Environmental Impact Statements and Regulations; Availability of EPA Comments

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[ER-FRL-5477-7]

Environmental Impact Statements and Regulations; Availability of

EPA Comments

Availability of EPA comments prepared February 3, 1997 Through

February 7, 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

5, 1996 (61 FR 15251).

Draft EISs

ERP No. D-AFS-J65060-UT Rating EC2, Alta Ski Area Master

Development Plan Update Approval, Special-Use-Permit and COE Permits

Issuance, Wasatch-Cache National Forest, Salt Lake Ranger District,

Salt Lake County, UT.

Summary: EPA expressed environmental concerns about impacts to

wetlands and air quality impacts.

ERP No. D-AFS-J65258-MT Rating EC2, Lewis and Clark National Forest

Plan, Implementation, Oil and Gas Leasing Analysis, Upper Missouri

River Basin, several counties, MT.

Summary: EPA expressed environmental concerns about potential

cumulative impacts from directional drilling and associated oil and gas

exploration and development activities. The final EIS should address

wetland protection, specific air and water quality monitoring and

validation plans.

ERP No. D-AFS-J65259-CO Rating EC2, Aspen Highlands Ski Area

Expansion, Master Development Plan Amendment, COE 404 Permit and

Special-Use-Permit, White River National Forest, Aspen Ranger District,

Pitkin County, CO.

Summary: EPA expressed environmental concerns about inadequate

modeling and analysis to determine air quality impacts.

ERP No. D-AFS-K65192-CA Rating EC2, Jaybird Multi-Resource Project,

Implementation, Downieville Ranger District, Yuba County, CA.

Summary: EPA expressed environmental concerns that the proposed

management activities are not directly integrated into the overall

watershed management plan. The final EIS should clearly define roles

and responsibilities for monitoring activities.

ERP No. D-AFS-L65265-WA Rating LO, North Sherman and Fritz Timber

Sales, Implementation, Colville National Forest, Kettle Falls Ranger

District, Ferry County, WA.

Summary: EPA expressed lack of objections. No formal comment letter

was sent to the preparing agency.

ERP No. D-AFS-L65280-ID Rating EC2, Mosquito-Fly Project Area,

Implementation, Harvest Timber, Road Construction and Grant Access to

Private Land, Idaho Panhandle National Forests, St. Joe Ranger

District, Shoshone County, ID.

Summary: EPA expressed environmental concerns about the retention

of roadless area characteristics, water quality, and cumulative/

indirect impacts.

ERP No. D-AFS-L67035-OR Rating EO2, Stewart Mining Operation, Plan

of Operation Approval, Implementation, City Creek, North Umpqua Ranger

District, Umpqua National Forest, Douglas and Lane Counties, OR.

Summary: EPA expressed environmental objections about compliance

with Aquatic Conservation Strategy Objectives provided in the Northwest

Forest Plan Record of Decision, and about impacts to the Outstandingly

Remarkable Values recognized in the North Umpqua River and Streamboat

Creek, from sedimentation and acid rock drainage.

ERP No. D-BLM-J65191-00 Rating EC2, Standards for Rangeland Health

and Guidelines for Livestock Grazing Management on Bureau of Land

Management Administered Lands, Implementation, MT, ND and SD.

Summary: EPA expressed environmental concerns that the Standards

and Guidelines may not adequately protect the chemical, physical and

biological integrity of water quality to meet the Clean Water Act.

There was confusion concerning what CWA Section 303 water quality

standards (WQS) mean and how the States implement WQS. Consistency,

additional information and environmental commitments were requested in

the final EIS. The final EIS should include specifics of the mitigation

plans.

ERP No. D-BLM-K67039-NV Rating LO, Denton-Rawhide Mine Expansion

Project, Plan of Operation Approval, Implementation, Mineral County,

NV.

Summary: EPA expressed a lack of objection.

ERP No. D-BLM-L65272-ID Rating EC2, Challis Land and Resource

Management Plan, Implementation, Upper Columbus--Salmon Clearwater

Districts, Salmon River, Lemhi and Custer Counties, ID.

Summary: EPA expressed environmental concerns on water quality

impacts from grazing activities. EPA suggests that the final EIS

include specifics on mitigation plans, including implementation to

improve degraded riparian areas.

ERP No. D-COE-L36104-WA Rating LO, Howard A. Hanson Dam Continued

Operation and Maintenance Plan, Implementation, Green River, King

County, WA.

Summary: Our abbreviated review has revealed no EPA concerns on

this project.

ERP No. D-IBR-K31018-AZ Rating EO2, Programmatic EIS--Pima-Maricopa

Irrigation Project, Construction and Operation, Maricopa and Pinal

Counties, AZ.

