[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 67 (Friday, April 8, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Pages 17994-17995]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 05-7040]



[[Page 17994]]

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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[ER-FRL-6662-3]


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 1, 2005 (70 FR 16815).

Draft EISs

EIS No. 20040583, ERP No. D-BLM-J65433-WY, Rawlins Field Office 
Planning Area Resource Management Plan, Addresses the Comprehensive 
Analysis of Alternatives for the Planning and Management of Public Land 
and Resource Administered by (BLM), Albany, Carbon, Laramie, and 
Sweetwater Counties, WY.
    Summary: EPA expressed environmental concerns regarding potential 
impacts to ecosystem processes, air quality, water quality, and 
wildlife habitat. EPA requests that the Final EIS disclose water 
quality impacts to aquatic resources more clearly and quantitatively, 
specifically in grazing allotments needing preservation of riparian 
habitat and water quality. Rating EC2.

EIS No. 20050026, ERP No. D-BIA-F60007-WI, Beloit Casino Project, To 
Expand the Tribal Governmental Revenue Base, St. Croix Chippewa Indians 
of Wisconsin and Bad River Band of the Lake Superior Tribe of Chippewa 
Indians, Rock County, WI.

    Summary: EPA expressed concerns regarding the construction and 
operation of the proposed casino project and cumulative noise and air 
impacts from the proposed I-90 highway reconfiguration. EPA requested 
that these issues be evaluated in the Final EIS along with mitigation 
for noise and light pollution from increased night time traffic, and 
evaluation of the use of native vegetation in landscaping for energy 
and water conservation. Rating EC2.

EIS No. 20050032, ERP No. D-AFS-D65049-WV, Fernow Experimental Forest, 
To Continue Long-Term Research and Initiate New Research, Involving 
Removal of Trees, Prescribed Burning, Stem Injection of Selected Trees, 
Control Invasive Plant Species, Northeastern Research Station, Parson, 
Tucker County, WV.
    Summary: EPA expressed environmental concerns regarding impacts to 
water quality and riparian resources and requested more specific 
information on herbicide treatments, especially related to overstory 
trees to control invasive plants. The Final EIS should address stream 
monitoring to assess potential impacts that may result from the 
proposed actions as well as how the public and wildlife will be 
protected from prescribed fire treatments. Rating EC2.

EIS No. 20050047, ERP No. D-BIA-C60005-NY, Stockbridge-Munsee Casino 
Project, Proposes To Address the Tribe's Economic Development, Bands of 
Mohican Indians of Wisconsin (the Tribe), NPDES Permit and U.S. Army 
COE Section 404 Permit, Town of Thompson, Sullivan County, NY.
    Summary: EPA expressed concerns regarding indirect and cumulative 
impacts on new water and sewer lines, traffic and air quality of the 
five casinos expected to be built in Sullivan County and the casino's 
solid waste disposal. EPA requested that these issues be evaluated in 
the Final EIS along with a detailed wetlands mitigation and monitoring 
plan. Rating EC2.

EIS No. 20050074, ERP No. D-NAS-E12007-FL, New Horizons Mission to 
Pluto, Continued Preparations and Implementation to Explore Pluto and 
Potentially the Recently Discovered Kuiper Belt, Cape Canaveral Air 
Force Station, FL.

    Summary: EPA has no objections regarding this launch. Rating LO.

EIS No. 20050043, ERP No. DS-FHW-J40166-UT, US 6 Highway Project, 
Improvements from Interstate 15 (I-15) in Spanish Fork to Interstate 
(I-70) near Green River, New Information, Funding, Right-of-Way Permit 
and US Army COE Section 404 Permit, Utah, Wasatch, Carbon, and Emery 
Counties, UT.

    Summary: EPA expressed concerns due to impaired waters in the 
project area. Rating EC1.

EIS No. 20050002, ERP No. DS-NPS-L65264-WA, Elwha River Ecosystem 
Restoration Implementation Project, Update Information, Olympic 
Peninsula, Challam County, WA.

