[Federal Register: May 23, 2006 (Volume 71, Number 99)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Page 29604-29605]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr23my06-14]
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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Department of the Army; Corps of Engineers
33 CFR Parts 325 and 332
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
40 CFR Part 230
[EPA-HQ-OW-2006-0020; FRL-8173-4]
RIN 0710-AA55
Compensatory Mitigation for Losses of Aquatic Resources
AGENCIES: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, DoD; and Environmental
Protection Agency.
ACTION: Proposed rule; extension of comment period.
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SUMMARY: On March 28, 2006, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (the
Corps) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) published a
proposed rule to revise regulations governing compensatory mitigation
for activities authorized by permits issued by the Department of the
Army. The Corps and EPA announce the extension of the public comment
period for this proposed rule until June 30, 2006. The 30-day extension
of the comment period is a result of requests from a number of entities
to allow more time to comment on the proposed rule. Comments previously
submitted need not be resubmitted, as they have already been
incorporated into the public record and will be fully considered in the
final rule.
DATES: Public comments are now due by June 30, 2006.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments, identified by docket number EPA-HQ-
OW-2006-0020 and/or RIN 0710-AA55, by any of the following methods:
Federal eRulemaking Portal (recommended method of comment
submission): http://www.regulations.gov. Follow the on-line
instructions for submitting comments.
E-mail: ow-docket@epamail.epa.gov. Include the docket
number, EPA-HQ-OW-2006-0020, and/or the RIN number, 0710-AA55, in the
subject line of the message.
Mail: USEPA Docket Center, Attention Docket Number EPA-HQ-
OW-2006-0020, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW., Washington, DC 20460.
Hand Delivery: USEPA Docket Center, Room B102, EPA West,
Attention: Docket Number EPA-HQ-OW-2006-0020, 1301 Constitution Ave.,
NW., Washington, DC 20004. Such deliveries are only accepted during the
Docket's normal hours of operation, and special arrangements should be
made for deliveries of boxed information.
Instructions: Instructions for submitting comments are provided in
the proposed rule published on March 28, 2006 (71 FR 15520).
Consideration will be given to all comments received by June 30, 2006.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. David Olson at 202-761-4922 or by
e-mail at david.b.olson@usace.army.mil, or Mr. Palmer Hough at 202-566-
8323 or by e-mail at mitigationrule@epa.gov. Information can also be
found at the EPA compensatory mitigation Web page at: http://www.epa.gov/wetlandsmitigation
.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In the March 28, 2006, issue of the Federal
Register (71 FR 15520), the Corps and EPA published a proposed rule
revising regulations governing compensatory mitigation for activities
authorized by permits issued by the Department of the Army. The
proposed regulations are intended to establish performance standards
and criteria for the use of permittee-responsible compensatory
mitigation and mitigation banks, and to improve the quality and success
of compensatory mitigation projects for activities authorized by
Department of the Army permits. The proposed regulations are also
intended to account for regional variations in aquatic resource types,
functions, and values, and apply equivalent standards to each type of
compensatory mitigation to the maximum extent practicable. The proposed
rule includes a watershed approach to improve the quality and success
of compensatory mitigation projects in replacing losses of aquatic
resource functions, services, and values resulting from activities
authorized by Department of the Army permits.
Several entities have requested an extension of the comment period
for the proposed rule. The Corps and EPA find that a 30-day extension
of the comment period for this proposed rule is warranted. Therefore,
the comment period for this proposed rule is extended until June 30,
2006.
[[Page 29605]]
Dated: May 16, 2006.
John Paul Woodley, Jr.,
Assistant Secretary of the Army (Civil Works), Department of the Army.
Dated: May 15, 2006.
Benjamin H. Grumbles,
Assistant Administrator, Office of Water, U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency.
[FR Doc. E6-7837 Filed 5-22-06; 8:45 am]
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