[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 235 (Friday, December 6, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Pages 72670-72671]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-30949]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[ER-FRL-6635-6]


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-FHW-J40157-MT Rating EC2, US 89 from Fairfield to Dupuyer 
Corridors Study, Reconstruction, Widening, Realignment and Route 
Connection between Yellowstone National Park to the South with Glacier 
National Park to the North, Teton and Pondera Counties, MT.
    Summary: EPA expressed environmental concerns regarding impacts to 
wetlands and other aquatic resources. EPA recommended further analysis, 
disclosure and mitigation of these impacts. In addition, EPA 
recommended consultation with the Montana Department of Environmental 
Quality (MDEQ) to assure concurrence on proposed highway construction 
activities and compatibility with TMDL development.
    ERP No. D-FRC-L05227-00 Rating EO2, Box Canyon Hydroelectric 
Project, (FERC Project No. 2042-013), New License Application for an 
existing 72-Megawatt (Mw) Hydroelectric Project, Public Utility 
District (PUD) No. 1, Pend Oreille River, Pend Oreille County, WA and 
Bonner County, ID.
    Summary: EPA identified environmental objections with the preferred 
alternative because: (1) A comprehensive strategy for reducing elevated 
total dissolved gas concentrations has not been developed, (2) analyses 
needed to resolve questions related to fish passage at the project have 
not been completed and (3) studies needed to define project effects and 
mitigation have not been conducted nor completed.
    ERP No. D-IBR-K39075-CA Rating EC2, Red Bluff Diversion Dam (RBDD) 
Fish Passage Improvement Project, Anadromous Fish Passage Improvements 
both Upstream and Downstream, Tehama-Colusa Canal Authority (TCCA), 
Tehama, Glenn, Colusa and Yolo Counties, CA.
    Summary: EPA agreed with the project sponsors that the ``Gates-
Out'' or ``2-Month Gates-In'' alternatives best meet the purpose and 
need of improving fish passage, while improving the reliability of 
agricultural water supply in the Tehama-Colusa and Corning Canal 
Systems. EPA expressed environmental concerns regarding hazardous 
materials, air quality and water quality impacts and requested 
additional information regarding these issues.
    ERP No. DA-FHW-J40030-UT Rating EC2, US 189, Utah Valley to Heber 
Valley Widening and Realignment between the Junctions with UT-52 and US 
40, Funding, Provo Canyon, Utah and Wasatch Counties, UT.
    Summary: EPA expressed environmental concerns about the potential 
direct, indirect and cumulative impacts to aquatic resources. EPA 
requested that future documentation disclose impacts to aquatic 
resources and develop new alternatives that are responsive to the 
social and natural changes in the environment.

Final EISs

    ERP No. F-AFS-J65013-MT Moose Post-Fire Project, Decrease in 
Potential Mortality from Bark Beetles to the remaining Live Douglas-fir 
and Spruce Trees, Merchantable Wood Fiber Recovery, Future Fire Risk 
Reduction and existing Road Access Modifications, Glacier View Ranger 
District, Flathead National Forest, Flathead County, MT.
    Summary: EPA supports the selection of Alternative 3 although EPA 
continues to express environmental concerns regarding potential water 
quality impacts associated with logging in the watershed of Big Creek, 
a 303(d) listed stream.
    ERP No. F-BLM-K65242-CA Coachella Valley California Desert 
Conservation Area Plan Amendment, Santa Rosa and San Jacinto Mountains 
Trails Management Plan, Implementation, Riverside and San Bernardino 
Counties, CA.
    Summary: No formal comment letter was sent to the preparing agency.
    ERP No. F-COE-H39010-KS Tuttle Creek Dam Safety Assurance Program, 
Flood Control, Water Supply, Water Quality, Fish and Wildlife, 
Recreation and Navigation Support Enhancements, Big Blue River, Riley 
and Potawatomie Counties, KS.
    Summary: EPA has no objections to the preferred alternative of 
stabilizing the dam's foundation without drawdown.

[[Page 72671]]

    ERP No. F-FHW-G40167-LA LA-1 Improvements Project, Golden Meadow to 
Port Fourchon Highway Construction, Funding, U.S. Army COE Section 10 
and 404, NPDES and U.S. Coast Guard Bridge Permits Issuance, Lafoufche 
Parish, LA.
    Summary: EPA has no objection to the selection and implementation 
of the preferred alternative.
    ERP No. F-IBR-K61154-AZ Reach 11 Recreation Master Plan, Central 
Arizona Project (CAP) Canal, Between Cave Creek and Scottsdale Roads 
for Recreational Purposes and a Flood Detention Basin, City of Phoenix, 
Maricopa County, AZ.
    Summary: EPA found that the Final EIS adequately addresses the 
issues raised in our comment letter on the Draft EIS.
    ERP No. FA-FRC-L05208-WA Rocky Creek Hydroelectric Project, (FERC 
No. 10311-002) Construction and Operation of a 8.3 Megawatt (Mw) 
Project, License Application, Rocky Creek, Skagit County, WA.
    Summary: EPA continues to have environmental objections to the 
proposed project because it would: (1) Pose a high risk of landslides 
that could significantly impact aquatic and terrestrial habitat and 
water quality, (2) degrade water quality in Martin Creek, designated an 
``extraordinary'' water body by the State of Washington and (3) 
undermine the environmental and biological protection provisions of the 
State of Washington Habitat Conservation Plan.

    Dated: December 3, 2002.
B. Katherine Biggs,
Associate Director, NEPA Compliance Division, Office of Federal 
Activities.
[FR Doc. 02-30949 Filed 12-5-02; 8:45 am]
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