[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 118 (Monday, June 21, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Page 34388]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 04-13914]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service


Notice of Availability, Draft Restoration Plan and Environmental 
Assessment

AGENCY: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Department of the Interior.

ACTION: Notice of availability.

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SUMMARY: The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), on behalf of the 
Department of the Interior (DOI) and the State of Vermont, announces 
the release for public review of the draft Restoration Plan and 
Environmental Assessment (RP/EA) for the Burgess Brothers, Inc. and 
Tansitor Electronics, Inc. Superfund Sites. The RP/EA describes the 
Trustees' proposal to restore natural resources injured as a result of 
the release of hazardous substances from the Sites.

DATES: Written comments must be submitted on or before June 30, 2004.

ADDRESSES: Requests for copies of the RP/EA may be made to: U.S. Fish 
and Wildlife Service, New England Field Office, 70 Commercial Street, 
Suite 300, Concord, New Hampshire 03301.
    Written comments or materials regarding the RP/EA should be sent to 
the same address.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Kenneth Munney or Molly B. Sperduto, 
Environmental Contaminants Program, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 70 
Commercial Street, Suite 300, Concord, New Hampshire 03301.
    Interested parties may also call 603-223-2541 for further 
information.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Burgess Brothers, Inc. and the Tansitor 
Electronics Inc. Superfund Sites are located in the Hoosic River 
drainage in Bennington and Woodford, Vermont. Hazardous waste products 
from the manufacture of batteries, primarily lead sludge, and other 
refuse were deposited at the Burgess Site until 1976. Contamination, 
erosion and remedial activities resulted in the permanent destruction 
of approximately 0.6 acres of palustrine emergent and forested wetland 
habitat. In 1999, the United States of America and the State of Vermont 
settled claims for natural resource damages associated with the Burgess 
Site under the authority of the Comprehensive Environmental Response, 
Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) of 1980.
    At the Tansitor Site, approximately 1,100 feet of stream were 
contaminated with silver and other metals due to waste disposal 
activities. In 1998, the United States of America and the State of 
Vermont settled claims for natural resource damages associated with the 
Tansitor Site.
    Settlement proceeds from the two Superfund Sites will be used to 
compensate for loss of natural resources under trusteeship of the DOI 
and the State of Vermont. A combined restoration initiative is proposed 
to allow for a larger, more effective and meaningful resource 
restoration.
    The RP/EA is being released in accordance with the CERCLA of 1980 
as amended, commonly known as Superfund, (42 U.S.C. 9601 et seq.), the 
Natural Resource Damage Assessment Regulations found at 43 CFR, part 
11, and the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). It is intended to 
describe the Trustees' proposals to restore natural resources injured 
at the Sites and evaluate the potential impacts of each.
    The RP/EA describes a number of habitat restoration and protection 
alternatives and discusses the environmental consequences of each. 
Restoration efforts which have the greatest potential to restore 
wetlands and streams and the services those resources provide to 
wildlife are preferred. Based on an evaluation of the various 
restoration alternatives, the restoration of degraded wetland and 
upland habitat at an inactive gravel pit is proposed. This alternative 
maximizes the benefit to wildlife, restoring approximately 2 acres of 
wetlands and associated downstream habitat and at least 7 acres of 
upland grassland habitat.
    Interested members of the public are invited to review and comment 
on the RP/EA. Copies of the RP/EA are available for review at the 
Service's New England Field Office in Concord, New Hampshire (70 
Commercial Street, Suite 300, Concord, New Hampshire). Additionally, 
the RP/EA will be available for review at the Service's Web site 
(http://northeast.fws.gov/nh/neforevi.html) and at the Bennington Free 
Library. Written comments will be considered and addressed in the final 
RP/EA at the conclusion of the restoration planning process.
    Author: The primary author of this notice is Molly Sperduto, U.S. 
Fish and Wildlife Service, New England Field Office, 70 Commercial 
Street, Suite 300, Concord, New Hampshire 03301.

    Authority: The authority for this action is the CERCLA of 1980 
as amended, commonly known as Superfund, (42 U.S.C. 9601 et seq.), 
and the Natural Resource Damage Assessment Regulations found at 43 
CFR, part 11.

    Dated: May 28, 2004.
Marvin E. Moriarty,
Regional Director, Region 5, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. 
Department of the Interior.
[FR Doc. 04-13914 Filed 6-18-04; 8:45 am]
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