[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 52 (Friday, March 18, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Pages 13190-13191]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 05-5418]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[ER-FRL-6661-6]


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) 564-7146. 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-G65097-NM Rating LO, Tajique Watershed Restoration 
Project, Proposes Fuel Reduction and Restore Forest Health, Cibola 
National Forest, Torraine County, NM.
    Summary: EPA expressed lack of objections to the preferred 
alternative.
    ERP No. D-NPS-G02014-TX Rating EC2, Big Thicket National Preserve 
Oil and Gas Management Plan, Implementation, Hardin, Jefferson, Orange, 
Liberty, Tyler, Jasper and Polk Counties, TX.
    Summary: EPA expressed environmental concerns with impacts to 
jurisdictional wetlands and requests additional information on the 
delineation of these wetlands be incorporated in the Final EIS.

Final EISs

    ERP No. F-AFS-J65402-WY, 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 continued to express concerns with potential adverse 
impacts to water quality and riparian zones from livestock grazing and 
recreation. EPA's request for additional evaluation, disclosure, and 
mitigation in the Final EIS and recommendation to eliminate grazing 
impacts near important aquatic resources were not addressed.
    ERP No. F-AFS-L65405-AK, Shoreline Outfitter/Guide Plan, Commercial 
Permits Issuance for Shoreline-Based Activities on National Forest 
System Lands, Admiralty Island National Monument, Hoonah, Sitka and 
Juneau Ranger Districts, Tongass National Forest, AK.
    Summary: No formal comment letter was sent to the preparing agency.
    ERP No. F-FHW-C40158-NY, Slingerlands Bypass Extension (NYS Route 
85) (P.I.N. 1125.19) Route 140 (Cherry Avenue Extension) to the Albany 
City Line, Reconstruction Town of Bethlehem, Albany County, NY.
    Summary: EPA continues to have environmental concerns with the 
preferred alternative regarding the adequacy of mitigation for impacts 
to forested wetlands.
    ERP No. F-FHW-F40419-MN, MN-371 North Improvement Project, 
Reconstruction from the intersection of Crow Wing County Road 18 in 
Nisswa to the Intersection of Cass County Road 42 in Pine River, 
Funding, NPDES Permit, and U.S. Army COE Section 404 Permit Issuance, 
Crow Wing and Cass Counties, MN.
    Summary: EPA has no objection to the action as proposed since 
previous comments were adequately addressed. Wetland mitigation issues 
will be pursued as part of the CWA Section 404 permit review.
    ERP No. F-NIH-G84000-TX, Galveston National Laboratory for 
Biodefense and Emerging Infectious Diseases Research Facility at the 
University of Texas Medical Branch, Construction, Partial Funding, 
Grant, Galveston, TX.
    Summary: No formal comment letter was sent to the preparing agency.
    ERP No. F-NRC-E09809-SC, Savannah River Site Construction and 
Operation of a Mixed Oxide (MOX) Fuel Fabrication Facility, NUREG-1767, 
Aiken, Barnwell and Allendale Counties, SC.
    Summary: EPA continues to have environmental concerns about the 
project regarding the hazardous and radioactive wastes associated with 
the exhaust that will be generated during operation of the proposed 
facility. However, EPA acknowledges that NRC will address related air 
emissions issues during the Clean Air Act permitting process.
    ERP No. F-SFW-L64050-00, Caspian Tern (sterna caspia) Management to 
Reduce Predation of Juvenile Salmonids in the Columbia River Estuary, 
To Comply with the 2002 Settlement Agreement, Endangered Species Act 
(ESA), Columbia River, WA, OR, ID and CA.
    Summary: EPA's concerns associated with tern consumption of ESA-
listed Salmonids, alternative nesting sites and water quality impacts 
were addressed in the Final EIS. However, EPA continued to express 
concerns over whether the proposed relocation of terns to newly

[[Page 13191]]

created nesting sites would be successful.
    ERP No. F-UAF-G11045-TX, Relocation of the C-5 Formal Training Unit 
from Altus Air Force Base, Oklahoma to Lackland Air Force Base, Bexar 
County, TX.
    Summary: No formal comment letter was sent to the preparing agency.
    ERP No. F-USA-G11044-00, Fort Bliss, Texas Proposed Leasing of 
Lands, Proposed Siting, Construction and Operation, by the City of EL 
Paso of a Brackish Water Desalination Plant and Support Facilities, EL 
Paso Water Utilities (EPWU), City of EL Paso, TX and New Mexico.
    Summary: No formal comment letter was sent to the preparing agency.

    Dated: March 15, 2005.
B. Katherine Biggs,
Associate Director, Office of Federal Activities.
[FR Doc. 05-5418 Filed 3-17-05; 8:45 am]
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