[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 169 (Friday, August 30, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Page 55837]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-22238]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[ER-FRL-6632-7]


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-L65403-WA Rating LO, Quartzite Watershed Management 
Project, Watershed Management Activities including Vegetation 
Management, Riparian/Wetland Management and Road Management, Colville 
National Forest, Thomason Sherwood-Cottonwood Creek, Three Rivers 
Ranger District, Stevens County, WA.
    Summary: EPA expressed a lack of objections to the proposal.
    ERP No. D-COE-D01001-WV Rating 3, Spruce Mine No.1 Surface Mine 
Project, Extraction (i.e., Maximum Mineral Recovery Based on Economic 
Considerations and Landowner Commitments) of High Quality Coal 
Reserves, Blair, Logan County, WV.
    Summary: EPA raised issues regarding the nature and extent of 
adverse impacts to high quality streams and inadequate information 
provided on downstream biological resources and water quality. Issues 
regarding the in-depth examination of only one alternative and a 
recognized need to develop a more detailed mitigation plan were also 
expressed.
    ERP No. D-COE-G32055-TX Rating LO, Corpus Christi Ship Channel 
Improvements Project to Provide Navigation Safety and Efficiency of the 
Deep Draft Navigation System, Corpus Christi and Nueces Bay, Nueces and 
San Patricio Counties, TX.
    Summary: EPA had no objections to the proposed project.
    ERP No. D-COE-G39036-TX Rating EC2, North Padre Island Storm Damage 
Reduction and Environmental Restoration Project, Construction of a 
Channel between the Laquna Madre and the Gulf of Mexico across North 
Padre Island referred to as Packery Channel Project, Nueces County, IL.
    Summary: EPA expressed environmental concerns and requested 
additional information or clarification regarding project purpose and 
need, direct and secondary impacts of increased boater recreation and 
increased economic development, and overall project economic cost-
benefit analysis.
    ERP No. D-NRS-G36154-OK Rating EC2, Rehabilitation of Aging Flood 
Control Dams in Oklahoma, Authorization and Funding, OK.
    Summary: EPA expressed environmental concerns and requested 
additional information regarding impacts to cultural resources, water 
quality, wetlands and fish and wildlife habitat.
    ERP No. DA-COE-A36164-OK Rating LO, Wister Lake and Poteau River, 
Operation and Maintenance Program for the Present Conservation Pool 
Level of 478.0 feet and to Provide Mitigation Measures, LeFlore County, 
OK and Scott County, AR.
    Summary: EPA has no objections to the selection of the preferred 
alternative.
    ERP No. DS-COE-E67003-FL Rating EC2, PCS Phosphate--White Springs 
Mine Continuation Mining Operations, Proposal to Discharge Dredged/Fill 
Material into 1,858 Acres of Jurisdictional Wetlands, Applications of 
``Life of Mine'' Permit, Hamilton County, FL.
    Summary: EPA expressed environmental concerns that fine sands and 
clays dislodged during the mining process or introduced from clay 
setting areas and restoration activities might clog interstitial spaces 
of the soils and reduce conductivity of the underlying aquifers that 
feed tributary creeks. EPA requested timely consultations with FWS on 
protected species, a long term ground water monitoring program to 
document ground water conductivity, cumulative impacts on Suwanneee 
River flows, and more discussion of phosphate mining on subsurface 
aquifer storage.

Final EISs

    ERP No. F-AFS-L65383-ID Hidden Cedar Project, Road Construction and 
Watershed Restoration, Idaho Panhandle National Forest, St. Joe Ranger 
District, Benewah, Shoshone, Clearwater and Latah Counties, ID.
    Summary: The final EIS adequately discloses the impacts and 
satisfactorily responds to most of EPA's comments on the draft EIS. 
Therefore, EPA has no objection to the action as proposed.
    ERP No. F-NOA-F39039-IN Indiana Lake Michigan Coastal Program 
Document, Federal Approval and Implementation, Coastal Zone Management, 
Lake, Porter and LaPorte Counties, IN.
    Summary: EPA had no objection to the action as proposed.
    ERP No. F-NOA-K91009-00 Coral Reef Ecosystems of the Western 
Pacific Region, Fishery Management Plan including Amendments to Four 
Existing (FMPs), Amendment 7 Bottomfish and Seamount Groundfish 
Fisheries, Amendment 11 Crustaceans Fisheries, Amendment 5 Precious 
Corals Fisheries and Amendment 10 Pelagics Fisheries, HI, GU and AS.
    Summary: While the FEIS provided substantially more information 
regarding the potential conflicts with the Ecosystem Reserve and 
Refuges, EPA has environmental concern that the document still lacks 
information on the current management of coral reef ecosystem resources 
in the western Pacific region, and how conflicts among federal agencies 
regarding these resources will be resolved. EPA requested that a 
supplemental information document which clarifies these issues be 
prepared.
    ERP No. F-RUS-L08056-AK Southern Intertie Project, Construction and 
Operation of a new 138kV Transmission Line between the Kenai Peninsula 
and Anchorage, Right-of-Way Grant, Special-Use-Permit and U.S. Army COE 
Section 10 and 404 Permit Issuance, Kenai Peninsula to Anchorage, AK.
    Summary: While EPA has no objections to the action as proposed. EPA 
did recommended site-specific surveys of bird movements prior to final 
design and construction of the project to ensure appropriate mitigation 
measures (if needed) are identified.

    Dated: August 27, 2002.
Joseph C. Montgomery,
Director, NEPA Compliance Division, Office of Federal Activities.
[FR Doc. 02-22238 Filed 8-29-02; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P