Environmental Impact Statements and Regulations; Availability of EPA Comments

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[ER-FRL-5494-9]

Environmental Impact Statements and Regulations; Availability of

EPA Comments

Availability of EPA comments prepared July 27, 1998 Through July

31, 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)

260-5076. An explanation of the ratings assigned to draft environmental

impact statements (EISs) was published in FR dated April 10, 1998 (62

FR 17856).

Draft EISs

ERP No. D-AFS-J60017-CO

Rating EO2, 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 expressed environmental objections to the proposed

action based on potential adverse impacts to wildlife and inadequate

impact analysis.

Summary: ERP No. D-AFS-J65251-CO Rating LO, Arapaho and Roosevelt

National Forests and Pawnee National Grassland, Implementation, Land

and Resource Management Plan, Boulder, Clear Creek, Gilpin, Grand,

Larimer and Weld Counties, CO.

Summary: EPA expressed a lack of objections to the proposed action

as currently formulated in the DEIS.

ERP No. D-AFS-L61220-OR

Rating EC2, Christy Basin Planning Area, Implementation,

Regeneration Timber Harvesting, Willamette National Forest, Oakridge

Ranger District, Lane County, OR.

Summary: EPA expressed environmental concerns with the proposed

action due to potential impact to water quality, habitat fragmentation

(incidental take of spotted owl habitat) and air quality impacts. EPA

suggests the final EIS address source water assessment and protection

and air quality impacts.

ERP No. D-AFS-L65303-WA

Rating EC1, I-90 Land Exchange between Forest Service and Plum

Creek, within the Vicinity of the Wenatchee,

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Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie and Gifford Pinchot National Forests, Kittitas,

King, Pierce, Lewis and Cowlitz and Skamania Counties, WA.

Summary: EPA expressed environmental concerns relating to adverse

cumulative impacts to the Green River watershed resulting in the

reduction of old growth and loss of critical habitat for marbled

murrelet.

ERP No. D-COE-C39011-NJ

Rating EC2, Brigantine Inlet to Great Egg Harbor Inlet Feasibility

Study, Storm Damage Reduction Project, New Jersey Shore Protection,

City of Brigantine, Brigantine Island, Along the Atlantic Coast, NJ.

Summary: EPA expressed environmental concerns with the potential

cumulative impacts associated with this and the other erosion/storm

damage protection projects in New Jersey. EPA recommended that

additional information be presented in the final EIS to address this

issue.

ERP No. DC-COE-E36013-MS

Rating EC2, Mississippi River and Tributaries Flood Control Plan,

To Construct the Remaining portion of Mississippi river Mainline Levees

Enlargement and Seepage Control, Flood Protection and Damage Reduction,

Lower Mississippi River Valley, Cape Girardeau, MO, Il, KY, TN, AR and

MS.

Summary: EPA expressed environmental concerns with the assumptions/

procedures used in determining overall project impacts and methods for

mitigatiing unavoidable losses of wetlands.

Dated: August 24, 1998.

William D. Dickerson,

Director, NEPA Compliance Division, Office of Federal Activities.

[FR Doc. 98-23245 Filed 8-27-98; 8:45 am]

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