[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 207 (Friday, October 26, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Pages 60845-60846]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E7-21089]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[ER-FRL6692-4]


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 FR dated April 6, 2007 (72 FR 
17156).

Draft EISs

EIS No. 20070285, ERP No. D-COE-K35044-CA, Berth 136-147 [TraPac] 
Container Terminal Project, Upgrade Existing Wharf Facilities, Install 
a Buffer Area between the Terminal and Community, US Army COE Section 
10 and 404 Permit, West Basin Portion of the Port of Los Angeles, CA.

    Summary: EPA expressed environmental concerns because the preferred 
alternative may not represent the least environmentally damaging 
practicable alternative, as required under the Clean Water Act Section 
404(b)(1) Guidelines. EPA also expressed environmental concerns about 
impacts to air quality and minority and low-income communities, and 
requested that the Final EIS discuss mitigation in more detail. Rating 
EC2.

EIS No. 20070296, ERP No. D-AFS-K65332-CA, Eldorado National Forest 
Public Wheeled Motorized Travel Management Project, Proposes to 
Regulate Unmanaged Public Wheeled Motor Vehicle, Implementation, 
Alpine, Amador, El Dorado and Placer Counties, CA.

    Summary: EPA expressed environmental concerns about impacts to 
water quality, meadows, riparian areas, critical habitat, and 
watersheds, and requested additional information on the above issues, 
monitoring and enforcement commitments. Rating EC2.

EIS No. 20070297, ERP No. D-AFS-J65486-UT, Big Creek Vegetation 
Treatment Project, To Treat 4,800 Acres of Aspen Conifer and Sagebrush 
Communities, Ogden Ranger District, Wasatch-Cache National Forest, Rich 
County, UT.

    Summary: While EPA does not object to the proposed action, it 
requested

[[Page 60846]]

clarification of impacts to migratory birds, regeneration of big 
sagebrush, and mitigation of impacts from illegal ORV use. Rating LO.

EIS No. 20070315, ERP No. D-NOA-L91029-AK, Alaska Eskimo Whaling 
Commission for a Subsistence Hunt on Bowhead Whale for the Years 2008 
through 2012 for Issuing Annual Quotas, Proposes to Authorize 
Subsistence Harvests of the Western Arctic Stock of Bowhead Whales, 
Bering, Chukchi and Beaufort Seas, AK.

    Summary: While EPA does not object to the proposed action, it 
requested clarification on the exchange of non-food portions of the 
whales between native villages as a commodity. Rating LO

.EIS No. 20070365, ERP No. D-USA-A15000-00, PROGRAMMATIC--Army Growth 
and Force Structure Realignment, Implementation, Nationwide.

    Summary: EPA does not object to the proposed action. Rating LO.

EIS No. 20070393, ERP No. DS-AFS-J65424-MT, Fishtrap Project, Updated 
Information on Past Maintenance/Restorative Treatments within Old 
Growth Stands, 200 Timber Harvest, Prescribed Burning, Road 
Construction and Other Restoration Activities, Lolo National Forest, 
Plains/Thompson Falls Ranger District, Sanders County, MT.

    Summary: EPA does not object to the proposed action. Rating LO.

Final EISs

EIS No. 20070260, ERP No. F-COE-K36142-CA, PROGRAMMATIC--San Luis 
Obispo Creek Watershed, Waterway Management Plan, Stream Maintenance 
and Management Plan, City of San Luis Obispo and County of San Luis 
Obispo, Community of Avila Beach, San Luis Obispo County, CA.

    Summary: EPA's previous issues have been resolved; therefore, EPA 
does not object to the proposed action.

EIS No. 20070292, ERP No. F-COE-K36055-CA, San Luis Rey Flood Control 
Project, Operation and Maintenance of the Vegetation and Sediment 
Management, from College Blvd to the Pacific Ocean, San Diego County, 
CA.

    Summary: EPA continues to have environmental concerns because the 
preferred alternative may not represent the least environmentally 
damaging practicable alternative, as required under the Clean Water Act 
section 404(b)(1) Guidelines.

EIS No. 20070318, ERP No. F-FHW-K40257-CA, Los Banos Bypass Project, 
Construct from CA-152 in Merced County beginning near Volta Road west 
to Los Banos, bypassing Los Banos, ending near the Santa Fe Grade Road, 
U.S. Army COE Section 404 Permit, Merced County, CA.

    Summary: EPA continues to have environmental concerns about the 
proposed project related to induced growth. Also, EPA recommends that 
the project sponsor develop a strategy to facilitate protection of 
valuable habitat areas.

EIS No. 20070379, ERP No. F-AFS-L65525-AK, Baht Timber Sale Project, 
Proposes to Harvest Timber and Temporary Road Construction on Zarembo 
Island, Wrangell Ranger District, Tongass National Forest, AK.

    Summary: EPA continues to have concerns about potential impacts to 
water quality and impacts to old growth habitat, and recommends water 
quality monitoring, preservation of riparian buffers and reduced new 
road construction.

EIS No. 20070402, ERP No. F-FRC-K03030-00, Phoenix Expansion Project, 
Construction and Operation of Existing Natural Gas Transmission 
Pipeline, Right-of-Way Grant and Temporary Use Permit, San Juan and 
McKinley Counties, NM and Pinal and Maricopa Counties, AZ.

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

EIS No. 20070058, ERP No. FA-FHW-E40325-NC, Western Section of the 
Winston-Salem Northern Beltway, Updated Information, U.S. 158 north to 
U.S. 52, TIP Project No. R-2247, Forsyth County, NC. (THIS EIS 
20070058 AND EIS 20070057 ARE COMBINED IN A SINGLE 
DOCUMENT.)

    Summary: EPA continues to have environmental concerns about the 
large bypass regarding 7-8 linear miles of stream impacts, 
sedimentation and erosion control, terrestrial forest habitat losses 
and impacts to migratory birds. EPA requests that the Record of 
Decision disclose plans to mitigate these adverse impacts.

EIS No. 20070384, ERP No. FS-FHW-E40714-GA, U.S. 411 Connector, From 
U.S. 411/GA-20 Interchange with U.S. 41 to U.S. 411 Interchange with I-
75, Updated Information, Funding and U.S. Army COE Section 404 Permit, 
Bartow County, GA.

    Summary: EPA continues to have environmental concerns about the 
preferred alternative regarding impacts to jurisdictional wetlands, 
regulatory floodplains, and the loss of upland forest habitat. However, 
EPA supports the mitigation measures and monitoring programs as 
described in the Final Supplemental EIS.

    Dated: October 23, 2007.
Robert W. Hargrove,
Director, NEPA Compliance Division, Office of Federal Activities.
[FR Doc. E7-21089 Filed 10-25-07; 8:45 am]
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