[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 247 (Friday, December 23, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 80366-80367]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-32945]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[EPA-HQ-OW-2010-0782; ER-FRL-9000-7]


Availability of an Environmental Assessment (EA) and Finding of 
No Significant Impact (FONSI)

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Environmental Assessment (EA)/Finding of No Significant Impact 
(FONSI).

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SUMMARY: Pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) (42 
U.S.C. 4321-4307h), the Council on Environmental Quality's NEPA 
regulations (40 CFR Part 1500-1508), and EPA's regulations for 
implementing NEPA (40 CFR Part 6), EPA has prepared an Environmental 
Assessment (EA) to analyze the potential environmental impacts related 
to the reissuance of the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination 
System (NPDES) General Permit for Discharges from Construction 
Activities (2012 Construction General Permit). The EA evaluates the 
potential environmental impacts from the discharge of pollutants 
associated with stormwater runoff from construction activities greater 
than one acre, where EPA is the permitting authority. Based on the 
environmental impact analysis in the EA, EPA has made a preliminary 
determination that no significant environmental impacts are anticipated 
from the issuance of the 2012 Construction General Permit.
    This notice initiates the 30-day review period and invites comments 
from Federal, State, and local agencies, Indian tribes, and the public 
regarding EPA's preliminary determination.

DATES: Comments must be received by January 23, 2012.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments to the Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OW-2010-
0782 by any of the following methods:
     Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to http://www.regulations.gov. Follow the online instructions for submitting 
comments by clicking on ``Help'' or ``FAQs.''
     Mail: Attn: CGP Comments, U.S. Environmental Protection 
Agency, Office of Wastewater Management, 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue NW., 
Mail Code: 4203 M, Washington, DC 20460.
     Courier: Attn: CGP Comments, U.S. Environmental Protection 
Agency, Office of Wastewater Management, 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue NW., 
Rm  7241C, Washington, DC 20004, between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. 
Eastern time, Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays.
    Comments should be received within 30 days of the date of the 
publication of this notice in the Federal Register. EPA's policy is 
that all comments received will be included in the public docket 
without change and may be made available online at http://www.regulations.gov, including any personal information provided, 
unless the comment includes information claimed to be Confidential 
Business Information (CBI) or other information whose disclosure is 
restricted by statute. Do not submit information that you consider to 
be CBI or otherwise protected through www.regulations.gov. The http://www.regulations.gov Web site is an ``anonymous access'' system, which 
means EPA will not know your identity or contact information unless you 
provide it in the body of your comment. If you submit an electronic 
comment, EPA recommends that you include your name and other contact 
information in the body of your comment and with any disk or CD-ROM

[[Page 80367]]

you submit. If EPA cannot read your comment due to technical 
difficulties and cannot contact you for clarification, EPA may not be 
able to consider your comment. Electronic files should avoid the use of 
special characters, any form of encryption, and be free of any defects 
or viruses.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jessica Trice, NEPA Compliance 
Division, Office of Federal Activities, U.S. Environmental Protection 
Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue NW., Mail Code: 2252A, Washington, DC 
20460. Telephone: (202) 564-6646.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: EPA is seeking public comment regarding its 
preliminary Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) to document its 
determination that no significant environmental impacts are anticipated 
from the issuance of the 2012 Construction General Permit. EPA invites 
the public to submit comments through Regulations.gov or by mail to the 
address cited in the ADDRESSES section during the 30-day comment period 
following the publication of this notice in the Federal Register.
    Since 1992, EPA has issued a series of NPDES Construction General 
Permits (CGP) that cover areas where EPA is the permitting authority. 
At present, EPA is the permitting authority in four states (Idaho, 
Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and New Mexico), the District of 
Columbia, Puerto Rico, all U.S. territories with the exception of the 
Virgin Islands, federal facilities in four states (Colorado, Delaware, 
Vermont, and Washington), most Indian lands and other specifically 
designated activities in specific states (e.g., oil and gas activities 
in Texas and Oklahoma). EPA's current CGP became effective on June 30, 
2008 (see 74 FR 40338) and will expire on February 15, 2012. The 
proposed action, would replace the 2008 CGP, as well as the 2003 CGP 
for construction sites still covered under that administratively 
continued permit. EPA proposes to issue the construction general permit 
for five (5) years, and to provide permit coverage to eligible existing 
and new construction projects in all areas of the country where EPA is 
the NPDES permitting authority. On April 25, 2011, EPA proposed for 
public comment the draft National Pollutant Discharge Elimination 
System general permit for stormwater discharges from large and small 
construction activities and initiated scoping for the development of 
the environmental issues and reasonable alternatives to be addressed in 
the EA. 76 FR 22882.
    The environmental review process, which is documented by the 
Environmental Assessment (EA), indicates that no potential significant 
adverse environmental impacts are anticipated from the proposed action. 
The EA, which analyzed the potential environmental impacts of issuing 
the new CGP, considered the potential environmental impacts from the 
discharge of pollutants in stormwater discharges associated with 
construction activity where EPA is the permitting authority.
    Based on the environmental impact analysis in the EA, EPA has 
determined that no significant environmental impacts are anticipated 
from the issuance of the 2012 Construction General Permit and the 
proposed action does not constitute a major Federal action 
significantly affecting the quality of the human environment, making 
the preparation of an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) unnecessary. 
Therefore, EPA is issuing a preliminary Finding of No Significant 
Impact (FONSI).

    Dated: December 20, 2011.
Aimee S. Hessert,
Deputy Division Director, NEPA Compliance Division, Office of Federal 
Activities.
[FR Doc. 2011-32945 Filed 12-22-11; 8:45 am]
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