[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 234 (Friday, December 5, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Pages 68037-68038]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-30274]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[ER-FRL-6646-2]


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

Draft EISs

    ERP No. D-AFS-F65044-MI Rating EC1, Baltimore Vegetative Management 
Project, implementation, Ottawa National Forest, Ontonagon Ranger 
District, Ontonagon County, MI.
    Summary: EPA expressed environmental concerns with potential 
impacts to riparian areas and to the complexity of forest structure 
from fragmentation, management of early successional species and the 
control of invasives. The final EIS should address impacts from 
dispersed recreation to soil and water resources. EPA offered several 
suggested modifications the preferred alternative.
    ERP No. D-AFS-J65391-WY Rating EC1, Blackhall-McAnulty Analysis 
Area, proposal to reduce the spread of Dwarf Mistletoe and Mountain 
Pine Beetle in Lodgepole Pine stands, Brush Creek/Hayden Ranger 
District, Medicine Bow-Routt National Forests and Thunder Basin 
National Grassland, Carbon County, WY.
    Summary: EPA expressed environmental concerns with potential 
impacts to aquatic systems and resources, terrestrial habitat and 
soils.
    ERP No. D-AFS-L65434-WA Rating EC1, Crupina Integrated Weed 
Management Project, control and eradication of Crupina, implementation, 
Okanogan and Wenatchee National Forests, Chelan Ranger District, Chelan 
County, WA.
    Summary: EPA has environmental concerns and recommends that the 
FEIS provide an improved discussion and definition of suitable habitat 
for Crupina vulgaris, disclosure of Lake Chelan's potential role as a 
vector, and improve the document's cartographic information.
    ERP No. D-BLM-K08027-NV Rating EC2, Tracy to Silver Lake 
Transmission Line Project, construction, operation and maintenance of a 
120kV transmission line from Tracy Power Plant to new substations in 
the Spanish Spring Valley and Stead Areas, right-of-way application, 
Washoe County, NV.
    Summary: EPA expressed environmental concerns with potential 
impacts to water quality, especially wetlands and aquatic resources, 
and air quality. The final EIS should adequate assess all 
jurisdictional waters, discuss minimization of impacts and mitigation 
if needed, as well as conformity and cumulative impacts to air quality.
    ERP No. D-FHW-F40416-00 Rating EC2, US 24 Transportation 
Improvements Project, I-469 in New Haven, Indiana to OH-15 in Defiance, 
OH, funding, NPDES permit and U.S. Army COE section 404 permit, 
Westernmost and Allen Counties, IN and Paulding and Defiance Counties, 
OH.
    Summary: EPA has environmental concerns with the proposed project 
related to wetlands impacts and the need for more information on 
wetlands mitigation, and the impacts of runoff from roadways.
    ERP No. D-IBR-K65259-CA Rating EC2, Pajaro Valley Water Management 
Agency (PVWMA) Revised Basin Management Plan Project, connection of 
PVWMA pipeline to the Santa Clara conduit of the Central Valley Project 
(CVP), Santa Cruz, Monterey and San Berito Counties, CA.
    Summary: EPA expressed environmental concerns regarding the 
potential cumulative impacts to water quality and supply associated 
with this project and related projects in Pajaro Valley. EPA requested 
additional information related to water quality impacts, alternatives 
analysis, water conservation commitments, and environmental justice 
impacts.

Final EISs

    ERP No. F-AFS-L65428-ID, Twin Creek Timber Sale Project, proposal 
to

[[Page 68038]]

cut and remove Lodgepole Pine sawtimber and road construction/
reconstruction, Montpelier Ranger District, Caribou National Forest, 
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers permit, Bear Lake County, ID.
    Summary: No formal comment letter was sent to the preparing agency.
    ERP No. F-BLM-J65374-WY, Snake River Resource Management Plan, BLM-
administrated public land and resources allocation and management, 
Snake River, Jackson Hole, Teton County, WY.
    Summary: EPA supports BLM's decision to select the preferred 
alternative to transfer ownership of BLM-administered lands to other 
agencies. While this alternative has potential for minimal impacts to 
the environment, it contains uncertainties regarding the impacts to 
riparian areas and achieving management goals under future land-
transfer agreements.
    ERP No. F-BLM-K65241-CA, Headwaters Forest Reserve, Implementation 
Resource Management Plan, long-term management plan and planning 
framework, located in the northwestern Coast Ranges near Humboldt Bay 
in Humboldt County, CA.
    Summary: EPA expressed no objection to the proposed project.
    ERP No. F-COE-E39061-MS, Royal D'Iberville Hotel and Casino 
Development Project, construction and operation, U.S. Army COE section 
10 and 404 and NPDES permits issuance, City of D'Iberville on the Back 
Bay, Mississippi Gulf Coast, Harrison County, MS.
    Summary: EPA has no significant environmental concerns regarding 
construction of this casino hotel complex if the mitigation is 
performed as noted.
    ERP No. F-COE-G35022-TX, Gulf Intracoastal Waterway in the Laguna 
Madre, maintenance dredging from the JFK Causeway to the Old Queen 
Isabella Causeway, Nueces, Kleberg, Kenedy, Willacy and Cameron County, 
TX.
    Summary: No formal comment letter was sent to the preparing agency.
    ERP No. F-FAA-C51022-NJ, Atlantic City International Airport, air 
service improvements, economic development and efficiency and safety 
enhancements, airport layout plan approval, Atlantic County, NJ.
    Summary: EPA has no concerns with the implementation of the 
proposed project.
    ERP No. F-NRS-G36165-OK, Cavalry Creek Watershed supplemental plan 
for Floodwater Retarding Structure No. 6, Washita River Basin, Washita 
County, OK.
    Summary: No formal comment letter was sent to the preparing agency.

    Dated: December 2, 2003.
Joseph C. Montgomery,
Director, NEPA Compliance Division, Office of Federal Activities.
[FR Doc. 03-30274 Filed 12-4-03; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P