[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 12 (Friday, January 17, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Pages 2539-2540]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-1048]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[ER-FRL-6636-8]


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 17992).

Draft EISs

    ERP No. D-AFS-L65405-AK Rating NS, Shoreline Outfitter/Guide Plan, 
Commercial Permits Issuance for Shoreline-Based Activities on National 
Forest System Lands, Admiralty Island National Monument, Hoonah, Sitka 
and Juneau Ranger Districts, Tongass National Forest, AK.
    Summary: EPA Region 10 used a screening tool to conduct a limited 
review of this action. Based on the screen, EPA does not foresee having 
major environmental objections to the proposed project. Therefore, EPA 
will not be conducting a detailed review.
    ERP No. D-APH-A99222-00 Rating LO, Importation of Solid Wood 
Packing Material to Exclude, Eradicate and/or Control Invasive Alien 
Agricultural Pest, Implementation, United States.
    Summary: EPA expressed no objection to the draft EIS and the Animal 
and Plant Health Inspection Service's (APHIS) proposal to adopt the 
International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC) ``Guidelines for 
Regulating Wood Packaging Material in International Trade''.
    ERP No. D-BLM-G65084-00 Rating LO, El Camino Real De Tierra Adentro 
National Historic Trail, Comprehensive Management Plan, Implementation, 
TX and NM.
    Summary: EPA has no objection to the selection of the preferred 
alternative.
    ERP No. D-BLM-L65402-OR Rating EC2, Cascade--Siskiyou National 
Monument (CSNM) Resource Management Plan, Implementation, Klamath and 
Rouge River Basins, Jackson County, OR.
    Summary: EPA expressed environmental concerns that the draft EIS 
lacked sufficient information related to: the Purpose and Need 
Statement, Tribal consultation and coordination efforts, livestock 
grazing impacts, habitat connectivity, CWA section 303(d) Protocols, 
and indirect or cumulative effects and should be addressed in the final 
EIS.
    ERP No. D-DOE-K08024-CA Rating EC2, Sacramento Area Voltage Support 
Project, System Reliability and Voltage Support Improvements, Sierra 
Nevada Region, Alameda, Contra Costa, Placer, Sacramento, San Joaquin 
and Sutter Counties, CA.
    Summary: EPA has environmental concerns about impacts to air 
quality, water resources and with the scope of the cumulative impacts 
analysis. EPA urged Western Area Power Administration to commit to 
follow-up environmental analysis, a discription and evaluation of the 
funding process, and how funding and project cost will be integrated 
with the environmental analysis.
    ERP No. D-FHW-B40092-NH Rating EO2, I-93 Highway Improvements, 
Salem to Manchester, Funding, NPDES and U.S. Army COE Section 404 
Permits

[[Page 2540]]

Issuance, Hillsborough and Rockingham Counties, NH.
    Summary: EPA expressed environmental objections to impacts to the 
aquatic environment which should be addressed through additional 
analysis, mitigation and other commitments in the FEIS. Specifically, 
EPA recommends that risks to surface and ground waters from road salt 
and air quality impacts be addressed in greater detail. Mitigation 
plans should also be enhanced in addition to the inclusion of more 
information regarding commuter bus and high occupancy vehicle services 
in the project plans.
    ERP No. DS-FHW-F40118-MI Rating EC2, US-31 Freeway Connection, 
Napier Road to I-94, Updated Information concerning Transportation 
Improvements, Berrien County, MI.
    Summary: EPA expressed environmental concerns regarding project 
impacts to wetlands and wildlife connectivity.
    Additional information regarding wetlands minimization and 
mitigation measures should be included in the final EIS.
    ERP No. DS-FTA-E40777-FL Rating EC2, Miami-Miami Beach (Bay Link) 
Transportation Corridor Study, Transportation Improvements Connecting 
Government Center and Downtown Miami Beach Convention Center, Dade 
County, FL.
    Summary: EPA expressed environmental concerns regarding social 
impacts, noise exposure, and aquatic resource impacts and recommends 
minimization or mitigation of these impacts.

Final EISs

    ERP No. F-AFS-L65400-ID, The West Gold Creek Project, Forest 
Management Activities Plan, Implementation, Idaho Panhandle National 
Forests, Sandpoints Ranger District, Bonner County, ID.
    Summary: No formal comment letter was sent to the preparing agency.
    ERP No. F-BLM-L03012-AK, Renewal of Federal Grant for the Trans-
Alaska Pipeline System, Right-of-Way Grant and Approvals, AK.
    Summary: No formal comment letter was sent to the preparing agency.
    ERP No. F-BLM-L60107-OR, Coos County Natural Gas Transmission 
Pipeline Construction, Operation and Maintenance, Roseburg to Coos Bay, 
Right-of-Way Grant, Coos Bay District, Coos County, OR.
    Summary: No formal comment letter was sent to the preparing agency.
    ERP No. F-FHW-C40151-NY, County Road (Mill Hill Road and Glen Road) 
Improvements, Howard Drive to NY-9N including a New Bridge over the 
East Branch of the Ausable River, Funding and U.S. Army COE Section 404 
Permit Issuance, Essex County, NY.
    Summary: EPA continued to express environmental concerns with the 
project's cumulative impacts and impacts to wetlands.
    ERP No. F-FTA-K59002-AZ, Central Phoenix/East Valley Light Rail 
Transit Corridor Construction, Operation and Maintenance, Funding, 
Cities of Phoenix, Tempe and Mesa, Maricopa County, AZ.
    Summary: No formal comment letter was sent to the preparing agency.
    ERP No. F-SFW-K70008-AZ, Roosevelt Habitat Conservation Plan, 
Issuance of an Incidental Take Permit to Allow Continued Operation of 
Roosevelt Dam and Lake, Implementation, Gila and Maricopa Counties, AZ.
    Summary: No formal comment letter was sent to the preparing agency.

    Dated: January 13, 2003.
Joseph C. Montgomery,
Director, NEPA Compliance Division, Office of Federal Activities.
[FR Doc. 03-1048 Filed 1-16-03; 8:45 am]
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