[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 63 (Friday, April 3, 2009)]
[Notices]
[Pages 15263-15264]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-7515]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[ER-FRL-8592-1]


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 202-564-7146.
    An explanation of the ratings assigned to draft environmental 
impact statements (EISs) was published in FR dated April 6, 2008 (73 FR 
19833).

Draft EISs

EIS No. 20080242, ERP No. D-BLM-D65040-WV, East Lynn Lake Coal Lease 
Project, Proposal to Lease Federal Coal that lies Under Nine Tracts of 
Land for Mining, Wayne County, WV.

    Summary: EPA expressed environmental objections to adverse impacts 
to water quality and aquatic life. EPA recommends consideration of an 
alternative that includes a more protective buffer between proposed 
mining operations and the existing earthen dam including East Lynn 
Lake. Additionally, the final EIS should include information on 
degradation from past mining activities, clarify the hydrologic 
connection between surface and ground water, and geological conditions 
in the project area. Rating EO2.

EIS No. 20080279, ERP No. D-FRC-D05125-PA, Holtwood Hydroelectric 
Project (Docket No. P-1881-050) Application for an Amendment License to 
Increase the Installed Capacity, Susquehanna River, Lancaster and York 
Counties, PA.

    Summary: Although EPA acknowledged the efforts to address fish 
passage, we expressed environmental concerns about potential impacts to 
other resources, including wetlands and water quality, and requested 
that information, regarding wetland delineation, plans for excavation 
of sediment and bedrock, sediment sampling protocols, and a comparison 
of impacts of the excavation and blasting plans be included in the 
FEIS. Rating EC2.

EIS No. 20080393, ERP No. D-NRC-D06006-PA, Generic--License Renewal of 
Nuclear Plants, Supplement 36 to NUREG-1437, Regarding Beaver Valley 
Power Station, Units 1 and 2, Plant Specific, Issuing Nuclear Power 
Plant Operating License for an Additional 20-Year Period, PA.

    Summary: EPA does not object to proposed project. Rating LO.

EIS No. 20080404, ERP No. D-BLM-J65526-00, Grand Staircase--Escalante 
National Monument (GSENM), Draft Monument Management Plan Amendment & 
Draft Rangeland Health, Implementation, Portions of Kane and Garfield, 
Utah and Coconino County, AZ.

    Summary: EPA expressed environmental concerns about the use of 
accurate criteria to measure stream riparian health and trends in the 
grazing allotments, and the need to mitigate impacts to the impaired 
reaches of the Paria River and the Escalante River. Rating EC2.

EIS No. 20080484, ERP No. D-NOA-L91033-AK, Bering Sea Chinook Salmon 
Bycatch Management, Establish New Measures to Minimize Chinook Salmon 
Bycatch, to Amend the Fishery Management Plan, Implementation, Bering 
Sea Pollock Fishery, AK.

    Summary: EPA expressed environmental concerns about monitoring and 
enforcement of the Bering Sea Chinook Salmon Bycatch program, and 
requested a discussion of how climate change may impact the proposed 
action. Rating EC2.

EIS No. 20080503, ERP No. D-NRC-D06007-PA, Generic--License Renewal of 
Nuclear Plants, Supplement 37 to NUREG-1437, Regarding Three Mile 
Island Nuclear Station, Unit 1, in Londonterry Township in Dauphin 
County, PA.

    Summary: EPA expressed environmental concerns about air quality 
impacts associated with the steam generator transport process. Rating 
EC2.

EIS No. 20080513, ERP No. D-AFS-L65562-AK, Central Kupreanof Timber 
Harvest Project, Proposes to Harvest up to 70.2 Million Board Feet of 
Timber, Kupreanof Island, Petersburg Ranger District, Tongass National 
Forest, AK.

    Summary: EPA expressed environmental concerns about potential 
adverse impacts to essential fish habitat and water quality from 
increased harvest activities. Rating EC2.

EIS No. 20080521, ERP No. D-NPS-J65528-ND, Theodore Roosevelt National 
Park, Elk Management Plan, Implementation, Billing and McKenzie 
Counties, ND.

