[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 89 (Friday, May 7, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Pages 25573-25574]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 04-10452]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[ER-FRL-6651-1]


Environmental Impact Statements and Regulations; Availability of 
EPA Comments

    Availability of EPA comments prepared pursuant to the Environmental 
ReviewProcess (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 2, 2004 (69 FR 17403).

Draft EISs

    ERP No. D-AFS-J65404-UT Rating EC2, Trout Slope West Timber 
Project, Harvesting Timber, Ashley National Forest, Vernal Ranger 
District, Uintah County, UT.
    Summary: EPA expressed environmental concerns regarding direct and 
cumulative impacts to aquatic and terrestrial resources in the project 
area.
    ERP No. D-AFS-J65406-MT Rating EC2, West Troy Project, Proposes 
Timber Harvesting, Natural Fuels Reduction Treatments, Pre-Commercial 
Thining, and Watershed Rehabilitation (Decommissioning) Work, Kootenai 
National Forest, Three River Ranger District, Lincoln County, MT.
    Summary: While EPA supports the project purpose and need to manage 
vegetation for a fire-adapted ecosystem, EPA expressed concerns that 
necessary watershed restoration actions do not have guaranteed funding.
    ERP No. D-AFS-J65409-MT Rating EC2, Lower Big Creek Project, To 
Implement Timber Harvest and Prescribed Burning, Kootenai National 
Forest Plan, Rexford Ranger District, Lincoln County, MT.
    Summary: EPA expressed environmental concerns regarding impacts to 
water quality from potential sediment production and transport 
associated with tractor logging and associated road reconstruction. EPA 
also expressed concerns that there may not be adequate funding to 
implement road-related watershed restoration work.
    ERP No. D-FHW-G40180-TX Rating EC2, Grand Parkway (State Highway 
TX-99) Segment F-2 from TX-249 to Interstate Highway (IH) 45 
Construction of a New Location Facility, Right-of-Way Permit and U.S. 
Army COE Section 404 Permit, City of Houston, Harris County, TX.
    Summary: EPA expressed environmental concerns relating to wetlands 
impacts/mitigation and air quality impacts.
    ERP No. D-NOA-L91021-AK Rating EC2, Essential Fish Habitat 
Identification and Conservation, Implementation, North Pacific Fishery 
Management Council, Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and 
Management Act, AK.
    Summary: EPA expressed concerns for rescinding Habitat Areas of 
Particular Concern. EPA requested additional information on an 
ecosystem approach for identifying Essential Fish Habitat, the 
potential for increasing the Observer Program and Environmental 
Justice/Tribal Consultation.

Final EISs

    ERP No. F-AFS-J65268-CO, North Fork of the South Platte and the 
South Platte Rivers, Wild and Scenic River Study, ToDetermine their 
Suitability for Inclusion into the National Wild and Scenic Rivers 
System, Pike and San Isabel National Forests, Comache and Cimarron 
National Grasslands, Douglas, Jefferson, Park and Teller Counties, CO.
    Summary: EPA expressed environmental concerns and recommended that 
the lead agency add specific protections in the Record of Decision to 
preserve the ``free flowing'' character and other ``outstandingly 
remarkable values'' until Wild and

[[Page 25574]]

Scenic River designation decisions are made.
    ERP No. F-AFS-L65385-WA, Stimson Access Project, To Access their 
Private Property through National Forest System Lands, Idaho Panhandle 
National Forests, Priest Lake Ranger District, Pend Oreille County, WA.
    Summary: No formal comment letter was sent to the preparing agency.
    ERP No. F-AFS-L65437-OR, Toolbox Fire Recovery Project, Promote the 
Recovery of the Toolbox Complex Fires of July 2002, Fremont-Winema 
National Forest, Silver LakeRanger District, Lake County, OR.
    Summary: No formal comment letter was sent to the preparing agency.
    ERP No. F-COE-E39063-NC, Bogue Inlet Channel Erosion Response 
Project, Relocation of the Main Ebb Channel to Eliminate the Erosive 
Impact to the Town of Emerald Isle, Carteret and Onslow Counties, NC.
    Summary: EPA continues to have environmental concerns about the 
proposal to establish a given channel alignment and beach profile in a 
dynamic near shore ecosystem.
    ERP No. F-FHW-D40319-PA, Mon/Fayette Transportation Project, 
Improvements from PA-51 to I-376 in Monroeville and Pittsburg, Funding, 
U.S. Coast Guard Bridge Permit and USArmy COE Section 404 Permit 
Issuance, Allegheny County, PA.
    Summary: EPA continues to have environmental concerns relating to 
wetland impacts and open space habitat mitigation.
    ERP No. F-IBR-K39081-CA, Freeport Regional Water Project, To 
Construct and Operate a Water Supply Project to Meet Regional Water 
Supply Needs, Sacramento County Water Agency (SCWA) and the East Bay 
Municipal Utility District (EBMUD), Alameda, Contra Costa, San Joaquin, 
Sacramento Counties, CA.
    Summary: EPA expressed concerns regarding potential cumulative 
impacts to habitat, water quality, and water supply reliability. EPA 
requested additional information regarding the applicability of a Clean 
Water Act 404 Permit for impacts to wetlands.
    ERP No. F-USA-G11042-LA, 2nd Armored Cavalry Regiment 
Transformation and Installation Mission Support, Joint Readiness 
Training Center (JRTC) Stryker Brigade Combat Team, Long-Term Military 
Training Use of Kisatchie National Forest Lands, Fort Polk, LA.
    Summary: No formal comment letter was sent to the preparing agency.
    ERP No. F-USN-K11108-CA, China Lake Naval Air Weapons Station, 
Proposed Military Operational Increases and Implementation of 
Associated Comprehensive Land Use and Integrated Natural Resources 
Management Plans, Located on the North and South Ranges, Inyo, Kern and 
San Bernardino Counties, CA.
    Summary: No formal comment letter was sent to the preparing agency.
    ERP No. FS-NOA-K91008-00, 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 Mariana Island.
    Summary: EPA supports the objectives of the proposed amendments to 
the FMP for Pelagic Fisheries, and has no objections to the proposed 
project.

    Dated: May 4, 2004.
Ken Mittelholtz,
Environmental Protection Specialist, Office of Federal Activities.
[FR Doc. 04-10452 Filed 5-6-04; 8:45 am]
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