[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 27 (Friday, February 8, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 7556-7557]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-2371]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[ER-FRL-6695-8]


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. 20070559, ERP No. D1-DOE-A06181-00, Rail Alignment for the 
Construction and Operation of a Railroad in Nevada to a Geologic 
Repository (DOE/EIS-0369D) at Yucca Mountain, Nye County, NV.
    Summary: EPA expressed environmental concerns about the preferred 
alignment (the Caliente rail alignment) because it could require the 
filling of up to 81 acres of waters of the U.S., including wetlands 
associated with the Meadow Valley Wash and Clover Creek. EPA also 
expressed concerns about the limited analysis regarding the hydrologic 
effects of the rail line construction to the Meadow Valley Wash area. 
Rating EC2.

EIS No. 20070419, ERP No. D-BLM-J65493-UT, Kanab Field Office Resource 
Management Plan, Implementation, Portions of Kane and Garfield 
Counties, UT.
    Summary: EPA expressed environmental concerns about potential 
adverse impacts to water quality, aquatic resources, air quality, and 
sensitive/rare wildlife and their habitat. Rating EC2.

EIS No. 20070440, ERP No. D-FHW-J40178-UT, Mountain View Corridor (MVC) 
Project, Proposed Transportation Improvement 2030 Travel Demand in 
Western Salt Lake County south of I-80 and west of Bangerter Highway 
and in northwestern Utah County of I-15, south of the Salt Lake County 
Line, and north of Utah Lake, Salt Lake and Utah County, UT.
    Summary: EPA has environmental concerns about the potential 
impairment of water quality in the Jordan River. Rating EC1.

EIS No. 20070469, ERP No. D-NOA-E91021-00, Snapper Grouper Amendment 
15B, Fishery Management Plan, To Analyze the Effects of Updating 
Management Reference Points for Golden Tilefish (Lopholatilus 
chamaeleonticeps); Define Allocations for Snowy Grouper (Epinephelus 
niveatus) and Red Porgy (Pagrus pagrus), NC, SC, FL and GA.
    Summary: EPA does not object to the proposed action. Rating LO.

EIS No. 20070484, ERP No. D-FHW-F40818-00, Interstate-94, I-43, I-894, 
and WI-119 (Airport Spur) I-94/USH 41 Interchange to Howard Avenue, To 
Address Freeway System's Deteriorated Conditions, Funding and U.S. Army 
COE Section 404 Permit, Kenosha, Racine and Milwaukee Counties, WI and 
Lake County, IL.
    Summary: EPA expressed environmental concerns about the impacts to 
wetlands, and has requested further analysis regarding mobile source 
air toxics and suggests air quality mitigation strategies that should 
be considered. Rating EC2.

EIS No. 20070498, ERP No. D-FHW-J40181-UT, I-15 Corridor Project, 
Transportation Improvement from Utah County to Salt Lake County, UT.
    Summary: EPA expressed environmental concerns about the potential 
increases in PM 2.5 as well as the project's contribution of total 
dissolved solids to impaired the Jordan River. Rating EC1.

EIS No. 20070517, ERP No. D-USN-D11043-MD, National Naval Medical 
Center, Activities to Implement 2005 Base Realignment and Closure 
Actions, Construction and Operation of New Facilities for Walter Reed 
National Military Medical Center, Bethesda, MD.
    Summary: EPA expressed concern about potential wetland and historic 
resource impacts. Rating EC2.

EIS No. 20070519, ERP No. D-AFS-J65502-MT, Cooney McKay Forest Health 
and Fuels Reduction Project, Proposed to Restore Desirable Vegetative 
Conditions, Swan Valley near Condon, Swan Lake Ranger District, 
Flathead National Forest, Lake and Missoula Counties, MT.
    Summary: EPA supports activities to reduce hazardous fuels and fire 
risk in wildland urban interface areas, but expressed environmental 
concerns about adverse impacts from logging and road construction on 
water quality. EPA also identified the need for consistency with the 
downstream Swan Lake TMDL. Rating EC2.

EIS No. 20070428, ERP No. DA-DOE-A06181-00, Geologic Repository for the 
Disposal of Spent Nuclear Fuel and High-Level Radioactive Waste at 
Yucca Mountain, Nye County, Nevada--Nevada Rail Transportation Corridor 
(DOE/EIS-0250F-S2D), Railroad Construction and Operation within the 
Mina Rail Corridor to connect Yucca Mountain Repository to Rail Line 
near Wabusha, NV.

[[Page 7557]]

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

EIS No. 20070429, ERP No. DB-DOE-A06181-00, Geologic Repository for the 
Disposal of Spent Nuclear Fuel and High-Level Radioactive Waste, 
Construction, Operation, Monitoring and Eventually Closing a Geologic 
Repository (DOE/EIS-0250F-S1D) at Yucca Mountain, Nye County, NV.

