Environmental Impact Statements and Regulations; Availability of EPA Comments

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[ER-FRL-5493-8]

Environmental Impact Statements and Regulations; Availability of

EPA Comments

Availability of EPA comments prepared June 29, 1998 Through July 2,

1998 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 10, 1998 (63

FR 17856).

Draft EISs

ERP No. D-AFS-J65283-CO Rating EC2, North Fork Salvage Timber

Analysis Area, Implementation, Medicine Bow-Routt National Forest,

Routt County, CO.

Summary: EPA expressed environmental concerns and requested

additional information related to increased sediment potential, large

woody debris mitigation and road closure methodology.

ERP No. D-AFS-J65284-MT Rating EC2, Patty-Piper Access Road

Project, Implementation, To Grant Plum Creek Authorization to Occupy

and Use Land in National Forest System, Flathead National Forest, Swan

Lake Ranger District, Lake County, MT.

Summary: EPA expressed environmental concerns about potential

effects to water quality, fisheries (including bull trout), and the

threatened grizzly bear believes additional information is needed to

fully assess and mitigate all potential impacts of the management

actions.

Final EISs

ERP No. F-AFS-E65024-KY, Daniel Boone National Forest Off-Highway

Vehicle (OHV) Management Policy, Modification, Several Counties, KY.

Summary: EPA's review found that the preferred alternative was

acceptable and provided for off-road vehicle use, while protecting

valuable forest resources and other form of recreation.

ERP No. F-AFS-J65250-CO, Routt National Forest Land and Resource

Management Plan, Implementation, Grand, Routt, Rio Blanco, Jackson,

Moffat and Garfield Counties, CO.

Summary: EPA continues to express concerns that range reform (RA-

1995) analysis not included in the final EIS.

ERP No. F-AFS-J65278-CO, South Quartzite Timber Sale, Timber

Harvesting and Road Construction, White River National Forest, Rifle

Ranger District, Grizzly Creek Rare II Area, Garfield County, CO.

Summary: EPA expressed lack of objections.

ERP No. F-BLM-J67026-MT, Golden Sunlight Mine Expansion,

Implementation of Amendment 008 to Operating Permit No. 0065, COE

Section 404 Permit, Whitehall, Jefferson County MT.

Summary: EPA expressed environmental concerns regarding the change

in plans to avoid requiring installation of trench drains and shallow

wells to capture contaminated seepage from waste rock piles until water

quality monitoring demonstrated ground water contamination. EPA also

expressed concerns regarding the large proposed ground water mixing

zone, and assuring financial capability for implementing necessary

perpetual water management and treatment, environmental monitoring,

mitigation, and reclamation measures and believes additional

information is needed to fully assess and mitigate all potential

impacts of the management actions.

ERP No. F-ICC-A53053-00, Conrail Acquisition (Finance Docket No.

33388) by CSX Corporation and CSX Transportation Inc., and Norfolk

Southern Corporation and Norfolk Southern Railway Company (NS), Control

and Operating Leases and Agreements, To serve portion of eastern United

States.

Summary: EPA continued to express concerns with the analyses

performed for noise and environmental justice, and addressed the

applicability of the Clean Air Act general conformity rules.

Dated: July 14, 1998.

William D. Dickerson,

Director, NEPA Compliance Division, Office of Federal Activities.

[FR Doc. 98-19121 Filed 7-16-98; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6560-50-U