[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 184 (Friday, September 23, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Pages 55834-55835]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 05-19047]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[ER-FRL-6667-7]


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 1, 2005 (70 FR 16815).

Draft EISs

EIS No. 20050187, ERP No. D-SFW-F64005-00, Upper Mississippi National 
Wildlife and Fish Refuge Comprehensive Conservation Plan (CCP) 
Implementation, MN, WI, IL and IA.
    Summary: EPA has no objections to the Preferred Alternative, and 
recommends that the Final EIS address how the plan will be integrated 
with the Upper Mississippi River Navigation Ecosystem Sustainability 
Program. Rating LO.

EIS No. 20050209, ERP No. D-NPS-J65442-WY, Grand Teton National Park 
Transportation Plan, Implementation, Grand Teton National Park, Teton 
County, WY.
    Summart: EPA expressed concerns about wetland mitigation and storm 
water impacts. Rating EC2.

EIS No. 20050259, ERP No. D-FHW-C40166-NY, Southtowns Connector/Buffalo 
Outer Harbor Project, Improvements on the NYS Route 5 Corridor from 
Buffalo Skyway Bridge to NYS Route 179, in the City of Buffalo, City of 
Lackawanna and Town of Hamburg, Erie County, NY.
    Summary: EPA expressed concerns about assessment of cumulative 
impacts. Rating EC2.

EIS No. 20050274, ERP No. D-AFS-J61107-ND, NE McKenzie Allotment 
Management Plan Revisions, Proposes to Continue Livestock Grazing on 28 
Allotments, Dakota Prairie Grasslands Land and Resource Management 
Plan, Dakota Prairie Grasslands, McKenzie Ranger District, McKenzie 
County, ND.
    Summary: EPA expressed concerns about potential water quality 
impacts from sediment, fecal coliform and temperature modification in 
streams and other surface waters, and recommended reducing water 
quality impacts near aquatic/riparian resources by working with 
permittees and other stakeholders, and develop adaptive management 
monitoring. Rating EC2.

EIS No. 20050281, ERP No. D-AFS-K65287-CA, North Fork Eel Grazing 
Allotment Management Project, Proposing to Authorize Cattle Grazing on 
Four Allotment, Six Rivers National Forest, Mad River Ranger District, 
North Fork Eel River and Upper Mad River, Trinity County, CA.
    Summary: EPA has no objection to the proposed action. Rating LO.

EIS No. 20050306, ERP No. D-FHW-H40185-00, U.S. Highway 34, Plattsmouth 
Bridge Study, over the Missouri River between U.S. 75 and I-29, 
Funding, Coast Guard Permit, U.S. Army COE 10 and 404 Permits, Cass 
County, NE and Mills County, IA.
    Summary: EPA expressed concerns about potential wetland, 
floodplain, stream, and cumulative impacts. Rating EC2.

EIS No. 20050311, ERP No. D-NPS-H65025-NE, Niobrara National Scenic 
River General Management Plan, Implementation, Brown, Cherry, Keya Paha 
and Rock Counties, NE.
    Summary: EPA has no objection to the proposed action. Rating LO.

EIS No. 20050294, ERP No. DR-COE-K11114-CA, Mare Island Reuse of 
Dredged Material Disposal Ponds as a Confirmed Updated Dredged Material 
Disposal Facility, Issuing Section 404 Permit Clean Water Act and 
Section 10 Permit Rivers and Harbor Act, San Francisco Bay Area, City 
of Vallejo, Solando County, CA.
    Summary: Many of EPA's objections to the original Draft EIS were 
addressed in this revised document. However, EPA continues to have 
concerns about the delegation of responsibility for site operations and 
associated environmental safeguards, as well as implementation of 
wetlands restoration measures. Rating EC2.FINAL EISs.


[[Page 55835]]


EIS No. 20050283, ERP No. F-AFS-K65269-NV, Martin Basin Rangeland 
Project, Authorize Continued Livestock Grazing in Eight Allotments: 
Martin Basin, Indian, West Side Flat Creek, Buffalo, Bradshaw, 
Buttermilk, Granite Peak and Rebel Creek Cattle and Horse Allotments, 
Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest, Santa Rosa Ranger District, Humboldt 
County, NV.
    Summary: EPA has continuing concerns due to further resource 
decline and recommended an aggressive implementation schedule to reduce 
utilization rates in critical areas, and the use of tiered 
environmental documentation for specific Allotment Management Plans.

EIS No. 20050286, ERP No. F-SFW-B64004-ME, Maine Coastal Islands 
National Wildlife Refuge (formerly Petit Manan National Wildlife Refuge 
Complex) Comprehensive Conservation Plan, Implementation, the Gulf of 
Maine.
    Summary: EPA continues to have no objection to the proposed action.

EIS No. 20050316, ERP No. F-FAA-F51050-IL, O'Hare Modernization 
Program, Proposes Major Development, Chicago O'Hare International 
Airport, Airport Layout Plan (ALP), Federal Funding, U.S. Army COE 
Section 404 Permit, City of Chicago, IL.
    Summary: While many EPA's previous concerns have been resolved, EPA 
still has concerns because it is not clear that proposed mitigation for 
noise, air quality and water will be adopted and included in the Record 
of Decision.

EIS No. 20050322, ERP No. F-FRC-L03012-WA, Capacity Replacement 
Project, Construction and Operation of 79.5 miles Pipeline: Modify 5 
Existing Compressor Stations, U.S. Army COE 10 and 404 Permits, 
Whatcom, Skagit, Snohomish, King, Pierce and Thurston Counties, WA.
    Summary: As requested, FERC provided additional information on the 
proposed compensatory mitigation plan and other critical elements in 
the final EIS. Accordingly, EPA had no objections to the proposed 
action.

EIS No. 20050327, ERP No. F-AFS-J65434-CO, County Line Vegetation 
Management Project, Salvaging Spruce Beetle Infected Trees and Thinning 
Spruce-Fir Stand, Rio Grande National Forest, Conejos Peak Ranger 
District, Conejos County, CO.
    Summary: EPA continues to have concerns about soil erosion impacts, 
stream water quality impacts, and wildlife sensitive species impacts.

EIS No. 20050330, ERP No. F-AFS-H65023-00, Black-Tailed Prairie Dog 
Conservation and Management on the Nebraska National Forest and 
Associated Units, Implementation, Dawes, Sioux Blaine, Cherry, Thomas 
Counties, NE and Custer, Fall River, Jackson, Pennington, Jones, Lyman, 
Stanley Counties, SD.
    Summary: No formal comment letter was sent to the preparing agency.

EIS No. 20050331, ERP No. F-COE-G39042-TX, PROGRAMMATIC--Lower Colorado 
River Basin Study, Provide Flood Damage Reduction and Ecosystem 
Restoration, Colorado River, TX.
    Summary: No formal comment letter was sent to the preparing agency.

EIS No. 20050337, ERP No. F-AFS-K65283-CA, Empire Vegetation Management 
Project, Reducing Fire Hazards, Harvesting of Trees Using Group-
Selection (GS) and Individual Trees Selection (ITS) Methods, Mt. Hough 
Ranger District, Plumas National Forest, Plumas County, CA.
    Summary: While EPA has no objection to the proposed action, EPA did 
request that the ROD include a commitment to mitigate impacts to air 
quality and implement resource monitoring/adaptive management.

Robert W. Hargrove,
Director, NEPA Compliance Division, Office of Federal Activities.
[FR Doc. 05-19047 Filed 9-22-05; 8:45 am]
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