[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 114 (Thursday, June 13, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Pages 35602-35603]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-14032]


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 Notices
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 This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER contains documents other than rules 
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  Federal Register / Vol. 78, No. 114 / Thursday, June 13, 2013 / 
Notices  

[[Page 35602]]



DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

Fish and Wildlife Service


Coeur d'Alene Basin Restoration Plan, Kootenai, Shoshone and 
Benewah Counties, Idaho

AGENCIES: Forest Service, USDA; Bureau of Land Management, USDOI; Fish 
and Wildlife Service, USDOI.

ACTION: Notice of intent (NOI) to prepare an environmental impact 
statement (EIS).

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SUMMARY: In compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 
1969, as amended (NEPA), and the Federal Land Policy and Management Act 
of 1976, as amended, the United States Department of the Interior 
(USDOI), United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), Coeur d'Alene 
Indian Tribe (Tribe), and the State of Idaho (State) intend to prepare 
an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) and by this notice are 
announcing the beginning of the scoping process to solicit public 
comments and identify issues.

DATES: This notice initiates the public scoping process for NEPA 
analysis. Comments and input concerning the scope of the analysis must 
be received by August 12, 2013. The date(s) and location(s) of any 
scoping meetings will be announced at least 15 days in advance through 
local media, newspapers, and the project Web site 
``www.restorationpartnership.org''. In order to be included in the 
Draft EIS, all comments must be received prior to the close of the 
scoping period or 15 days after the last public meeting, whichever is 
later. We will provide additional opportunities for public 
participation upon publication of the Draft EIS. The Draft EIS is 
expected in May, 2014 and the Final EIS is expected in October, 2014.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments related to the Coeur d'Alene Basin 
Restoration Plan by any of the following methods:
     Web site: www.restorationpartnership.org.
     Email: [email protected].
     Mail: Restoration Partnership, 424 Sherman Ave, Suite 306, 
Coeur d'Alene, ID 83814.
     Fax: 1 (208) 667-0919.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Caj Matheson, Communications 
Specialist, 424 Sherman Ave, Suite 306, Coeur d'Alene, ID 83814; Email: 
[email protected]; Phone: (208) 582-4080.
    Individuals who use telecommunication devices for the deaf, hard-
of-hearing, or speech disabled (Teletypewriter (TTY)/Telecommunications 
Device for the Deaf (TDD)/Voice relay) may call the Federal Information 
Relay Service (FIRS) at 1-800-877-8339 24 hours a day, 365 days per 
year.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: For more than 100 years the Coeur d'Alene 
Basin (Basin), located in the Northern Idaho counties of Shoshone, 
Kootenai, and Benewah, has been one of the most productive silver, 
lead, and zinc mining areas in the United States. The majority of 
mining and mineral processing in the Basin occurred along the South 
Fork of the Coeur d'Alene River and its tributaries. The wastes 
generated by these operations contain metals, including lead, zinc, 
cadmium, and arsenic. A significant portion of these wastes were 
discharged directly into the Coeur d'Alene River and tributaries 
causing injury to natural resources.
    The Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and 
Liability Act (CERCLA or ``Superfund,'' Title 42 United States Code 
[U.S.C.] Section 9601 et seq.) provides a mechanism for addressing the 
nation's hazardous waste sites: States, tribes, and the federal 
government may take legal action against polluters for the cleanup and 
restoration of sites. CERCLA provides for the designation of ``natural 
resource trustees,'' who are federal, state, or tribal authorities who 
represent the public interest in natural resources. These trustees may 
seek monetary damages from polluters for injury, destruction, or loss 
of natural resources resulting from releases of hazardous substances. 
These damages, which are distinct from cleanup costs, must be used by 
the natural resource trustees to restore, replace, rehabilitate, or 
acquire the equivalent of the natural resources that have been injured.
    As a result of settlements and other legal findings, funds were 
received by the federal government, the Coeur d'Alene Indian Tribe, and 
the state of Idaho for two main purposes: (1) Clean-up of contamination 
(remediation); and (2) restoration of injured natural resources 
(waterfowl, fish, etc.). Responsibility for restoration lies with the 
trustees. Restoration activities will be coordinated closely with the 
remediation conducted by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency 
(EPA).

Purpose and Need for Action

    The purpose of the proposed action is restoration of the natural 
resources and services injured as a result of the release of mining 
related hazardous substances in the Basin. As discussed above, natural 
resources in the Basin have been injured due to the release of mining 
related hazardous substances.
    Under CERCLA, damages recovered from parties responsible for 
natural resource injuries are used by the trustees ``to restore, 
rehabilitate, replace, and/or acquire the equivalent of the injured 
resources'' [42 U.S.C. 9607(f)(1)]. Restoration activities implemented 
by the trustees are typically subject to the requirements of the 
National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) [42 U.S.C. 4321].

Proposed Action

    The proposed action of this EIS is to adopt a restoration plan to 
coordinate and implement projects that will restore the health, 
productivity, and diversity of injured natural resources and the 
services they provide in the Basin.

Lead and Cooperating Agencies

    Joint Lead Agencies are: Fish and Wildlife Service, USDOI; Bureau 
of Land Management, USDOI; Forest Service, USDA; COEUR D'ALENE INDIAN 
TRIBE; Department of Environmental Quality, IDAHO; Department of Fish 
and Game, IDAHO.

[[Page 35603]]

Responsible Officials

Regional Director, Region 1, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Idaho State Director, Bureau of Land Management
Regional Forester, Region 1, U.S. Forest Service
Director, Coeur d'Alene Tribal Department of Natural Resources
Director, Idaho Department of Environmental Quality
Director, Idaho Department of Fish and Game

Nature of Decision To Be Made

    The Trustees will adopt a restoration plan that will coordinate and 
implement projects to restore, replace, rehabilitate, or acquire the 
equivalent of the injured natural resources in the Basin and the 
services they provide.

Scoping Process

    This notice of intent initiates the scoping process, which guides 
the development of the EIS. Further information on how and when input 
can be provided is specified in the ADRESSESS and DATES sections of 
this notice. It is important that reviewers provide their comments at 
such times and in such manner that they are useful to the agency's 
preparation of the environmental impact statement. Therefore, comments 
should be provided prior to the close of the comment period and should 
clearly articulate the reviewer's concerns and contentions.
    Comments received in response to this solicitation, including names 
and addresses of those who comment, will be part of the public record 
for this proposed action. Comments submitted anonymously will be 
accepted and considered, however.

    Dated: June 3, 2013.
Robyn Thorson,
Regional Director, Region 1, Authorized Official for the U.S. 
Department of Interior, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Bureau of 
Land Management.
    Dated: June 6, 2013.
Faye L. Krueger,
Regional Forester, Region 1, Authorized Official for U.S. Department of 
Agriculture, Forest Service.
[FR Doc. 2013-14032 Filed 6-12-13; 8:45 am]
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