Environmental Impact Statements and Regulations; Availability of EPA Comments

[[Page 10755]]

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[ER-FRL-5414-4]

Environmental Impact Statements and Regulations; Availability of

EPA Comments

Availability of EPA comments prepared February 26, 1996 through

March 1, 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 14, 1996 (60

FR 19047).

Draft EISs

ERP No. D-AFS-J67022-MT

Rating EO2, Asarco Rock Creek Copper and Silver Mining Construction

and Operation Project, Plan of Operations Approval, Special Use

Permit(s), Road Use Permit, Mineral Material Permit, Timber Sale

Contract and COE Section 404 Permit Issuance, Kootenai National Forest,

Sanders County, MT.

Summary: EPA expressed environmental objections to the proposed

action based on the integrity of an unlined impoundment, potential

groundwater contamination, lack of information on the acid generating

potential of the ore and waste rock, ability for the underground

reservoir to contain high volumes of poor quality water and lack of

details in the mine closure plan.

ERP No. D-AFS-K61140-CA Rating EC2, Dinkey Allotment Livestock

Grazing Strategies, Implementation, Sierra National Forest, Fresno

County, CA.

Summary: EPA expressed environmental concerns about adverse impacts

from extensive chiselling, gullying, streambank erosion and disturbed

meadow/reparian ecosystems which have been caused in part by past

grazing pressures and we urged selection of a reduced grazing strategy

which will reverse the above adverse impacts and promote recovery of

the damaged watersheds. See ``The Forest Service Program for Forest and

Rangeland Resources: A Long-Term Strategic Plan''.

ERP No. D-AFS-K65176-CA

Rating EC2, Sequoia National Forest Trail System Plan,

Implementation, Amendment to the Sequoia National Forest Land and

Resource Management Plan, Fresno, Kern and Tulare Counties, CA.

Summary: EPA expressed environmental concerns over potential water

quality, fishery and soil impacts. The DEIS did not provide specific

information on existing water quality for eight major watersheds in the

area, making it difficult to ascertain specific project impacts. The

FEIS should contain more detailed information on how the project will

affect each watershed and discuss the applicability of the Clean Water

Act's stormwater permit provisions.

ERP No. D-AFS-K65177-00

Rating EC2, North Shore Ecosystem Management Project,

Implementation, Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit, Washoe and Placer

County, CA and NV.

Summary: EPA expressed environmental concerns regarding potential

impacts to water quality in the Lake Tahoe Basin. EPA requested that

the FEIS provide further discussion on the relation between Forest

Service ``Thresholds of Concern'' for watersheds and compliance with

Water Quality Standards and whether herbicide use would be a part of

reforestation actions.

ERP No. D-AFS-K82005-CA

Rating EC2, Placerville Nursery Pest Management Plan,

Implementation, Camino, El Dorado County, CA.

Summary: EPA expressed environmental concerns regarding the

project's compliance with pesticide and toxicity requirments in the

applicable Clean Water Act Basin Plan for the area, and urged the

Forest Service to employ methyl bromide and other chemicals at the

nursery only after non-chemical control methods are determined to be

ineffective in terms of pest management.

ERP No. D-AFS-L61206-OR

Rating LO, Upper Deschutes Wild and Scenic River and State Scenic

Waterway, Management Plan, Implementation, Deschutes National Forest,

Deschutes County, OR.

Summary: EPA expressed lack of objections to the proposed project.

ERP No. D-BLM-J67019-MT

Rating EO2, Zortman and Landusky Mines Reclamation Plan

Modifications and Mine Life Extensions, Approval of Mine Operation,

Mine Reclamation and COE Section 404 Permits, Little Rocky Mountains,

Phillip County, MT.

Summary: EPA expressed environmental concerns because the Draft EIS

discloses that there is no assurance that efforts to restore and

protect ground and surface waters will be effective or in place as a

condition to mine expansion. EPA recommended that the Final EIS address

in greater detail the potential effects to groundwater aquifer

underlying the Fort Belnap Indian Reservation and a cost and

feasibility analysis of altervatives 3 and 7.

ERP No. D-BLM-K65179-AZ

Rating EC2, Morenci Land Exchange, Implementation, Exchange of

Federal Lands for Private Lands, Safford District, Greenlee, Graham,

Cochise and Pima Counties, AZ.

