[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 28 (Friday, February 10, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 7038-7040]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-1907]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[ER-FRL-6672-2]


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. 20050347, ERP No. D-DOE-B05194-ME, Bangor Hydro-Electric 
Northeast Reliability Interconnect, Construct, Connect, Operate and

[[Page 7039]]

Maintain an Electric Transmission Line, Amend Presidential Permit (PP-
89), DOE/EIS-0372, Hancock, Penobscot and Washington Counties, ME.
    Summary: EPA expressed environmental concerns about the project 
related to direct and indirect impacts to wetlands and wildlife 
habitat. Rating EC2.

EIS No. 20050471, ERP No. D-AFS-J65456-WY, Moose-Gypsum Project, 
Proposes to Authorize Vegetation Treatments, Watershed Improvements, 
and Travel Plan and Recreation Updates, Pinedale Ranger District, 
Bridger-Teton National Forest, Sublette County, WY.

    Summary: EPA supports the potential benefits of the proposed action 
that may result in improvement of the desired future conditions. 
However, the final EIS should include information on sediment, water 
quality, fisheries, and wildlife to adequately determine the extent of 
project impacts. Rating EC2.

EIS No. 20050473, ERP No. D-COE-J39034-MT, Upper Columbia Alternative 
Flood Control and Fish Operations, Implementation, Libby and Hungry 
Horse Dams, Columbia River Basin, MT.

    Summary: EPA expressed environmental concerns about potential 
adverse impacts to the aquatic ecosystem and recommended avoidance of 
unnatural double peak hydrographs and further evaluation of Alternative 
LV2 as part of a potential long-term strategy to more effectively 
recover the endangered Kootenai River white sturgeon. EPA supports dam 
and reservoir operations that avoid exceedances of total dissolved gas 
saturation standards as much as possible and more natural flow regimes 
and net overall benefits to the aquatic ecosystems. Rating EC2.

EIS No. 20050500, ERP No. D-AFS-L65498-ID, Newsome Creek Watershed 
Rehabilitation, Stream Restoration and Improvement and Decommissioning 
of Roads, Red River Ranger District, Nez Perce National Forest, Idaho 
County, ID.

    Summary: EPA expressed environmental concerns about ongoing water 
quality and potential impacts of toxic substances released by mining 
activities, and recommended that the final EIS include data 
demonstrating that water quality standards would be met and details on 
the mine tailings management. Rating EC1.

EIS No. 20050503, ERP No. D-GSA-L80018-WA, Peace Arch Port of Entry 
Redevelopment Project, Improvements to Security, Safety and 
Functionality, Canadian Border in Blaine, Whatcom County, WA.

    Summary: EPA expressed environmental concerns about the potential 
for impacts to surface water quality from storm water run-off. Rating 
EC1.

EIS No. 20050528, ERP No. D-AFS-F65060-IN, Tell City Windthrow 2004 
Project, Salvage Harvest and Prescribed Burning of Windthrow Timber, 
Implementation, Hoosier National Forest, Perry, Crawford and Dubois 
Counties, IN.
    Summary: EPA does not object to the proposed action. Rating LO.

    Rating LO.

EIS No. 20050504, ERP No. DC-COE-H36012-MO, St. Johns Bayou and New 
Madrid Floodway Project, Channel Enlargement and Improvement, Revised 
Information to Clarify and Address Issues of Concern, Flood Control 
National Economic Development (NED), New Madrid, Mississippi and Scott 
Counties, MO.
    Summary: EPA recommended that the Final RSEIS 2 provide additional 
information on locations and expected benefits of mitigation measures, 
and on contingencies for fishery impacts in the event that the proposed 
fish passage measures into the New Madrid Floodway do not perform as 
anticipated. Rating EC2.

