[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 217 (Friday, November 8, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Pages 68129-68130]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-28506]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[ER-FRL-6634-8]


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 11992).

Draft EISs

    ERP No. D-AFS-L65395-AK Rating EC2, Otter Lake Timber Sale(s) 
Project, Implementation, Plan to Harvest and Sell Timber, Hoonah Ranger 
District, Tongass National Forest, AK.
    Summary: EPA expressed environmental concerns about adverse impacts 
to water and air quality, cultural resources and to threatened and 
endangered species.
    ERP No. D-AFS-L67041-OR Rating EO2, Granite Area Mining Projects, 
Proposals to Approve Plans of Operation on 16 Mining Claims within the 
Granite Creek Watershed, Implementation North Fork John Day Ranger 
District, Umatilla National Forest, Grant County, OR.
    Summary: EPA expressed environmental objections with the preferred 
alternative because preliminary determinations indicate that 10 of 16 
mine plans would likely adversely affect listed mid-Columbian steel 
head, potential impacts to listed bull trout and Forest Service 
sensitive fish species, and a lack of alternatives to mitigate already 
impacted aquatic resources. EPA recommends that the final EIS include 
sufficient measures to protect and restore impaired water bodies and 
habitats of listed species.
    ERP No. D-FAA-C51022-NJ Rating LO, Atlantic City International 
Airport, Air Service Improvements, Economic Development and Enhanced 
Efficiency and Safety, Airport Layout Plan Approval, Atlantic County, 
NJ.
    Summary: EPA has a lack of objections with the project due to our 
early coordination with the FAA on the proposed action.
    ERP No. D-FHW-F40408-00 Rating EC2, Trunk Highway 60 Reconstruction 
Project, Improvements from 1.8 miles south of the Minnesota-Iowa Border 
(120th Street) to I-90 north of the City of Worthington, Funding, U.S. 
Army COE Section 404 and NPDES Permits Issuance, Nobles County, MN and 
Osceola County, IA.
    Summary: EPA expressed environmental concerns regarding water 
quality and natural resource impacts in addition to historic and 
cultural resource impacts. EPA requested further analyses in the FEIS 
and stronger purpose and need discussion in relation to the project.
    ERP No. D-MMS-L02028-AK Rating EO2, Beaufort Sea Planning Area 
Multiples Sale 186, 195 and 202 Oil and Gas Lease Sales, Alaska Outer 
Continental Shelf, Offshore Marine Environment, Beaufort Sea Coastal 
Plain, and the North Slope Borough of Alaska.
    Summary: EPA expressed environmental objections to the proposed 
action since it did not include the deferral lease blocks that were 
associated with the four deferral alternatives that would protect 
subsistence whale areas. EPA also expressed concern about the 
sufficiency of analyses addressing impacts of potential oil spills and 
noise disturbances to whale hunting, environmental justice, and 
threatened eiders. EPA recommended that the EIS's proposed alternative 
include deferral blocks that protects subsistence whaling and address 
EPA's concerns with additional information and analyses.
    ERP No. D-SFW-L02029-AK Rating EC2, Swanson River Satellites 
Natural Gas Exploration and Development Project, Evaluation of a Right-
of-Way Permit Application and U.S. Army COE Section 404 and NPDES 
Permits Issuance, Kenai National Wildlife Refuge, Kenai Peninsula, AK.
    Summary: EPA identified environmental concerns related to the need 
to (1) minimize impacts from exploration activities, (2) maximize the 
reclamation and reuse of gravel, (3) minimize impacts to wetlands and 
their functions and (4) provided technical support of impact 
characterizations. EPA also recommended that government-to-government 
consultation with affected Tribal governments be conducted before 
issuance of the final EIS.
    ERP No. DS-COE-L32010-00 Rating EC2, Columbia River Channel 
Improvement Project, Additional Information to Update the Disposal Plan 
and to Update the Project Economics, Columbia and Lower Willamette 
River Federal Navigation Channel, OR.
    Summary: EPA expressed environmental concerns and recommended that 
the Corps prepare a cumulative effects analysis, explain how this 
project will affect the goals and objectives of the Comprehensive 
Conservation and Management Plan for the lower Columbia River estuary, 
and improve the discussion on project monitoring.

