[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]
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