Notice of Availability of Addendum #1 to the Assessment Plan for the Grand Calumet River, Indiana Harbor Ship Canal, Indiana Harbor and Associated Lake Michigan Environments

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service

Notice of Availability of Addendum #1 to the Assessment Plan for

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

Associated Lake Michigan Environments

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of 30-day comment period.

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SUMMARY: Notice is given that the document titled ``Addendum #1 to the

Assessment Plan for the Natural Resource Damage Assessment of the Grand

Calumet River, Indiana Harbor Ship Canal, Indiana Harbor and Associated

Lake Michigan Environments'' (``The Addendum'') will be available for

public review and comment on the date of publication in the Federal

Register.

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

(``trustees'') are acting as 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 assessment, including the activities addressed in this

addendum, will be conducted in accordance with the guidance of the

Natural Resource Damage Assessment Regulations found at 43 CFR Part 11.

The public review of the Addendum 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 Addendum. Copies of the Addendum, and the ``Assessment Plan for

the Natural Resource Damage Assessment of the Grand Calumet River,

Indiana Harbor Ship Canal, Indiana Harbor and Associated Lake Michigan

Environments'' (``The Plan'') issued on October 14, 1997 (FR Doc. 97-

26788), can be requested from the address listed below. All written

comments will be considered 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

November 2, 1998.

ADDRESSES: Requests for copies of the Addendum and/or the Plan may be

made to:

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

620 S. Walker Street, Bloomington, Indiana 47403

or:

Natural Resource Trustee, Office of Legal Counsel, Indiana Department

of Environmental Management, 100 N. Senate Avenue, P.O. Box 6015,

Indianapolis, Indiana 46206-6015; (317) 233-6822.

Comments on the Addendum should be sent to the Indiana Department

of Environmental Management at the address listed above. The trustees

will coordinate comment review.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The purpose of this natural resource damage

assessment is to confirm and quantify the suspected injuries to natural

resources in the Grand Calumet River, Indiana Harbor Ship Canal,

Indiana Harbor and Associated Lake Michigan Environments resulting from

exposure 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 Addendum addresses

additional collection activities that will be undertaken to provide

additional information.

John Christian,

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

[FR Doc. 98-25968 Filed 9-30-98; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4310-55-M