[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 119 (Friday, June 20, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Pages 36983-36984]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-15672]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[ER-FRL-6641-3]


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 the Federal Register dated April 4, 2003 (68 FR 16511).

Draft EISs

    ERP No. D-AFS-B65010-VT Rating EC2, Greendale Project, 
Establishment of the Desired Condition stated in the Green Mountain 
National Forest Land and Resource Management Plan, Manchester Ranger 
District, Town of Western, Windor County, VT.
    Summary: EPA expressed environmental concerns with respect to 
riparian zone management, herbicide use, wetland resource impacts and 
mitigation. ERP No. D-AFS-J65377-CO Rating EC2, Missionary Ridge Burned 
Area Timber Salvage Project, Timber Harvesting, San Juan National 
Forest north of Durango, LaPlata County, CO.
    Summary: EPA has environmental concerns about soil erosion, 
disturbance, compaction; runoff and potential degradation of water 
quality and habitats in streams and reservoirs; sedimentation of 
streams and water storage reservoirs; fish and wildlife impacts to 
sensitive species; and the potential to establish and spread noxious 
weeds. EPA recommended restricting harvests to less sensitive lands 
with ground-based logging, no additional road construction and avoiding 
harvests in the Roadless Area.
    ERP No. D-AFS-K61157-CA Rating LO, Interface Recreation Trails 
Project, Recreation Route System Development, Implementation, 
Stanislaus National Forest, Calaveras Ranger District, Calaveras 
County, CA.
    Summary: EPA had no objections to the proposed recreational trail 
management plan.
    ERP No. D-AFS-K65247-CA Rating EC2, Giant Sequoia National Monument 
Management Plan, Implementation, Establishment of Management Directions 
for Land and Resources, Sequoia National Forest, Fresno, Kern and 
Tulare Counties, CA.
    Summary: EPA expressed environmental concerns that the preferred 
alternative replaces specific land allocations and standards and 
guidelines derived from the Sierra Nevada Forest Plan Amendment with 
less specific management guidelines, adversely impacting old forest 
habitat and water quality. In addition, the preferred alternative does 
not include specific road decommissioning targets and an implementation 
plan that responds to continuing environmental impacts identified in 
the Roads Analysis.
    ERP No. D-FTA-J40159-CO Rating LO, West Corridor Project, 
Transportation Improvements in the Cities of Denver, Lakewood and 
Golden, Light Rail Transit (LET), Jefferson County, CO.
    Summary: EPA has no significant environmental objections to the 
proposed project. However, EPA recommends that the Final EIS includes 
data on the safety of using light rail transit and buses versus 
automobiles for transportation as well as including the new air quality 
standards for PM2.5 and ozone.
    ERP No. DS-BLM-K67051-NV Rating EC2, Millennium Expansion Project, 
New Facilities Construction and Existing Gold Mining Operations 
Expansion, Plan-of-Operations Approval, Winnemucca, Humboldt County, 
NV.
    Summary: EPA expressed environmental concerns based on the 
potential ecological risks associated with the proposed closure 
strategies for the heap leach pads.
    EPA recommended that the Final Supplemental EIS provide additional 
information regarding the fate and

[[Page 36984]]

transport of contaminants from the spent ore and its drain down 
solutions, including metals uptake through the food chain, and more 
detailed information on the proposed closure process; existing water 
quality; impacts to air quality, including mercury emissions; and 
mitigation and monitoring measures.

Final EISs

    ERP No. F-AFS-F65035-WI, Cayuga Project Area, Various Resource 
Management Projects, Implementation, Chequamegon-Nicolet National 
Forest, Great Divide Ranger District, Ashland County, WI.
    Summary: EPA has no objections to the FEIS since design features 
will avoid and reduce potential impacts, and the project is consistent 
with the Forest Management Plan.
    ERP No. F-AFS-J65373-MT, Canyon Lake Dam and Wyant Lake Dam 
Project, Access to their Facilities with Prescribe Terms and 
Conditions, Authorization, Canyon Creek Irrigation District (CCID), 
Bitterroot National Forest, Selway Bitterroot Wilderness, Ravalli 
County, MT.
    Summary: EPA expressed environmental concerns about potential 
sedimentation and wetlands impacts that may occur during dam breaching 
and repair work, and noted the need for completed permits and 
authorizations prior to construction.
    ERP No. F-FHW-E40787-AL, Memphis to Atlanta Corridor Study, Alabama 
State Line to I-65, Funding and U.S. Army COE Section 404 Permit 
Issuance, Colbert, Franklin, Lauderdale, Lawrence, Limestone and Morgan 
Counties, AL.
    Summary: EPA continues to have environmental concerns regarding the 
preferred alternative, specially related to protect impacts associated 
with wetlands and aquatic resources, storm water, noise, relocations, 
and other natural habitat impacts. EPA recommends that commitments for 
wetland and aquatic resource mitigation be included in the ROD and 
mitigation for noise and relocation impacts should be considered 
further.
    ERP No. F-FHW-E40793-00, Appalachian Corridor I-66 Highway 
Construction, US 23/119 south of Pikeville, KY eastward to the King 
Coal Highway southeast of Matewan, Funding and U.S. Army COE Section 
404 Permit Issuance, Pike County, KY and Mingo County, WV.
    Summary: EPA continues to have environmental concerns with the 
proposed project. Specifically, EPA recommends that avoidance and/or 
mitigation of wetlands and stream impacts should be monitored and 
addressed as the project progresses. Furthermore, EPA recommends that 
impacts to ecosystems from the conversion of woodlands should be 
monitored and addressed as necessary.
    ERP No. F-NPS-E65061-FL, Biscayne National Park General Management 
Plan Amendment, Evaluation of the Effects of Several Alternatives for a 
Long-Term Management Plan, Stillsville, Biscayne National Park, 
Homestead, Miami-Dade County, FL.
    Summary: EPA fully supports National Park Service's two leasing 
alternatives of the Stillsville structures with appropriate waste water 
and trash management.
    ERP No. F-NPS-J61022-MT, Glacier National Park--Going-to-Sun Road 
Rehabilitation Plan to Protect and Preserve a National Historic 
Landmark, Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park, The World's First 
International Peace Park, A World Heritage Site, MT.
    Summary: EPA did not identify any potential environmental impacts 
requiring substantive changes to the proposal and expressed lack of 
objections.
    ERP No. F-SFW-E91013-FL, Proposed Rulemaking for: The Incidental 
Take of Small Numbers of Florida Manatees (Trichechus manatus 
latirostris) Resulting from Government Programs Related to Watercraft 
Access and Watercraft Operation in the State of Florida, FL.
    Summary: EPA supports the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's 
Preferred Alternative that proposes legislation allowing unintentional 
taking of small numbers of Florida manatees in three regional 
populations.
    ERP No. FA-FHW-J40030-UT, US-189, Wildwood to Heber Valley, between 
the junctions with UT-92 and US-40, Funding, Utah and Wasatch Counties, 
UT.
    Summary: No formal comment letter was sent to the preparing agency.
    ERP No. F-FHW-B50013-RI, Sakonnet River Bridge Rehabilitation or 
Replacement Project, Portsmouth & Tiverton, Newport County, RI.
    Summary: EPA has no significant objections to the preferred 
alternative.

    Dated: June 17, 2003.
Joseph C. Montgomery,
Director, NEPA Compliance Division, Office of Federal Activities.
[FR Doc. 03-15672 Filed 6-19-03; 8:45 am]
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