[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 142 (Thursday, July 24, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 43066-43067]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-17408]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service

[FWS-R3-ES-2014-N112]; [FVHC98210305870 XXX FF03E14000]


Final Southeast Missouri Ozarks Regional Restoration Plan and 
Environmental Assessment and Finding of No Significant Impact

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of availability

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SUMMARY: This notice advises the public and other agencies of the 
availability of the Finding of No Significant Impact for the Final 
Southeast Missouri Ozarks Regional Restoration Plan and Environmental 
Assessment. The chosen alternative, Alternative D, provides a project 
selection process for natural resource-based restoration, using a 
tiered project selection process that evaluates the feasibility of 
primary restoration, compensatory restoration, and acquisition of 
equivalent resources. The Plan was written to facilitate the 
expenditure of restoration funds in the southeast Missouri Ozarks 
resulting from the release of mining-related hazardous substances. The 
restoration plan complies with statutory requirement under the 
Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act, 
enabling the expenditures of recovered restoration funds to benefit 
natural resources. This notice is provided pursuant to Natural Resource 
Damage Assessment and Restoration regulations and National 
Environmental Policy Act regulations.

ADDRESSES:

 Internet: Copies of the Plan can viewed online at:
    [cir] http://www.fws.gov/midwest/es/ec/nrda/SEMONRDA/index.html or
    [cir] http://www.dnr.mo.gov/env/hwp/sfund/nrda.htm
 U.S. mail: Copies of the Plan can be requested from:
    [cir] John Weber, Restoration Coordinator, U.S. Fish and Wildlife 
Service, 101 Park DeVille Dr., Suite A, Columbia, MO 65203; or
    [cir] Tim Rielly, Assessment and Restoration Manager, Missouri 
Department of Natural Resources, P.O. Box 176, Jefferson City, MO 
65102-0176.
 Email: You may also request copies of the Plan by sending 
electronic mail (email) to [email protected] or 
[email protected]. Do not use any special characters or forms of 
encryption in your email.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: John Weber, (573) 234-2132 (x177), or 
Tim Rielly, (573) 526-3353.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This notice advises the public and other 
agencies of the availability of the Finding of No Significant Impact 
(FONSI) for the Final Southeast Missouri Ozarks Regional Restoration 
Plan and Environmental Assessment (Plan). The following agencies 
formally selected Alternative D of the Plan through signing of the 
FONSI: The U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI), acting through the 
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS); the United States Department of 
Agriculture, acting through the U.S. Forest Service (USFS); and the 
State of Missouri, acting through the Missouri Department of Natural 
Resources (MDNR). Alternative D provides a project selection process 
for natural resource-based restoration, using a tiered project 
selection process that evaluates the feasibility of primary 
restoration, compensatory restoration, and acquisition of equivalent 
resources. The Plan was written to facilitate the expenditure of 
restoration in the southeast Missouri Ozarks resulting from the release 
of mining-related hazardous substances.
    The FWS, the USFS, and the MDNR (Trustees) are trustees for natural 
resources considered in the Plan, pursuant to subpart G of the National 
Oil and Hazardous Substances Pollution Contingency Plan (40 CFR 300.600 
and 300.610) and Executive Order 12580. The Memorandum of Understanding 
Between the Missouri Department of Natural Resources, U.S. Department 
of Agriculture, and U.S. Department of the Interior establishes a 
Trustee Council charged with developing and implementing a restoration 
plan for ecological restoration in the southeast Missouri Ozarks. The 
Trustees followed the Natural Resource Damage Assessment and 
Restoration (NRDAR) regulations found at 43 CFR part 11 for the 
development of the Plan. The development of the restoration plan is 
required under section 111 of the Comprehensive Environmental Response, 
Compensation, and Liability Act (42 U.S.C. 111; CERCLA).
    The objective of the NRDAR process is to compensate the public for 
losses to natural resources and their services that have been injured 
by releases of hazardous substances into the environment. The 
Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act 
(CERCLA, more commonly known as the Federal ``Superfund'' law; 42 
U.S.C. 9601, et seq.) and the Federal Water Pollution Control Act 
(commonly known as the Clean Water Act (CWA); 33 U.S.C. 1251, et seq.) 
authorize States, federally recognized tribes, and certain Federal 
agencies that have authority for natural resources ``belonging to, 
managed by, held in trust by, appertaining to, or otherwise controlled 
by the United States'' to act as ``trustees'' on behalf of the public, 
to restore, rehabilitate, replace, and/or acquire natural resources 
equivalent to those injured by releases of hazardous substances.
    The Trustees have worked together to determine the appropriate 
restoration process to identify and select restoration projects to 
address natural resource injuries caused by the release of hazardous 
substances into the southeast Missouri Ozarks environment. The results 
of this administrative process are contained in a series of planning 
and decision documents that were published for public review on the 
following Web sites:

http://www.fws.gov/midwest/es/ec/nrda/SEMONRDA/index.html
http://www.dnr.mo.gov/env/hwp/sfund/nrda.htm

    On September 20, 2013, the FWS published a Federal Register notice 
opening a 45-day public comment period on the Draft Southeast Missouri 
Ozarks Regional Restoration Plan and Environmental Assessment (78 FR 
57875). In response to comments received, the Trustees extended the 
original public comment period for an additional 30 days to December 4, 
2013.

[[Page 43067]]

Comments received during the above public comment period were 
incorporated into the final document. This current notice of 
availability informs the public that the Trustees have formally 
selected Alternative D of the Plan through the signing of a Finding of 
No Significant Impact (FONSI).

Authority

    This notice is provided pursuant to Natural Resource Damage 
Assessment and Restoration (NRDAR) regulations (43 CFR 11.81(d)(4)) and 
NEPA (National Environmental Policy Act) regulations (40 CFR 1506.6).

    Dated: June 26, 2014.
Charles Wooley,
Acting Regional Director, Midwest Region, U.S. Fish and Wildlife 
Service.
[FR Doc. 2014-17408 Filed 7-23-14; 8:45 am]
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