[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 131 (Friday, July 9, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Page 41475]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 04-15620]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[ER-FRL-6653-5]


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 2, 2004 (69 FR 17403).

Draft EISs

    ERP No. D-AFS-L65455-ID Rating EC2, Clearwater National Forest, 
Proposes to Approve Plans-of-Operation for Small-Scale Suction Dredging 
in Lolo Creek and Moose Creek, Clearwater National Forest, North Fork 
Ranger District, Clearwater and Idaho Counties, ID.
    Summary: EPA expressed concern due to water quality impacts related 
to suction dredge operations. EPA recommends that the final EIS discuss 
the proposed 303(d) listing of Lolo Creek and how this will affect 
management of the project area.
    ERP No. D-FTA-K53010-CA Rating EC2, Gold Line Phase II--Pasadena to 
Montclair--Foothill Extension, To Address Transportation Problems and 
Deficiencies, Cities of Pasadena, Arcadia, Monrovia, Durate, Irwindale, 
Azusa, Glendora, San Dimas, La Verne, Pomona and Claremont in Los 
Angeles County and Cities of Montclair and Upland in San Bernardino 
County, CA.
    Summary: EPA expressed environmental concerns regarding impacts to 
air quality, waters of the U.S., biological resources, and hazardous 
materials management. EPA recommends additional information in the FEIS 
regarding these resources.
    ERP No. D-NPS-K61159-CA Rating LO, Sequoia and Kings Canyon 
National Parks, Middle and South Forks of the Kings River and North 
Fork of the Kern River, General Management Plan, Tulare and Fresno 
Counties, CA.
    Summary: EPA expressed a lack of objections to the project, but 
suggested additional information in the FEIS regarding expansion of the 
parks' shuttle system, air quality standards, and stock use mitigation 
measures.

Final EISs

    ERP No. F-AFS-F65040-WI, Programmatic EIS--Cheguamegon-Nicolet 
National Forests Revised Land and Resource Management Plan, 
Implementation, Ashland, Bayfield, Florence, Forest, Langlade, Oconto, 
Oneida, Price, Sawyer, Taylor and Vilas Counties, CA.
    Summary: EPA's previous comments were addressed in the Final EIS. 
Therefore, EPA has no objection to the proposed action.
    ERP No. F-AFS-H65015-NB, Pine Ridge Geographic Area Rangeland 
Allotment Management Planning, To Permit Livestock Grazing on 34 
Allotments, Nebraska National Forest, Pine Ridge Ranger District, Dawes 
and Sioux Counties, NB.
    Summary: EPA's concerns identified in the Draft EIS were addressed 
in the Final EIS. Therefore, EPA was no objection to the proposed 
action.
    ERP No. F-AFS-J65394-MT, 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 protect the Basin Creek municipal 
watershed for the City of Butte, and to reduce hazardous fuels and fire 
risk. However, given concerns with the potential impacts to water 
quality EPA stressed the need to avoid impacts to water quality in the 
municipal watershed during hazardous fuel reduction treatments.
    ERP No. F-IBR-L39059-WA, Banks Lake Drawdown Project, Proposal to 
Lower the Water Surface Elevation from 1565 feet to 1560 feet in August 
of each year, Columbia River, Douglas and Grant Counties, WA.
    Summary: No formal comment letter was sent to the preparing agency.
    ERP No. F-NPS-K65244-CA, Yosemite Fire Management Plan, Alternative 
for Carrying out the Fire Management Program, Implementation, Yosemite 
National Park, Sierra Nevada, Mariposa, Tuolumne, Madera and Mono 
Counties, CA.
    Summary: EPA expressed a lack of objections to the project. 
However, as the project area was recently redesignated as nonattainment 
for the new eight-hour ozone national ambient air quality standard, EPA 
recommends that the ROD reflect the need to meet conformity 
requirements at 40 CFR 93.150-93.160 after June 15, 2005.
    ERP No. FR-BLM-G70005-NM, Sierra and Otero Counties Resource 
Management Plan Amendment and Federal Fluid Minerals Leasing and 
Development, Additional Information to Improve the Public Understanding 
of the Proposed Plan, Implementation, Sierra and Otero Counties, NM.
    Summary: No formal comment letter was sent to the preparing agency.

    Dated: July 6, 2004.
Ken Mittelholtz,
Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Federal Activities.
[FR Doc. 04-15620 Filed 7-8-04; 8:45 am]
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