[Federal Register: October 17, 2008 (Volume 73, Number 202)]
[Notices]
[Page 61858-61859]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr17oc08-85]
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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
[ER-FRL-8586-7]
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 202-564-7146.
An explanation of the ratings assigned to draft environmental
impact statements (EISs) was published in FR dated April 6, 2008 (73 FR
19833).
Draft EISs
EIS No. 20080167, ERP No. D-COE-J35011-CO, Northern Integrated Supply
Project, Construction and Operation a Regional Water Supply to Serve
the Current and Future Water Needs of 12 Towns and Water District,
Approval of Section 404 Permit Application, Northern Colorado Water
Conservancy District, Larimer and Weld Counties, CO.
Summary: EPA expressed environmental objections to the proposed
action alternatives due to the potential for substantial and
unacceptable impacts to the Poudre and South Platte Rivers, and
expressed concern that the DEIS may not contain sufficient information
to fully assess the potential water quality and wetland impacts of the
proposed action alternatives. Rating EO2.
EIS No. 20080304, ERP No. D-NOA-E91025-00, Reef Fish Amendment 30B:
Gag-End Overfishing and Set Management Thresholds and Targets; Red
Grouper--Set Optimum Yield, Total Allowable Catch (TAC), and Management
Measures: Area Closures: and Federal Regulatory Compliance,
Implementation, Gulf of Mexico.
Summary: EPA does not object to the preferred alternative. Rating
LO.
EIS No. 20080312, ERP No. D-FHW-E40821-SC, Southern Evacuation Lifeline
Project, Proposed New Location Freeway Which Would Provide Improved
Hurricane Evacuation, Congestion Relief, Improved Access to Services
East and West of the Waccamaw River, Horry and Georgetown Counties, SC.
Summary: EPA expressed environmental concerns about significant
wetland impacts and recommends that further measures be considered to
avoid and minimize these wetland and stream impacts. In addition, more
information about the mitigation approach for the remaining wetland and
stream impacts was requested. Rating EC2.
EIS No. 20080227, ERP No. DA-TPT-K61154-CA, Presidio Trust Management
Plan (PTMP), Updated Information on the Concept for the 120-Acre Main
Post District, Area B of the Presidio of San Francisco, Implementation,
City and County of San Francisco, CA.
Summary: EPA does not object to the proposed project. Rating LO.
EIS No. 20080320, ERP No. DS-NOA-K91008-00, Amendment 18 to the Fishery
Management Plan, Pelagic Fisheries of the Western Pacific Region,
Management Modifications for the Hawaii-based Shallow-set Longline
Swordfish Fishery, Proposal to Remove Effort Limits, Eliminate the Set
Certificate Program and Implement New Sea Turtle Interaction Caps.
Summary: EPA expressed environmental concerns about impacts to sea
turtles and requested additional information on impact assessment
methodology and how cumulative impacts to sea turtles were factored
into the conclusions. Rating EC2.
Final EISs
EIS No. 20080248, ERP No. F-AFS-L65534-ID, Idaho Cobalt Project,
Development of Two Underground Mines, a Waste Disposal Site and
Associated Facilities, Approval of Plan-of-Operation, Salmon-Cobalt
Ranger District, Salmon-Challis National Forest, Lemhi County, ID.
Summary: EPA continues to have environmental concerns about the
lack of information on financial assurance that we requested be in the
FEIS and about the lack of specificity on trigger levels for monitoring
and mitigation measures.
EIS No. 20080307, ERP No. F-AFS-L65552-OR, East Maury Fuels and
Vegetation Management Project, Proposed Fuels and Vegetation Treatments
Reduce the Risk of Stand Loss, Lookout Mountain Ranger District, Ochoco
National Forest, Crook County, OR.
Summary: EPA continues to have environmental concerns about the
need for monitoring and maintenance of culverts on closed roads to
prevent passage barriers for fish, erosion and sedimentation problems.
EIS No. 20080311, ERP No. F-FTA-J40173-CO, Denver Union Station (DUS)
Project, Transportation Improvement, Multimodal Transportation Center
for the Metro Denver Region, Funding and NPDES Permit, City and County
Denver, CO.
Summary: EPA recommends that mitigation measures for air quality
construction impacts from the proposed project be listed in the ROD as
construction specification requirements and that the ROD also include
measures ensuring minimization of NOX and VOC levels.
EIS No. 20080329, ERP No. F-AFS-G65107-NM, Santa Fe National Forest
Project, Settlement Land Transfers: Pueblo de San lldefonso, Pueblo of
Santa Clara and Los Alamos County, Implementation, Santa Fe National
Forest, Los Alamos, Rio Arriba and Santa Fe Counties, NM.
Summary: No comment letter was sent to the preparing agency.
EIS No. 20080332, ERP No. F-FHW-L40227-WA, Interstate 90 Snoqualmie
Pass East Project, Proposes to Improve a 15-mile Portion of I-90 from
Milepost 55.10 in Hyak to Milepost 70.3 New Easton, Funding, U.S. Army
COE Section 404 Permit and NPDES Permit, Kittitas County, WA.
Summary: EPA does not object to the proposed action.
EIS No. 20080334, ERP No. F-NOA-A91074-00, North Atlantic Right Whale
Ship Strike Reduction Strategy, To Implement the Operational Measures
to Reduce the Occurrence and Severity of Vessel Collisions with the
Right Whale, Serious Injury and Deaths Resulting from Collisions with
Vessels.
Summary: EPA has no objection to the proposed action.
EIS No. 20080341, ERP No. F-AFS-L65546-ID, Idaho Roadless Area
Conservation Project, To Provide State-Specific Direction for the
Conservation and Management of Inventoried Roadless Areas, National
Forest System Lands in Idaho.
Summary: The final EIS addressed EPA's concerns about adverse
impacts to water quality, the disposition of temporary roads and the
definition of significant risk.
EIS No. 20080342, ERP No. F-AFS-J65516-WY, Inyan Kara Analysis Area
Vegetation Management, Proposes to Implement Best Management Livestock
Grazing Practices and Activities Associated with Adaptive Management
and Monitoring Strategies, Douglas Ranger District, Medicine Bow Routt
National Forest and Thunder Basin National Grassland, Niobrara and
Weston Counties, WY.
[[Page 61859]]
Summary: While the Final EIS did address EPA's environmental
general concerns with water quality and adaptive management, we
continue to have environmental concerns about the level of water
resource protection from grazing impacts under drought conditions.
Dated: October 14, 2008.
Ken Mittelholtz,
Environmental Protection Specialist, Office of Federal Activities.
[FR Doc. E8-24811 Filed 10-16-08; 8:45 am]
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