[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 92 (Friday, May 13, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Pages 25565-25567]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 05-9586]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[ER-FRL-6663-4]


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

[[Page 25566]]

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 FR dated April 1, 2005, 70 FR 
16815.

Draft EISs

EIS No. 20050000, ERP No. D-AFS-J65435-UT, Ogden Ranger District Travel 
Plan, To Update the Travel Management Plan, Wasatch-Cache National 
Plan, Ogden Ranger District, Box Elder, Cache, Morgan, Weber and Rich 
Counties, UT.

    Summary: EPA expressed concerns about potential adverse effects to 
both aquatic and terrestrial resources from the existing and proposed 
travel systems and from the indirect effects of unauthorized motorized 
use. Rating EC2.

EIS No. 20050075, ERP No. D-FRC-C03015-00, Crown Landing Liquefied 
Natural Gas Terminal, Construct and Operate in Gloucester County, NJ 
and New Castle County, DE; and Logan Lateral Project, Construct and 
Operate a New Natural Gas Pipeline and Ancillary Facilities in 
Gloucester County, NJ and Delaware, PA.

    Summary: EPA expressed concerns because the Draft EIS did not 
include detailed mitigation plans, a discussion of Clean Air Act 
general conformity requirements, and did not thoroughly analyze the 
cumulative effects on navigation and the environment. Rating EC2.

EIS No. 20050078, ERP No. D-AFS-H65023-00, Black-Tailed Prairie Dog 
Conservation and Management on the Nebraska National Forest and 
Associated Units, Implementation, Dawes, Sioux, Blaine, Cherry, Thomas 
Counties, NE and Custer, Fall River, Jackson, Pennington, Jones, Lyman, 
Stanley Counties, SD.

    Summary: EPA has no objections to any of the alternatives evaluated 
in the DEIS, but suggests considering non-lethal means to control 
prairie dog population where feasible. Rating LO.

EIS No. 20050086, ERP No. D-AFS-J65438-WY, Dean Project Area, Proposes 
to Implement Multiple Resource Management Actions, Black Hills National 
Forest, Bearlead Ranger District, Sundance, Crook County, WA.

    Summary: EPA expressed environmental concerns about potential 
adverse impacts to water quality from additional runoff, erosion and 
increased sediments, and potential cumulative impacts from proposed 
changes to management action designations. The Final EIS should further 
quantify impacts and describe measures to minimize and/or mitigate 
environmental impacts. Rating EC2.

EIS No. 20050093, ERP No. D-NOA-K39091-CA, Monterey Accelerated 
Research Systems (MARS) Cabled Observatory, Proposes to Install and 
Operate an Advanced Undersea Cabled Observatory, Monterey Bay, Pacific 
Ocean Offshore of Moss Landing, Monterey County, CA.

    Summary: EPA had no objections to the project as proposed. Rating 
LO.

EIS No. 20050121, ERP No. D-AFS-J65440-MT, Northeast Yak Project, 
Proposed Harvest to Reduce Fuels in Old Growth, Implementation, 
Kootenai National Forest, Three River Ranger District, Lincoln County, 
MT.

    Summary: EPA acknowledges and supports the proposed benefits of the 
activities that will reduce impacts to water quality and fisheries and 
improve old growth and grizzly bear habitat. However, EPA expressed 
environmental concerns because it may take from 5-7 years to acquire 
the necessary funding and possibly longer to implement measures that 
will significantly reduce sediment loads. Rating EC2.

EIS No. 20050046, ERP No. DS-BLM-J67026-MT, Golden Sunlight Mine Pit 
Reclamation Alternatives, Updated Information, Operating Permit No. 
00065 and Plan-of-Operation MTM 82855, Whitehall, Jefferson 
County, MT.

    Summary: EPA expressed concerns about the need for perpetual 
treatment to meet water quality standards under all alternatives, and 
requested additional consideration of potential mitigation to reduce 
risks to water quality primarily in the partial pit-backfill 
alternatives. Rating EC2.

