[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 59 (Friday, March 26, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Pages 15828-15829]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 04-6850]


=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[ER-FRL-6649-7]


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. 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-D65029-PA Rating LO, Spring Creek Project Area 
(SCPA), To Achieve and Maintain Desired Conditions, Allegheny National 
Forest, Marienville Ranger District, Elk and Forest Counties, PA.
    Summary: EPA expressed lack of objections with the proposed action 
which combines the Preferred Alternative and implementing all the 
recreation proposals in Alternative 2.
    ERP No. D-AFS-J65402-WY Rating EC2, Tongue Allotment Management 
Plan, Proposal to Continue Livestock Grazing on All or Portions of the 
22 Allotment, Bighorn National Forest, Tongue and Medicine Wheel/
Paintrock Ranger Districts, Johnson, Sheridan and Bighorn Counties, WY.
    Summary: EPA expressed environmental concerns with continuing 
adverse impacts to water quality from livestock grazing and recreation. 
Especially impacts to streams and riparian zones from physical 
disturbance, fecal coliform and other bacteria in streams, and other 
waterbodies and limited resource to manage recreation and livestock 
activities.
    ERP No. D-AFS-L65447-ID Rating LO, EastBridge Cattle Allotment 
Management Plan Revision (AMP), Authorization of Continued Grazing, 
Caribou-Targhee National Forest, Soda Springs Ranger District, Caribou 
and Bonneville Counties, ID and Lincoln County, WY.
    Summary: EPA used a screening tool to conduct a limited review of 
the draft EIS and based upon the screen, does not foresee having any 
environmental objections to the proposed project.
    ERP No. D-NAS-E12006-FL Rating LO, International Space Research 
Park (ISRP) to Bring New Research and Development Uses to the John F. 
Kennedy Center, Brevard County, FL.
    Summary: EPA has no objections to the proposed research center.
    ERP No. D-SFW-K39083-CA Rating EC2, South Bay Salt Ponds Initial 
Stewardship Plan, To Maintain and Enhance the Biological and Physical 
Conditions, South San Francisco Bay, CA.
    Summary: EPA expressed environmental concerns about how conclusions 
were reached regarding air emissions and environmental justice impacts. 
Concerns were also expressed about the hydraulic models, monitoring 
plan development, the alternatives

[[Page 15829]]

analysis, and Spartina alterniflora eradication. EPA requested that the 
final EIS clarify or provide additional information to address these 
concerns.
    ERP No. D-UAF-D52001-WV Rating EC2, Aircraft Conversion for the 
167th Air Wing (167 AW) of the West Virginia Air National Guard, 
Converting C-13OH Transport Aircraft to the Larges C-5 Transport 
Aircraft, Acquisition of Land via Lease, and Construction of Facilities 
on existing and acquired Parcel, Berkeley County, WV.
    Summary: EPA expressed concern related to aircraft noise impacts, 
land use specific to runway protection zones affecting residences, 
agricultural land/undeveloped areas and aviation safety resulting from 
the closure of Runway 17/35. EPA requested additional information to 
fully assess the impacts associated with the proposed action and its 
relationship to the surrounding community and the function of the 
airport.
    ERP No. D-USN-E11051-MS Rating LO, Purchase of Land in Hancock 
County, Mississippi, for a Naval Special Operations Forces Training 
Range, To Improve Riverine and Jungle Training Available, John C. 
Stennis Space Center, Hancock County, MS.
    Summary: EPA has no environmental objections to the proposed land 
purchase.
    ERP No. DS-NOA-K91008-00 Rating LO, Pelagic Fisheries of the 
Western Pacific Region, Fishery Management Plan, Regulatory Amendment, 
Management Measures to Implement New Technologies for the Western 
Pacific Pelagic Longline Fisheries, Hawaii, American Samoa, Guam and 
Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas Islands.
    Summary: While EPA has no objection to the proposed project, EPA 
requested clarification on upcoming management measures for FMP and on 
NMFS's consultation under section 7 of the Endangered Species Act.

Final EISs

    ERP No. F-AFS-E65064-AL, Alabama National Forests Revised Land and 
Resource Management Plan, Implementation, Bankhead National Forest, 
Lawrence, Winston and Franklin Counties, AL.
    Summary: EPA continues to express concerns about designation of 
source water protection areas and provided additional comments on 
strengthening forest-wide standards related to protection of water 
quality.
    ERP No. F-AFS-K65247-CA, Giant Sequoia National Monument Management 
Plan, Implementation, Establishment of Management Directions for Land 
and Resources, Sequoia National Forest, Fresno, Kern and Tulane 
Counties, CA.
    Summary: EPA expressed continuing concerns regarding the changes in 
guideline for management of sequoia groves and old forest ecosystems, 
the deferral of addressing road impacts in the Monument, and the 
selection of the alternative that offers less specific environmental 
protections, especially in reference to habitat fragmentation road 
decommissioning target and reducing sedimentation.
    ERP No. F-COME-F36164-IL, Programmatic EIS--East St. Louis and 
Vicinity, Illinois Ecosystem Restoration and Flood Damage Reduction 
Project, Implementation, Madison and St. Clair Counties, IL.
    Summary: EPA has no objection to this multi-objective ecological 
restoration and flood control project which will take a tiered approach 
to test and implement upland sediment control measures in order to 
protect the viability of lowland ecological restoration in the flood 
zone.
    ERP No. F-DOE-C22003-NY, West Valley Demonstration Project, Waste 
Management, Onsite Management and Offsite Transportation of Radioactive 
Waste, West Valley, Cattaraugus County, NY.
    Summary: No formal comment letter was sent to the preparing agency.
    ERP No. F-FHW-F40412-OH, 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: While EPA has no objections with the preferred 
alternative, EPA did request clarification of indirect wetland impacts, 
monitoring/mitigation, and habitat specifics for the Indiana Bat be 
included in the ROD.
    ERP No. F-FRC-E03011-FL, Tractebel Calypso Pipeline Project, 
Natural Gas Transportation Service for 832,000 dekatherms/day to South 
Florida, Construction and Operation, Right-of-Way Grant and U.S. Army 
COME Section 10 and 404 Permits Issuance, Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) 
with the Bahamas, Fort Lauderdale, Broward County, FL.
    Summary: EPA's remaining concerns include (1) whether the proposed 
Calypso and Ocean Express pipelines could be combined into one single 
alignment to reduce potential environmental impacts, (2) the success 
potential of the proposed Horizontal Directional Drilling techniques, 
(3) qualification of deepwater impacts, and (4) the turbidity threshold 
proposed for this project.
    ERP No. F-NPS-C61055-NJ, Morristown National Historical Park 
General Management Plan, Implementation, Morris and Somerset Counties, 
NJ.
    Summary: No formal comment letter was sent to the preparing agency.
    ERP No. F-SFW-K91011-CA, Programmatic EIS--San Francisco Estuary 
Invasive Spartina Project, Spartina Control Program to Preserve and 
Restore Ecological Integrity of the Estuary's Intertidal Habitats, 
Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, Napa, San Francisco and San Mateo, CA.
    Summary: EPA's previous concerns have been addressed, therefore EPA 
has no objections to the action as proposed.
    ERP No. FS-AFS-L65232-OR Deep Vegetation Management Project, 
Implementation, Selected Preferred Alternative is C, Ochoo National 
Forest, Paulina Ranger District, Crook and Wheeler Counties, OR.
    Summary: No formal comment letter was sent to the preparing agency.

    Dated: March 23, 2004.
Ken Mittelholtz,
Environmental Protection Specialist, Office of Federal Activities.
[FR Doc. 04-6850 Filed 3-25-04; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P