    Summary: EPA has no objections to the proposed action. Rating LO.

EIS No. 20050007, ERP No. D2-FHW-H40397-MO, Interstate 70 Corridor 
Improvements, Section of Independent Utility 7 , a 40-Mile 
Portion of the I-70 Corridor from just West of Route 19 (milepost 174) 
to Lake St. Louis Boulevard (milepost 214) Montgomery, Warren, St. 
Charles Counties, MO.

    Summary: While EPA has no objection to the proposed action, it did 
request clarification on wetlands issues. Rating LO.

Final EISs

EIS No. 20050017, ERP No. F-NOA-A91070-00, Atlantic Herring Fishery 
Management Plan, Minimizing Impacts on Essential Fish Habitat of Any 
Species, Gulf of Maine--Georges Bank, ME, NH, MA, CT and RI.

    Summary: EPA expressed a lack of objections to the DEIS due to the 
overall benefits of the proposed action. Based on our review of the 
FEIS, we found that our issues were addressed.

EIS No. 20050027, ERP No. F-BLM-L65462-AK, Northeast National Petroleum 
Reserve Alaska Amended Integrated Activity Plan, To Amend 1998 
Northeast Petroleum Reserve, To Consider Opening Portions of the BLM-
Administrated Lands, North Slope Borough, AK.

    Summary: EPA expressed environmental objections given that the 
selected alternative is likely to have more adverse impacts to surface 
resources and subsistence communities. EPA recommends that BLM phase in 
leases in new, environmentally sensitive areas only after experimental 
mitigation measures are proven effective for areas currently available 
for leasing.

EIS No. 20050045, ERP No. F-AFS-K65307-AZ, Coconino, Kaibab, and 
Prescott National Forest, Integrated Treatment of Noxious and Invasive 
Weeds, Implementation, Coconino, Mojave, and Yavapai Counties, AZ.

    Summary: The Final EIS addressed EPA's concerns about impacts to 
drinking water from herbicide applications with the addition of 
mitigation measures.

EIS No. 20050057, ERP No. F-AFS-J65303-MT, Bridger Bowl Ski Area, 
Permit Renewal and Master Development Plan Update, Implementation, 
Special Use Permit and COE Section 404 Permit, Gallatin National 
Forest, in the City of Bozeman, MT.

    Summary: EPA continues to express environmental concerns regarding 
impacts to wildlife habitat.

EIS No. 20050065, ERP No. F-AFS-J65389-MT, North Belts Travel Plan and 
the Dry Range Project, Provision

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of Motorized and Non-motorized Recreation, Helena National Forest, 
Broadwater, Lewis and Clark, and Meagher Counties, MT.

    Summary: EPA continues to have environmental concerns regarding 
erosion, habitat damage and adverse impacts to wildlife security from 
motorized uses as well as the need for an effective monitoring and 
adaptive management program for travel management.

EIS No. 20050070, ERP No. F-FHW-G40177-LA, Kansas Lane Connector 
Project, Construction between U.S. 90 (Desiard Street) and U.S. 165 and 
the Forsythe Avenue Extension, US Army COE Section 10 and 404 Permits 
Issuance, City of Monroe, Quachita Parish, LA.

    Summary: EPA has no objections to the proposed project.

EIS No. 20050009, ERP No. FS-NOA-A91063-00, Monkfish Fishery Management 
Plan (FMP) Amendment 2, Implementation, Proposes Measures to Address a 
Wide Range of Management Issues, New England and Mid-Atlantic.

    Summary: EPA has no objection to the proposed action.

EIS No. 20050040, ERP No. FS-AFS-J02027-UT, Table Top Exploraory Oil 
and Gas Wells, New Information from the Approval 1994 Final EIS, 
Wasatch-Cache National Forest, Evanston Ranger District, Summit County, 
UT.

    Summary: No formal comment letter was sent to the preparing agency.

    Dated: April 5, 2005.
Ken Mittelholtz,
Environmental Protection Specialist, Office of Federal Activities.
[FR Doc. 05-7040 Filed 4-7-05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P