[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 91 (Monday, May 12, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 26990-26991]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-10792]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

National Park Service

[NPS-SERO-BISO-15482; PPSESEROC3, PPMPSAS1Y.YP0000]


Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for 
Contaminated Mine Drainage and Treatment Systems in the Big South Fork 
National River and Recreation Area, Kentucky and Tennessee

AGENCY: National Park Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of intent.

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SUMMARY: Pursuant to section 102(2)(C) of the National Environmental 
Policy Act of 1969, the NPS will prepare an Environmental Impact 
Statement (EIS) for the Contaminated Mine Drainage and Treatment 
Systems in the Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area. This 
notice initiates the pubic scoping process for this EIS.

DATES: The date, time, and location of public meetings will be 
announced through the NPS Planning, Environment, and Public Comment 
(PEPC) Web site http://parkplanning.nps.gov/biso, the Big South Fork 
National River and Recreation Area Web site, and in local media 
outlets. The NPS will conduct public meetings in the local area to 
receive input from interested parties on issues, concerns, and 
suggestions pertinent to coal mine drainage mitigation and treatment. 
The comment period will be announced at the meetings and will be 
published on the following Web site http://parkplanning.nps.gov/biso.

ADDRESSES: Interested individuals, organizations, and agencies are 
encouraged to provide written comments regarding the scope of issues to 
be addressed in the EIS. Written comments may be sent to: Niki 
Stephanie Nicholas, Superintendent, Big South Fork National River and 
Recreation Area, 4564 Leatherwood Road, Oneida, TN 37841.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Tom Blount, Chief of Natural 
Resources, Big South Fork National River and

[[Page 26991]]

Recreation Area, 4564 Leatherwood Road, Oneida, TN, 423-569-9778.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Big South Fork National River and 
Recreation Area is within the Cumberland Plateau area and straddles the 
Kentucky and Tennessee state line. This region has been extensively 
mined for coal since the early 1900s and mining waste materials were 
typically dumped near the mines. Surface and ground water that comes in 
contact with mine spoils or that is discharged from the mines is often 
acidic and has elevated (toxic) concentrations of heavy metals. 
Contaminated mine drainage pollutes aquatic systems and is considered 
to be partly responsible for a reduction in biological diversity of 
lakes and streams in the Big South Fork area.
    The NPS developed mitigation and treatment systems for nine 
specific sites to a conceptual level during a prior environmental 
assessment effort. During that effort it was recommended that an EIS be 
prepared due to the scope and complexity of the project. As a result, 
the NPS is now preparing a Contaminated Mine Drainage Mitigation and 
Treatment System EIS. The purpose of this project is to address 
contaminated mine drainage (CMD) at nine sites within the McCreary 
County, Kentucky portion of BISO and to create a programmatic approach 
to considering future treatment options at former mining sites 
throughout Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area. These 
actions will address the need to improve water quality in tributaries 
of the Big South Fork River. As part of this effort, the NPS will 
consider adjusting or refining the preliminary engineering plans to 
install mine drainage mitigation and treatment systems at the nine 
sites that were studied in the earlier environmental assessment. A 
draft EIS will be prepared and presented to the public for review and 
comment, followed by preparation and availability of the Final 
Contaminated Mine Drainage Mitigation and Treatment System EIS.
    A scoping brochure will be available summarizing the purpose, need 
and objectives of the EIS. Copies of that information may be obtained 
by visiting the NPS public comment and planning Web site at http://parkplanning.nps.gov/biso, or from the Office of the Superintendent, 
Niki Stephanie Nicholas, Big South Fork National River and Recreation 
Area, 4564 Leatherwood Road, Oneida, TN, 423-569-9778.
    If you wish to comment during the scoping process, you may use any 
one of several methods. The preferred method for submitting comments is 
on the NPS PEPC Web site at http://parkplanning.nps.gov/biso. You may 
also mail or hand-deliver your comments to: Big South Fork National 
River and Recreation Area, Attention: Coal Mine Drainage Treatment and 
Mitigation EIS, 4564 Leatherwood Road, Oneida, TN 37841
    Comments will also be accepted during public meetings; however, 
comments in any format (hard copy or electronic) submitted on behalf of 
others will not be accepted. Before including your address, phone 
number, email address, or other personal identifying information in any 
comment, you should be aware that your entire comment--including your 
personal identifying information--may be made publicly available at any 
time. While you can ask us in your comment to withhold your personal 
identifying information from public review, we cannot guarantee that we 
will be able to do so.
    The responsible official for this Coal Mine Drainage Mitigation and 
Treatment System EIS is the Regional Director, NPS Southeast Region, 
100 Alabama Street SW., 1924 Building, Atlanta, Georgia 30303.

    Dated: April 30, 2014.
Sarah Craighead,
Acting Regional Director, Southeast Region.
[FR Doc. 2014-10792 Filed 5-9-14; 8:45 am]
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