[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 163 (Friday, August 22, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Pages 50767-50768]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-21601]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[ER-FRL-6643-2]


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-J70021-SD Rating EC2, Prairie Project Area (Lower 
Rapid Creek Area), Multiple Resource Management Actions, 
Implementation, Black Hills National Forest, Mystic Ranger District, 
Pennington County, ID.
    Summary: EPA has environmental concerns about potential soil 
erosion, runoff and degradation of water quality and stream habitat, 
stream sedimentation, and impacts to wildlife and sensitive species. 
EPA recommended the final EIS include measures to minimize impacts to 
important wildlife habitat and private property when harvesting on the 
Forest Service-private land interface.
    ERP No. D-FHW-E40797-MS Rating LO, Airport Parkway Extension, 
Improvements to MS-475 from I-20 to Old Brandon Road, U.S. Army COE 
Section 404 Permit Issuance, Rankin County, MS.
    Summary: EPA has lack of objections to the proposed action.
    However, EPA recommends that further information regarding project 
description, project need and adequate mitigation be included in the 
FEIS.
    ERP No. D-FHW-F40413-IL Rating EC2, US 20 (FAP 301) Construction 
Project, IL-84 north of Galena to Bolton Road northwest of Freeport, 
Funding, NPDES Permit and U.S. Army COE Section 404 Permit Issuance, Jo 
Davies and Stephenson Counties, IL.
    Summary: EPA has environmental concerns with the proposed project 
relating to: (1) Karst areas and groundwater contamination, (2) 
impaired water impacts, (3) neotropical migrant impacts, and (4) forest 
impact mitigation.
    ERP No. D-FHW-F40414-OH Rating EC2, Butler County, OH-63 Extension 
to U.S. 127 (Trenton Area Access), Construction of a Multi-Lane Limited 
Access, Divided Highway on New Alignment from east of OH-41/OH-63 
Interchange in the City of Monroe, Funding, Butler County, OH.
    Summary: EPA has environmental concerns with the proposed project 
regarding potential ground water contamination in a federally-
designated sole source aquifer (the Great Miami/Little Miami Buried 
Valley Aquifer System). EPA also asks that more information be provided 
on wetlands mitigation and impacts to surface water.
    ERP No. D-FHW-F40415-IN Rating EC2, US 31 Improvement Project (I-
465 to IN-38) between I-465 North Leg and IN-38, Funding, NPDES Permit 
and U.S. Army Section 10 and 404 Permits Issuance, Hamilton County, IN.
    Summary: EPA has environmental concerns with the preferred 
alternative regarding potentially adverse impacts to public drinking 
water supplies, forests, wetlands, streams and floodplains. EPA 
recommends the FEIS include specific mitigation measures to minimize 
and/or compensate for these impacts.
    ERP No. D-FHW-G40174-TX Rating LO, Eastern Extension of the 
President George Bush Turnpike (PGBT) from TX-78 to I-30, New 
Controlled Access Tollway Construction at a New Location, Cities of 
Garland, Sachse, Rowlett and Dallas, Dallas County, TX.
    Summary: EPA has no objections to the project as proposed. EPA 
recommends additional information regarding the areas of air quality 
and floodplain mitigation be included in the FEIS.
    ERP No. D-NPS-G65086-TX Rating LO, Big Bend National Park General 
Management Plan, Implementation, Brewster County, TX.

[[Page 50768]]

    Summary: EPA has no objections to the selection of the preferred 
alternative as described.
    ERP No. D-NPS-J65384-MT Rating EC2, Glacier National Park 
Commercial Services Plan, and General Management Plan, Implementation, 
Glacier National Park, a Portion of Waterton-Glacier International 
Peace Park, Flathead and Glacier Counties, MT.
    Summary: EPA expressed environmental concerns with potential 
impacts to outstanding resource waters within Glacier National Park 
from stream channel maintenance activities and construction. EPA 
believes additional information should be presented to fully assess and 
mitigate all potential impacts of the management actions.

Final EISs

    ERP No. F-AFS-K65249-CA, Stream Fire Restoration Project, 
Implementation, Plumas National Forest, Mt. Hough Ranger District, 
Plumas County, CA.
    Summary: No formal comment letter was sent to the preparing agency.
    ERP No. F-BLM-K61155-CA, Imperial Sand Dunes Recreation Area 
Management Plan Revision and Update and Amendment to the California 
Desert Conservation Area Plan, Implementation, Imperial County, CA.
    Summary: No formal comment letter was sent to the preparing agency.
    ERP No. F-COE-G39036-TX, North Padre Island Storm Damage Reduction 
and Environmental Restoration Project, Construction of a Channel 
between the Laquna Madre and the Gulf of Mexico across North Padre 
Island referred to as Packery Channel Project, Nueces County, TX.
    Summary: EPA had no objections to the proposed action.
    ERP No. F-DOE-L08055-WA, Kangley--Echo Lake Transmission Line 
Project, New 500-kilovolt (kV) Transmission Line Construction, U.S. 
Army COE Section 10 and 404 Permits Issuance, King County, WA.
    Summary: No formal comment letter was sent to the preparing agency.
    ERP No. F-DOE-L08063-WA, Plymouth Generating Facility, Construction 
and Operation of a 307-megawatt (MW) Natural Gas-Fired Combined Cycle 
Power Generation Facility on a 44.5 Acre Site, Conditional Use/Special 
Use Permit Issuance, Benton County, WA.
    Summary: EPA continues to have environmental concerns with the lack 
of a comprehensive air quality cumulative effects analysis.
    ERP No. F-FHW-K40253-CA, Riverside County Integrated Project, 
Winchester to Temecula Corridor, Construction of a New Multi-Modal 
Transportation Facility, Route Location and Right-of-Way Preservation, 
Riverside County, CA.
    Summary: EPA has environmental concerns regarding the preferred 
alternative's contribution to habitat fragmentation, and impacts to 
endangered species, waters of the United States, water quality and air 
quality. EPA requests clarifications in the Record of Decision, and 
commitments that these key issues be addressed in the Tier 2 project 
level evaluation.
    ERP No. F-USN-K11107-CA, Naval Station Treasure Island Disposal and 
Reuse Property, Implementation, Local Redevelopment Authority (LRA), 
City of San Francisco, San Francisco County, CA.
    Summary: No formal comment letter was sent to the preparing agency.
    ERP No. FS-COE-G39002-00, Red River Chloride Control Project, 
Authorization to Reduce the Natural Occurring Levels of Chloride in the 
Wichita River Portion Only, North, Middle and South Forks, Wichita 
River and Red River, Implementation, Tulsa District, Wichita County, 
TX.
    Summary: EPA had no objections to the preferred alternative.
    ERP No. FS-UAF-K11076-00, Airborne Laser (ABL) Program, Conducting 
Test Activities at Kirtland Air Force Base (AFB) and White Sands 
Missile Range/Holloman AFB, New Mexico; and Edwards AFB and Vandenberg 
AFB, California, NM and CA.
    Summary: No formal comment letter was sent to the preparing agency.

    Dated: August 19, 2003.
Joseph C. Montgomery,
Director, NEPA Compliance Division, Office of Federal Activities.
[FR Doc. 03-21601 Filed 8-21-03; 8:45 am]
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