Summary: EPA had environmental objection with the large scope of

the proposed action and its long-term sustainability. The PDEIS did not

persuasively demonstrate that potential adverse environmental impacts

can be avoided, minimized, or mitigated. EPA recommended prioritization

of project components for implementation with primary emphasis on

rehabilitation of existing irrigation systems and agricultural areas.

EPA also strongly advocated monitoring and adaptive management and

urged full integration of the local comprehensive water management

plan. EPA expressed concern with potential adverse impacts to surface

and groundwater quality, riparian areas, air quality, fish and

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wildlife habitat, and public health and safety.

ERP No. D-STA-G50009-00 Rating LO, Programmatic EIS--International

Bridge Crossing Project, Construction and Operation, Along the United

States-Mexico Border from EL Paso to Brownsville, TX, Presidential

Permit, NM and TX.

Summary: EPA had no objection to the proposed action.

ERP No. D-UMC-K24018-CA Rating EC2, Sewage Effluent Compliance

Project, Implementation, Lower Santa Margarita Basin, Marine Corps Base

Camp Pendleton, San Diego County, CA.

Summary: EPA expressed environmental concerns with the alternative

analysis and requested clarification of wetland issues.

ERP No. DA-DOE-A22076-NM Rating LO, Waste Isolation Pilot Plant

Disposal Phase, Updated Information, Disposal of Transuranic Waste,

Carlsbad, NM.

Summary: EPA expressed lack of objections to the preferred

alternative.

Final EISs

ERP No. F-AFS-J60017-CO Fraser Valley Loop Transmission Line

Project, Construction, Operation, Associated Operations and Maintenance

Activities, Approval of Permits, Arapaho and Roosevelt National

Forests, Grand County, CO.

Summary: EPA continued to express environmental concerns that many

of the potential impacts to wetlands, old growth, and raptor nests will

not be known until a biological survey of the area is done. EPA also

expressed environmental concern over possible conflicts that may still

exist between this EIS and draft land management plans.

ERP No. F-AFS-J65242-MT Checkerboard Land Exchange, Plan of

Approval and Implementation, Kootenai, Lolo and Flathead National

Forests, Lincoln, Flathead and Sanders Counties, MT.

Summary: EPA expressed environmental concerns about potential

adverse water quality and fisheries impacts that could occur on lands

exchanged to the Plum Creek Timber Company (PCTC) due to high intensity

timber harvesting and road building activities by PCTC on these lands.

ERP No. F-AFS-K65189-CA, Cavanah Multi-Resource Management Project,

Implementation, Enhancing Forest Health and Productivity, Tahoe

National Forest, Foresthill Ranger District, Placer County, CA.

Summary: EPA expressed environmental concerns that the number of

proposed road obliterations will not be adequate to improve water

quality.

ERP No. F-BLM-K67037-NV, Twin Creeks Mine Consolidation and

Expansion, which Encompasses the former Rabbit Creek Mine and the

former Chimmey Creek Mine, Plan of Operation Approval and Permit

Issuance, Winnemucca District, Humboldt County, NV.

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

formal comment letter was sent to the preparing agency.

ERP No. F-COE-G39029-LA, Programmatic EIS--Marsh Management

Project, Hydrologic Manipulation, COE Section 10 and 404 Permit

Issuance, Coastal Wetland of Louisiana a part of the Coastal Wetlands

Planning, Protection and Restoration Act (CWPPRA) River Basins, LA.

Summary: EPA recommended that the Record of Decision identify the

future directions or activities that can be implemented by the COE to

address hydrologic manipulation issues in coastal Louisiana.

ERP No. F-COE-G85180-LA, Estelle Plantation Partnership Municipal

Golf Course and Housing Development, Implementation, Jefferson Parish,

LA.

Summary: EPA continued to have environmental concerns regarding the

preferred actions but defers further comment pending completion of the

Clean Water Act Section 404 Permit processing.

ERP No. F-FHW-K40214-CA, Alternatives to Replacement of the

Embarcadero Freeway and the Terminal Separator Structure, (Formerly CA-

480) Implementation, Permit Approvals and Funding, San Francisco

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-GSA-C81017-NY, US Brooklyn Court Project, Demolition of

the Emanuel Celler Federal Building, Construction of a New Courthouse

and Renovation/Adaptive Reuse of the General Post Office at Cadman

Plaza East, Kings County, NY.

Summary: EPA continued to have environmental concerns about the

meteorological data used in the air model. EPA has requested that

updated information be used in a revised modeling analysis.

Dated: February 18, 1997.

B. Katherine Biggs,

Associate Director, NEPA Compliance Division, Office of Federal

Activities.

[FR Doc. 97-4352 Filed 2-20-97; 8:45 am]

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