Environmental Impact Statements and Regulations; Availability of EPA Comments

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[ER-FRL-5490-3]

Environmental Impact Statements and Regulations; Availability of

EPA Comments

Availability of EPA comments prepared March 09, 1998 Through March

13, 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 11, 1997 (62

FR 16154).

Draft EISs

ERP No. D-AFS-K65082-CA Rating EC2, 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 expressed environmental concerns about insufficient

site information to develop a monitoring plan and suggested the final

EIS contain environmental indicators and establish threshold values to

measure improvement.

ERP No. D-BLM-J31025-WY Rating EO2, Greybull Valley Irrigation

District Dam and Reservoir Project, Issuance of Right-of-Way Permit and

COE Section 404 Permit, Park County, WY.

Summary: EPA expressed environmental objections about cumulative

adverse impacts to the aquatic system of the Greybull River and

requested that the water conservation alternative be pursued.

ERP No. D-BLM-J60019-WY Rating EC2, Cave Gulch-Bullfrog-Waltman

Natural Gas Development Project, Implementation, Platte River Resource

Area, Natrona County, WY.

Summary: EPA expressed environmental concerns about impacts to a

regional ground water recharge area

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and suggested the final EIS develop site-specific ground water data and

define the selected protection measures.

EERP No. D-BLM-J67026-MT Rating EC2, 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 about implementing

the proposed environmental mitigation measures and suggested the final

EIS calculate the final bonding amount needed to comply with water

quality standards in perpetuity and improve the groundwater mixing zone

procedure.

ERP No. DR-AFS-K65184-CA Rating EC2, Aock Creek Recreational Trails

Management Plan, Implementation, Additional Information, Eldorado

National Forest, Georgetown Ranger Director, Eldorado County, CA.

Summary: EPA expressed environmental concerns about numerous

substantive changes to the Forest Service's preferred alternative, and

recommended that the Forest Service take additional steps to address

high road densities and excessive sediment delivery in the project

area. The final monitoring plan identify specific sedimentation

minimization targets and follow-up actions.

ERP No. D1-AFS-J65111-MT, Rating EC2, Flathead National Forest,

Management Direction Plan Related to Old Growth Forests, Forest Plan

Amendment No. 21, Implementation, Flathead, Lake, Lincoln, Missoula and

Lewis and Clark Counties, MT.

Summary: EPA expressed environmental concerns and recommends that

the preferred alternative be modified to include areas of old growth to

monitor ecological responses and to allow protect biodiversity and

grizzly bear habitat.

Final EISs

ERP No. F-AFS-J61098-MT, Lost Trail Ski Area Expansion Project,

Implementation, New Master Development Plan, Bitterroot National

Forest, Sula Ranger District, Ravalli County, MT.

Summary: EPA expressed environmental concerns about inadequate

wetlands mitigation, potential water quality degradation associated

with increased wastewater pollutant loading, lack of adequate analysis

and disclosure or indirect growth related impacts and air quality

impacts.

ERP No. F-AFS-J65263-SD, Anchor Hill Mine Expansion Project in Gilt

Edge Mine, Plan-of-Operations, Approval, Black Hills National Forest,

SD.

Summary: The Final EIS has addressed many of EPA's comment however,

EPA has remaining concerns about the inadequate cash reclamation

bonding, the absence of post closure operations and maintenance (O&M)

funding/bonding and contingency plans, and long term water quality

protection.

ERP No. F-AFS-J65271-MT, Jericho Salvage Timber Sale,

Implementation, Salvage Treatments and Temporary Road Construction,

Helena National Forest, Helena Ranger District, Powell County, MT.

Summary: EPA expressed environmental concerns about proposed

reduction of streamside buffer zone widths below INFISH recommended

widths, and inadequate water quality/aquatics monitoring for the

detection and mitigation of all potential environmental impacts of the

management actions.

Dated: March 24, 1998.

William D. Dickerson,

Director, NEPA Compliance Division, Office of Federal Activities.

[FR Doc. 98-8111 Filed 3-26-98; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6560-50-U