[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 31 (Friday, February 14, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Pages 7535-7536]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-3692]



[[Page 7535]]

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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[ER-FRL-6637-7]


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-H65014-MO Rating EC2, Pineknot Woodland Restoration 
Project, Open Shortleaf Pine Woodland Restoration, Implementation, 
Doniphan/Eleven Point Ranger District, Mark Twain National Forest, 
Carter County, MO.
    Summary: EPA expressed environmental concerns with potential 
impacts to air and water quality. EPA requests that the final EIS 
include more detailed information on criteria for assessment of soil 
and water mitigation measures, compliance of prescribed burns with a 
smoke/fire management plan and discussion of how the proposed 
restoration habitat meets old growth habitat as currently defined in 
the Forest Plan Standard and Guidelines.
    ERP No. D-AFS-J35006-UT Rating EC2, Fox and Crescent Reservoirs 
Maintenance Project, Dam Structures Operation and Maintenance, Special 
Use Permit Issuance, High Andes Wilderness, Ashley National Forest, 
Uinta Basin, Duchesne County, UT.
    Summary: EPA supports the proposed action in order to supply 
existing water rights and commends the USFS for indentifying proposed 
mitigations. However, EPA expressed environmental concerns about the 
potential adverse impacts to water quality, fish and aquatic 
invertebrates, flow regimes and the release of sediment to downstream 
ecosystems.
    ERP No. D-AFS-J65370-MT Rating EC2, Management Area 11 Snowmobile 
Use Areas on the Seeley Lake Ranger District, Implementation, Lola 
National Forest, Missoula and Powell Counties, MT.
    Summary: EPA expressed environmental concerns regarding potential 
snowmobile impacts to grizzly bear and other wildlife and increased 
traffic and erosion and rutting of substandard roads that may impair 
water quality and fisheries, including 303(d) listed streams and 
threatened bull trout. EPA believes additional information is needed to 
fully assess and mitigate potential impacts of the proposed management 
actions.
    ERP No. D-AFS-L65409-AK Rating EC2, Licking Creek Timber Sale, 
Timber Harvest, Implementation, Tongass National Forest, Ketchikan 
Misty Fiords Ranger District, Revillagigedo Island, Ketchikan, AK.
    Summary: EPA expressed environmental concerns related to indirect 
and cumulative impacts of proposed silvicultural practices and road 
construction to water quality and fish resources, the Action 
Alternatives' reliance on even-aged silvicultural practices, and lack 
of project level watershed analysis. Also, we recommend the FEIS 
examine another possible Action Alternative that would address and 
mitigate for cumulative impacts while maintaining moderate economic 
efficiencies so that the EIS could include a viable Alternative that is 
less damaging and yet still provides economic benefits.
    ERP No. D-FHW-F40411-MN Rating EC2, Trunk Highway 371 Corridor 
Reconstruction, US Truck Highway 10 to County State Aid Highway (CSAH) 
Highway 48, Funding, Morrison County, MN.
    Summary: EPA expressed environmental concerns regarding impacts to 
aquatic and floodplain habitat. EPA recommended bridging of a stream 
and its associated floodplain, creation of a wetland site and requested 
a detailed wetland mitigation plan to be included in the final EIS.
    ERP No. D-MMS-E02012-00 Rating LO, Eastern Gulf of Mexico Outer 
Continental Shelf Oil and Gas Lease Sales 189 (proposed for 2003) and 
197 (proposed for 2005) Leasing Program 2002-2007, Eastern Planning 
Area, Counties and Parishes of TX, LA, MS, AL and FL.
    Summary: While EPA has no objections to the action as proposed, EPA 
expressed interest in the results of ongoing studies to further define 
the fate and effects of mercury and other heavy metal pollutants in 
drilling and production waste discharges. EPA also requested 
clarification on the construction and operational impacts of future 
pipeline infrastructure.
    ERP No. DS-AFS-J65349-UT Rating EC2, Griffin Springs Resource 
Management Project, New Information concerning the Life History and 
Analysis of Endangered, Threatened, Candidate, Sensitive and Management 
Indicator Species, Dixie National Forest, Escalante Range District, 
Garfield County, UT.
    Summary: EPA previously identified road maintenance and upgrading, 
beetle suppression and other management activities as having potential 
significant impacts to old growth forests, wetlands and wildlife. EPA 
remains environmentally concerned that discussion of the purpose, need 
and risk involved with a large scale thinning operation and discussion 
of the transportation system in the final EIS did not fully address our 
concerns and could result in adverse impacts from ecosystem alteration 
and fragmentation.
    ERP No. DS-COE-G36148-TX Rating LO, Dallas Floodway Extension, 
Flood Damage Reduction and Environmental Restoration, New Information 
concerning Additional Formulation, Trinity River Basin, Dallas County, 
TX.
    Summary: EPA has no objection to the proposed action since EPA 
agreed with the conclusions drawn in the cumulative impact supplemental 
EIS.

Final EISs

    ERP No. F-AFS-E60006-KY, Daniel Boone National Forest Land Exchange 
Project, Two Federal Tracts for 98.17 Acres of Privately Owned Land 
located in Owsley County, Federal Lands to be Exchanged are Tract 107AB 
(52.15 acres) located on Langdon Branch in Leslie County and Tract 745 
(39.96 acres) located on Spicer Fork in Perry County, KY.
    Summary: EPA continues to have environmental concerns about impacts 
to water quality and aquatic resources associated with subsequent 
surface mining activities.
    ERP No. F-AFS-K65243-CA, Brown Darby Fuel Reduction Project, 
Combination of Salvage Harvesting of Trees Killed and Other Fuel 
Management Activities, Stanislaus National Forest, Calaveras Ranger 
District, Calaveras and Tuolumne Counties, CA.
    Summary: No formal comment letter was sent to the preparing agency.
    ERP No. F-NRC-D05124-VA, GENERIC EIS--North Anna Power Station, 
Units 1 and 2, Supplement 7 to NUREG-1437, License Renewal, VA.
    Summary: EPA concurs with the analysis of the environmental impacts 
as they relate to the alternatives discussed in the report. EPA 
requests an opportunity to re-examine conclusions should they change as 
the license expiration date approaches.
    ERP No. FS-NRC-E06012-SC, GENERIC EIS--Catawba Nuclear Station, 
Unit 1 and 2 (Catawba),

[[Page 7536]]

Renewal of the Operating Licenses (OLs) for an Additional 20-Year 
Period, Supplement 9 to NUREG-1437, York County, SC.
    Summary: EPA has no objection to the proposed action since our 
previous issues were resolved.

    Dated: February 11, 2003.
Joseph C. Montgomery,
Director, NEPA Compliance Division, Office of Federal Activities.
[FR Doc. 03-3692 Filed 2-13-03; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P