[Federal Register: January 24, 2003 (Volume 68, Number 16)]
[Notices]
[Page 3526-3527]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr24ja03-69]
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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
[ER-FRL-6637-1]
Environmental Impact Statements and Regulations; Availability of
EPA Comments
Availability of EPA comments prepared pursuant to the Environmental
Review Process (ERP), under Section 309 of the Clean Air Act and
Section 102(2)(c) of the National Environmental Policy Act as amended.
Requests for copies of EPA comments can be directed to the Office of
Federal Activities at (202) 564-7167.
An explanation of the ratings assigned to draft environmental
impact statements (EISs) was published in the Federal Register dated
April 12, 2002 (67 FR 17992).
Draft EISs
ERP No. D-AFS-J65368-UT Rating LO, Duck Creek--Swains Access (Duck/
Swains), Management Project, Wildlife Habitat, Soil and Watershed
Conditions and Motorized Vehicle Use Management Improvements, Dixie
National Forest, Cedar City Ranger District, Iron, Garfield and Kane
Counties, UT.
Summary: EPA expressed lack of objections and fully supports
closing excess, redundant and damaging roads with appropriate
mitigation measures to decrease road density.
ERP No. D-AFS-L65406-ID Rating LO, North Kennedy-Cottonwood
Stewardship Project, Existing Transportation System Modifications and
Forest Health Improvements through Vegetation Management both
Commercial and Non-Commercial Methods, Boise National Forest, Emmett
Ranger District, Gem and Valley Counties, ID.
Summary: EPA expressed lack of objections with the proposed action.
EPA suggested that additional information on the road closure/
management and revegetation measures to improve habitat to meet Forest
Plan Wildlife Recovery goals should be included in the Final EIS.
ERP No. D-COE-L36115-WA Rating EC2, Centralia Flood Damage
Reduction Project, Chehalis River, Lewis and Thurston Counties, WA.
Summary: EPA expressed environmental concerns and
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recommended that the Corps improve the Purpose and Need Statement,
provide additional and/or revised alternatives, supply supportive
information on environmental sustainability, disclose compliance with
floodplain management (Executive Order 110998) and address approved
flood maps, and address indirect and cumulative impacts for this
proposed project.
ERP No. D-FRC-L05228-ID Rating NS, Bear River Hydroelectric
Project, Application for a New License (Relicense) for Three Existing
Hydroelectric Projects: Soda (FERC No. 20-019), Grace-Cove (FERC No.
2401-007) and Oneida (FERC No. 472-017), Bear River Basin, Caribou and
Franklin Counties, ID.
Summary: EPA used a screening tool to conduct a limited review of
the draft EIS. Based on the screen, EPA does not foresee having any
environmental objections to the proposed project. Therefore, a detailed
review of the draft EIS was not conducted.
ERP No. D-IBR-K39076-00 Rating EC2, Navajo Reservoir Operations,
Operational Changes to Navajo Dam and Reservoir, Related Flow
Recommendation, Implementation and Funding, Navajo Unit-San Juan River,
NM, CO and UT.
Summary: EPA has environmental concerns with the long-term
sustainability of additional water development in the Basin and urged
an equitable balance of available water supplies, water supply
commitments, and environmental needs. EPA strongly encouraged
development of the Memorandum of Agreement to protect water released
for endangered species from diversion by intervening appropriators.
While EPA supports reoperation of Navajo Dam to implement the Flow
Recommendations, EPA has concerns regarding water quality, mitigation,
indirect and cumulative impacts, monitoring and the adaptive management
plan.
ERP No. D-NOA-K91011-00 Rating EC2, 2003 Pacific Coast Groundfish
Fishery, Groundfish Acceptable Biological Catch and Optimum Yield
Specifications and Management Measures, Implementation, WA, OR and CA.
Summary: EPA has environmental concerns based on insufficient
information on stock rebuilding, enforcement of harvest measures,
relationship between federal and state groundfish fisheries, trawl
vessels exemptions, indirect impacts and tribal fishing rights.
ERP No. D-SFW-K64022-CA Rating EC2, Aquatic Habitat Conservation
Plan and Candidate Conservation Agreement with Assurances to Conserve
Habitat for and Mitigate Impacts on Six Aquatic Species, USFWS
Enhancement of Survival Permit and an USMFS Incidental Take Permit
Issuance, Humboldt and Del Norte Counties, CA.
Summary: EPA commended the approach of developing a comprehensive
aquatic management strategy to address potential impacts to listed and
potentially listed fish and amphibian species, but expressed specific
environmental concerns related to water temperature impacts.
ERP No. D-USN-K52004-CA Rating EC2, Advanced Amphibious Assault
Vehicle (AAAV) Development, Replacement and Establishment,
Implementation, Del Mar Basin Area of Marine Base Corps (MCB) Camp
Pendelton, San Diego County, CA.
Summary: EPA expressed environmental concerns, noting that
additional mitigation may be available to potentially reduce the
project's environmental impacts, including impacts to (non-ocean)
surface water quality and air quality.
ERP No. DA-FAA-E40785-FL Rating EC2, Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood
International Airport, Runway 9R-2FL Expansion and other Associated
Improvements, New Information concerning the Predicted Number of
Residents Impacted by Noise for Alternatives using 2000 Census Block
Data or Field Inspection, Funding, Broward County, FL.
Summary: EPA continues to have environmental concerns with noise
regarding the residences located south of the runway proposed for
extension. Additional mitigation through residential acquisition over
time was requested.
Final EISs
ERP No. F-COE-K39073-CA, Middle Creek Flood Damage Reduction and
Ecosystem Restoration Project located between Highway 20 and Middle
Creek immediately northwest of Clear Lake, Implementation, Lake County,
CA.
Summary: EPA reviewed the EIS and found that the document
adequately addresses the issues raised in our comment letter on the
DEIS.
ERP No. F-IBR-K31003-CA, Imperial Irrigation District Water
Conservation and Transfer Project and Draft Habitat Conservation Plan
(HCP), Implementation and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Section 10
Incidental Take Permit Approval and Issuance, Colorado River, Imperial
County, CA.
Summary: EPA continues to have environmental objections to the
potential adverse impacts on surface and groundwater quality, air
quality and biological resources and believes these objections could be
addressed by the new proposed Habitat Conservation Plan and the Salton
Sea Restoration Project.
ERP No. F-IBR-K39072-00, Implementation Agreement (IA), Inadvertent
Overrun and Payback Policy (IOP) and Related Federal Actions,
Implementation, Quantification Settlement Agreement (QSA), Lower
Colorado River, in the States of AZ, CA and NV.
Summary: EPA continues to have environmental concern with the
potential cumulative impacts on water quality constituents in drinking
water sources and cumulative impacts on Indian Trust assets. EPA
believes these concerns could be addressed by the new proposed Habitat
Conservation Plan and the Salton Sea Restoration Project.
ERP No. F-NAS-A12043-00, PROGRAMMATIC--MARS Exploration Rover--2003
(MER-2003) Project, Continuing the Long-Term Exploration of MARS,
Implementation.
Summary: EPA has no objection to the proposed action.
Dated: January 21, 2003.
Joseph C. Montgomery,
Director, NEPA Compliance Division, Office of Federal Activities.
[FR Doc. 03-1622 Filed 1-23-03; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P