[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 16 (Friday, January 24, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Pages 3526-3527]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-1622]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[ER-FRL-6637-1]


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 the Federal Register dated 
April 12, 2002 (67 FR 17992).

Draft EISs

    ERP No. D-AFS-J65368-UT Rating LO, Duck Creek--Swains Access (Duck/
Swains), Management Project, Wildlife Habitat, Soil and Watershed 
Conditions and Motorized Vehicle Use Management Improvements, Dixie 
National Forest, Cedar City Ranger District, Iron, Garfield and Kane 
Counties, UT.
    Summary: EPA expressed lack of objections and fully supports 
closing excess, redundant and damaging roads with appropriate 
mitigation measures to decrease road density.
    ERP No. D-AFS-L65406-ID Rating LO, North Kennedy-Cottonwood 
Stewardship Project, Existing Transportation System Modifications and 
Forest Health Improvements through Vegetation Management both 
Commercial and Non-Commercial Methods, Boise National Forest, Emmett 
Ranger District, Gem and Valley Counties, ID.
    Summary: EPA expressed lack of objections with the proposed action. 
EPA suggested that additional information on the road closure/
management and revegetation measures to improve habitat to meet Forest 
Plan Wildlife Recovery goals should be included in the Final EIS.
    ERP No. D-COE-L36115-WA Rating EC2, Centralia Flood Damage 
Reduction Project, Chehalis River, Lewis and Thurston Counties, WA.
    Summary: EPA expressed environmental concerns and

[[Page 3527]]

recommended that the Corps improve the Purpose and Need Statement, 
provide additional and/or revised alternatives, supply supportive 
information on environmental sustainability, disclose compliance with 
floodplain management (Executive Order 110998) and address approved 
flood maps, and address indirect and cumulative impacts for this 
proposed project.
    ERP No. D-FRC-L05228-ID Rating NS, Bear River Hydroelectric 
Project, Application for a New License (Relicense) for Three Existing 
Hydroelectric Projects: Soda (FERC No. 20-019), Grace-Cove (FERC No. 
2401-007) and Oneida (FERC No. 472-017), Bear River Basin, Caribou and 
Franklin Counties, ID.
    Summary: EPA used a screening tool to conduct a limited review of 
the draft EIS. Based on the screen, EPA does not foresee having any 
environmental objections to the proposed project. Therefore, a detailed 
review of the draft EIS was not conducted.
    ERP No. D-IBR-K39076-00 Rating EC2, Navajo Reservoir Operations, 
Operational Changes to Navajo Dam and Reservoir, Related Flow 
Recommendation, Implementation and Funding, Navajo Unit-San Juan River, 
NM, CO and UT.
    Summary: EPA has environmental concerns with the long-term 
sustainability of additional water development in the Basin and urged 
an equitable balance of available water supplies, water supply 
commitments, and environmental needs. EPA strongly encouraged 
development of the Memorandum of Agreement to protect water released 
for endangered species from diversion by intervening appropriators. 
While EPA supports reoperation of Navajo Dam to implement the Flow 
Recommendations, EPA has concerns regarding water quality, mitigation, 
indirect and cumulative impacts, monitoring and the adaptive management 
plan.
    ERP No. D-NOA-K91011-00 Rating EC2, 2003 Pacific Coast Groundfish 
Fishery, Groundfish Acceptable Biological Catch and Optimum Yield 
Specifications and Management Measures, Implementation, WA, OR and CA.
    Summary: EPA has environmental concerns based on insufficient 
information on stock rebuilding, enforcement of harvest measures, 
relationship between federal and state groundfish fisheries, trawl 
vessels exemptions, indirect impacts and tribal fishing rights.
    ERP No. D-SFW-K64022-CA Rating EC2, Aquatic Habitat Conservation 
Plan and Candidate Conservation Agreement with Assurances to Conserve 
Habitat for and Mitigate Impacts on Six Aquatic Species, USFWS 
Enhancement of Survival Permit and an USMFS Incidental Take Permit 
Issuance, Humboldt and Del Norte Counties, CA.
    Summary: EPA commended the approach of developing a comprehensive 
aquatic management strategy to address potential impacts to listed and 
potentially listed fish and amphibian species, but expressed specific 
environmental concerns related to water temperature impacts.
    ERP No. D-USN-K52004-CA Rating EC2, Advanced Amphibious Assault 
Vehicle (AAAV) Development, Replacement and Establishment, 
Implementation, Del Mar Basin Area of Marine Base Corps (MCB) Camp 
Pendelton, San Diego County, CA.
    Summary: EPA expressed environmental concerns, noting that 
additional mitigation may be available to potentially reduce the 
project's environmental impacts, including impacts to (non-ocean) 
surface water quality and air quality.
    ERP No. DA-FAA-E40785-FL Rating EC2, Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood 
International Airport, Runway 9R-2FL Expansion and other Associated 
Improvements, New Information concerning the Predicted Number of 
Residents Impacted by Noise for Alternatives using 2000 Census Block 
Data or Field Inspection, Funding, Broward County, FL.
    Summary: EPA continues to have environmental concerns with noise 
regarding the residences located south of the runway proposed for 
extension. Additional mitigation through residential acquisition over 
time was requested.

Final EISs

    ERP No. F-COE-K39073-CA, Middle Creek Flood Damage Reduction and 
Ecosystem Restoration Project located between Highway 20 and Middle 
Creek immediately northwest of Clear Lake, Implementation, Lake County, 
CA.
    Summary: EPA reviewed the EIS and found that the document 
adequately addresses the issues raised in our comment letter on the 
DEIS.
    ERP No. F-IBR-K31003-CA, Imperial Irrigation District Water 
Conservation and Transfer Project and Draft Habitat Conservation Plan 
(HCP), Implementation and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Section 10 
Incidental Take Permit Approval and Issuance, Colorado River, Imperial 
County, CA.
    Summary: EPA continues to have environmental objections to the 
potential adverse impacts on surface and groundwater quality, air 
quality and biological resources and believes these objections could be 
addressed by the new proposed Habitat Conservation Plan and the Salton 
Sea Restoration Project.
    ERP No. F-IBR-K39072-00, Implementation Agreement (IA), Inadvertent 
Overrun and Payback Policy (IOP) and Related Federal Actions, 
Implementation, Quantification Settlement Agreement (QSA), Lower 
Colorado River, in the States of AZ, CA and NV.
    Summary: EPA continues to have environmental concern with the 
potential cumulative impacts on water quality constituents in drinking 
water sources and cumulative impacts on Indian Trust assets. EPA 
believes these concerns could be addressed by the new proposed Habitat 
Conservation Plan and the Salton Sea Restoration Project.
    ERP No. F-NAS-A12043-00, PROGRAMMATIC--MARS Exploration Rover--2003 
(MER-2003) Project, Continuing the Long-Term Exploration of MARS, 
Implementation.
    Summary: EPA has no objection to the proposed action.

    Dated: January 21, 2003.
Joseph C. Montgomery,
Director, NEPA Compliance Division, Office of Federal Activities.
[FR Doc. 03-1622 Filed 1-23-03; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P