[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 60 (Friday, March 28, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Pages 15166-15167]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-7503]



[[Page 15166]]

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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[ER-FRL-6638-8]


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-D65025-PA Rating EC1, County Line--Fourmile Project, 
Management Direction as Outlined in the Allegheny National Forest Land 
and Resource Management Plan, Implementation, Bradford Ranger District, 
Warren and McKean Counties, PA.
    Summary: EPA expressed environmental concerns with impacts from 
erosion and sedimentation of streams associated with road construction, 
harvesting and reforestation treatments in Alternatives 2, 4 and 5. EPA 
supports Alternative 3 as the preferred alternative and suggested 
instituting measures to ensure no sediment transport offsite during 
storm events prior to re-establishment of ground cover after harvesting 
and reforestation treatments.
    ERP No. D-AFS-K65248-CA Rating EC2, North Fork Fire Salvage 
Project, Harvest Salvage, Merchantable Timber Volume Sale and Sierra 
National Forest Land and Resource Management Plan, Implementation, Bass 
Lake Ranger District, Madera County, CA.
    Summary: EPA expressed environmental concerns with potential 
adverse impacts to water quality given the only action alternative does 
not address consistency with EPA approved water quality standards.
    ERP No. D-AFS-K65417-CA Rating LO, Blue Fire Forest Recovery 
Project, Proposal to Move the Existing Condition Caused by the Blue 
Fire of 2001 Towards the Desired Condition, Modoc National Forest, 
Warner Mountain Ranger District, Lassen and Modoc Counties, CA.
    Summary:EPA has no objections to the proposed action provided full 
funding for completion of the proposed mitigation measures and 
monitoring described in the Draft EIS is provided.
    ERP No. D-AFS-L65414-ID Rating EC2, Middle Little Salmon Vegetation 
Management Project, Timber Stands Current Condition Improvements, 
Payette National Forest, New Meadows Ranger District, Adam County, ID.
    Summary: EPA expressed environmental concerns over the short term 
water quality and habitat impacts. EPA also expressed concerns over the 
need for additional information on road closure maintenance, 
enforcement and monitoring plans, and Tribal consultation and public 
participation.
    ERP No. D-BIA-K60034-CA Rating EC2, Jamul Indian Village (Tribe) 
101 Acre Fee-to-Trust Transfer and Casino Project, Implementation, San 
Diego County, CA.
    Summary: EPA expressed environmental concerns regarding the 
project's potential impacts to ground water from effluent disposal and 
how Best Management Practices and mitigation would ensure compliance 
with EPA approved water quality standards. EPA also expressed concerns 
that the DEIS fully evaluated just one action alternative.
    ERP No. D-COE-D11035-MD Rating LO, Aberdeen Proving Ground (APG) 
Project, Research and Development, Test and Evaluation Ordance of 
Military Equipment and Personnel Training, Chesapeake Bay, Hartford, 
Baltimore, Kent and Cecil Counties, MD.
    Summary: EPA had no objections to the proposed action. EPA 
requested more information as to how the EIS would be integrated into 
the decision-making process at the Aberdeen Proving Ground. EPA also 
requested clarification whether an EIS or EA is being prepared for the 
Range Management Plan.
    ERP No. D-COE-D35060-PA Rating EO2, Alleghany and Ohio Rivers 
Commercial Sand and Gravel Dredging Operations, Granting and Extending 
Permits for Continuance of Dredging, and U.S. Army COE Section 10 and 
404 Permits Issuance, PA.
    Summary: EPA expressed environmental objections because the DEIS 
did not adequately assess the potentially significant environmental 
impacts of the applicant's preferred alternative or explore the full 
range of alternatives available to reduce the adverse environmental 
impacts associated with this project. EPA also commented on the lack of 
information regarding specific permit conditions that are being 
proposed to mitigate resource damage related to the applicant's 
preferred alternative.
    ERP No. D-COE-E01014-FL Rating EC2, Ona Mine Project, Construction 
and Operation of a Surface Mine for the Recovery of Phosphate Rock, 
Hardee County, FL.
    Summary: EPA expressed environmental concerns for long-term 
reductions of groundwater reducing surface flows in the Peace River, 
Charlotte County's principal source of drinking water.
    ERP No. D-FHW-G40172-TX Rating LO, TX-121 Highway Construction, I-
30 to Farm-to-Market 1187 (FM 1187) Road, Funding, USCG Section 9, U.S. 
Army COE Section 10 and 404 Permits Issuance, Fort Worth, Tarrant 
County, TX.
    Summary: EPA has no objections to the selection of the preferred 
alignment. EPA appreciates the opportunity to have participated in the 
development of the FHWA draft EIS.
    ERP No. D-FRC-J03015-00 Rating EC2, Grasslands Pipeline Project, 
Interstate Natural Gas Pipeline System Construction and Operation, 
Docket No. CP02-037-000, WY, ND and MT.
    Summary: EPA's main environmental concerns relate to potentially 
adverse impacts from construction to: (1) Wetlands, (2) sediment in 
streams and other waters, (3) establishment and spread of noxious weeds 
and (4) wildlife habitat. Additional evaluation, disclosure, and 
mitigation were requested. Cumulative impacts are associated with the 
Grassland Pipeline, related to proposed plans to produce coalbed 
methane gas in the Powder River Basin of Wyoming and Montana.
    ERP No. D-FTA-G59000-LA Rating LO, Desire Streetcar Line Project, 
Restoration of Streetcar Service along North Rampart Street/St. Claude 
Avenue between Canal Street and Poland Avenue, City of New Orleans, LA.
    Summary: EPA has no objections to the selection of the preferred 
alternative. EPA recommends additional air quality information to 
further strengthen the Final EIS.
    ERP No. D-IBR-L39059-WA Rating NS, Banks Lake Drawdown Project, 
Proposal to Lower the Water Surface Elevation from 1565 feet to 1560 
feet in August of Each Year, Columbia River, Douglas and Grant 
Counties, WA.
    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 
objections to the proposed project.
    Therefore, EPA did not conduct a detailed review of the draft EIS.
    ERP No. D-STB-G53008-TX Rating LO, Bayport Loop New Rail Line, 
Construction and Operation, Finance

