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Environmental Impact Statements and Regulations; Availability of EPA Comments

Note: EPA no longer updates this information, but it may be useful as a reference or resource.

 [Federal Register: July 25, 2003 (Volume 68, Number 143)]
[Notices]
[Page 44079-44080]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr25jy03-71]

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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
[ER-FRL-6642-4]
 
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 4, 2003 (68 FR 16511).

Draft EISs

    ERP No. D-AFS-F65042-WI Rating EC2, Sunken Moose Project, Proposal 
to Restore and/or Maintain the Red and White Pine Communities, Washurn 
Ranger District, Chequamegon-Nicolet Forest, Bayfield County, WI.
    Summary: EPA expressed environmental concerns relating to adverse 
impacts to interior forest species, habitat fragmentation and non-
native invasive species.
    ERP No. D-DOA-K36137-HI Rating EC2, Lahaina Watershed Flood Control 
Project, To Reduce Flooding and Erosion Problems, U.S. Army COE Section 
404 and NPDES Permits, County of Maui, HI.
    Summary: EPA expressed environmental concerns regarding the 
project's impacts on the nearshore marine environment, waters of the 
U.S., and water quality. In addition, EPA is concerned about the range 
of alternatives evaluated in the DEIS, and whether future development 
on adjacent lands have been incorporated into project design and 
evaluation of impacts.
    ERP No. D-FHW-L40217-AK Rating EC2, South Extension of the Coastal 
Trail Project, Existing Tony Knowles Coastal Trail Extension from 
Kincaid Park through the Project Area to the Potter Weigh Station, U.S. 
Army COE Section 10 and 404 Permits Issuance, Municipality of 
Anchorage, Anchorage, Alaska.
    Summary: EPA has environmental concerns with the proposed project, 
particularly concerning impacts to the aquatic environment. EPA 
recommends alignment modifications to further avoid and minimize 
adverse impacts. EPA requests further information regarding the 
affected environment, stream crossings, design detail for accommodating 
wildlife passage, siting or location clarifications, and other 
specifics.
    ERP No. D-NOA-E91013-00 Rating EC1, Essential Fish Habitat 
Components of Amendment 13 to the Northeast Multispecies Fishery 
Management Plan, Selection of the Best Method of Minimizing Impacts of 
Groundfish Fishing on Essential Fish Habitats, New England Fishery 
Management Council, ME, NH, VT, MA, RI, CT, NY, NJ, DE, MD, VA, and NC.
    Summary: EPA expressed environmental concern on numbers of traps, 
wet storage of traps and no tag accountability.
    ERP No. D-NOA-G39038-LA Rating LO, Programmatic EIS--The Louisiana 
Regional Restoration Planning Program, Establishment and Implementation 
of Natural Resource Trust Mandates, LA.
    Summary: EPA had no objection to the selection of the preferred 
alternative.
    ERP No. D-NOA-L91017-00 Rating EO2, Programmatic EIS--Pacific 
Salmon Fisheries Management Plan, Off the Coasts of Southeast Alaska, 
Washington, Oregon and California, and the Columbia River Basin, 
Implementation, Magnuson-Stevens Act, AK, WA, OR, and CA.
    Summary: EPA has environmental objections due to uncertainty about 
the effects of the alternatives on the 26 listed ESUs of salmon. The 
draft programmatic EIS does not clearly disclose critical information 
regarding the effect of the alternatives, does not provide identifiable 
evidence to support its conclusions that all alternatives would not 
jeopardize ESUs, and does not identify a preferred alternative. EPA 
recommends that analysis in the final programmatic EIS demonstrate that 
alternatives would protect and recover the 26 listed species of salmon 
affected by proposed activities.
    ERP No. D-UAF-K11109-AZ Rating LO, Barry M. Goldwater Range (BMGR) 
Proposed Integrated Natural Resources Management Plan (INRMP), 
Implementation, Military Lands Withdrawal Act of 1999 (Pub. L. 106-65) 
and Sike Act (16 U.S.C. 670), Yuma, Pima and Maricopa Counties, AZ.
    Summary: EPA expressed a lack of objections but recommended 
mitigation to protect water quality by restriction on driving 
recreational vehicles in desert washes.

[[Page 44080]]

    ERP No. D-UAF-K11110-CA Rating EC2, Los Angeles Air Force Base Land 
Conveyance, Construction and Development Project, Transfer Portions of 
Private Development in Exchange for Construction of New Seismically 
Stable Facilities, Cities of El Sequndo and Hawthorne, Los Angeles 
County, CA.
    Summary: EPA expressed environmental concerns regarding air toxic 
impacts and recommended additional analysis and mitigation to reduce 
air pollution.
    ERP No. DB-AFS-L65155-00 Rating LO, Northern Spotted Owl Project, 
Updated information to Amend Selected Portions of the Aquatic 
Conservation Strategy, (Part of the Northwest Forest Plan), Protect and 
Restore Watersheds, CA, WA, and OR.
    Summary: EPA has no objections to the proposed action. However, the 
final EIS should consider a more specific statement of project purpose, 
include additional data on existing conditions and recent Strategy 
actions in the Plan area, and a prediction of cumulative impacts based 
on key threshold levels.

Final EISs

    ERP No. F-FHW-J40175-UT, Reference Post (RP) 13 Interchange and 
City Road Project, Construction of New Interchange at RP 13 between I-
15 and City Road in Washington City, Funding, Washington County, UT.
    Summary: EPA has environmental concerns regarding the lack of 
alternatives presented in the FEIS to meet the purpose and need of 
accommodating planned future growth. EPA continues to believe that, in 
this case, one build alternative is not sufficient for an adequate EIS.
    ERP No. F-NPS-J65365-00, Glen Canyon National Area, Personal 
Watercraft Rule-Making, Implementation, Lake Powell, Coconino County, 
AZ and Garfield, Kane, San Juan and Wayne Counties, UT.
    Summary: EPA continued to express environmental concerns about 
potential violations of State water quality standards and suggested a 
compliance strategy. While EPA commends the NPS for providing an 
improved preferred alternative there were other reasonable alternatives 
that should have been analyzed.

    Dated: July 22, 2003.
Joseph C. Montgomery,
Director, NEPA Compliance Division, Office of Federal Activities.
[FR Doc. 03-19010 Filed 7-24-03; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-U

 
 

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