[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 22 (Friday, February 1, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Pages 4957-4958]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-2523]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[ER-FRL-6626-2]


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 Federal Register dated May 
18, 2001 (66 FR 27647).

Draft EISs

    ERP No. D-AFS-L65393-WA Rating LO, Gardin--Taco Ecosystem 
Restoration Projects, Implementation, Vegetative Restoration, Road 
Closures, and Decommissioning, and other Road Improvements, Colville 
National Forest, Newport Ranger District, Pend Oreille and Stevens 
Counties, WA.
    Summary: EPA had no objection to the proposed project. EPA did 
however request clarifying information on water quality, smoke impacts 
from prescribed fires and cumulative effects.
    ERP No. D-COE-G39035-AR Rating LO, Greers Ferry Lake Shoreline 
Management Plan (SMP), Implementing Revision to Replace the 1994 Shore 
Management Plan, Revision include Zoning of Limited Development Areas, 
Vegetation Modification Provisions for Grandfathered Docks and 
Restrictions on Boats, Van Buren, Cleburne, Searcy, Stone, White, 
Independence and Pope Counties, AR.
    Summary: EPA has Lack of Objections to the selection of the 
preferred alternatives and requests additional information in the Final 
EIS to more clearly identify the informational needs and strengthen the 
impact analysis and NEPA decisionmaking process.
    ERP No. D-COE-L39058-00 Rating EO2, McNary Reservoir and Lower 
Snake River Reservoirs, To Maintain the Authorized Navigation Channel,

[[Page 4958]]

Dredged Material Management Plan (DMMP), Walla Walla District, Lower 
Snake River and Columbia River, ID and WA.
    Summary: EPA expressed environmental objections related to the lack 
of a sediment reduction strategy, the effects of the proposed creation 
of salmon habitat, sediment characterization, and the need to form and 
utilize the proposed Local Sediment Management Group. EPA recommended 
that these topics, as well as a number of others, be addressed further 
in the EIS.
    ERP No. D-DOE-E09808-KY Rating EC2, Kentucky Pioneer Integrated 
Gasification Combined Cycle Demonstration Project, Constructing and 
Operating a 540 megawatt-electric Plant, Clean Coal Technology Program, 
Clark County, KY.
    Summary: EPA expressed environmental concerns with potential 
impacts to threatened and endangered species and requested that DOE 
coordinate with the Fish and Wildlife Service on such species. EPA also 
requested that DOE coordinate with the Corps of Engineers on potential 
wetlands impacts and that DOE provide additional information on cooling 
tower discharges.
    ERP No. D-IBR-K61154-AZ Rating EC2, Reach 11 Recreation Master 
Plan, Central Arizona Project (CAP) Canal, Between Cave Creek and 
Scottdale Roads, For Recreational Purposes, Flood Detention Basin, City 
of Phoenix, Maricopa County, AZ.
    Summary: EPA expressed environmental concerns and requested 
additional information regarding impacts to water resources and 
sensitive riparian habitat.
    ERP No. D-MMS-A02242-00 Rating EC2, Outer Continental Shelf Oil and 
Gas Leasing Program: From Mid-2002 Through Mid-2007, 5-Year Schedule 
Leasing Program for 20 Sales in 8 of the Outer Continental Shelf 
Planning Areas, AL, AK, CA, FL, LA, MS, OR, TX and WA.
    Summary: EPA expressed environmental concerns regarding air quality 
conformity and environmental justice issues. EPA requested that 
additional information on these issues be included in the final 
document.
    ERP No. DS-BIA-K60031-NV Rating EC2, Moapa Paiute Energy Center/
Associated Facilities Construction, Operation and Maintenance of a 760 
Megawatt (MW) Baseload Natural Gas-Fired Combined Cycle Power Plant, 
New Information concerning Structural, Route and Substation Location 
Changes, Moapa River Indian Reservation and Bureau of Land Management 
Lands, Clark County, NV.
    Summary: EPA continues to have unresolved environmental concerns, 
and has requested additional information regarding impacts of the 
proposed project on surface and groundwater. In addition, EPA 
encouraged BIA to ensure that permit activities by the project 
applicant do not limit the consideration of all reasonable 
alternatives.
    ERP No. DS-FHW-G40165-NM Rating LO, US 70 Corridor Improvement, 
Between Ruidoso Downs to Riverside, New Information and Circumstances, 
Implementation, Right-of-Way Acquisition, Lincoln County, NM.
    Summary: EPA has no objections to the selection of the preferred 
alternative with implementation of the mitigation measures as described 
in the supplemental DEIS. EPA requested that the final mitigation plan 
be incorporated in the Record of Decision Document.

