[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 191 (Friday, October 2, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 53049-53050]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-26500]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[ER-FRL-5495-9]


Environmental Impact Statements and Regulations; Availability of 
EPA Comments

    Availability of EPA comments prepared August 24, 1998 Through 
August 28, 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 10, 1998 (62 
FR 17856).

Draft EISs

    ERP No. D-AFS-L65305-WA Rating EC2, Plum Creek Checkerboard Access 
Project, Grant Permanent Easements, Cle Elum and Naches Ranger 
Districts, Wenatchee National Forest, Kittitas County, WA.
    Summary: EPA expressed environmental concerns with the potential 
impacts to water quality from direct and indirect effects of this 
project. EPA requests that the Forest Service and Plum Creek Timber 
incorporate BMP's based on the results of the watershed analysis.
    ERP No. D-AFS-L65306-AK Rating EC2, Sea Level Harvest Timber Sale, 
Implemention, Tongass National Forest, Ketchikan Ranger District, U.S. 
Coast Guard Permit, NPDES Permit and COE Section 10 and 404 Permit, 
Revillagigedo (Revilla) Island/Cleveland Peninsula, AK.
    Summary: EPA expressed environmental concerns about the potential 
impacts of the project on water quality and the marine environment. EPA 
requested more information.
    ERP No. D-DOE-G06010-NM Rating EC2, Los Alamos National Laboratory 
Continued Operation Site-Wide, Implementation, Los Alamos County, NM.
    Summary: EPA expressed environmental concerns with the potential 
electrical power shortfall and the potential need of upgrading the 
existing electrical power transmission system and the need for 
subsequent NEPA analysis to identify possible alternatives to address 
this need.
    ERP No. D-FTA-L40205-00 Rating EC2, South/North Corridor Project, 
Improvements to the Existing Urban Transportation, Funding, Multnomah, 
Clackamas and Washington Counties, OR and Clark County, WA.
    Summary: EPA's concerns are based on issues related to: (1) Early 
involvement of EPA in the NEPA analysis process, (2) potential public 
health risks from disturbing CERCLIS and ECSI sites, (3) the appearance 
of disproportionate impacts to low and minority neighborhoods and 
inadequate analysis of race and ethnicity to neighborhoods affected by 
direct and indirect impacts (Environmental Justice).
    ERP No. D-IBR-L31002-WA Rating EC2, Programmatic EIS--Yakima River 
Basin Water Enhancement (Phase 2) Project, Implementation, Benton, 
Yakima and Kittitas Counties, WA.
    Summary: EPA expressed environmental concerns based on a lack of 
information on water quality, indirect impacts from tribal water uses, 
the range of alternatives and environmental justice and impacts to the 
fishery resources.
    ERP No. D-OSM-E61047-TN Rating EC2, Fall Creek Falls Petition 
Evaluation Document, Implementation, Designate the Land as Unsuitable 
for Surface Coal Mining Operation, Van Buren and Bledsoe Counties, TN.
    Summary: EPA expressed environmental concerns to water quality 
under a partial petition (Alternate 3.C.) coupled with a requirement 
that all mining plans in the remainder of the petition area require an 
individual EIS. Additional information on cumulative impacts was 
requested.
    ERP No. D-USA-F11036-IN Rating EO2, Newport Chemical Depot, 
Construction and Operation, Pilot Testing of Neutralization/
Supercritical Water Oxidation of VX Agent, Vermillion County, IN.
    Summary: EPA requested that the Army include more information to 
substantiate the choice of alternative technologies brought forward for 
pilot testing. Additional concerns centered around the range of 
alternatives evaluated, future plans if pilot testing is successful, 
spill containment measures for VX and regulatory status of VX and 
byproducts of its treatment.
    ERP No. D-USN-D11029-00 Rating EC2, Patuxent River Complex Project, 
Increased Flight and Related Ground Operations in Test Area, Naval Air 
Warfare Center Aircraft Division (NAWCAD) Chesapeake Bay, Patuxent 
River, several counties, MD, DE and VA.
    Summary: EPA expressed environmental concerns with the cumulative 
impacts resulting from increased flight operations. Specific areas of 
concern are noise, air quality, water and sediment quality, wildlife 
and fisheries, and aircraft operations and safety. More information is 
needed to fully assess the environmental impacts associated with the 
proposed increased activity.

Final EISs

    ERP No. F-AFS-E65050-MI, Porter Creek Recreational Lake and 
Complex, Implementation, Homochitto National Forest, Homochitto Ranger 
District, Franklin County, MI.
    Summary: EPA expressed environmental concerns about the need to 
adequately treat sewage entering in the Porter Creek water shed prior 
to opening the recreational reservoir to the public. EPA recommends the 
Forest Service be involved with monitoring the county's sewage 
treatment facility.

[[Page 53050]]

    ERP No. F-AFS-K65082-CA, 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 does not expect proposed project to result in 
significant adverse environmental impacts and has no objections to its 
implementation.
    ERP No. F-AFS-L65296-OR, Crown Pacific Limited Partnership Land 
Exchange Project, Implementation, Consolidate Land Ownership and 
Enhance Future Resource, Deschutes, Fremont and Winema National 
Forests, Deschutes, Jefferson, Klamath and Lake Counties, OR.
    Summary: Review of the Final EIS was not deemed necessary. No 
formal comment letter was sent to the preparing agency.
    ERP No. F-BLM-L65295-OR, Northeast Oregon Assembled Land Exchange 
Resource Management Plan (RMP), Implementation, Site Specific, John 
Day, Umatilla, Granda Ronde, Power River Basins, Grant, Umatilla, 
Morrow, Wheeler, Baker, Wallowa and Union, OR.
    Summary: Review of the Final EIS has been completed and the agency 
has addressed the concerns EPA expressed in the Draft EIS.
    ERP No. F-FHW-C40141-NY: Judd Road Connector Transportation 
Improvements, Funding and COE Section 404 Permit, Village of New York 
Mills, Towns of New Hartford and Whitestown, Oneida County, NY.
    Summary: EPA's concerns have been adequately addressed. Moreover, 
EPA has concluded that the proposed project would not result in 
significant environmental impacts; Therefore, EPA had no objections to 
the implementation of the project.
    ERP No. FS-AFS-L65286-OR: Summit Fire Recovery Forest Restoration 
Project, Implementation, Malheur National Forest, Long Creek Ranger 
District, Grant County, OR.
    Summary: Review of the Final EIS was not deemed necessary. No 
formal comment letter was sent to the preparing agency.

    Dated: September 29, 1998.
William D. Dickerson,
Director, NEPA Compliance Division, Office of Federal Activities.
[FR Doc. 98-26500 Filed 10-1-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P