Summary: EPA expressed environmental concerns regarding the

proposed land exchange. We recommended withdrawing the offered lands

from mineral entry and requested additional information in the FEIS on

the condition and management plan for the selected and offered lands

and on potential impacts of the proposal to air, water resources and

reclamation.

ERP No. D-BLM-L61205-OR

Rating LO, Bal'diyaka Interpretive Center Construction and

Operation to Present the Natural History of Oregon's Southern Coast;

the Cultural Heritage of the Coos, Lower Umpqua and Siuslaw Indians and

Local US Coast Guard History, Implementation, Coos Bay District,

Gregory Point, Coos County, OR.

Summary: EPA expressed lack of objections to the proposed project.

ERP No. D-DOE-A09824-00

Rating EC2, Programmatic EIS--Waste Management, Managing Treatment,

Storage and/or Disposal of Radioactive and Hazardous Waste for Five

Types of Waste: Low-Level Radioactive; Low-Level Mixed; Transuranic

Radioactive; High-Level Radioactive and Hazardous Waste, Sites

Selection Around the United States.

Summary: EPA requested additional information to strenghten the

final EIS and provide more clarity to the public.

ERP No. D-NPS-G65063-NM

Rating LO, Pecos National Historical General Management Plan and

Development Concept Plan, Implementation, San Miguel and Santa Fe

Counties, NM.

Summary: EPA had no objections to the preferred alternative.

ERP No. D-NPS-G65065-NM

Rating LO, Carlsbad Caverns National Park General Management Plan,

Implementation, Eddy County, NM.

Summary: EPA expressed lack of ojections to the preferred

alternative.

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ERP No. D-NPS-L65258-ID

Rating LO, Hagerman Fossil Beds National Monument, General

Management Plan, Implementation, Twin Falls and Gooding County, ID.

Summary: EPA expressed lack of objections.

ERP No. D-USN-K11066-CA

Rating EC2, Camp Pendleton Marine Corps Air Stations (MCAS) Tustin

and EL Toro Marine Corps Base (MCB) Realignment, Implementation, COE

Section 404 Permit, San Diego County, CA.

Summary: EPA expressed environmental concerns and requested

additional information on cumulative impacts to the Santa Margarita

River flood zone and watershed, wetlands and biological resources.

Final EISs

ERP No. F-AFS-G65059-NM

Santa Fe Ski Area Master Development Plan, Upgrading and Expansion,

Special-Use-Permit, Santa Fe National Forest, Espanola Ranger District,

Santa Fe County, NM.

Summary: EPA had no objections to the preferred alternative.

ERP No. F-UAF-E10007-GA

F-15 Fighter Aircraft Conversion at Dobbins Air Force Base (AFB),

Marietta, GA to B-1B Bomber Aircraft at Robins AFB, Warner Robins, GA

and Training Airspace Modifactions Servicing the Savannah Combat

Readiness Training Center (CRTC) Area, GA.

Summary: EPA expressed lack of objection to this project.

ERP No. F-USN-K11050-HI

Bellows Air Force Station Land Use and Development Plan,

Implementation, Waimanalo, Honolulu County, HI.

Summary: EPA expressed lack of objection to this project.

Regulations

ERP No. R-BIA-A99206-00

25 CFR Chapter V and Part 900--Indian Health Service: Indian Self-

Determination and Education Assistance Act Amendments; Proposed Rule.

Summary: EPA suggested that the methodologies for establishing the

carrying capacities of range units specifically include measures that

ensure compliance with applicable sections of federal environmental

law.

ERP No. R-DOI-A60117-00

25 CFR Part 161--Navajo Partitioned Land Grazing Regulations--

Proposed Rule.

Summary: EPA suggested that the proposed regulation indicate that

the Bureau of Indian Affairs and Indian Health Service will exercise

independent review of information submitted during environmental

reviews and that this regulation describe how environmental reviews

will be conducted for land acquisitions under Indian Self-Determination

grants and contracts.

Dated: March 12, 1996.

William D. Dickerson,

Director, NEPA Compliance Division, Office of Federal Activities.

[FR Doc. 96-6289 Filed 3-14-96; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6560-50-P