    Summary: EPA expressed environmental concerns about regional 
seismic activity and questions that have been raised regarding the 
differences in observed strain rates in the area versus forecasted 
rates and whether these rates have been underestimated. EPA recommended 
that the final SEIS explain the appropriate strain rates will be 
determined and reflected in the project's conceptual seismic model. 
Rating EC2.

EIS No. 20070441, ERP No. DS-IBR-K39079-CA, Environmental Water Account 
(EWA) Project, Updated Information to Provide an Evaluation of 2004 
Final EIS/EIR Environmental Water Account (EWA) and Effects Associated 
with Extending the Current EWA's through 2011, CA.

    Summary: EPA expressed environmental concerns about potential 
impacts to fisheries and water quality, and recommended that the Final 
Supplemental EIS/EIR include additional information regarding EWA 
fisheries benefits, water quality conditions and management, and 
project funding. Rating EC2.

EIS No. 20070470, ERP No. DS-AFS-L65453-ID, North Sheep Allotments--
Sheep and Goat Allotment Management Plans, Additional Information on 
Analyses Concerning Management Indicator Species, Capable and Suitable 
Grazing Lands, and Adaptive Management Strategies, Authorization of 
Continued Sheep Grazing for Fisher Creek, Smiley Creek, North Fork-
Boulder and Baker Creek Sheep and Goat Grazing Allotments, Sawtooth 
National Forest, Ketchum Ranger District, Sawtooth National Recreation 
Area, Blaine and Custer Counties, ID.

    Summary: This supplemental EIS has included additional analysis and 
information on grazing land status, adaptive management and species of 
concern. However, EPA continues to have environmental concerns about 
adverse impacts to water quality and riparian areas from grazing, and 
cumulative effects to sensitive areas and aquatic resources from 
multiple uses. EPA recommended more emphasis on water quality 
restoration and monitoring, restoring riparian and sage grouse 
habitats, and consideration of a hybrid alternative which is based on 
available resources. Rating EC2.

EIS No. 20070521, ERP No. DS-NOA-G64007-00, Reef Fish Amendment 30A: 
Greater Amberjack--Revise Rebuilding Plan, Accountability Measures: 
Gray Triggerfish-Establish Rebuilding Plan, End Overfishing, 
Accountability Measures, Regional Management, Management Thresholds and 
Benchmarks, Gulf of Mexico.

    Summary: EPA does not object to the preferred alternative. Rating 
LO.

Final EISs

EIS No. 20070464, ERP No. F-FHW-D40335-VA, Harrisonburg Southeast 
Connector Location Study, Transportation Improvements from U.S. Route 
11 to U.S. Route 33, Funding and U.S. Army COE Section 404 Permit, City 
of Harrisonburg, Rockingham County, VA.

    Summary: EPA does not object to the preferred alternative.

EIS No. 20070465, ERP No. F-FRA-K59004-CA, Los Angeles to San Diego 
(LOSSAN) Rail Corridor, Proposed Rail Corridor Improvement Studies, 
Increase of Intercity Travel for Faster, Safer, and Reliable Passenger 
Rail System, Los Angeles, Orange, and San Diego Counties, CA.

    Summary: EPA expressed environmental concerns about the direct, 
indirect, and cumulative impacts to aquatic and biological resources 
and impacts to sensitive lagoon ecosystems.

EIS No. 20070531, ERP No. F-AFS-J65481-MT, Lolo National Forest 
Integrated Weed Management, To Establish Beneficial Vegetation and Weed 
Resistant Plant Communities, Missoula, Mineral, Sanders, Granite, 
Powell, Lewis and Clark, Flathead, Ravalli and Lake Counties, MT.

    Summary: EPA supports the Forest Service's efforts in managing the 
great threats from noxious weeds. The final EIS addressed our comments 
on prioritizing a full range of weed management activities. Because of 
the potential for unintended transport of herbicides to surface and 
ground water, EPA encouraged continued water quality monitoring to 
validate design criteria and monitoring mitigation measures.

EIS No. 20070490, ERP No. FS-COE-J28021-CO, Rueter-Hess Reservoir 
Expansion Project, Enlarges Reservoir to Provide Storage of Denver 
Basin Groundwater for Meeting Peak Municipal Water Supply, U.S. Army 
COE Section 404 Permit, Town of Parker, Douglas County, CO.

    Summary: EPA expressed environmental concerns about the lack of 
information regarding the uncertainty of future water supplies for all 
of the four service areas. EPA also expressed concerns with potential 
impacts to Cherry Creek's adjacent wetland and riparian habitat, and 
recommended that the Corps include a monitoring plan to detect whether 
any adverse impacts to aquatic ecosystems adjacent to Cherry Creek 
occur as a result of the proposed project.

    Dated: February 5, 2008.
Robert W. Hargrove,
Director, NEPA Compliance Division, Office of Federal Activities.
 [FR Doc. E8-2371 Filed 2-7-08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P