[[Page 15167]]

Docket No. 34079, Houston, Harris County, TX.
    Summary: EPA has no objection to the selection of the preferred 
alternative.
    ERP No. DA-FTA-L40205-00 Rating EC2, South Corridor Project a 
Portion of the South/North Corridor Project, Improvement to the 
Existing Urban Transportation System, Updated and Additional 
Information, Clackamas and Multnomah Counties, OR.
    Summary: EPA has environmental concerns regarding aquatic 
resources, threatened and endangered species, community accessibility 
and potential construction impacts on hazardous waste sites.
    ERP No DS-FTA-D40289-VA Rating LO, Norfolk Light Rail Transit 
Project, 8-Mile Light Rail Transit System Construction from the Western 
Terminus near Eastern Virginia Medical Center to an Eastern Terminus on 
Kempsville Road, City of Norfolk, VA.
    Summary: EPA lacks objection to the project as proposed but 
recommends the HRT work with the Norfolk District Corps of Engineers to 
reduce further the 1.4 acres of wetland impacts during the design phase 
of the project.

Final EISs

    ERP No. F-FHW-E40772-AL, Industrial Parkway Connector Project, 
Transportation Improvement, Lott Road/AL-217 to U.S. 45, Funding, U.S. 
Army COE Section 404 Permit and NPDES Permit Issuance, Mobile County, 
AL.
    Summary: EPA continues to express environmental concern for impacts 
to wetlands and believes the document lacks sufficient information 
regarding the proposed wetlands mitigation site.
    ERP No. F-FHW-F40406-00, Ironton-Russell Bridge Replacement 
Project, Structurally-Deficient and Functionally-Obsolete Bridge 
Replacement, Funding, NPDES, U.S. Coast Guard Section 9 Bridge Permits 
and U.S. Army COE Section 10 and 404 Permits Issuance, Lawrence County, 
OH and Greenup County, KY.
    Summary: EPA has no outstanding environmental concerns and lacks 
objection to the project as proposed in the Final EIS.
    ERP No. F-FHW-F54013-00, Chicago--St. Louis High-Speed Rail 
Project, Chicago to St. Louis Improvements to Enhance the Passenger 
Transportation Network, NPDES Permit and COE Section 404 Permit, Cook, 
Will, Kankakee Grundy, Livington, McLean, Sangemon, Macoupin, Jersey, 
Madison and St. Louis Counties, IL and St. Louis County, MO.
    Summary: EPA has no significant environmental concerns with the 
proposed action. The concerns previously raised by EPA are not 
applicable to the preferred alternative selected in the Final EIS.
    ERP No. F-FHW-H40174-IA, Avenue G Viaduct and Connecting Corridor, 
Access Improvement for Local Emergency Services and Safety Through 
Expanded Capacity across the Trail Corridor, Funding and NPDES Permit, 
Pottawattamie County, IA.
    Summary: EPA lacks objection to the project as proposed in the 
final EIS but recommends a thorough asbestos inspection for properties 
to be demolished.
    ERP No. F-FHW-L40199-WA, WA-509 Extension/South Access Road 
Corridor Construction Project, Funding and Possible US Army COE Section 
404 Permit, Cities of SeaTac, Des Moines, Kent and Federal Way, King 
County, WA.
    Summary: EPA has environmental concerns with the proposed project, 
specifically issues related to induced growth and potential impairment 
of air quality. The final EIS does not adequately discuss indirect and 
cumulative effects associated with the proposed project.
    ERP No. F-FSA-A65173-00, Programmatic EIS--Emergency Conservation 
Program (ECP), Improvement and Expansion Plan, Emergency Funding to 
Farmers and Ranchers, Agricultural Lands of the United States.
    Summary: No formal comment letter was sent to the preparing agency.
    ERP No. F-FTA-E54011-FL, Tampa Rail Transportation Improvements 
Project, Light Rail Transit (LRT) or Diesel Multiple Unit (DMU) 
Vehicles, City of Tampa, Hillsborough County, FL.
    Summary: EPA lacks objections to the project as described in the 
final EIS. EPA's previous concerns regarding the preferred alternative 
have been addressed.
    ERP No. FS-COE-L32010-00, Columbia River Channel Improvement 
Project, Additional Information to Update the Disposal Plan and the 
Project Economics Plan, Columbia and Lower Williamette River Federal 
Navigation Channel, OR.
    Summary: No formal comment letter was sent to the preparing agency.

    Dated: March 25, 2003.
Joseph C. Montgomery,
Director, NEPA Compliance Division, Office of Federal Activities.
[FR Doc. 03-7503 Filed 3-27-03; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P