations will be prepared pursuant to 
the Antarctic Science, Tourism, and Conservation Act of 1996. EPA held 
its first public scoping meeting on July 8, 1997, and, at the request 
of the International Association of Antarctica Tour Operators, 
individual Antarctica tour operators, and The Antarctica Project on 
behalf of the Antarctic and Southern Ocean Coalition, agreed to conduct 
a second scoping meeting following the 1997-1998 Antarctic tour season, 
the first such season following promulgation of EPA's Interim Final 
Rule governing Environmental Impact Assessment of Nongovernmental 
Activities in Antarctica (Federal Register/Vol. 62, No. 83/ Wednesday, 
April 30, 1997/Rules and Regulations). EPA invites comments and 
suggestions on the scope of the rulemaking with regard to the 
environmental and regulatory issues to be addressed in the EIS.

DATES: The public scoping meeting will be on Tuesday, July 14, 1998, 
from 1:00 PM until 4:30 PM, at the Washington Information Center--EPA 
Conference Service Center, Conference Room 3 North, Waterside Mall, 4th 
and M Street SW, Washington, DC. To access Conference Room 3 North, 
enter Waterside Mall through the entrance directly in front of the 
Waterfront-SEU Metro Station (green line), turn right at the central 
hallway, left at the end of this hallway, and enter the North 
Conference Center through the last door on the right. Written comments 
from the public may also be sent directly to EPA to the contacts listed 
below and will be accepted by EPA through July 31, 1998.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Joseph Montgomery or Ms. Katherine 
Biggs, Office of Federal Activities (2252A), U.S. Environmental 
Protection Agency, 401 M Street SW, Washington, DC 20460; telephone: 
(202)564-7157 or (202)564-7144, respectively.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Please refer to the Public Scoping Meeting 
Notice for the July 8, 1997 meeting (Federal Register/Vol. 62, No. 105/
Monday, June 2, 1997/Notices), and the Notice of Intent to Prepare an 
EIS for the final rule for EIA of nongovernmental activities in 
Antarctica (Federal Register/Vol. 62, No. 90/Friday, May 9, 1997/
Notices). Copies of documents pertinent to this project are available 
from the contacts listed above and also on the World Wide Web at: 
http://www.epa.gov/oeca/ofa.
Richard E. Sanderson,
Director, Office of Federal Activities.
[FR Doc. 98-16209 Filed 6-17-98; 8:45 am]
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