[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 158 (Friday, August 15, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Pages 48900-48901]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-20901]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[ER-FRL-6642-9]


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-E65061-SC Rating EC2, Sumter National Forest Revised 
Land and Resource Management Plan, Implementation, Oconee, Chester, 
Fairfield, Laurens, Newberry, Union-Abbeville, Edgefield, Greenwood, 
McCormick and Saluda Counties, SC.
    Summary: EPA has environmental concerns related primarily to water 
quality improvement goals and objectives for the National Forest. EPA 
recommends inclusion of several forest-wide goals, objectives and 
standards to improve water quality and identified several individual, 
watershed-specific, management prescriptions for implementation.
    ERP No. D-AFS-E65062-TN Rating EC2, Cherokee National Forest 
Revised Land and Resource Management Plan, Implementation, Carter, 
Cocke, Greene, Johnson, McMinn, Monroe, Polk, Sullivan and Unicoil, TN.
    Summary: EPA has environmental concerns related primarily to water 
quality improvement goals and objectives for the National Forest. EPA 
recommends inclusion of several forest-wide goals, objectives and 
standards to improve water quality and identified several individual, 
watershed-specific, management prescriptions for implementation.
    ERP No. D-AFS-E65063-GA Rating EC2, Chattahoochee-Oconee National 
Forests Revised Land and Resource Management Plan, Implementation, 
several Counties, GA.
    Summary: EPA has environmental concerns related primarily to water 
quality improvement goals and objectives for the National Forest. EPA 
recommends inclusion of several forest-wide goals, objectives and 
standards to improve water quality and identified several individual, 
watershed-specific, management prescriptions for implementation.
    ERP No. D-AFS-E65064-AL Rating EC2, Alabama National Forests 
Revised Land and Resource Management Plan, Implementation, Bankhead 
National Forest, Lawrence, Winston and Franklin Counties, AL.
    Summary: EPA has environmental concerns related primarily to water 
quality improvement goals and objectives for the National Forest. EPA 
recommends inclusion of several forest-wide goals, objectives and 
standards to improve water quality and identified several, watershed-
specific, management prescriptions for implementation.
    ERP No. D-AFS-J65382-SD Rating EC2, Elk Bugs and Fuels Project, 
Vegetation Management to Reduce the Spread of Mountain Pine Beetles and 
the Threat and Severity of Potential Wildfires, Black Hills National 
Forest Land and Resource Management Plan, Implementation, Northern 
Hills Ranger District, Black Hills National Forest, Lawrence and Meade 
Counties, SD.
    Summary: EPA expressed environmental concerns about adverse impacts 
of erosion on water quality and riparian habitat, sedimentation of 
streams and water-storage reservoirs, fish and wildlife impacts to 
sensitive species; and noxious weeds. EPA recommended focusing fire 
reducing treatments to wildland-private land interface, allowing large, 
fire-resistant trees to remain for wildlife habitat in the back 
country, and maximizing use of existing roads and reducing new roads 
near private lands.
    ERP No. D-BLM-J01080-WY Rating EC2, West Hay Creek Coal Lease 
Application, Federal Coal Leasing, Buckskin Mine, Powder River Basin, 
Campbell County, WY.
    Summary: EPA expressed environmental concerns with potential 
impacts to air quality in the Powder River Basin, nitrogen oxides from 
blasting and wetlands loss.
    ERP No. D-DOD-A09832-00 Rating LO, Mercury Management Project, Site 
Selection and Implementation of a Long-Term (i.e., 40 Years) Management 
Plan for the Defense Stockpile of Elemental Mercury, Hawthore, NV; New 
Haven, IN; Oak Ridge, TN; Romulus, NY; Somerville, NJ; Tooele, UT and 
Warren, OH.
    Summary: EPA had no objection to the proposed action.
    ERP No. D-DOD-A10075-00 Rating LO, Programmatic EIS--Chemical and 
Biological Defense Program, Protection of our Soldiers, Sailors, 
Marines and Airmen on the Battlefield, United States and other 
Countries.
    Summary: EPA had no objection to the proposed action.
    ERP No. D-DOE-C22003-NY Rating LO, West Valley Demonstration 
Project, Waste Management, Onsite Management and Offsite Transportation 
of Radioactive Waste, West Valley, Cattaraugus County, NY.
    Summary: EPA has no objections to the implementation of the 
proposed project.
    ERP No. D-DOE-L91018-OR Rating LO, Northeast Oregon Hatchery 
Program, Grande Ronde--Imnaha Spring Chinook Hatchery Modification

[[Page 48901]]

