[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 135 (Friday, July 15, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Pages 41005-41006]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 05-13972]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[ER-FRL-6665-4]


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 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. 20040554, ERP No. D-FHW-J40169-CO, Programmatic--I-70 
Mountain Corridor Tier 1 Project, from Glenwood Springs and C-470 
Proposes to Increase Capacity, Improve Accessibility and Mobility, and 
Decrease Congestion, Colorado, Garfield, Eagle, Summit, Clear Creek and 
Jefferson Counties, CO.
    Summary: EPA expressed environmental concerns about the proposed 
project regarding road deicers, the long-term fate and transport of 
sediment, water and air quality impacts, the indirect and cumulative 
impacts of growth, and environmental justice issues; and believes that 
a decision on whether the project is intended to accommodate short or 
long-term transportation needs should be made before a preferred 
alternative is identified. Rating EC2.
    EIS No. 20050127, ERP No. D-AFS-F65055-MI, Hiawatha National 
Forest, Proposed Land and Resource Management Plan, Forest Plan 
Revision, Implementation, Alger, Cheboygan, Chippewa, Delta, Luce and 
Mackinac Counties, MI.
    Summary: EPA has no objections to the proposed action. Rating LO.
    EIS No. 20050136, ERP No. D-AFS-J67932-CO, Dry Fork Federal Coal 
Lease-by-Application (COC-67232), Leasing Additional Federal Coal Lands 
for Underground Coal Resource, Special-Use-Permits and U.S. Army COE 
section 404 Permit, Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre and Gunnison National 
Forests, Gunnison County, CO.
    Summary: EPA expressed concerns regarding reducing impacts from 
roads to habitat, soil erosion and maintaining a buffer between the 
mining area and the West Elk wilderness area. EPA also expressed 
concerns about potential wetland impacts caused by mine subsidence. 
Rating EC2.
    EIS No. 20050174, ERP No. D-FHW-J40170-CO, I-25, Valley Highway 
Project, Transportation Improvement from Logan to U.S. 6, Denver 
County, CO.
    Summary: EPA has environmental concerns about the proposed project 
related to the lack of improvements to pedestrian access to commercial 
areas, the compatibility of ramp and arterial improvements with 
multimodal transportation development, and bicycle and pedestrian 
safety at intersections. EPA also recommends improvements to the air 
quality analysis. Rating EC2.
    EIS No. 20050175, ERP No. D-FHW-K40258-CA, Campus Parkway Project, 
Proposes to Construct a New Expressway from Mission Avenue Interchange 
and Yosemite Avenue/Lake Road, U.S. Army COE Section 404 Permit, City 
of Merced, Merced County, CA.
    Summary: EPA has environmental concerns about the proposed project 
regarding logical termini, alternatives, connected actions, air 
quality, cumulative impacts to waters of the U.S., and growth-inducing 
impacts. EPA recommends that FHWA clearly explain the traffic benefits 
of the project. Rating EC2.
    EIS No. 20050181, ERP No. D-FHW-D40184-MO, MO-34, Corridor

[[Page 41006]]

Improvements, from intersection of US Routes 60/21 in Carter County to 
the intersection of Routes 34/72 in Cape Girardeau County, Funding, 
U.S. Army COE Section 404 Permit, Carter, Bollinger, Reynolds, Wayne, 
and Cape Girardeau Counties, MO.
    Summary: EPA has environmental concerns about the proposed project 
related to impacts to streams and 4(f) resources. EPA is also concerned 
about the uncertainty of potential issues that could arise between now 
and the projected construction start date, estimated to be at least 10 
years. Rating EC2.
    EIS No. 20050182, ERP No. D-FRC-J03018-00, Piceance Basin Expansion 
Project, Construction and Operation of a New Interstate Natural Gas 
Pipeline System, Wamsutter Compressor Station to Interconnections 
Greasewood Compressor Station, Rio Blanco County CO and Sweetwater 
County, WY.
    Summary: EPA expressed environmental concerns about water and air 
quality impacts and the need to assess impacts from several connected 
and induced actions. Rating EC2.
    EIS No. 20050189, ERP No. D-COE-D36075-PA, The Town of Bloomsburg, 
Columbia County, Pennsylvania Flood Damage Reduction Project, 
Implementation, Integrated Feasibility Report, Susquhanna River and 
Fishing Creek, Town of Bloomsburg, Columbia County, PA.
    Summary: EPA expressed environmental concern about wetland and 
proposed wetland mitigation and roadway relocation impacts; and 
suggested minimization measures that would reduce project impacts. 
Rating EC2.
    EIS No. 20050197, ERP No. D-TVA-E65073-TN, Watts Bar Reservoir Land 
Management Plan, Update 1988 Plan to Reflect Changing Community Needs, 
Loudon, Meigs, Rhea and Roane Counties, TN.
    Summary: EPA expressed environmental concern related to impacts 
associated with the development/recreation alternative. Rating EC1.
    EIS No. 20050163, ERP No. DS-STB-J53005-00, Powder River Basin 
Expansion Project, New Information on SEA's Independent Analyses Four 
Issues Remanded by the ``8'' Circuit Court of Appeals, Finance Docket 
No. 33407--Dakota, Minnesota, Eastern Railroad, SD, WY and MN.
    Summary: EPA expressed environmental concern about apparent 
contradictions between statements in the Final Environmental Impact 
Statement and the Draft Supplemental EIS. EPA is also concerned that 
the assumptions made for air quality modeling for coal usage and the 
long-term projections of air quality impacts that were not in concert 
with the expected life of the rail project or the potential production 
life of Powder River Basin coal in eastern Wyoming. Rating EC1.

Final EISs

    EIS No. 20050108, ERP No. F-FTA-J54001-UT, Weber County to Salt 
Lake City Commuter Rail Project, Proposes a Commuter Rail Transit 
Service with Nine Stations between Salt Lake City and Peasant View, 
Funding, Weber, Davis and Salt Lake Counties, UT.
    Summary: EPA continues to have concerns about wetland mitigation 
and air quality impacts. EIS No. 20050153, ERP No. F-FHW-J40160-UT, 
Southern Corridor Construction, I-15 at Reference Post 2 in St. George 
to UT-9 near Hurricane, Funding, Right-of-Way Grant and U.S. Army COE 
Section 404 Permit Issuance, St. George, Washington and Hurricane, 
Washington County, UT.
    Summary: EPA has no objections to the proposed project. EIS No. 
20050214, ERP No. F-AFS-J65430-MT, McSutten Decision Area, 
Implementation of Harvest and Associated Activities, Prescribed 
Burning, and Road Management, Kootenai National Forest, Rexford Ranger 
District, Lincoln County, MT.
    Summary: EPA supports the proposed project; however, expressed 
environmental concerns about potential impacts to water quality, 
adequate funding to implement road BMP upgrades and maintenance, and 
road decommissioning.
    EIS No. 20050223, ERP No. F-FHW-J40168-UT, 11400 South Project, 
Proposed Improvement to the Transportation Network in the Southern Salt 
Lake Valley from 12300/12600 South to 10400/10600 South, and from 
Bangerter Highway to 700 East, Salt Lake City Salt Lake County, UT.
    Summary: No formal comment letter was sent to the preparing agency.

Robert W. Hargrove,
Director, NEPA Compliance Division, Office of Federal Activities.
[FR Doc. 05-13972 Filed 7-14-05; 8:45 am]
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