[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 33 (Wednesday, February 19, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Pages 8043-8044]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-3920]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service


Notice of Availability of the Assessment Plan for the Natural 
Resource Damage Assessment at the Ashtabula River and Harbor Site

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of 30-day comment period.

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SUMMARY: Notice is given that the document titled ``Natural Resource 
Damage Assessment Plan for the Ashtabula River and Harbor'' (``the 
Plan'') will be available for public review and comment on the date of 
publication in the Federal Register. The U.S. Departments of the 
Interior (Fish and Wildlife Service) and Commerce (National Oceanic and 
Atmospheric Administration) and the Ohio Environmental Protection 
Agency are trustees for natural resources (``trustees'') considered in 
this assessment, pursuant to subpart G of the National Oil and 
Hazardous Substances Pollution Contingency Plan, 40 CFR 300.600 and 
300.610, and Executive Order 12580.
    The trustees are following the guidance of the Natural Resource 
Damage Assessment Regulations found at 43 CFR part 11. The public 
review of the Plan announced by this Notice is provided for in 43 CFR 
11.32(c).
    Interested members of the public are invited to review and comment 
on the Plan. Copies of the Plan can be requested from the address 
listed below. All written comments will be considered by the trustees 
and included in the Report of Assessment at the conclusion of the 
assessment process.

DATES: Written comments on the Plan must be submitted within 30 days of 
the date of this Notice.

ADDRESSES: Comments on the Plan should be sent to: Dr. Sheila Abraham, 
Ohio Environmental Protection Agency, North East District Office, 2110 
East Aurora Road, Twinsburg, Ohio 44087 or Mr. David De Vault, U.S. 
Fish and Wildlife Service, 1 Federal Drive, Fort Snelling, Minnesota 
55111

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr. Sheila Abraham (330) 963-1290 or 
Mr. David De Vault, (612) 713-5340.

[[Page 8044]]


SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The trustees are undertaking an assessment 
of damages resulting from suspected injuries to natural resources in 
and near the lower Ashtabula River and Harbor that have been exposed to 
hazardous substances released by industrial activity at the Fields 
Brook Superfund Site and the Ashtabula River and Harbor. The trustees 
suspect this exposure has caused injury and resultant damages to 
trustee resources. The injury and resultant damages will be addressed 
under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and 
Liability Act, as amended, in order to determine the appropriate type 
and extent of resource restoration. The Plan addresses the trustee's 
overall assessment approach, and utilizes both existing data as well as 
additional data to be collected. Plan addenda may be prepared by the 
trustees to provide public notice of additional data collection 
activities. Restoration of natural resources will be proposed by the 
trustees following the assessment.
    Requests for copies of the Plan may be made to the Case Managers at 
the addresses listed above. The Trustee Case Managers will provide 
copies of all comments to all trustees.
    You may submit comments on the Plan by sending electronic mail (e-
mail) to: [email protected] or [email protected]. Do 
not use any special characters or forms of encryption in your e-mail. 
The trustees also accept comments in WordPerfect and Word versions as 
attachments to the e-mail or on disk.

    Dated: January 27, 2003.
William F. Hartwig,
Regional Director, Region 3, Fish and Wildlife Service.
[FR Doc. 03-3920 Filed 2-18-03; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-55-P