Environmental Impact Statements and Regulations; Availability of EPA Comments

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[ER-FRL-5480-2]

Environmental Impact Statements and Regulations; Availability of

EPA Comments

Availability of EPA comments prepared April 21, 1997 Through April

25, 1997 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 04, 1997 (62

FR 16154).

Draft EISs

ERP No. D-BLM-K65196-CA Rating EO2, Interlakes Special Recreation

Management Area Plan, Implementation, Federal and Private Lands Issues,

Shasta County, CA.

Summary

EPA expressed environmental objections with the lack of information

regarding monitoring and mitigation proposals to offset significant

environmental impacts associated with OHV use in the Chappie-Shasta OHV

Management Areas.

ERP No. D-COE-C35011-00 Rating EC2, Newark Bay Confined Disposal

Facility (NBCDF), Construction, Dredged Material Disposal Site, NY and

NJ.

Summary

EPA expressed environmental concerns about the proposed project and

requested that additional information be presented in the Final EIS to

address these concerns. EPA expressed concerns with the project's

monitoring plan and requested a complete assessment of the project's

potential impacts to buried prehistoric deposits as well.

ERP No. D-FHW-E40700-GA Rating EC2, Harry S. Truman Parkway,

Construction from the Abercorn Street Extension (GA-204) to Derenne

Avenue, COE Section 404 Permit and U.S. Coast Guard Permit, Chatham

County, GA.

Summary

EPA expressed environmental concerns regarding impacts to estuarine

marshes. EPA recommended that additional mitigation be provided to

reduce marsh impacts.

ERP No. D-UAF-G11032-TX Rating LO, Reese Air Force Base (AFB)

Disposal and Reuse, Implementation, NPDES Permit and COE Section 404

Permit, Lubbock and Terry Counties, TX.

Summary

EPA had no objections to the selection of the preferred

alternative.

ERP No. D-USN-K11078-00 Rating EO2, Marianas Islands Military

Training, Implementation, Marianas Training Plan, Guam, Commonwealth of

the Northern Mariana Islands, Asia, Hawaii and Alaska.

Summary

EPA expressed environmental objections due to significant impact to

biological resources and coral reefs. EPA requested additional

information regarding project description, purpose and need,

alternative development and cumulative impacts.

ERP No. DA-COE-C32034-00 Rating EC2, Delaware River Comprehensive

Navigation Channel Improvement, Additional Information, Beckett Street

Terminal in New Jersey through Philadelphia Harbor, Implementation,

several counties, NJ, DE and PA.

Summary

EPA expressed environmental concerns about the design and

monitoring plan for Kelly Island, and the stockpiling of sand at

Slaughter and Broadkill Beaches. Additional information should be

presented in the final SEIS to address these issues.

ERP No. DS-AFS-L65202-ID Rating LO, Katka Peak Timber Sale and Road

Construction, Implementation, New Information from Interior Columbia

Basin Ecosystem Management Project, to implement Ecosystem Restoration

Treatment, Bonners Ferry Ranger District, Idaho Panhandle National

Forests, Boundary County, ID.

Summary

Our abbreviated review has revealed no EPA concerns on this

project.

ERP No. DS-AFS-L67028-AK Rating EC1, Kensington Venture Underground

Gold Mine Project, Additional Information, Development, Construction

and Operation, Operating Plan Approval, NPDES, Section 10 and 404

[[Page 25610]]

Permits, Tongass National Forest, Sherman Creek, City of Juneau, AK.

Summary

EPA continued to express environmental concerns regarding impacts

to air quality diesel fuel spill risks to water quality, visual

impacts, the feasibility of mitigation and reclamation measures, and

the need to minimize impacts associated with effluent discharges. The

Final SEIS should provide additional information on evaluation of

project component options and mitigation measures.

ERP No. DS-FAA-L51014-WA Rating EC2, Seattle-Tacoma International

Airport Improvement, South Aviation Support Area, Airport Layout Plan,

Airport Master Plan; Updated Information on Master Plan Development

Actions, Funding, Section 10 and 404 Permits and NPDES Permit, Port of

Seattle, King County, WA.

Summary

EPA expressed reservations/concerns with the conclusion that the

conforms to the State Implementation Plan. Should the final conformity

determination significantly differ from the updated draft conformity

analysis, it may be necessary for the FAA to allow for additional

public comments on that analysis prior to making a decision. In

particular, an additional public comment period should be considered if

the de minimis thresholds have been exceeded for carbon monoxide and/or

oxides of nitrogen.

Final EISs

ERP No. F-AFS-K65186-NV, Spring Mountains National Recreation Area

General Management Plan, Toiyabe National Forest Land and Resource

Management Plan, Amendment, Implementation, Clark and Nye Counties, NV.

Summary

Review of the FEIS was not deemed necessary. No formal comment

letter was sent to the preparing agency.

ERP No. F-DOE-L09806-WA, Northwest Regional Power Facility (NRPF),

Construction and Operation if a 838 Megawatt (MW) Gas-fired Combustion

Turbine Facility, Approval of Permits, Located near the Town of

Creston, WA.

Summary

EPA continued to express environmental concerns regarding water

quality and wetlands impacts based upon indirect effects and project

segmentation. EPA encourages BPA to issue a single EIS with the Federal

Energy Regulatory Commission that considers alternative sites for the

project.

ERP No. F-FHW-40756-SC, and Greenville Southern Connectors

Construction and Operation, I-185 at I-85 south of Donaldson Center

Industrial Air Park to I-385 at US 276 and SC-153 Connector from

existing SC-153 at I-85 to the Southern Connector, Funding and COE

Section 404 Permit, Anderson and Greenville Counties, SC.

Summary

EPA expressed environmental concerns over floodplain crossings and

associated impacts, and the loss of terrestrial habitat.

ERP No. F-FRC-L05053-WA, Condit Hydroelectric Project (FERC No.

2342-005), Relicensing, White Salmon River, Klickitat and Skamania

Counties, WA.

Summary

EPA expressed objection to the proposed action based on adverse

impacts to fish and other aquatic life in the White Salmon River. EPA

also expressed concern over FERC's method of assessing impacts of the

proposed alternative.

Dated: May 6, 1997.

William D. Dickerson,

Director, NEPA Compliance Division, Office of Federal Activities.

[FR Doc. 97-12243 Filed 5-8-97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6560-50-P