Final EISs

    ERP No. F-AFS-J65310-00 Dakota Prairie Grasslands, Nebraska 
National Forest Units and Thunder Basin National Grassland, Land and 
Resource Management Plans 1999 Revisions, Implementation, MT, NB, WY, 
ND and SD.
    Summary: EPA continued to express environmental concerns with 
Wilderness acreage and Wild and Scenic River mile designations that 
have decreased since the DEIS. Monitoring should be a top priority to 
ensure that the outstanding characteristics of these areas are not 
diminished by continued use at a higher management class level.
    ERP No. F-AFS-J65335-MT Dry Fork Vegetation Restoration Project, To 
Improve Forest and Watershed Health and Sustainability, King Hill 
Ranger District, Lewis and Clark National Forest, Cascade and Judith 
Basin Counties, MT.
    Summary: EPA continues to have environmental concerns associated 
with road construction and timber harvest.
    ERP No. F-AFS-J65352-MT Kelsey-Beaver Fire Recovery Project, Fuel 
Reduction and Salvage of Fire-Killed Trees within Roderick South, 
Kelsey Creek and Upper Beaver Areas, Implementation, Kootenai National 
Forest, Three Rivers Ranger District, Lincoln County, MT.
    Summary: EPA continued to express environmental concerns and 
recommened that winter logging be considered in erodible areas to 
reduce sediment production. EPA also noted the need for consistency of 
proposed actions with State TMDL development needs for the 303(d) 
listed South Fork Yaak River.
    ERP No. F-APH-A82125-00 Fruit Fly Cooperative Control Program, 
Eradication Program, Implementation,.
    Summary: The Final EIS addresses EPA's principal suggestion for 
improvements to the draft EIS.
    ERP No. F-COE-J36050-ND Maple River Dam and Reservoir, Construction 
and Operation, Flood Control, Cass County Joint Water Resource 
District, Cass County, ND.
    Summary: EPA continues to have environmental concerns regarding the 
relatively small area benefitting from the dam when compared to the 
impacts to cultural resources and riparian/wetland habitat.
    ERP No. F-IBR-L65374-WA Potholes Reservoir Resource Management 
Plan, Implementation, COE Section 404 and NPDES Permits, Moses Lake, 
Grant County, WA.
    Summary: No formal comment letter was sent to the preparing agency.
    ERP No. F-STB-J53005-00 Powder River Basin Expansion Project, 
Construction of New Rail Facilities, Finance Docket No. 33407 Dakota, 
Minnesota and Eastern Railroad, SD, WY and MN.
    Summary: EPA expressed environmental concerns for the lack of 
mitigation for the anticipated air impacts to Badlands and Wind Cave 
National Parks in South Dakota. Additionally, EPA is concerned about 
the potential placement of fill in the Blue Earth River if the Mankato 
by-pass (Option M2) is selected.
    ERP No. F-USA-K11099-CA Oakland Army Base Disposal and Reuse Plan, 
Implementation, City of Oakland, Alameda County, CA.
    Summary: No formal comment letter was sent to the preparing agency.
    ERP No. FA-AFS-J65287-UT Rendezvous Vegetation Management Project, 
To the South Spruce Ecosystem Rehabilitation Project, Implementation, 
Dixie National Forest, Cedar City Ranger District, Iron and Kane 
Counties, UT.
    Summary: EPA expressed environmental concerns about considering 
only No Action and one alternative with separable actions. 
Environmental concerns included impacts on old-growth forest and 
wildlife habitat. The project Purpose is unsupported by the data 
presented for the Proposed Action.

    Dated: January 29, 2002.
B. Katherine Biggs,
Associate Director, NEPA Compliance Division, Office of Federal 
Activities.
[FR Doc. 02-2523 Filed 1-31-02; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P