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

EIS No. 20080535, ERP No. D-BLM-J65529-MT, Indian Creek Mine Expansion, 
Proposed Mine Expansion would include Quarry Areas, Mine Facilities, 
Ore Storage Sites, Soil Salvage Stockpiles, Haul Roads, and Overburden 
Disposal Areas, Issuing Operating Permit 00105 and Plan of 
Operation MTM78300, Broadwater County, MT.

    Summary: EPA expressed environmental concerns about potential 
impacts to air quality and nitrate contamination of groundwater from 
blasting residue. The final EIS should

[[Page 15264]]

include monitoring and mitigation measures to avoid water quality 
impacts and an air quality analysis including values for NAAQS and PSD. 
Rating EC2.

EIS No. 20080543, ERP No. D-NRC-C03017-NY, Generic--License Renewal of 
Nuclear Plants, Supplement 38 to NUREG-1437, Regarding Indian Point 
Nuclear Generating Unit Nos. 2 and 3, Westchester County, NY.

    Summary: EPA expressed environmental concerns about the proposed 
project's impacts to aquatic resources and storage of low level waste. 
We recommended that the final SEIS include new geologic and seismic 
data concerning recent seismic activity in the area. Rating EC2.

EIS No. 20090004, ERP No. D-NPS-H65028-MO, Jefferson National Expansion 
Memorial, General Management Plan, Implementation, St. Louis, MO.

    Summary: EPA expressed environmental concerns that the competition 
for the design of the preferred alternative had not begun, and that the 
implemented design could cause ``moderate to major long term to 
beneficial impacts on transportation''. EPA recommended working with 
metropolitan and State transportation planners to include design 
specifications to reduce potential adverse effects. Rating EC2.

Final EISs

EIS No. 20080472, ERP No. F-FRC-D05125-PA, Holtwood Hydroelectric 
Project (Docket No. P-1881-050) Application for an Amendment License to 
Increase the Installed Capacity, Susquehanna River, Lancaster and York 
Counties, PA.

    Summary: EPA expressed environmental concerns because the impacts 
associated with sediment and bedrock excavation activities, and 
requested additional information, including excavation plans, a 
comparison of alternatives, and sediment sampling plans.

EIS No. 20080526, ERP No. F-IBR-J39038-CO, Southern Delivery System 
Project, Water Supply Development, Execution of up to 40-year Contracts 
for Use of Fryingpan-Arkansas Project Facilities, Special Use Permit, 
El Paso County, CO.

    Summary: EPA found the Final EIS to be largely responsive to EPA's 
comments on the Draft EIS and Supplemental Information Report, and 
believes the project is much improved and will result in fewer 
environmental impacts than what was originally proposed. EPA does not 
object to the proposed project.


EIS No. 20090012, ERP No. F-NOA-L91032-00, Proposed Acceptable 
Biological Catch (ABC) and Optimum Yield (OY) Specifications and 
Management Measures for the 2009-2010 Pacific Coast Groundfish Fishery 
Management Plan, Implementation, WA, OR and CA.

    Summary: While EPA had no objections to the proposed action, EPA 
did request clarification on monitoring and catch limits.

EIS No. 20090042, ERP No. FR-AFS-J65446-MT, Beaverhead-Deerlodge 
National Forest Land and Resource Management Plan, Implementation, 
Beaverhead, Butte-Silver Bow, Deerlodge, Granite, Jefferson, and 
Madison Counties, MT.

    Summary: The preferred alternative addresses EPA concerns and we 
support the development of a consistent and integrated aquatic strategy 
to provide for protection for riparian areas, aquatic species, and good 
water quality.

EIS No. 20090037, ERP No. FS-AFS-F65062-MN, Echo Trail Area Forest 
Management Project, Updated Information to Amended to Further Address 
Water Quality and Watershed Health, Superior National Forest, Lacroix 
Ranger District and Kawishiwi Ranger District, St. Louis and Lake 
Counties, MN.

    Summary: No formal comments were sent to the preparing agency.

    Dated: March 31, 2009.
Dawn Roberts,
Management Analyst, Office of Federal Activities.
[FR Doc. E9-7515 Filed 4-2-09; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P