[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 21 (Friday, January 31, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Pages 5019-5020]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-2346]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[ER-FRL-6637-3]


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-COE-K32012-CA Rating EC2, San Diego Harbor Deepening 
(Central Navigation Channel) involving Three Components: Deepening 
Federal Central Navigation Channel, Disposal of the Dredged Material at 
the LA-5 Ocean Disposal Site and Relocation and Disposal and 
Abandonment of a 69 kV Electrical Site, San Diego County.
    Summary: EPA expressed environmental concerns and requested 
additional information regarding potential connected actions, water 
quality, air quality, endangered species and environmental justice.
    ERP No. D-COE-L32011-AK Rating EO2, Akutan Harbor Navigation 
Improvements Project, Construction and Implementation, Bering Sea, City 
of Akutan, AK.
    Summary: EPA raised environmental objections to the recommended 
project alternative due to direct and indirect impacts to wetlands and 
the likely exceedances of fully allocated TMDLs for dissolved oxygen 
and settleable solid residues. EPA also determined that there was 
insufficient information regarding the full range of reasonable 
alternatives and potential mitigation measures. EPA recommended that 
the final EIS demonstrates that alternatives analysis and mitigation 
measures are consistent with the Clean Water Act Section 404(b)(1) 
guidelines and that the proposed alternative will not exceed 
established TMDLs.
    ERP No. D-FHW-F40410-IL Rating LO, Milan Beltway Extension (FAU 
5822), Airport Road to Blackhawk Road/John Deere Expressway, Funding 
and Permits Issuance, Rock River, Rock Island County, IL.
    Summary: EPA believes that the proposed project will result in 
minimum adverse impacts to the environment with appropriate mitigation 
and that we did not identify any outstanding environmental issues that 
need additional analysis.
    ERP No. D-FHW-L40216-OR Rating EC2, Newberg-Dundee Transportation 
Improvement Project (TEA 21 Prog. 37), Proposal to Relieve 
Congestion on OR-9W through the Cities of Newberg and Dundee, Bypass 
Element Location (Tier 1), Yamhill County, OR.
    Summary: EPA expressed environmental concern regarding air quality 
and air toxics, environmental justice issues, alternatives, habitat 
connectivity effectiveness and wetland impacts. EPA requested 
additional information, analysis, mitigation and outreach regarding 
these issues.
    ERP No. D-NRC-E05099-FL Rating EC1, Generic EIS--License Renewal of 
Nuclear Plants for the St. Lucie Units 1 and 2, Supplement 11, NUREG-
1437, Implementation, Hutchinson Island, St. Lucie County, FL.
    Summary: EPA has environmental concerns with certain aspects of 
this license renewal and requests clarification of measures to avoid 
and mitigate for impacts to the Big Mud Creek ecosystem and to 
herbicide use in the transmission right-of-way. EPA also notes the 
ongoing need to consult during the facility's operating life with the 
appropriate agencies regarding threatened and endangered species.

Final EISs

    ERP No. F-AFS-K65220-NV Cave Rock Management Direction, 
Implementation, Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit, Douglas County, NV.
    Summary: No formal comment letter was sent to the preparing agency.
    ERP No. F-AFS-K65364-CA Red Star Restoration Project, Fire-Killed 
Trees Removal, Fuel Reduction, Road Reconstruction and Decommissioning 
and Associated Restoration, Tahoe Tahoe National Forest, Foresthill 
Ranger District, Placer County, CA.
    Summary: No formal comment letter was sent to the preparing agency.
    ERP No. F-DOE-E09808-KY Kentucky Pioneer Integrated Gasification 
Combined Cycle Demonstration Project, Construction and Operation of a 
540 Megawatt-Electric Power Plant, Clean Coal Technology Program, Clark 
County, KY.
    Summary: EPA still has environmental concerns with certain impacts, 
but the Final EIS adequately addresses mitigation of potential impacts 
associated with Cultural Resources, Aesthetic and Scenic Resources, 
Geology, Air, Traffic and Transportation. EPA requested that the

[[Page 5020]]

Record of Decision address our remaining concerns.
    ERP No. F-DOE-L08062-WA Grand Coulee-Bell 500-kV Transmission Line 
Project, Construction and Operation, U.S. Army COE Section 10 Permit 
Issuance, Douglas, Lincoln, Spokane and Grant Counties, WA.
    Summary: EPA still has environmental concerns with BPA's rationale 
for not more fully considering the alternative action, which appears to 
have advantages for future transmission needs as well as for 
environmental protection. EPA requested that BPA provide an explanation 
for this decision in the Record of Decision.
    ERP No. F-FHW-H40403-KS US 59 Highway Construction Improvements, 
Lawrence to Ottawa, Funding, NPDES Permit Issuance and Possible U.S. 
Army COE Permit Issuance, Douglas and Franklin Counties, KS.
    Summary: EPA had no environmental concerns with the preferred 
alternative. EPA recommended that the Record of Decision provide more 
information regarding necessary mitigation.
    ERP No. FS-AFS-J65312-WY Squirrel Meadows Grand Targhee Land 
Exchange Proposal, New Information and Current Environmental and 
Socioeconomic Conditions, Implementation, Targhee National Forest, 
Teton County, WY.
    Summary: No formal comment letter was sent to the preparing agency.
    ERP No. FS-NRC-A00150-00 Generic EIS--Decommissioning of Nuclear 
Facilities, Updated Information on Dealing With Decommissioning of 
Nuclear Power Reactors (NUREG-0586).
    Summary: EPA continues to express environmental concern with NRC's 
not requiring consideration of environmental changes to the facility 
site during plant operation in the environmental assessment of the 
decommissioning process.

    Dated: January 28, 2003.
Joseph C. Montgomery,
Director, NEPA Compliance Division, Office of Federal Activities.
[FR Doc. 03-2346 Filed 1-30-03; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P