Assessment Plan: Grand Calumet River, Indiana Harbor Ship Canal, Indiana Harbor and Associated Lake Michigan Environments; Notice of Extension of Comment Period

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service

Assessment Plan: Grand Calumet River, Indiana Harbor Ship Canal,

Indiana Harbor and Associated Lake Michigan Environments; Notice of

Extension of Comment Period

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.

ACTION: Extension of comment period.

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SUMMARY: Notice is given that the public comment period for the

document titled ``Assessment Plan: Grand Calumet River, Indiana Harbor

Ship Canal, Indiana Harbor and Associated Lake Michigan Environments''

is extended for 30 days. Initial notice of availability was published

on October 14, 1997 with a deadline for submittal of comments of

November 13, 1997. This notice extends the comment period until 30 days

from the date of publication in the Federal Register.

The U.S. Department of the Interior, and the State of Indiana

(``trustees'') are trustees for natural resources considered in this

assessment, pursuant to subpart G of the National Oil and Hazardous

Substances Pollution Contingency Plan, 40 CFR 300.600 and 300.610, and

Executive Order 12580.

The trustees are following the guidance of the Natural Resource

Damage Assessment Regulations found at 43 CFR Part 11. The public

review of the Plan announced by this Notice is provided for in 43 CFR

11.32(c).

Interested members of the public are invited to review and comment

on the Plan. Copies of the Plan can be requested from the address

listed below. All written comments will be considered by the trustees

and included in the Report of Assessment, at the conclusion of the

assessment process.

DATES: Written comments on the Plan must be submitted on or before

December 17, 1997.

ADDRESSES: Requests for copies of the Plan may be made to: Supervisor,

Ecological Services Office, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 620 S.

Walker Street, Bloomington, Indiana 47403

or:

Ms. Elizabeth Admire, Indiana Department of Environmental

Management, 100 N. Senate Avenue, P.O. Box 6015, Indianapolis, Indiana

46206-6015.

Comments on the Plan should be sent to the Indiana Department of

Environmental Management at the address listed above. The trustees will

coordinate comment review.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The trustees are undertaking an assessment

of damages resulting from the suspected injury to natural resources of

the Grand Calumet River, Indiana Harbor Ship Canal, Indiana Harbor and

Associated Lake Michigan Environments which have been exposed to

hazardous substances released by area steel mills, refineries and other

potential sources. It is suspected that this exposure has caused injury

and resultant damages to trustee resources. The injury and resultant

damages will be assessed under the Comprehensive Environmental

Response, Compensation, and Liability Act, as amended, and the Clean

Water Act, as amended. The Plan addresses the trustees' overall

assessment approach and utilizes existing data. Plan addenda may be

prepared by the trustees to provide public notice of additional data

collection activities.

William F. Hartwig,

Regional Director, Region 3, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

[FR Doc. 97-30094 Filed 11-14-97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4310-55-M