[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 178 (Friday, September 13, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Pages 58036-58037]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-23368]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[ER-FRL-6633-2]


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-H65012-MO Rating EC2, Rams Horn Project to Accomplish 
the Direction and Desired Conditions Identified in the Mark Twain 
National Forest, Land and Resource Management Plan, Houston/Rolla/Creek 
Ranger District, Phelps and Pulaski Counties, MO.
    Summary: EPA expressed environmental concern over the degree of 
analysis for cumulative impacts of commercial timber sales (water 
quality, soil compaction and declining bird habitat). EPA also 
indicated that local economic dependence on commercial timber sales 
should be considered when comparing less impacting forest management 
alternatives.
    ERP No. D-AFS-K65243-CA Rating EC2, Brown Darby Fuel Reduction 
Project, Proposal for a Combination of the Salvage Harvesting of Trees 
Killed and other Fuels Management Activities, Stanislaus National 
Forest, Calaveras Ranger District, Calaveras and Tuolumne Counties, CA.
    Summary: EPA expressed environmental concerns regarding project 
purpose and need, the range of alternatives, and transportation system 
planning.
    ERP No. D-COE-C30012-NJ Rating EC2, South River, Raritan River 
Basin Hurricane and Storm Damage Reduction and Ecosystem Restoration, 
Implementation, Middlesex County, NJ.
    Summary: EPA has environmental concerns with the amount and quality 
of wetland mitigation proposed for the impacts from the project.
    ERP No. D-COE-H39010-KS Rating LO, Tuttle Creek Dam Safety 
Assurance Program, Proposal for Flood Control, Water Supply, Water 
Quality, Fish & Wildlife, Recreation and Navigation Support, Big Blue 
River, Riley and Potawatomie Counties, KS.
    Summary: EPA expressed a lack of objections to the preferred 
alternative of stabilizing the dam's foundation without pool drawdown.
    ERP No. D-IBR-G39036-NM Rating LO, City of Albuquerque Drinking 
Water Project to Provide a Sustainable Water Supply for Albuquerque 
through Direct and Full Consumptive Use of the City's San Juan-Chama 
(SJC) Water for Potable Purposes, Funding, Right-of-Way Grant and US 
Army COE Section 404 Permit Issuance, City of Albuquerque, NM.
    Summary: EPA had no objections to the proposed project.
    ERP No. D-NPS-D61054-VA Rating LO, Jamestown Project, Improvements 
at the Jamestown unit of Colonial National Park and the Jamestown 
National Historic Site, Implementation, James City County, VA.
    Summary: EPA has no objections to the proposed action.
    ERP No. D-NPS-H65011-MO Rating LO, Wilson's Creek National 
Battlefield General Management Plan, Implementation, Battle of Wilson's 
Creek Commemoration and Associated Battlefield Preservation, Greene and 
Christian Counties, MO.
    Summary: EPA had no objections with the proposed General Management 
Plan.
    ERP No. D-SFW-G91002-NM Rating EC2, Rio Grande Silvery Minnow 
(Hybognathus amarus) Critical Habitat Designation, Implementation, 
Bernalillo, Sandoval, Socorro and Valencia Counties, NM.
    Summary: EPA had environmental concerns and requested additional 
information regarding indirect impacts on applicants for Federal 
actions/permits, effects on farms as small businesses, potential 
conflicts between conservation measures for minnow and the Southwestern 
Willow Flycatcher, and assessment of the consequences of not obtaining 
enough water rights to support the minnow.
    ERP No. DS-COE-H34006-KS Rating EC2, John Redmond Lake (JRL) 
Reallocation of Water Supply Storage Project, Equitable Redistribution 
of Water Storage between the Flood Control Pool and the Conservation 
Pools, Neosho River, Marion and Council Grove Lakes, Coffey and Lyon 
Counties, KS.
    Summary: EPA expressed environmental concerns that the Draft EIS 
did not provide information regarding upcoming Total Maximum Daily Load 
(TDML) plans for John Redmond Lake. EPA recommended that the Corps 
consult with the Kansas Department of Health and Environment on 
specific aspects of the upcoming TDML.
    ERP No. DS-COE-K39034-CA Rating LO, Bel Marin Key Unit V Expansion 
of the Hamilton Wetland Restoration Project, New and Updated 
Information, Application for Approval of Permits, Novato Creek, Marin 
County, CA.
    Summary: EPA supports the goals and objectives of the proposed 
restoration and has no objections to the proposed project.

