Environmental Impact Statements and Regulations; Availability of EPA Comments

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[ER-FRL-5471-5]

Environmental Impact Statements and Regulations; Availability of

EPA Comments

Availability of EPA comments prepared July 1, 1996 Through July 5,

1996 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 5, 1996 (61 FR

15251).

Draft EISs

ERP No. D-AFS-K65184-CA Rating EC2, Rock Creek Recreational Trails

Management Plan, Implementation, Eldorado National Forest, Georgetown

Ranger District, Eldorado County, CA.

Summary: EPA expressed environmental concerns about potential noise

impacts, the proposed level of use, funding feasibility, and the

integration of management on intermixed private lands. EPA recommended

reconsideration of the level of participation, number of special events

allowed and the ability to enforce road/trail closures with an all-

season road.

ERP No. D-AFS-L61208-00 Rating EC2, Hells Canyon National

Recreation Area (HCNRA), Comprehensive Management Plan, Implementation,

Wallowa-Whitman National Forest, Nez Perce and Payette National

Forests, Bake and Wallowa Counties, OR and Nez Perce and Adam Counties,

ID.

Summary: EPA expressed environmental concerns based on potential

adverse impacts of the action from roads, grazing and increased usage

to air quality, riparian habitat and water quality.

ERP No. D-AFS-L65266-AK Rating EC2, King George Timber Sale

Project, Timber Harvesting and Road Construction, Implementation,

Tongass National Forest, Stikine Area, Etolin Island, AK.

Summary: EPA expressed environmental concerns about road closure

methods, water quality, wildlife habitat, especially fish habitat and

suggested the final EIS include this information.

ERP No. D-BLM-K67035-NV Rating EC2, Bootstrap/Capstone and Tara

Open-Pit Gold Mine Project, Construction and Operation Approval, Plan

of Operation, Elko and Eureka Counties, NV.

Summary: EPA expressed environmental concerns due to potential

impacts to water quality and suggested that complete or partial

backfilling of the Bootstrap/Capstone pit be included in the preferred

alternative. The FEIS should further address impacts to water and air

quality, wildlife, and wetlands; as well as cumulative impacts;

mitigation; and waste rock characterization and handling.

ERP No. D-DOE-K11068-NV Rating EO2, Nevada Test Site (NTS) and Off-

Site Locations, Implementation, at the Following Sites: Tonopah Test

Range; Portions of the Nellis Air Force Range (NAFR) Complex; the

Central Nevada Test Area and Shoal Area Project, Nye County, NV.

Summary: EPA expressed environmental objections due to a lack of

mitigation to offset or reduce potential adverse impacts; a tendency to

locate the proposed facilities in undisturbed rather than already-

disturbed areas; and a lack of pollution prevention features.

ERP No. DS-AFS-L65201-OR Rating LO, Eagle Creek Timber Sale and

Road Construction, Additional and Updated Information, Implementation,

Mt. Hood

[[Page 37742]]

National Forest, Zigzag and Estacada Ranger District, Clackama County,

OR.

Summary: Our abbreviated review has revealed no EPA concerns on

this project.

Final EISs

ERP No. F-AFS-K61136-00 Heavenly Ski Resort Master Plan,

Improvement, Expansion and Management, Lake Tahoe Basin Management

Unit, Special-Use-Permit, Douglas County, NV and El Dorado and Alpine

Counties, CA.

Summary: EPA continued to express environmental objections to this

expansion based on air quality, noise, traffic, fish and wildlife, and

visual/scenic features as a result of past construction and current

operation of Heavenly Ski Resort If the proposed level of development

is approved, we strongly recommended that the Record of Decision (ROD)

clearly commit to: a subsequent environmental review and cumulative

watershed effects analysis, an if the analysis shows continued or

potentially significant adverse environmental impacts, then continued

development will be limited or prohibited.

ERP No. F-BLM-K65158-CA, Clear Creek Management Area, Land and

Resource Management Plan Amendment, Implementation, San Benito and

Fresno Counties, CA.

Summary: EPA registered a Formal protest through BLM's appeal

process because EPA believes that implementing the preferred

alternative would impose the potential for significant adverse impacts

on area users, nearby residents, and BLM employees, and would continue

to significantly and adversely impact environmental resources. Serious

potential impacts include fugitive emissions of asbestos in excess of

Occupational Safety and Health Administration action levels, severe

soil erosion; and sedimentation of several streams in and downstream of

the Clear Creek Management Area, which appears to violate State water

quality objectives for the protection of several designated beneficial

uses.

ERP No. F-COE-K32048-CA, Port of Long Beach (POLB) Main Channel

Deepening and Navigation Improvements, Implementation, Queen's Gate,

San Pedro Bay, Los Angeles County, CA.

Summary: Review of the Final EIS was not deemed necessary. No

formal comment letter was sent to the preparing agency.

ERP No. F-NPS-K65171-CA, Cabrillo National Monument, General

Management Plan/Development Concept Plans, Implementation, San Diego

County, CA.

Summary: EPA's environmental concerns have been addressed,

therefore we have no objections to the project as proposed.

ERP No. F1-NAS-A12038-00, International Space Station, Assembly and

Operation, Space Station Freedom (SSF).

Summary: EPA had identified no potentially significant impacts and

continues to lack objections to the proposed project.

Dated: July 16, 1996.

William D. Dickerson,

Director, NEPA Compliance Division, Office of Federal Activities.

[FR Doc. 96-18420 Filed 7-18-96; 8:45 am]

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