[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 63 (Friday, April 2, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 15969-15970]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-8183]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[ER-FRL-6241-4]


Environmental Impact Statements and Regulations; Availability of 
EPA Comments

    Availability of EPA comments prepared March 8, 1999 through March 
12, 1999 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 the Federal Register dated 
April 10, 1998 (63 FR 17856).

Draft EISs

    ERP No. D-AFS-B65005-NH Rating EC2, Appalachian Mountain Club (AMC) 
Huts and Pinkham Notch Visitor Center (PNVC) Continued Operations, 
Special Use Permit and Possible COE Permit Issuance, White Mountain 
National Forest, Grafton and Coos Counties, NH.
    Summary: EPA expressed environmental concerns with regard to the 
analysis of impacts to water supply, ground water and wetlands and 
asked that those issues be addressed in the final EIS in order to fully 
evaluate the environmental acceptability of the proposed project.
    ERP No. D-AFS-B65008-VT Rating EC2, Mount Snow/Haystack Resort, 
Expansion of Snowmaking Coverage and Development of Alternative Water 
Supplies, Special-Use-Permit and COE Section 404 Permit, Green Mountain 
National Forest, Manchester Ranger District, Windham County, VT.
    Summary: EPA expressed environmental concerns pertaining to water 
quality impacts and asked for a more complete discussion of cumulative 
effects associated with the development of the proposed snowmaking 
infrastructure. EPA supported the proposed changes that would bring 
existing water withdrawals in line with established flow criteria and 
encouraged the Forest Service to use the comments on the DEIS to frame 
discussions about modifications to the existing water withdrawal 
settlement agreement.
    ERP No. D-AFS-J65217-UT Rating EC2, Brighton Ski Resort Master 
Development Plan Updated, Implementation, Wasatch-Cache National 
Forest, Salt Lake City, UT.

[[Page 15970]]

