[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 249 (Friday, December 27, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Pages 79081-79082]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-32788]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[ER-FRL-6636-3]


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-J65367-MT Rating EC2, Garver Project, Harvest and Old 
Growth Regeneration, Implementation, Kootenai National Forest, Three 
Rivers Ranger District, Lincoln County, MT.
    Summary: EPA expressed environmental concerns regarding impacts to 
water quality from the proposed 1,250 acres of tractor timber harvest 
in a 303(d) listed water body and about minimal water quality 
monitoring. Fuel reduction treatments were well planned and designed 
with many protective measures.
    ERP No. D-AFS-J65369-MT Rating EC2, Windmill Timber Sale and Road 
Decommissioning Project, Timber Harvesting, Road Construction and Road 
Decommissioning, Mill Creek Drainage, Absaroka Mountain Range, Gallatin 
National Forest, MT.
    Summary: EPA expressed environmental concerns with potential 
effects of timber harvests and road construction to water quality, and 
to wildlife species dependent upon old growth habitats. EPA recommends 
that additional information on aquatic monitoring should be included in 
the final EIS.
    ERP No. D-FTA-E59002-NC Rating LO, South Corridor Light Rail 
Project to Provide Light Rail Service between the Town of Pineville, 
and Downtown Charlotte, City of Charlotte, Charlotte-Mecklenburg 
County, NC.
    Summary: EPA lacks objections to the project as proposed and 
believes that the DEIS provided adequate information on the project's 
environmental impacts.
    ERP No. D-NPS-J65365-00 Rating EC2, Glen Canyon National Area, 
Personal Watercraft Rule-Making, Implementation, Lake Powell, Coconino 
County, AZ and Garfield, Kane, San Juan and Wayne Counties, UT.

[[Page 79082]]

    Summary: EPA expressed environmental concerns with potential 
impacts to water quality, specifically that it is not clear if Utah 
water quality standards are being violated. In addition, the DEIS does 
not disclose strategies for management of personal watercraft on Lake 
Powell. EPA recommends that a monitoring plan be included, given the 
potential for violation of water quality standards.

Final EISs

    ERP No. F-AFS-J65337-MT Cave Gulch Post-Fire Salvage Sale, 
Harvesting Dead or Dying Trees, Implementation, Helena National Forest, 
Big Belts Mountain, Lewis and Clark County, MT.
    Summary: EPA expressed environmental concerns about potential 
adverse impacts of timber harvest on water quality limited Magpie and 
Hellgate Creeks, already impacted by wildfire. EPA supported proposed 
road decommissioning, Grouse Creek restoration, revegetation, and other 
mitigation measures, and supported proposed monitoring to document and 
validate minimal impacts.
    ERP No. F-DOE-L09814-ID Idaho High-Level Waste and Facilities 
Disposition, Alternatives for Managing High-Level Waste, Mixed 
Transuranic Waste/Sodium Bearing Waste and Associated Radioactive 
Wastes Evaluation, Bannock, Bingham, Bonneville, Butte, Madison, Clark, 
and Jefferson Counties, ID.
    Summary: EPA continues to have environmental objections because the 
EIS does not clearly indicate how the separation alternatives meet the 
requirments of DOE Order 435.1 and about the option of treating High-
Level Waste (HLW) at Hanford. EPA also has serious concerns with the 
lack of a clearly defined preferred alternative in the FEIS. EPA 
recommends that DOE select a preferred alternative that does not commit 
to treating HLW at Hanford and which commits to an early decision 
concerning the closure of the Calciner.

    Dated: December 23, 2002.
Joseph C. Montgomery,
Director, NEPA Compliance Division, Office of Federal Activities.
[FR Doc. 02-32788 Filed 12-26-02; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P