[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 148 (Friday, August 1, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Pages 45238-45239]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-19642]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[ER-FRL-6642-6]


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 4, 2003 (68 FR 16511).

Draft EISs

    ERP No. D-AFS-J65383-MT Rating EC2, Logan Creek Ecosystem 
Restoration Project, Hazardous Fuel Reduction across the Landscape and 
Vegetation Management Restoration or Maintenance, Flathead National 
Forest, Tally Lake Ranger District, Flathead County, MT.
    Summary: EPA expressed environmental concerns with public health 
and safety issues and recommended the final EIS include a comprehensive 
risk notification and communication program for the community. The 
final EIS should also include additional information on facility 
design, safety features and risk assessment and analysis.
    ERP No. D-AFS-K65256-NV Rating EO2, Jarbidge Canyon Project, Road 
Management Plan Implementation,

[[Page 45239]]

Water Projects Construction along Charleston-Jarbidge Road and South 
Canyon Road Reconstruction, Humbolt-Toiyabe National Forest, Jarbidge 
Ranger District, Elko County, NV.
    Summary: EPA expressed environmental objections on the Proposed 
Action due to projected violations of Federally approved water quality 
standards and potential impacts to waters of the United States 
(including special aquatic sites) regulated under the Clean Water Act 
Section 404. EPA requested that the Final EIS include appropriate water 
quality mitigation to avoid violating water quality standards and to 
address the project's consistency with Section 404.
ERP No. D-CGD-G03021-LA Rating LO, Port Pelican Deepwater Port 
Construction and Operation, License Approval, Vermillion Lease Block 
140 on the Continental Shelf in the Gulf of Mexico southwest of 
Freshwater City, LA.
    Summary: EPA had no objection to the preferred alternative. ERP No. 
D-NIH-J81012-MT Rating EC2, Rocky Mountain Laboratories (RML) 
Integrated Research Facility, Construction and Operation, To Improve 
the Nation's Ability to Study and Combat Emerging Infectious Disease 
and to Protect Public Health, Hamilton, Ravalli County, MT.
    Summary: EPA expressed environmental concerns regarding the need to 
better address public health and safety concerns, and recommended 
development of a comprehensive risk notification and communication 
program for the local community. EPA also believes additional 
information on risk assessment and analysis should be disclosed, and 
questions, comments, and concerns on alternatives and on facility 
design and safety features should be addressed in the final EIS.
    ERP No. DC-FHW-D40118-00 Rating EC1, Appalachian Corridor H 
Project, Construction of a 10-mile Highway between the Termini of 
Parsons and Davis, New Information concerning One or More Alignment 
Shifts for the Thomas-Davis Section of the Parsons-to-Davis Project, 
Funding and US Army COE Section 404 Permit Issuance, Tucker County, WV.
    Summary: EPA has environmental concerns regarding the proposed 
project with respect to the endangered West Virginia Northern Flying 
Squirrel. Potential habitat exists within the entire study area. EPA 
encourages the continued coordination already underway with U.S. Fish 
and Wildlife Service to identify the most appropriate alternative to 
limit the impact to such an important species as well as valued 
resources.

Final EISs

    ERP No. F-MMS-E02012-00; 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 objection to the proposed action since 
previous issues have been resolved, EPA did request clarification 
regarding presentation of deep drilling parameters and the importance 
of complete quantification of impacts from discharges of drilling muds 
and cuttings.
    ERP No. F-NOA-E91011-00 Northeast Skate Complex Fishery Management 
Plan, Implementation of Management Measures, Magnuson-Stevens Fishery 
Conservation and Management Act, New England Fishery Management 
Council.
    Summary: EPA expressed a lack of objection to the strategies as 
proposed in the FEIS.
    ERP No. F-NPS-H65011-MO Wilson's Creek National Battlefield General 
Management Plan, Implementation, Battle of Wilson's Creek Commemoration 
and Associated Battlefield Preservation, Greene and Christian Counties, 
MO.
    Summary: EPA did not express objections to the preferred Management 
Plan.
    ERP No. FS-AFS-J65334-MT Keystone-Quartz Ecosystem Management Plan, 
Implementation, Updated Information on Alternatives, Beaverhead-
Deerlodge National Forest, Wise River Ranger District, Beaverhead 
County, MT.
    Summary: While EPA supports the Forest Service's preferred 
alternative to manage and treat Douglas-fir, lodgepole pine and aspen 
forest we expressed environmental concerns with potential impacts to 
water quality from existing low standard roads.
    ERP No. FS-AFS-L65300-ID Goose Creek Watershed Project, Reviewing 
and Updating Information Regarding the Pileated Woodpecker and Soil 
Impacts, Payette National Forest, New Meadows Ranger District, Adam 
County, ID.
    Summary: No formal comment letter was sent to the preparing agency.
    ERP No. FS-AFS-L65325-ID Sloan-Kennally Timber Sale Project, 
Reviewing and Updating Information Regarding the Pileated Woodpecker 
and Soil Impacts, Payette National Forest, McCall Ranger District, Adam 
County, ID.
    Summary: No formal comment letter was sent to the preparing agency.
    ERP No. FS-AFS-L65336-ID Brown Creek Timber Sale Project, Reviewing 
and Updating Information Regarding the Pileated Woodpecker and Soil 
Impacts, Payette National Forest, New Meadow Ranger District, Adam 
County, ID.
    Summary: No formal comment letter was sent to the preparing agency.
    ERP No. FS-AFS-L65346-ID Middle Fork Weiser River Watershed 
Project, Reviewing and Updating Information Regarding the Pileated 
Woodpecker and Soil Impacts, Payette National Forest, Council Ranger 
District, Adam County, ID.
    Summary: No formal comment letter was sent to the preparing agency.
    ERP No. FS-AFS-L65379-ID Little Weiser Landscape Vegetation 
Management Project, Reviewing and Updating Information Regarding the 
Pileated Woodpecker and Soil Impacts, Payette National Forest, Adam 
County, ID.
    Summary: No formal comment letter was sent to the preparing agency.
    ERP No. FS-NOA-A64058-00 Pelagic Sargassum Habitat Fishery 
Management Plan, Implementation, Updated Information concerning the 
Public's Opportunity to Comment on Proposed Actions, South Atlantic 
Region.
    Summary: EPA expressed environmental concerns regarding the harvest 
of Sargassum due to the loss of its nursery habitat value for 
endangered juvenile species such as sea turtle hatchlings, small sized 
species and pelagic adult species.

    Dated: July 29, 2003.
Joseph C. Montgomery,
Director, NEPA Compliance Division, Office of Federal Activities.
[FR Doc. 03-19642 Filed 7-31-03; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P