    Summary: EPA expressed environmental concerns from based primarily 
on the need for identifying potential adverse impacts to wetlands 
resources from snow storage. The final EIS should include additional 
mitigation measures to reduce impacts to the aquatic ecosystem.
    ERP No. D-AFS-J65293-MT Rating EC2, Taylor Fork Timber Sale and 
Road Restoration, Implementation, Buck Creek, Taylor Fork Creek and 
Eldridge Creek, Gallatin National Forest, Madison Ranger, Hebgen Lake 
Ranger District, Yellow Stone, Gallatin County, MT.
    Summary: EPA expressed environmental concerns due to lack of 
information regarding wetlands, existing watershed conditions, and 
potential impacts to westslope cutthroat trout.
    ERP No. D-AFS-J65298-CO Rating EC2, South Fork Salvage Analysis 
Area, Implementation, Routt Divide Blowdown, Land and Resource 
Management Plan, Medicine Bow-Routt National Forests, Hahns Peak/Bears 
Ears Ranger District, Rounty County, CO.
    Summary: EPA expressed environmental concerns and requested 
information on impacts from road reconstruction actions and 
identification of any roads in Streamline Management Zones (SMZs).
    ERP No. D-AFS-L61218-ID Rating EC2, Frank Church--River of No 
Return Wilderness (FC-RONRW), Implementation for the Future Management 
of Land and Water Resource, Bitterroot, Boise, Nez Perce, Payette and 
Salmon-Challis National Forests, ID.
    Summary: EPA expressed environmental concerns related to the 
potential adverse of using herbicides to manage noxious weeds in 
wilderness areas.
    ERP No. D-AFS-L65313-ID Rating EC2, Silver Creek Integrated 
Resource Project, Implementation, Middle Fork Payette River, Boise 
National Forest, Boise and Valley Counties, ID.
    Summary: EPA expressed environmental concerns with potential 
adverse impacts to water quality, air quality and wilderness habitat.
    ERP No. D-AFS-L65314-OR Rating EO2, Mill Creek Watershed Timber 
Sales Project, Implementation, Ochoco National Forest, Crook County, 
OR.
    Summary: EPA expressed environmental objections with the proposed 
alternative and with potential adverse impacts to water quality, 
wildlife and riparian conservation areas.
    ERP No. D-AFS-L65315-ID Rating EO2, West Fork Potlatch Timber 
Harvesting, Road Construction, Reforestation and Watershed Restoration, 
Palouse Ranger District, Latah County, ID.
    Summary: EPA expressed environmental concerns related to the lack 
of an adequate water quality analysis, impacts associated with road 
construction, and the failure to treat the Potlatch basin as a key 
watershed. EPA recommends that the Forest Service consider the value of 
withdrawing the EIS and issuing a revised document.
    ERP No. D-AFS-L65320-00 Rating EC2, Targhee National Forest Open 
Road and Open Motorized Trail Analysis, To Implement a new Travel Plan, 
several counties, ID and Lincoln and Teton Counties, WY.
    Summary: EPA expressed environmental concerns with potential 
impacts to water quality, cutthroat trout, canada lynx and their 
habitat.
    ERP No. D-BLM-K65214-AZ Rating EC2, Dos Pobres/San Juan Mining Plan 
and Land Exchange, Implementation of two Open Pit Copper Mines and one 
Central Ore Facility, NPDES and COE Section 404 Permits, Graham County, 
AZ.
    Summary: EPA expressed environmental concerns over potential 
impacts to air resources, water resources and quality, and water-
related biologic resources. EPA expect that additional mitigation 
measures of clarification of planned mitigation and monitoring, and 
inclusion of other additional requested information in the Final EIS 
may alleviate or reduce these concerns. EPA level of concern over 
potential impacts to air and water resources has also been raised by 
the physical magnitude and potential long time line of the Proposed 
Action.
    ERP No. D-NPS-L61222-WA Rating LO, Lake Roosevelt National 
Recreation Area, General Management Plan, Implementation, Ferry, Grant, 
Lincoln, Okanogan and Stevens Counties, WA.
    Summary: EPA had no objection to the preferred alternative. EPA did 
request further discussion about how the Lake Roosevelt Management 
Agreement affects development of a new plan; the effect of lake level 
fluctuations on recreation facilities: water resources; geology; and 
sustain ability.

Final EISs

    ERP No. F-AFS-K65176-CA Sequoia National Forest Trail System Plan, 
Implementation, Amendment to the Sequoia National Forest Land and 
Resource Management Plan, Fresno, Kern and Tulare Counties, CA.
    Summary: EPA expressed environmental concerns with the final plan. 
Elements of the plan may conflict the moratorium on construction in 
road-less areas, and the Clean Water Action Plan, and EPA requested 
that the Forest Service suspend evaluation and construction of new 
motorized trails pursuant to the Forest Plan amendment pending the 
release or the Forest Service's long-term transportation policy and the 
completion of the Sierra Nevada Forest Plan Amendment NEPA process.
    ERP No. F-BLM-L61219-AK Squirrel River Wild and Scenic River 
Suitability Study, Designation and Non-Designation, National Wild and 
Scenic Rivers System, AK.
    Summary: Review of the Final EIS was not deemed necessary. No 
formal comment letter was sent to the preparing agency.
    ERP No. F-NPS-E61038-TN Stones River National Battlefield General 
Management Plan and Development Concept Plan, Implementation, Ruthford 
County, TN.
    Summary: EPA recommends that new building construction and 
renovations meet energy efficiency strategies, as outlined in the 
American Society for Heating, Refrigeration and Air Conditioning 
Efficiency guidelines. Any contractors working in the Stones River 
floodplain should be required to conform to ``Floodplain Management 
Guidelines'', which were issued as NPS ``Special Directive 93-4'' in 
1993.

    Dated: March 30, 1999.
William D. Dickerson,
Director, NEPA Compliance Division, Office of Federal Activities.
[FR Doc. 99-8183 Filed 4-1-99; 8:45 am]
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