Final EISs

    ERP No. F-AFS-L65387-AK 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: No formal comment letter was sent to the preparing agency.
    ERP No. F-BIA-K03026-CA Teayawa Energy Center, Construction and 
Operation of a 600 megawatt (MW)(nominal output), Natural-Gas-Fired, 
Combined-Cycle Energy Center, On Indian Trust Land, Torres Martinez

[[Page 68130]]

Desert Cahuilla Indians Tribe, Coachella Valley, Riverside County, CA.
    Summary: EPA reviewed the FEIS and found that the document 
adequately addresses the issues raised in our comment letter on the 
DEIS.
    ERP No. F-FHW-C40155-NY
    NY-17, Horseheads Project, Reconstruction from RM 17-6205-1069 to 
RM 14-6201-3040, Funding, Town and Village of Horseheads, Chemung 
County, NY.
    Summary: EPA's comments on the DEIS were adequately addressed.
    ERP No. F-FHW-G40168-LA
    Bayou Barataria Bridge/LA-302 Replacement, LA-45/Jean Lafitte 
Boulevard to LA-3257/Privateer Boulevard, Funding and U.S. Army COE 
Section 404 and US Coast Guard Bridge Permits Issuance, Communities of 
Jean Lafitte and Barataria, Jefferson Parish, LA.
    Summary: EPA expressed no further comments on the Final EIS and has 
no objection to the selection of the preferred alternative. EPA's 
comments were adequately addressed in the Final EIS.
    ERP No. F-FRC-L05223-WA Martin Creek Hydroelectric Project (FERC 
Project No.10942), Construction, Operation and Maintenance of a 10.2-
Megawatt (MW) Hydroelectric Run-of-River Facility, License Approval, 
Cascade Mountains, Martin and Kelley Creeks, Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie 
National Forest, King County, WA.
    Summary: EPA continues to have environmental objections to the 
proposed project because it would undermine the environmental and 
biological protection provisions of the Northwest Forest Plan and would 
degrade water quality in Martin Creek, designated an ``extraordinary'' 
water body by the State of Washington. EPA recommended selection of the 
No Action alternative based on the negative environmental effects, 
negative net power benefits, and extremely small amount of power that 
would be generated by the project.
    ERP No. F-NPS-C67000-NJ Maurice National Scenic and Recreational 
River (NS&RR) Comprehensive Management Plan, Implementation, Atlantic 
and Cumberland Counties, NJ.
    Summary: No formal comment letter was sent to the preparing agency.
    ERP No. F-NPS-G61040-TX Fort Davis National Historic Site, General 
Management Plan, Implementation, Fort Davis, TX.
    Summary: EPA has no objection to the selection of the preferred 
alternative since the final EIS adequately responded to comments 
offered on the Draft EIS.
    ERP No. FS-FRC-L05208-WA Irene Creek Hydroelectric Project, (FERC 
No.10100-002) and Anderson Creek Hydroelectric Project (FERC No. 10416-
003), Construction and Operation, Issuance of Amended License 
Applications, Skagit and Whatcom Counties, WA.
    Summary: EPA continues to have environmental objections to the 
proposed projects (and alternatives to it) because they would undermine 
Northwest Forest Plan protections, degrade pristine water quality found 
in Irene and Anderson Creek, and likely affect listed bull trout. 
Analyses in the EIS show that it would cost more to operate projects 
than the value of power produced and that an extremely small amount of 
power would be generated. For these reasons, EPA recommends that FERC 
select the No Action Alternative.

    Dated: November 5, 2002.
Joseph C. Montgomery,
Director, NEPA Compliance Division, Office of Federal Activities.
[FR Doc. 02-28506 Filed 11-7-02; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P