[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 40 (Friday, February 28, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Pages 9651-9652]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-4780]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[ER-FRL-6638-1]


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

Draft EISs

    ERP No. D-AFS-J65373-MT Rating EC2, Canyon Lake Dam and Wyant Lake 
Dam Project, Proposal to Authorize Access to their Facilities with 
Prescribe Terms and Conditions, Canyon Creek Irrigation District 
(CCID), Bitterroot National Forest, Selway Bitterroot Wilderness, 
Ravalli County, MT.
    Summary: EPA expressed environmental concerns and recommended 
integrating 404 permitting requirements into the EIS process and 
decision making for selecting among Canyon Lake dam rehabilitation 
options. EPA recommended preparing a preliminary 404(b)(1) evaluation 
for proposed placement of dredged or fill materials in U.S. waters, and 
wetlands for the dam rehabilitation. EPA believes additional 
information is needed to fully assess and mitigate all potential 
environmental impacts of the management actions.
    ERP No. D-AFS-L65412-OR Rating EC2, Metolius Basin Forest 
Management Project, Fuel Reduction and Forest Health Management 
Activities, Implementation, Deschutes National Forest, Sisters Ranger 
District, Jefferson County, OR.
    Summary: EPA expressed environmental concerns due to impacts to 
aquatic resources, endangered and threatened species, silvicultural 
practices, dispersed recreation, tribal consultation, and indirect and 
cumulative effects.
    ERP No. LD-AFS-L65411-WA Rating NS, I-90 Wilderness Study, Review 
of Land Comprising of 15,000 Acres for Suitability for Preservation as 
Wilderness, Cle Elum and Leavenworth Ranger Districts, Olanogan and 
Wenatchee National Forests, Kittitas and Chelan Counties, WA.
    Summary: EPA Region 10 used a screening tool to conduct a limited 
review of this action. Based on this screen EPA does not foresee having 
any environmental objections to the proposed action. Therefore, EPA 
will not be conducting a detailed review.
    ERP No. D-MMS-L02030-AK Rating EC2, Cook Inlet Planning Area Oil 
and Gas Lease Sales 191 and 199, Outer Continental Shelf, Offshore 
Marine Environment, Cook Inlet, AK.
    Summary: EPA expressed environmental concerns that an alternative 
that deferred both the Lower Kenai Peninsula and Barren Islands areas 
was not included. EPA recommended that the Environmental Justice 
Analysis explain the methods and criteria used to determine minority 
and low income significance, and identify if the low income and/or 
people of color communities will be disproportionately impacted. EPA 
also requested that mitigating measures to protect endangered and 
threatened species and their critical habitat be adopted as standard 
lease stipulations.
    ERP No. D-USN-K11108-CA Rating EC2, China Lake Naval Air Weapons 
Station, Proposed Military Operational Increases and Implementation of 
Associated Comprehensive Land Use and Integrated Natural Resources 
Management Plans, Located on the

[[Page 9652]]

North and South Ranges, Inyo, Kern and San Bernardino Counties, CA.
    Summary: EPA raised environmental concerns about potential impacts 
associated with past use of munitions containing depleted uranium (DU), 
potential impacts associated with continued or renewed use of DU 
munitions under any of the fully-evaluated alternatives, and the Navy's 
environmental restoration efforts to date for DU contamination. EPA 
also raised concerns about potential air quality impacts associated 
with the project's implementation, including emissions of air toxics, 
which can be potentially reduced with mitigation.

Final EISs

    ERP No. F-FSA-A65172-00, Programmatic EIS--Conservation Reserve 
Program Implementation and Expansion, Farm Security and Rural 
Investment Act of 2002 (2002 Farm Bill), in the United States.
    Summary: No formal comment letter was sent to the preparing agency.
    ERP No. F-NOA-K91011-00, 2003 Pacific Coast Groundfish Fishery, 
Groundfish Acceptable Biological Catch and Optimum Yield Specifications 
and Management Measures, Implementation, WA, OR and CA.
    Summary: EPA expressed continuing environmental concerns regarding 
impacts on overfished bocaccio stocks, and the effectiveness of 
enforcement measures for the 2003 harvest.
    ERP No. F-NPS-K61156-00, Lake Mead National Recreation Area, Long-
Term Management of Lake Mead and Mohave and Associated Shoreline and 
Development Area, Lake Management Plan, Clark County, NV and Mohave 
County, AZ.
    Summary: No formal comment letter was sent to the preparing agency.
    ERP No. F1-FAA-D51026-00, Potomac Consolidated Teminal (PCT) Radar 
Approach Control Facility (TRACON) Airspace Redesign in the Baltimore-
Washington Metropolitan Area. Newly Consolidated TRACON, Aircraft 
Performance Improvements and Emerging PCT Technologies, PA, MD, DE, VA, 
WV and DC.
    Summary: EPA has no objection to the proposed action since our 
previous issues have been addressed in the final EIS.

    Dated: February 25, 2003.
Joseph C. Montgomery,
Director, NEPA Compliance Division, Office of Federal Activities.
[FR Doc. 03-4780 Filed 2-27-03; 8:45 am]
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