[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 244 (Friday, December 19, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Pages 70794-70795]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-31352]


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Environmental Protection Agency

[ER-FRL-6646-7]


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.

Draft EISs

    ERP No. D-AFS-J65392-MT Rating EC2, Helena National Forest Noxious 
Weed Treatment Project, Implementation, Lewis and Clark, Powell, 
Jefferson, Broadwater and Meagher Counties, MT.
    Summary: EPA supports integrated weed management to control noxious 
weeds. However, EPA expressed environmental concerns regarding adequate 
protection measures to reduce herbicide transport to surface and ground 
water and to protect public health. The final EIS should address those 
issues and include monitoring in selected watersheds.
    ERP No. D-AFS-J65394-MT Rating EC2, Basin Creek and Blacktail 
Hazardous Watershed Fuels Reduction Project, Implementation, Highland 
Mountains, Butte Ranger District, Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest, 
Butte-Silver Bow County, MT.
    Summary: EPA supports the need to reduce hazardous fuels and 
firerisk and protect the Basin Creek Municipal watershed for the City 
of Butte. However, EPA expressed environmental concerns with potential 
adverse impacts to threatened lynx.
    ERP No. D-AFS-L65433-OR Rating EC2, North Fork Burnt River Mining 
Project, Proposal for Mineral Plans of Operation, Implementation, 
Wallowa-Whitman National Forest, Unity Ranger District, Whitman Unit, 
Blue Mountains, Town of Unity, Baker County, OR.
    Summary: EPA expressed environmental concerns regarding impacts 
from the proposed action on water quality. Mining activities may 
contribute to increased temperature and sediment on 303(d) listed 
streams and may result in additional impaired water bodies. EPA 
recommends that the EIS explain how water quality will be protected and 
improved. Also, the Plan of Operation should be amended to include any 
future Total Maximum Daily Load requirements if applicable.
    ERP No. D-AFS-L65439-OR Rating EC2, Monument Fire Recovery Project, 
Whitman Unit--Wallowa--Whitman National Forest (WWNF) Timber Harvest of 
Fire Killed/Dying Trees, Reforestation, Recovery of Herbaceous, Native 
Vegetation and Maintenance or Improvement of Water Quality, 
Implementation, Baker County, OR.
    Summary: EPA expressed environmental concerns with potential 
adverse impacts to water quality and suggests the Final EIS include 
mitigation measures and identify water quality limited waterbodies in 
the project area. EPA also expressed concerns with adverse impacts to 
habitat for primary cavity excavator bird species from harvest 
activities.
    ERP No. D-BLM-L65422-00 Rating EO2, Upper Klamath River Management 
Plan, Resource Management Plan Amendments, Implementation, Upper 
Klamath River stretch between Lake Ewauna, OR, south to Irongate Dam in 
CA.
    Summary: EPA expressed environmental objections with alternatives 
that will not meet water quality standards, and may adversely impact 
threatened and endangered species. The final EIS should fully disclose 
impacts to wetlands, provide additional information on consultation 
with Native American tribes and fully assess potential environmental 
justice impacts. EPA requested that the final evaluate an alternative 
that meets water quality standards.
    ERP No. D-FHW-F40417-WI Rating EC2, WI-83 Highway Improvements, 
County NN in Mukwonago to WI-16 in Hartland, Funding and U.S. Army COE 
Section 404 Permit Issuance, Waukesha County, WI.
    Summary: EPA has identified environmental concerns with the 
proposed project relating to impacts on trout habitat, Scuppernong 
Creek, Blanding's Turtle and air quality. EPA is also concerned about 
the adequacy of the information in the DEIS regarding wetlands.
    ERP No. D-NOA-E91014-00 Rating EC2, Generic Essential Fish Habitat 
Amendment to the Fishery Management Plans of the Gulf of Mexico (GOM) 
for Shrimp, Red Drum, Reef Fish, Stone Crab, Coral and Coral Reef, 
Spiny Lobster Fisheries of the GOM and South Atlantic Coastal Migratory 
Pelagic Resources of the Gulf of Mexico and South Atlantic.
    Summary: EPA expressed environmental concern that the preferred 
alternative did not protect regions which comprise the bulk of the EFH 
habitats within the 100 fathom isobath. EPA believes that the proposed 
action would be substantially improved if marine protected areas, 
habitat/reef creation and rotational strategies were considered as EFH 
management measures.
    ERP No. D-USN-K11112-CA Rating EC2, Tertiary Treatment Plant and 
Associated Facilities Construction and Operation, Implementation, 
Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, San Diego County, CA.

[[Page 70795]]

    Summary: EPA raised environmental concerns that the Proposed Action 
did not incorporate ground water recharge or reuse/treatment wetland 
components, which could benefit the Santa Margarita River and its 
riparian ecosystem. EPA raised concerns that potentially feasible 
mitigation may not be presented because impacts are not significant, 
and that no mitigation is proposed for solid waste generated by the 
project, including demolition waste. EPA requested a discussion of 
whether polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are present in materials at 
sewage treatment plants proposed for demolition.
    ERP No. DB-NOA-B91021-00 Rating EC1, Northeast Multispecies Fishery 
Management Plan, Amendment 13, New Information concerning Management 
Alternatives and Impact Analysis, Adoption, Approval and 
Implementation, New England Management Council, ME, HH, VT, MA, RI, CT, 
NY, NJ, DE, MD, VA and NC.
    Summary: EPA had environmental concerns that the document lacks 
information regarding alternatives selection and recommended additional 
information on possible essential fish habitat area closures.
    ERP No. DF-NOA-L64015-AK Rating EC1, Programmatic EIS--Alaska 
Groundfish Fisheries, New Information concerning the Ecosystem and a 
Preferred Alternative, Fishery Management Plans for the Groundfish 
Fishery of the Gulf of Alaska and the Groundfish of the Bering Sea and 
Aleutian Islands Area, North Pacific Fishery Management Council, AK.
    Summary: EPA expressed concerns regarding impacts to essential fish 
habitat and Steller sea lions and the need for clarification on the 
relationship between Magnuson-Stevens Act, the Fisheries Council and 
NEPA.
    ERP No. D1-AFS-E65031-KY Rating EC1, Gray Mountain Coal Lease Land 
Use Analysis, Application for Leasing Tracts 3094Bb, 3049Be and 3049Az, 
Daniel Boone National Forest, Leslie County, KY.
    Summary: EPA has environmental concerns with potential adverse 
impacts to water quality from the proposed coal lease, and other 
connected actions related to mining activities such as subsidence, 
erosion and sedimentation.

Final EISs

    ERP No. F-AFS-K65255-CA Spalding Land Exchange Project, Proposed 
Land Exchange between Spalding Community Service District (SCSD) and 
Lassen National Forest (LNF), Special Use Permit, Lassen County, CA.
    Summary: No formal comment letter was sent to the preparing agency.
    ERP No. F-NOA-E91009-00 Dolphin and Wahoo Fishery Management Plan, 
Establishing Fishery Management Units, Stock Status Determination and 
Harvesting Restrictions, Initial Regulatory Flexibility Analysis, South 
Atlantic, Caribbean, and Gulf of Mexico.
    Summary: While EPA has no objection to this proposed action, EPA 
believes the future NOAA EISs should further streamline the NEPA 
process in areas such as alternatives and the referencing of 
modifications to the draft EIS.

    Dated: December 16, 2003.
Joseph C. Montgomery,
Director, NEPA Compliance Division, Office of Federal Activities.
[FR Doc. 03-31352 Filed 12-18-03; 8:45 am]
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