Final EISs

EIS No. 20050398, ERP No. F1-BLM-K65158-CA, Clear Creek Resource 
Management Area Plan Amendment, Hollister Resource Management Plan, 
Implement the Decision Made in the 1999 CCMA ROD, San Benito and Fresno 
Counties, CA.
    Summary: EPA supports BLM's proposal to immediately close certain 
routes to reduce erosion and sediment loading in streams and avoid 
impacts to special status species. BLM has also committed to 
incorporating the results of EPA's CCMA asbestos exposure evaluation 
into a subsequent NEPA document soon after our study is completed in 
July 2006. EPA expressed some human health concerns and recommended 
that, in the interim, BLM implement measures in the CCMA to reduce 
children's exposure to asbestos, improve public education/communication 
regarding asbestos risks, and commit to a 2006 summer dry season 
closure between Memorial Day weekend and November 15.

EIS No. 20050381, ERP No. F-AFS-K65394-CA, Los Padres National Forest 
Oil and Gas Leasing Management, Implementation, Kern, Los Angeles, 
Monterey, Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo Counties, CA.
    Summary: EPA continued to expressed concerns about potential 
impacts from the project's short-term emissions of ozone precursors and 
particulate smaller than 10 microns, and recommended the Forest Service 
include additional lease stipulations to reduce air pollutant 
emissions.

EIS No. 20050407, ERP No. F-N.S.-K65268-AZ, Saguaro National Park Fire 
Management Plan, Implementation, Tucson, AZ.
    Summary: EPA does not object to the proposed project.

EIS No. 20050491, ERP No. F-AFS-B65011-00, White Mountain National 
Forest Land and Resource Management Plan, Forest Plan Revision, 
Implementation, Carroll, Coos, Grafton Counties, NH and Oxford County, 
ME.
    Summary: EPA does not object to the proposed action.

EIS No. 20050514, ERP No. F-NIH-B81009-MA, National Emerging Infectious 
Laboratories, Selected the Preferred Alternative, Construction of 
National Biocontainment Laboratory, BioSquare Research Park, Boston 
University Medical Center Campus, Boston, MA.
    Summary: EPA does not object to the proposed project.

EIS No. 20050519, ERP No. F-FHW-B40095-RI, U.S. Route 6/Route 10 
Interchange Improvement Project, To Identify Transportation 
Alternative, Funding, City of Providence County, RI.
    Summary: EPA does not object to the preferred alternative.

EIS No. 20050525, ERP No. F-N.S.-K61161-CA, Golden Gate National 
Recreation Area (GGNRA) Fire Management Plan, Implementation, Muir 
Woods National Monument, Fort Point National Historic Site, San Mateo, 
San Francisco and Marin Counties, CA.
    Summary: The FEIS has adequately responded to our concerns with air 
quality and smoke management, water quality and wetlands, and herbicide 
use; therefore, EPA does not object to the proposed action.

EIS No. 20050526, ERP No. F-N.S.-K65271-CA, Santa Monica Mountains 
National Recreation Area, Fire Management Plan, Implementation, Santa 
Monica Mountains, CA.
    Summary: EPA does not object to this project.

EIS No. 20050527, ERP No. F-AFS-L65478-OR, Big Butte Springs Timber

[[Page 7040]]

Sales, To Implementation Management Direction, Roque River-Siskiyou 
National Forest, Butte Falls Ranger District, Cascade Zone, Jackson 
County, OR.
    Summary: EPA's environmental concerns about potential adverse 
impacts to water quality and natural resources have been addressed; 
therefore, EPA does not object to the proposed action.

EIS No. 20050529, ERP No. F-FHW-K40256-CA, 1st Street Viaduct and 
Street Widening Project, To Replace Two Traffic Lanes on the 1st Street 
Viaduct between Vignes Street and Mission Road, Funding, in the City 
and County of Los Angeles, CA.
    Summary: EPA continues to have environmental concerns about the 
proposed project regarding air quality and mitigation for construction-
related diesel emissions.

EIS No. 20060000, ERP No. F-BLM-G65096-NM, McGregor Range Resource 
Management Plan Amendment (RMPA), Implementation, Otero County, NM.
    Summary: No formal comment letter was sent to the preparing agency.

    Dated: February 6, 2006.
Robert W. Hargrove,
Director, NEPA Compliance Division, Office of Federal Activities.
[FR Doc. E6-1907 Filed 2-9-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P