[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 159 (Friday, August 16, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Pages 53582-53583]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-20863]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[ER-FRL-6632-2]


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 12, 2002 (67 
FR 17992).

Draft EISs

    ERP No. D-AFS-J65363-MT Rating EC2, Post Fire Vegetation and Fuels 
Management Project, Fuel Reduction, Bark Beetle Sanitation and 
Maintenance, and/or Restoration of Vegetative Communities, Beaverhead 
Deerlodge National Forest, Wisdom and Pintler Ranger Districts, 
Beaverhead and Deerlodge Counties, MT.
    Summary: EPA expressed environmental concerns about proposed 
harvests in the Tie and Trail Creek drainages based on impacts to 
wetlands and the riparian areas. Monitoring to measure the 
effectiveness of harvesting for the prevention of spruce beetle 
epidemics should be included as well as additional seeding and 
revegetation and coordination with Montana Department of Environmental 
Quality.
    ERP No. D-BLM-J02039-MT Rating 3, Montana Statewide Conventional 
Oil and Gas and Coal Bed Methane Gas Exploration and Development 
Management Plan within the Bureau of Land Powder River and Billings 
Resources Management Plan Areas and the State of Montana, 
Implementation, MT.
    Summary: EPA concluded that the Draft EIS is inadequate based on 
the deficiencies in the water quality analysis; specifically by not 
addressing water management practices needed to assure attainment of 
water quality standards under the Clean Water Act. In addition, impacts 
to air quality, Tribal communities and their natural resources, and 
wildlife have not been adequately analyzed. EPA recommended: (1) 
Adopting the scientific analyses of water quality criteria being 
prepared by the Montana Department of Environmental Quality and the 
Northern Cheyenne Tribe, (2) preparing a Watershed Management Framework 
for each watershed and (3) including all additional key information in 
a Revised or Supplemental Draft EIS.
    ERP No. D-BLM-J65358-WY Rating EU3, Powder River Basin Oil and Gas 
Project, Extraction, Transportation and Oil and Natural Gas Resources 
Sale, Application for a Permit to Drill (APD), Special Use Permit and 
Right-of-Way Grants, Campbell, Converse, Johnson and Sheridan Counties, 
WY.
    Summary: EPA found the potential environmental impacts of the 
preferred alternative Environmentally Unsatisfactory based on 
degradation of water quality and subsequent impacts to irrigated 
agriculture. In addition, the Draft EIS did not adequately consider an 
alternative that would meet state water quality standards. EPA 
recommended: (1) Adopting the scientific analyses of water quality 
criteria being prepared by the Montana Department of Environmental 
Quality and the Northern Cheyenne Tribe, (2) prepare a Watershed 
Management Framework for each watershed and (3) include all additional 
key information in a Revised or Supplemental Draft EIS.
    ERP No. D-COE-K30031-CA Rating EC2, Imperial Beach Shore Protection 
Project, Shore Protection and Prevention of Damage to Adjacent 
Beachfront Structures, Silver Strand Shoreline, City of Imperial Beach, 
San Diego County, CA.
    Summary: EPA expressed environmental concerns and requested 
additional information on alternative sources of sand for beach 
nourishment and water quality survey and monitoring efforts for the 
project.
    ERP No. D-FHW-K40251-CA Rating EC2, Butte 70/149/99/191 Highway 
Improvement Project, Update State Route 149 to Four-Lane Expressway 
from 70 north of Oroville to Route 99 south of Chico, Funding, Right-
of-Way Acquisition, and US Army Section 404 Permit Issuance, Butte 
County, CA.
    Summary: EPA expressed environmental concerns that cumulative 
impacts and induced growth impacts are not thoroughly analyzed. Impacts 
to resources such as habitat, water and air quality should be analyzed 
in further detail.
    ERP No. DA-NOA-G64002-00 Rating LO, Reef Fish Fishery Management 
Plan, Secretarial Amendment 1, 10-Year Rebuilding Plan for Red Grouper, 
with Associated Impacts on Gag and Other Groupers, Gulf of Mexico.
    Summary: While EPA has no objection to the action as proposed, it 
did request clarification information on protective measures on 
threatened and endangered species, especially sea turtles, that may 
become entangled in the fishing gear.

Final EISs

ERP No. F-AFS-L65343-ID

    Whiskey Campo Resource Management Project, Implementation, Elmore 
County, ID.
    Summary: No formal comment letter was sent to the preparing agency.

ERP No. F-BLM-K65235-AZ

    Las Cienegas Resource Management Plan, Implementation, Las Cienegas 
National Conservation Area (NCA) and Sonoita Valley Acquisition 
Planning District, AZ.
    Summary: No formal comment letter was sent to the preparing agency.

[[Page 53583]]

ERP No. F-FHW-H40171-NE

    Lincoln South and East Beltways Project, Circumferential 
Transportation System Completion linking I-80 on the north and US 77 on 
the west, Funding and US Army COE Section 404 Permit and NPDES Permit 
Issuance, Lancaster County, NE.
    Summary: EPA's environmental concerns were adequately addressed in 
the FEIS, therefore EPA has no objections to the proposed action.

ERP No. F-FRC-J03014-00

    Kern River 2003 Gas Transmission Project, Expansion of the existing 
(KRGT) Interstate Pipeline System from southwestern Wyoming to southern 
California, Right-of-Way Grant, NPDES and US Army COE Section 404 
Permits Issuance, (FERC Docket NO. CP01-422-000), WY, UT, NV and CA.
    Summary: No formal comment letter was sent to the preparing agency.

ERP No. F-GSA-E80003-GA

    Chamblee Campus Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) 
Expansion, Atlanta Metro Area, City of Chamblee, Dekalb County, GA.
    Summary: While EPA has no objection to the action as proposed, it 
did request that our previous comments on the draft EIS be further 
addressed during the final project design and implementation phase.

ERP No. F-HUD-C85043-NY

    1105-1135 Warburton Avenue, River Club Apartment Complex 
Development and Operation, Funding, City of Yonkers, Westchester 
County, NY.
    Summary: EPA has no objection to the action proposed as our 
previous issues have been adequately addressed.
    ERP No. F-NOA-A91067-00
    Deep-sea Red Crab (Chaconne quinquedens) Fisheries, Fishery 
Management Plan, Development and Implementation, Norfolk Canyon in the 
south to the Haque Line in the north, Continental United States and 
Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).
    Summary: EPA has no objection to the action as proposed.

    Dated: August 13, 2002.
Joseph C. Montgomery,
Director, NEPA Compliance Division, Office of Federal Activities.
[FR Doc. 02-20863 Filed 8-15-02; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P