[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 231 (Friday, November 30, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Pages 59786-59787]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-29788]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[ER-FRL-6624-2]


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 May 18, 2001 (97 FR 
27647).

Draft EISs

    ERP No. D-AFS-L65372-AK Rating NS Threemile Timber Sale, 
Implementation, Petersburg Ranger District, Tongass National Forest, 
AK.
    Summary: EPA Region 10 used a screening tool to conduct a limited 
review of this action. Based on the screen, EPA does not foresee having 
any environmental objections to the proposed project. Therefore, EPA 
will not be conducting a detailed review.
    ERP No. D-AFS-L65387-AK Rating NS Helicopter Landing Tours on the 
Juneau Icefield 2002 to 2006, Combination Fixed-Wing and Helicopter 
Landing Tour Operations to Antler Glacier Lake, Special Use Permits 
Issuance, Tongass National Forest, City and Borough of Juneau, AK.
    Summary: EPA used a screening tool to conduct a limited review of 
the draft

[[Page 59787]]

EIS and based upon the screen, EPA does not foresee having any 
environmental objections to the proposed project. Therefore, EPA will 
not be conducting a detailed review.
    ERP No. D-FHW-K40246-CA Rating EC2 CA-905 Freeway or Tollway 
Construction Project, Route Location, Adoption and Construction, Otay 
Mesa Port of Entry to I-805, Funding and US Army COE Section 404 Permit 
Issuance, San Diego County, CA.
    Summary: EPA expressed environmental concerns about the project 
potentially restricting wildlife movement and requested additional 
information on the indirect and cumulative impacts of the project as 
well as on certain modeling assumptions.
    ERP No. D-FHW-L40214-WA Rating EO2 I-405 Corridor Transportation 
Improvements, I-5 in the City of Tukwila to I-5 in Snohomish County, 
Funding and Possible COE Section 404 Permits Issuance, King and 
Snohomish Counties, CA.
    Summary: EPA raised environmental objections to the creation of 
impervious surface from alternatives 3 and 4 and its effect on 
watersheds. EPA also expressed concerns about the insufficient 
assessment of cumulative effects.
    ERP No. D-IBR-K39070-CA Rating EC2 American River Pump Station 
Project, Providing Placer County Water Agency (PCWA) with the Year-
Round Access to its Middle Fork Project (MFP) Water Entitlements from 
the American River, Placer County, CA.
    Summary: EPA expressed environmental concerns related to adverse 
diversion-related Cumulative impacts and proposed increase in Placer 
County Water Agency's (PCWA) diversion. EPA urged the Bureau and PCWA 
to develop alternative diversion points and to assure a long-term, 
sustainable balance between available water supplies, ecosystem health 
and water supply demand. EPA also requested that the cumulative impact 
analysis describe potential mitigation measures and other non-Bureau 
actions.
    ERP No. D-NOA-E91009-00 Rating EC1 Dolphin and Wahoo Fishery 
Management Plan, Establishing Fishery Management Units, Stock Status 
Determination and Harvesting Restrictions, Initial Regulatory 
Flexibility Analysis, South Atlantic, Caribbean, and Gulf of Mexico.
    Summary: EPA conceptually supports the proposed FMP for dolphin and 
wahoo and primarily defers to the expertise of the NMFS/Councils on the 
proposed actions. However, EPA's DEIS comments should be considered/
clarified including the role of NMFS versus Councils, permit fees, EFHs 
in pelagic waters and FMP enforcement.
    ERP No. D-TPT-K61154-CA Rating EC2, Presidio Trust Implementation 
Plan (PTIP), An Updated Plan for the Area B of the Presidio of San 
Francisco, Implementation, San Francisco Bay Area, Marin County, CA.
    Summary: While general management issues are addressed by several 
of the alternatives, EPA expressed environmental concerns and requested 
additional information regarding: impacts to wetlands, traffic and air 
quality.
    ERP No. DE-NOA-L64015-AK Rating EC2, Steller Sea Lion Protection 
Measures in the Alaska Groundfish Fisheries, Fishery Management Plans 
for Groundfish of the Gulf of Alaska and the Groundfish Fishery of the 
Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands Area, AK.
    Summary: EPA had environmental concerns that alternatives may not 
adequately conserve the Steller sea lion populations because most 
alternatives do not address large ecological concerns such as total 
allowable catch, the lack of information on the long-term cumulative 
effects of fishing on the fishery and predators of the fish, and the 
lack of reasonable and prudent measures that mitigate potential future 
problems. EPA recommended that the final EIS address our concerns and 
demonstrate that alternatives would successfully protect and recover 
listed Steller sea lions.

Final EISs

    ERP No. F-AFS-L65344-AK, Emerald Bay Timber Sale, Implementation, 
Ketchikan-Misty Fiords Ranger District, Tongass National Forest, U.S. 
Coast Guard Bridge Permit, NPDES Permit, and COE Section 10 and 404 
Permits, Cleveland Peninsula, AK.
    Summary: No formal comment letter was sent to the preparing agency.
    ERP No. FS-SFW-B82009-00, Lake Champlain Sea Lamprey Control Long-
Term Program, Proposal is to Achieve Fish Population, Recreational 
Fishery and Economic Benefits Associated with Reduced Sea Lamprey 
Predation Implementation, Clinton, Essex and Washington Counties, NY 
and Addison and Chittenden Counties, VT.
    Summary: EPA reiterated environmental concerns about the project 
purpose and need, the appropriate NEPA action for new treatment areas, 
the time frame to treat the Poultney River, raised new concerns about 
dioxin contamination and advised the USFWS to continue to coordinate 
with the EPA on the possibility that a Clean Water Act NPDES permit may 
be required for lampricide applications.

    Dated: November 27, 2001.
B. Katherine Biggs,
Associate Director, NEPA Compliance Division, Office of Federal 
Activities.
[FR Doc. 01-29788 Filed 11-29-01; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-U