Environmental Impact Statements and Regulations; Availability of EPA Comments

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[ER-FRL-5495-9]

Environmental Impact Statements and Regulations; Availability of

EPA Comments

Availability of EPA comments prepared August 24, 1998 Through

August 28, 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 (62

FR 17856).

Draft EISs

ERP No. D-AFS-L65305-WA Rating EC2, Plum Creek Checkerboard Access

Project, Grant Permanent Easements, Cle Elum and Naches Ranger

Districts, Wenatchee National Forest, Kittitas County, WA.

Summary: EPA expressed environmental concerns with the potential

impacts to water quality from direct and indirect effects of this

project. EPA requests that the Forest Service and Plum Creek Timber

incorporate BMP's based on the results of the watershed analysis.

ERP No. D-AFS-L65306-AK Rating EC2, Sea Level Harvest Timber Sale,

Implemention, Tongass National Forest, Ketchikan Ranger District, U.S.

Coast Guard Permit, NPDES Permit and COE Section 10 and 404 Permit,

Revillagigedo (Revilla) Island/Cleveland Peninsula, AK.

Summary: EPA expressed environmental concerns about the potential

impacts of the project on water quality and the marine environment. EPA

requested more information.

ERP No. D-DOE-G06010-NM Rating EC2, Los Alamos National Laboratory

Continued Operation Site-Wide, Implementation, Los Alamos County, NM.

Summary: EPA expressed environmental concerns with the potential

electrical power shortfall and the potential need of upgrading the

existing electrical power transmission system and the need for

subsequent NEPA analysis to identify possible alternatives to address

this need.

ERP No. D-FTA-L40205-00 Rating EC2, South/North Corridor Project,

Improvements to the Existing Urban Transportation, Funding, Multnomah,

Clackamas and Washington Counties, OR and Clark County, WA.

Summary: EPA's concerns are based on issues related to: (1) Early

involvement of EPA in the NEPA analysis process, (2) potential public

health risks from disturbing CERCLIS and ECSI sites, (3) the appearance

of disproportionate impacts to low and minority neighborhoods and

inadequate analysis of race and ethnicity to neighborhoods affected by

direct and indirect impacts (Environmental Justice).

ERP No. D-IBR-L31002-WA Rating EC2, Programmatic EIS--Yakima River

Basin Water Enhancement (Phase 2) Project, Implementation, Benton,

Yakima and Kittitas Counties, WA.

Summary: EPA expressed environmental concerns based on a lack of

information on water quality, indirect impacts from tribal water uses,

the range of alternatives and environmental justice and impacts to the

fishery resources.

ERP No. D-OSM-E61047-TN Rating EC2, Fall Creek Falls Petition

Evaluation Document, Implementation, Designate the Land as Unsuitable

for Surface Coal Mining Operation, Van Buren and Bledsoe Counties, TN.

Summary: EPA expressed environmental concerns to water quality

under a partial petition (Alternate 3.C.) coupled with a requirement

that all mining plans in the remainder of the petition area require an

individual EIS. Additional information on cumulative impacts was

requested.

ERP No. D-USA-F11036-IN Rating EO2, Newport Chemical Depot,

Construction and Operation, Pilot Testing of Neutralization/

Supercritical Water Oxidation of VX Agent, Vermillion County, IN.

Summary: EPA requested that the Army include more information to

substantiate the choice of alternative technologies brought forward for

pilot testing. Additional concerns centered around the range of

alternatives evaluated, future plans if pilot testing is successful,

spill containment measures for VX and regulatory status of VX and

byproducts of its treatment.

ERP No. D-USN-D11029-00 Rating EC2, Patuxent River Complex Project,

Increased Flight and Related Ground Operations in Test Area, Naval Air

Warfare Center Aircraft Division (NAWCAD) Chesapeake Bay, Patuxent

River, several counties, MD, DE and VA.

Summary: EPA expressed environmental concerns with the cumulative

impacts resulting from increased flight operations. Specific areas of

concern are noise, air quality, water and sediment quality, wildlife

and fisheries, and aircraft operations and safety. More information is

needed to fully assess the environmental impacts associated with the

proposed increased activity.

Final EISs

ERP No. F-AFS-E65050-MI, Porter Creek Recreational Lake and

Complex, Implementation, Homochitto National Forest, Homochitto Ranger

District, Franklin County, MI.

Summary: EPA expressed environmental concerns about the need to

adequately treat sewage entering in the Porter Creek water shed prior

to opening the recreational reservoir to the public. EPA recommends the

Forest Service be involved with monitoring the county's sewage

treatment facility.

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ERP No. F-AFS-K65082-CA, Payen, Pass Creek and English Range

Allotments, Grazing Land Management Plan, Implementation, Tahoe

National Forest, Sierraville Ranger District, Sierra and Nevada

Counties, CA.

Summary: EPA does not expect proposed project to result in

significant adverse environmental impacts and has no objections to its

implementation.

ERP No. F-AFS-L65296-OR, Crown Pacific Limited Partnership Land

Exchange Project, Implementation, Consolidate Land Ownership and

Enhance Future Resource, Deschutes, Fremont and Winema National

Forests, Deschutes, Jefferson, Klamath and Lake Counties, OR.

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

formal comment letter was sent to the preparing agency.

ERP No. F-BLM-L65295-OR, Northeast Oregon Assembled Land Exchange

Resource Management Plan (RMP), Implementation, Site Specific, John

Day, Umatilla, Granda Ronde, Power River Basins, Grant, Umatilla,

Morrow, Wheeler, Baker, Wallowa and Union, OR.

Summary: Review of the Final EIS has been completed and the agency

has addressed the concerns EPA expressed in the Draft EIS.

ERP No. F-FHW-C40141-NY: Judd Road Connector Transportation

Improvements, Funding and COE Section 404 Permit, Village of New York

Mills, Towns of New Hartford and Whitestown, Oneida County, NY.

Summary: EPA's concerns have been adequately addressed. Moreover,

EPA has concluded that the proposed project would not result in

significant environmental impacts; Therefore, EPA had no objections to

the implementation of the project.

ERP No. FS-AFS-L65286-OR: Summit Fire Recovery Forest Restoration

Project, Implementation, Malheur National Forest, Long Creek Ranger

District, Grant County, OR.

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

formal comment letter was sent to the preparing agency.

Dated: September 29, 1998.

William D. Dickerson,

Director, NEPA Compliance Division, Office of Federal Activities.

[FR Doc. 98-26500 Filed 10-1-98; 8:45 am]

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