and Modernization of Two Existing Hatchery Facilities and Construction 
of Three New Auxiliary Hatchery Facilities, Wallowa County, OR.
    Summary: EPA requested additional information in the final EIS to 
support the need for the hatchery facilities. EPA also requested 
clarification on: cumulative impacts collection, maintenance and 
operation criteria; future facility plans and consultation with Native 
American Tribes.
    ERP No. D-FHW-F40412-OH Rating EC1, OH-161/37 Improvement, from OH-
161 (New Albany Bypass) to west of OH-161/37 Interchange with OH-16, 
Funding, Franklin and Licking Counties, OH.
    Summary: EPA has environmental concerns with the preferred 
alternative, specifically with impacts to wetlands, floodplains/
streams, and groundwater resources. EPA recommends that the FEIS 
include specific mitigation measures to minimize these impacts.
    ERP No. D-FTA-E54012-FL Rating EC1, MIC/Earlington Heights 
Connector Study, Earlington Heights Metrorail Station to the Miami-Dade 
Intermodal Center (MIC) Transit Improvements, Funding and NPDES, U.S. 
Army COE Section 10 and U.S. Coast Guard Bridge Permits Issuance, 
Miami-Dade County, FL.
    Summary: EPA has environmental concerns with the proposed project 
regarding potential impacts to floodplains, aquatic resources, and 
wildlife and aquatic habitat as well as concerns regarding visual and 
noise impacts.
    ERP No. D-NRC-E05101-SC Rating EC1, H.B. Robinson Steam Electric 
Plant, Unit No. 2 (RNP), Application for Operating License Renewal of 
Nuclear Plants for 20-Years, Supplement 13, located on the Shore of 
Lake Robinson, Darlington and Chesterfield Counties, SC.
    Summary: EPA notes that radiological monitoring of all plant 
effluents, and appropriate storage and disposition of radioactive 
waste, will be necessary during the license renewal period.
    ERP No. D-USA-C11021-NY Rating LO, Thomas Jefferson Hall and Other 
Construction Activities in the Cadet Zone of the United States Military 
Academy, Implementation, West Point, Hudson River Valley, Orange and 
Putnam Counties, NY.
    Summary: EPA has no objections to the implementation of the 
proposed project.
    ERP No. DC-NOA-B91017-00 Rating LO, Atlantic Sea Scallop Fishery 
Management Plan (FMP), Amendment 10, Introduction of Spatial Management 
of Adult Scallops, Essential Fish Habitat (EFH), from the Gulf of Maine 
and Georges Banks to Cape Hatteras, NC.
    Summary: While EPA has no objection to the proposed action, it was 
suggested that public comments and additional data on protected species 
be included in the final document.
    ERP No. DS-DOE-A06178-00 Rating LO, Programmatic EIS--Stockpile and 
Management for a Modern Pit Facility (MPF) Construction and Operation, 
Site Location: Savannah River Site, SC; Los Alamos Site, NM; Nevada 
Test Site; Carlsbad Site, NM; and Pantex Site, TX, and Plutonium Pit 
Manufacturing Capabilities Upgrading at Los Alamos National Laboratory 
(LANL), NM.
    Summary: EPA does not object to the proposed action, but requests 
that the final EIS address several technical comments.

Final EISs

    ERP No. F-AFS-H65014-MO, Pineknot Woodland Restoration Project, 
Open Shortleaf Pine Woodland Restoration, Implementation, Doniphan/
Eleven Point Ranger District, Mark Twain National Forest, Carter 
County, MO.
    Summary: EPA's concerns regarding old growth designations, water 
quality and soil protection, and a smoke/fire management plan have been 
adequately addressed.
    ERP No. F-COE-G39034-TX, Bayport Channel Container/Cruise Terminal 
Project, Marine Terminal Complex Construction and Operation, Bayport 
Ship Channel, U.S. Army COE Section 10 and 404 Permits Issuance, Harris 
County, TX.
    Summary: EPA expressed environmental concern that impacts to 
wetlands should be fully mitigated and that a mitigation plan be 
incorporated in the Record of Decision and be made a condition to the 
Section 10/404 Corps of Engineers permit.
    ERP No. F-FHW-E50293-00, Louisville-Southern Indiana Ohio River 
Bridges Project, Cross-River Mobility Improvement between Jefferson 
County, KY and Clark County, ID, Coast Guard Bridge and U.S. Army COE 
Section 10 and 404 Permits Issuance, Jefferson County, KY and Clark 
County, IN.
    Summary: EPA has environmental concerns with the proposed project 
regarding traffic noise, environmental justice issues, surface water 
quality, upland forest losses, and loss of agricultural lands. Air 
quality conformity is a particular area of concern. EPA recommends that 
all reasonable and feasible mitigation measures be identified in the 
Record of Decision.
    ERP No. F-FRC-J03015-00, Grasslands Pipeline Project, Interstate 
Natural Gas Pipeline System Construction and Operation, Docket No. 
CP02-037-000, WY, ND and MT.
    Summary: FERC and the project proponent made some revisions in 
response to EPA's comments, to reduce wetland and aquatic impacts. The 
project proponent agreed to directionally drill its Sandstone Creek 
crossing, to eliminate water quality impacts to that sensitive, 
perennial stream. EPA requested that a plan be developed to prevent and 
monitor noxious weed introduction and spread before project 
construction begins. EPA expressed concerns that cumulative 
environmental impacts from related gas production projects were not 
addressed in the EIS.
    ERP No. F-NOA-E91010-00, Amendment 13 to the Fishery Management 
Plan for Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea Bass, Implementation, in 
the Western Atlantic Ocean, from Cape Harteras, NC, northward to the 
US-Canadian Border.
    Summary: While EPA has no objection to the proposed action, EPA did 
request some clarification information regarding wet storage of fishing 
pots/traps and the tag program.
    ERP No. FS-COE-E67003-FL, PCS Phosphate--White Springs Mine 
Continuation Mining Operations, Proposal to Discharge Dredged/ Fill 
Material into 1,858 Acres of Jurisdictional Wetlands, Applications of 
``Life of Mine'' Permits, Hamilton County, FL.
    Summary: EPA noted that although most of its requests for technical 
data were provided, there were some environmental concerns that some 
data was not readily available in the Final EIS and had to be obtained 
from a project Web site.

    Dated: August 12, 2003.
Joseph C. Montgomery,
Director, NEPA Compliance Division, Office of Federal Activities.
[FR Doc. 03-20901 Filed 8-14-03; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P