[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 107 (Monday, June 4, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 25649-25650]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-11906]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

RIN 0648-XF448


Record of Decision for the Final Portland Harbor Programmatic 
Environmental Impact Statement and Restoration Plan

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.

ACTION: Notice of availability of a Record of Decision.

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SUMMARY: NOAA announces the availability of the Record of Decision 
(ROD) for the Final Portland Harbor Programmatic Environmental Impact 
Statement and Restoration Plan (PEIS/RP). The NOAA Restoration Center 
Chief and the Assessment and Restoration Division Chief signed the ROD 
on May 29, 2018, which constitutes the agency's final decision.

ADDRESSES: Christopher Doley, Chief, Restoration Center, NOAA National 
Marine Fisheries Service, 1315 East-West Highway, Silver Spring, MD 
20910; Tony Penn, Chief, Assessment and Restoration Division, NOAA 
Ocean Service, 1305 East-West Highway, Silver Spring, MD 20910.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Megan Callahan Grant at (503) 231-2213 
or email at [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: NOAA, on behalf of the Portland Harbor 
Natural Resource Trustee Council, prepared the Final Portland Harbor 
PEIS/RP. The PEIS/RP was prepared under the authority of Comprehensive 
Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) of 
1980 and was also developed to comply with the Federal agency decision-
making requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 
(NEPA) and NOAA's environmental review procedures (NOAA Administrative 
Order 216-6, as preserved by NAO 216-6A). The document was designed to 
solicit public opinion on a proposed restoration approach for the 
Portland Harbor natural resource damage assessment

[[Page 25650]]

(NRDA). The ROD documents the Trustee Council's decision to select 
Integrated Habitat Restoration Planning as the preferred alternative 
under NEPA because this alternative is most suited to fulfill the goal 
of the NRDA to restore injured natural resources and services and it 
meets the purpose and need for restoration planning. This alternative 
is specifically designed to improve habitats that function in support 
of multiple fish and wildlife species, as well as the food base for 
these species. This approach is expected to deliver broad ecosystem 
benefits concentrated within and around the area where the injuries to 
natural resources and natural resources services have taken place. This 
alternative would consist of habitat restoration actions implemented 
within geographic priority areas within and around the Portland Harbor 
Superfund Study Area. The scale of restoration activity that will be 
implemented by the Trustee Council under the PEIS/RP will depend upon 
the resolution of natural resource damage claims with the parties 
responsible for releases of hazardous substances and oil. Under CERCLA, 
settlements received by the Trustee Council, either through negotiated 
or adjudicated processes, must be used to restore, rehabilitate, 
replace, and/or acquire the equivalent of those natural resources that 
have been injured. The Final PEIS/RP will guide future Trustee Council 
decision-making regarding the expenditure of settlements and the 
implementation of restoration activities.
    NOAA is not soliciting comments on the PEIS/RP but will consider 
any comments submitted that would assist us in preparing future NEPA 
documents. An electronic copy of the PEIS/RP is available at: https://www.fws.gov/oregonfwo/Contaminants/PortlandHarbor/Documents/201706_FINAL_PEIS.pdf. Electronic correspondence regarding it can be 
submitted to [email protected]. Otherwise, please submit 
any written comments via U.S. mail to the responsible official named in 
the ADDRESSES section.

    Dated: May 30, 2018.
Carrie D. Selberg,
Deputy Director, Office of Habitat Conservation, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2018-11906 Filed 6-1-18; 8:45 am]
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