[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 185 (Friday, September 22, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Pages 57336-57337]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-24452]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[ER-FRL-6611-2]


Environmental Impact Statements and Regulations; Availability of 
EPA Comments

    Availability of EPA comments prepared 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 14, 2000 (65 FR 20157).

Draft EISs

    ERP No. D-OE-K36133-CA Rating EC2, Whitewater River Basin (Thousand 
Palms) Flood Control Project, Construction of Facilities to Provide 
Flood Protection, Coachella Valley, Riverside County, CA.
    Summary: EPA expressed concerns that the DEIS did not address the 
need for air quality mitigation measures that may be necessary for 
emissions of oxides of nitrogen (NOX), ozone precursors, and carbon 
monoxide under EPA's general conformity rule. EPA also had concerns 
that the DEIS asserts that there is no need to secure Clean Water Act 
Section 401 water quality certification or waiver from the state water 
pollution control agency, which is an important safeguard to ensure 
that Federally-authorized projects do not violate State-adopted, EPA-
approved Water Quality Standards or impair beneficial uses. The Final 
EIS should address how the Corps would ensure that Water Quality 
Standards and beneficial uses are fully protected.
    ERP No. D-COE-K39060-CA Rating EC2, Upper Newport Bay Restoration 
Project, To Develop a Long-Term Management Plan to Control Sediment 
Deposition, Orange County, CA.
    Summary: EPA expressed concerns regarding impacts to air quality 
and that some reasonable alternatives were not evaluated, including 
reduced dredging, controlling sediment before reaching the Bay, and 
beneficial re-use of dredged material. We recommended additional 
information in the FEIS regarding other reasonable project 
alternatives, including disposal alternatives; baseline assumptions and 
evaluation criteria; and conformity with the State Implementation Plan.
    ERP No. D-COE-L39056-WA Rating LO, Programmatic EIS--Green/Duwamish 
River Basin Restoration Program, Capitol Improvement Type Program and 
Ecological Health, King County, WA.
    Summary: EPA had no objection to the proposed project. EPA did 
however provide comments on the cumulative effects analysis, the need 
for more information on funding mechanisms and some concerns over the 
level of public access allowed to restoration sites, especially 
sensitive wetlands.
    ERP No. D-FHW-G40158-TX Rating EO2, Grand Parkway (TX-99) Segment 
C, Construction from US 59 to TX 288, Funding and Right-of-Way 
Requirements, City of Houston, Fort Bend and Brazoria Counties, TX.
    Summary: EPA expressed objection due to the project's potential 
contribution to air quality issues in Houston. The project is likely to 
create significant secondary development that may delay the attainment 
of the ozone air quality standard. EPA requested that the final 
document address the overall impact of the project and how the project 
affects attainment and meets the intent of the Clean Air Act.
    ERP No. D-SFW-F64004-OH Rating LO, Little Darby National Wildlife

[[Page 57337]]

Refuge Establishment in the Little Darby Creek Watershed for 
Restoration, Preservation, Enhancement and Protection of Fish and 
Wildlife Resources, Madison and Union Counties, OH.
    Summary: EPA has no objection to the proposed action. EPA believes 
that the proposed action has the potential to restore, preserve, 
enhance and protect the biodiversity of the upper Little Darby Creek 
Watershed.
    ERP No. DR-COE-K36051-AZ Rating EC2, Rio de Flag Flood Control 
Study, Improvement and Flood Protection, To Reduce Damages to 
Residential Commercial, Industrial and Historic Property, City of 
Flagstaff, Coconino County, AZ.
    Summary: EPA reiterated concerns expressed on the previous Draft 
EIS that the preferred alternative does not sufficiently address the 
extent or boundaries of Clean Water Act Section 404 jurisdiction (i.e., 
waters of the United States). EPA also strongly recommended that the 
Los Angeles District re-evaluate how determinations of compliance with 
the Section 404(b)(1) Guidelines are documented for its proposed water 
resource development projects.

Final EISs

    ERP No. F-COE-F39039-00 John T. Myers and Greenup Lock 
Improvements, To Alleviate Commercial Navigation Traffic Congestion, 
Ohio River Mainstem Systems Study, (ORMSS), Interim Feasibility Report, 
Indiana, Kentucky and Ohio.
    Summary: EPA continued to express objections with regard to how the 
project's purpose and need statement was formulated and how the 
cumulative impact analysis was performed.
    ERP No. F-DOE-L00007-00 Sodium-Bonded Spent Nuclear Fuel Treatment 
and Management, Candidate Disposal Sites are Argonne National 
Laboratory-West (ANL-W) located within the boundaries of the Idaho 
National Laboratory, ID and the Savannah River Sites (SRS) F-Area and 
L-Area, SC.
    Summary: No formal comment letter was sent to the preparing agency.
    ERP No. F-FAA-G51015-TX George Bush Intercontinental Airport 
Houston, Construction and Operation, Runway 8L-26R and Associated Near 
Term Master Plan Projects, Funding and Airport Layout Plan Approval, 
City of Houston, Harris County, TX.
    Summary: The final EIS fully responded to EPA's previous comments 
on the draft EIS. Therefore, EPA has no objection to the action as 
proposed.
    ERP No. F-FHW-F40377-MI I-96 East Howell Interchange Project, 
Transportation Improvements, Funding, Major Investment Study, Cities of 
Howell and Brighton, Livington County, MI.
    Summary: EPA continued to express concern regarding potential 
indirect and cumulative impacts to wetlands.
    ERP No. F-FHW-G40153-NM New Mexico Forest Highway 45 (Forest Road 
537) known locally as the Sacramento River Road, Improvements from 
Sunspot to Timberon, Otero County, NM.
    Summary: EPA had no objections to the proposed action as described 
in the draft EIS.
    ERP No. F-FHW-H40164-MO MO-50/West-Central Corridor Location Study, 
Transportation Improvements, Sedalia to St. Martins, Pettis, Cooper, 
Morgan and Moniteau and Cole Counties, MO.
    Summary: The FEIS adequately supplemented needed information and 
addressed the concerns that EPA expressed in the DEIS review.
    ERP No. F-FRC-K03023-00 Southern Trails Pipeline Project (CP99-163-
000), Conversion of an Existing Crude Oil Pipeline (known as the ARCO 
Four Corners Pipeline Line 90 System), Construction and Operation, CA, 
AZ, UT and NM.
    Summary: No formal comment letter was sent to the preparing agency.
    ERP No. F-TVA-E39052-MS Union County Multipurpose Reservoir/Other 
Water Supply Alternatives Project, To Provide an Adequate and Reliable 
Water Supply, COE Section 404 Permit and NPDES Permit, City of New 
Alban, Union County, MS.
    Summary: EPA continues to object to the proposed action since it is 
likely that the multipurpose reservoir would result in lake 
eutrophication. EPA objected to lack of resolution of several essential 
elements to maintaining reservoir water quality (e.g., basin management 
plan, shoreline ownership, identification of a local reservoir 
manager). EPA also objected that discharge flows from the dam were not 
sufficiently assessed and not consistent with EPA/FWS instream flow 
guidelines, and that TVA has not selected a federal preferred 
alternative in the FEIS for the overall project.

    Dated: September 19, 2000.
Anne Norton Miller,
Acting Director, Office of Federal Activities.
[FR Doc. 00-24452 Filed 9-21-00; 8:45 am]
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