[Federal Register: July 30, 2004 (Volume 69, Number 146)]
[Notices]
[Page 45708-45709]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr30jy04-94]
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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
[ER-FRL-6654-2]
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 FR dated April 2, 2004 (69 FR 17403).
Draft EISs
ERP No. D-BIA-C60004-NY Rating EC2, St. Regis Mohawk Tribe, Mohawk
Mountain Casino and Resort, Proposed Transfer of 66 Acres of Land into
Federal Trust Status, Fee-to-Trust Acquisition, Sullivan County, NY.
Summary: EPA expressed environmental concerns due to direct and
cumulative impacts to groundwater and surface water.
ERP No. D-BLM-J67031-ND Rating EC2, West Mine Area, Freedom Mine
Project, Application to Acquire Federal Coal Lease, Mercer County, ND.
Summary: EPA expressed environmental concerns about air quality
impacts and adequate protection for fens and peatland wetlands.
ERP No. D-COE-C40162-NJ Rating EO2, NJ 92 Project, New Jersey
Turnpike Authority, Transportation Improvement from East-West Highway
Link Connecting U.S. Route1 in South Brunswick Township with the New
Jersey Turnpike at Interchange 8A in Monroe Township, Middlesex County,
NJ.
Summary: EPA objected to the proposed permit based on the potential
for significant environmental impacts and that all reasonable
alternatives, including those with fewer environmental impacts, have
not been fully evaluated.
ERP No. D-COE-E39065-FL Rating LO, Central and Southern Florida
Project, Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan, Aquifer Storage and
Recovery (ASR) Pilot Operation, Aquifer Storage and Recovery Pilot
Project, To Test the Feasibility Utilizing ASR Technology for Water
Storage at Seven Well Sites, Right-of-Way and NPDES Permits, Several
Counties.
Summary: While EPA had no objections to the proposed project, EPA
requested clarification on to identifying applicable standards for
groundwater injection and surface water discharges.
ERP No. D-DOI-J39031-UT Rating EC2, Utah Lake Drainage Basin Water
Delivery System (ULS), Construction and Operation, Bonneville Unit of
the Central Utah Project (CUP), Utah, Salt Lake, Wasatch and Juab
Counties, UT.
Summary: EPA expressed environmental concerns relating to water
quality impacts, as well as project purpose and information on affected
environment, and implementation of water conservation.
ERP No. D-HUD-C85045-NY Rating EC2, Ridge Hill Village Project,
Construction, Comprehensive Development Plan, (CDP), Planned Mixed-Use
Development District (PMD), U.S. Army COE Section 404, City of Yonkers,
Westchester County, NY.
Summary: EPA expressed concerns due to air quality impacts given
Westchester County's current non-attainment status. EPA requested that
the Final EIS include additional information such as a meso-scale
analysis to address the air quality issues.
ERP No. D-NOA-E39066-FL Rating LO, Programmatic EIS--Seagrass
Restoration in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary,
Implementation, U.S. Army COE Section 404 and CZMA Permits, Monroe
County, FL.
Summary: While EPA has no objection to the proposed action, EPA did
request clarification on the preferred alternative in relation to
specific regions within the Sanctuary, and defining thresholds for
developing future site-specific NEPA documents tiering from this
document.
ERP No. D-NOA-L91023-00 Rating EC2, Pacific Coast Groundfish
Fishery Management Plan, Amendment 16-3 Adopts Rebuild Plans for
Bocaccio, Cowcod, Widow Rockfish and Yelloweye Rockfish, Maximum
Sustainable Yield (MSY), Implementation, WA, OR, ID and CA.
Summary: EPA expressed concerns due to impacts on habitat, cowcod
stock status, and uncertainty of bycatch information, and impacts on
habitat.
ERP No. D-NOA-L91024-00 Rating EC2, Puget Sound Chinook Harvest
Resource Management Plan (RMP) 2004-2009, Implementation, Endangered
Species Act, OR and WA.
Summary: EPA expressed concerns that the proposed action will not
meet many of the escapement and rebuilding goals established in the
management plan. EPA also expressed concerns with Puget Sound chinook
salmon fishing mortalities in Canadian waters, hatchery augmentation
and the applicability of the management plant to the 2004 fishing
season.
ERP No. D-SFW-B64004-ME Rating LO, Petit Manan National Wildlife
Refuge Complex, Comprehensive Conservation Plan, Implementation, the
Gulf of Maine.
Summary: EPA had no objection to the proposed project.
Final EISs
ERP No. F-AFS-J65405-ND Equity Oil Company Federal 32-4 and 23-21
Oil and Gas Wells Surface Use Plan of Operation (SUP0), Implementation,
Located in the Bell Lake Inventoried Roadless Area (IRA), Dakota
Prairie Grasslands, Medora Ranger District, Goldon Valley County, ND.
Summary: No formal comment letter was sent to the preparing agency.
ERP No. F-BLM-J01080-WY West Hay Creek Coal Lease Application,
Federal Coal Leasing, Buckskin Mine, Powder River Basin, Campbell
County, WY.
Summary: EPA continues to express environmental concerns about
regional air quality and impacts to and mitigation for playa wetlands.
EPA supports mitigation methods for controlling fugitive dust and
suggests those in use be reviewed to determine if additional measures
are needed. EPA supports the efforts to control nitrogen dioxide
releases from blasting and encourages measures to eliminate these toxic
emissions.
ERP No. F-COE-G61042-NM Closure of the Al Black Recreation Area at
the Cochiti Lake Dam Outlet Works, Implementation, Sandoval County, NM.
[[Page 45709]]
Summary: No formal comment letter was sent to the preparing agency.
ERP No. F-DOE-F09004-OH Portsmouth, Ohio Site Depleted Uranium
Hexafluoride Conversion Facility, Construction and Operation, Pike
County, OH.
Summary: Since EPA's previous concerns have been resolved, EPA has
no objection to the proposed action.
ERP No. F-FRC-B05193-CT Housatonic River Hydroelectric Project,
Application to Relicense Existing Licenses for Housatonic Project No.
2576-022 and the Falls Village Project No. 2597-019, Housatonic River
Basin, Fairfield, New Haven and Litchfield Counties, CT.
Summary: EPA expressed concerns about the range of alternatives
considered and the consistency of the preferred alternative with
conditions of the Clean Water Act Section 401 water quality
certification.
ERP No. F-FRC-L05230-OR Pelton Round Butte Hydroelectric Project,
(FERC No. 2030-036), Application for a New License for Existing 366.82-
megawatt Project, Deschutes River, OR.
Summary: No formal comment letter was sent to the preparing agency.
ERP No. F-UAF-K11113-00 Air Force Mission at Johnston Atoll
Airfield (Installation) Termination, Implementation, Johnston Atoll is
an Unincorporated Territory of the United States.
Summary: The FEIS addressed many of EPA's previous concerns. EPA
requested commitments in the NEPA Record of Decision on waste
minimization, pollution prevention and responsibility for environmental
contaminants, and to identify the geographic boundaries of areas where
the Defense Department will have jurisdiction and management
responsibilities.
ERP No. F-USA-K11111-HI Transformation of the 2nd Brigade, 25th
Infantry Division (Light) to a Stryker Brigade Combat Team in Hawai'i,
Implementation, Honolulu and Hawai'i Counties, HI.
Summary: No formal comment letter was sent to the preparing agency.
Dated: July 26, 2004.
Ken Mittelholtz,
Environmental Protection Specialist, Office of Federal Activities.
[FR Doc. 04-17382 Filed 7-29-04; 8:45 am]
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