Final EISs

    ERP No. F-AFS-H65010-MO, Oak Decline and Forest Health Project, To 
Improve Forest Health, Treat Affected Stands, Recover Valuable Timber 
Products, and Promote Public Safety, Potosi and Salem Ranger Districts, 
Mark Twain National Forest, Crawford, Dent, Iron, Reynolds, Shannon and 
Washington, MO.
    Summary: The Final EIS adequately addressed issues previously 
raised by EPA.
    ERP No. F-AFS-J65355-UT, Ray's Valley Road Realignment, Proposal to 
Reduce or Eliminate Adverse Impacts to Watershed and Aquatic Species 
and

[[Page 58037]]

Provide Safer Driving Conditions, Uinta National Forest, Spanish Fork 
Ranger District, Utah County, UT.
    Summary: No formal comment letter was sent to the preparing agency.
    ERP No. F-BLM-K67056-NV,
    Leeville Mining Project, Proposal to Develop and Operate an 
Underground Mine and Ancillary Facilities including Dewatering 
Operation, Plan-of-Operations Approval, Right-of-Way Grant and U.S. 
Army COE Section 404 Permit Issuance, Eureaka and Elko Counties, NV.
    SUMMARY: EPA expressed continuing environmental concerns regarding 
the project's potential impacts on water quality, based on BLM's 
geochemical analysis of waste rock from the project; and regarding 
cumulative impacts resulting from groundwater dewatering activities in 
the project area. EPA recommended that commitments to additional 
mitigation and monitoring be made in the Record of Decision, including 
establishment of a long term post closure trust fund at the start of 
the project, if it is predicted to be necessary.
    ERP No. F-COE-H28001-NB, Platte West Water Production Facilities, 
Proposed New Drinking Water Production Facilities, Metropolitan 
Utilities District, Omaha District, Douglas, Saunders and Sarpy 
Counties, NB.
    Summary: EPA continued to express environmental concerns over the 
precision of groundwater modeling and the potential for wellfield 
operations to influence a contaminant plume at the former Nebraska 
Ordnance Plant (NOP).
    ERP No. F-TVA-E65059-00, Pickwick Reservoir Land Management Plan 
(Plan) Proposal to use the Plan to Guide Land-Use Approvals, Private 
Water Use Facility Permitting and Resource Management Decisions, 
Colbert and Lauderdale Counties, AL and Tishomingo County, MS and 
Hardin County, TN.
    Summary: EPA has environmental concerns and continues to prefer 
Alternative C or a modification thereof that involve less development 
than the TVA's Preferred Alternative B.
    ERP No. FB-COE-H36012-MO, St. Johns Bayou and New Madrid Floodway 
Project, Channel Enlargement and Improvement, Revised Information to 
Formulate and Analyze Additional Alternatives, Flood Control and 
National Economic Development (NED), New Madrid, Mississippi and Scott 
Counties, MO.
    Summary: EPA continues to believe that the recommended plan 
(Alternative 3-1.B) raises substantive environmental objection issues. 
On the basis of information refinements and incorporation of a 
monitoring plan (whereby the Corps may validate assumptions and improve 
the potential for offsetting adverse impacts to wetlands resources), 
EPA has concluded that the project is not environmentally 
unsatisfactory.

    Dated: September 10, 2002.
B. Katherine Biggs,
Associate Director, NEPA Compliance Division, Office of Federal 
Activities.
[FR Doc. 02-23368 Filed 9-12-02; 8:45 am]
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