EIS No. 20050087, ERP No. DS-BLM-K67038-NV, Ruby Hill Mine Expansion--
East Archimedes Project, Extension of Existing Open Pit and Expansion 
of Two Existing Waste Rock Disposal Areas, Plan-of-Operations Permit, 
Eureka County, NV.

    Summary: EPA expressed environmental concerns about the potential 
impacts of pit lake water quality on aquatic life and water fowl, heap 
leach closure, and surface water diversion structure design and 
maintenance, and recommended the Final SEIS provide additional 
information and identify additional mitigation. Rating EC2.

EIS No. 20050109, ERP No. DS-NOA-C91004-00, Amendment to the Fishery 
Management Plans (FMP), Amendment 2 for the Spiny Lobster Fishery; 
Amendment 1 for the Queen Conch Resources; Amendment 3 for the Reef 
Fish Fishery; Amendment 2 Corals and Reef Associated Invertebrate, U.S. 
Caribbean to Address Required Provisions MSFCMA, Puerto Rico and the 
U.S. Virgin Island.

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

Final EISs

EIS No. 20050101, ERP No. F-AFS-K65266-AZ, Arizona Snowbowl Facilities 
Improvements, Proposal to Provide a Consistent/Reliable Operating 
Season, Coconino National Forest, Coconino County, AZ.

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

EIS No. 20050130, ERP No. F-AFS-F65048-WI, Lakewood/Laona Plantation 
Thinning Project, To Implement Vegetation Management Activities, 
Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest, Lakewood Ranger District, Forest, 
Langlade and Oconto Counties, WI.

    Summary: The FEIS adequately addressed EPA's concerns about map 
depiction in the LRMP, the project's objectives, and indirect and 
cumulative impacts on surrounding northern hardwoods.

EIS No. 20050164, ERP No. F-FRC-G03024-TX, Vista del Sol Liquefied 
Natural Gas (LNG) Terminal Project, Construct, Install and Operate and 
LNG Terminal and Natural Gas Pipeline Facilities, Vista del Sol LNG 
Terminal LP and Vista del Sol Pipeline LP, TX.

    Summary: EPA continues to express environmental concerns about the 
preferred action, requested that the record of decision include 
acceptable wetland mitigation plan and recommended that the applicant 
identify a restoration project to fund within the Corpus Christi Bay 
watershed.

EIS No. 20050123, ERP No. FB-NOA-E91007-00, South Atlantic Shrimp 
Fishery Management Plan, Amendment 6, Propose to Amend the Bycatch 
Reduction Device (BRD) Testing Protocol System, South Atlantic Region.

    Summary: EPA had no objection to the project as proposed.

EIS No. 20050069, ERP No. FS-BLM-K67050-NV, Pipeline/South Pipeline Pit 
Expansion Project, Updated

[[Page 25567]]

Information on Modifying the Extending Plan of Operations (Plan), Gold 
Acres Mining District, Launder County, NV.

    Summary: EPA expressed concerns that BLM has deferred until mine 
closure the designation and evaluation of post-mining beneficial uses 
and applicability of beneficial use requirements for pit lakes and 
concerns regarding the long-term mitigation and monitoring fund. EPA is 
also concerned that the Final SEIS does not address the issues critical 
to establishing the effectiveness of the fund and whether it will be 
available for future mitigation and monitoring needs should they arise. 
EPA recommended additional information on these issues be included in 
the Record of Decision.

EIS No. 20050115, ERP No. FS-NRC-E06023-AL, Generic EIS--License 
Renewal of Nuclear Plants, Joseph M. Farley Nuclear Plants, Units 1 and 
2, Supplemental 18 to NUREG-1437 (TAC NOS. MC0768 and MC0769; Houston 
County, AL.

    Summary: EPA continues to have environmental concerns about the 
availability of long-term offsite storages of radioactive waste, and 
future surface water withdrawals for plant operations which could be 
affected by State agreements. Radiological monitoring of all plant 
effluents, and appropriate storage of radioactive waste will be 
necessary during the license renewal period.

    Dated: May 10, 2005.
Robert W. Hargrove,
Director, NEPA Compliance Division, Office of Federal Activities.
[FR Doc. 05-9586 Filed 5-12-05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P