[Federal Register: July 12, 2002 (Volume 67, Number 134)]
[Notices]               
[Page 46185-46186]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr12jy02-54]                         

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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[ER-FRL-6631-1]

 
Environmental Impact Statements and Regulations; Availability of 
EPA Comments

    Availability of EPA comments prepared 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 12, 2002 (67 FR 17992).

Draft EISs

    ERP No. D-AFS-J65360-CO Rating EC1, Lizard Head Road Easement, 
Application from Private Landowners Requesting a Permit to Cross Public 
Lands to Access Non-Federal Lands, San Juan National Forest, Dolores 
Ranger District, Dolores County, CO.
    Summary: EPA expressed environmental concerns about the impacts of 
road construction in roadless areas and development impacts to 
wetlands. EPA suggests that the final EIS discuss how the potential 
impacts to these sensitive resources will be minimized and mitigated.
    ERP No. D-BLM-K61155-CA Rating EC2, Imperial Sand Dunes Recreation 
Area, Revising and Updating the Recreation Area Management Plan and 
Amendment to the California Desert Conservation Area Plan, Imperial 
County, CA.
    Summary: EPA expressed environmental concerns associated with air 
quality impacts, habitat degradation, habitat fragmentation, and 
wilderness trespass associated with OHV use; requested additional 
detail on thresholds and consequences associated with adaptive 
management; and recommended additional measures to promote energy 
conservation and pollution minimization.
    ERP No. D-NPS-K61156-00 Rating EC2, Lake Mead National Recreation 
Area, Long-Term Management of Lake Mead and Mohave and Associated 
Shoreline and Development Area, Lake Management Plan, Clark County, NV 
and Mohave County, AZ.
    Summary: EPA expressed environmental concerns due to projected 
adverse effects on water quality and aquatic resources. EPA provided 
comments on construction-related air emissions, pollution

[[Page 46186]]

prevention opportunities, and hazardous materials, asking that the 
Final EIS discuss these issues and identify mitigation measures.

Final EISs

    ERP No. F-AFS-L65333-OR Five Rivers Watershed Landscape Management 
Project, Terrestrial and Aquatic Habitat Restoration, Special-Use-
Permit Issuance, Siuslaw National Forest, Waldport Ranger District, 
Lincoln and Lane Counties, OR.
    Summary: The final EIS adequately discloses the impacts and 
satisfactorily responds to most of EPA's comments on the draft EIS. 
Therefore, EPA has no objection to the action as proposed.
    ERP No. F-AFS-L65398-ID Brush Boulder Project, Vegetation 
Management, Road Construction, Reconstruction and Decommissioning, 
North Fork Payette River, Boise National Forest, Cascade Ranger 
District, Valley County, ID.
    Summary: No formal comment letter was sent to the preparing agency.
    ERP No. F-BLM-J67030-UT EPA expressed environmental concerns with 
the implementation of long-term treatment controls and mitigation 
associated with impacts to water quality.
    Summary: ERP No. F-FAA-F51048-IL South Suburban Airport, Proposed 
Site Approval and Land Acquisition for a Future Air Carrier Airport, 
Will and Kankakee Counties, IL.
    Summary: EPA has no adverse comments on the Tier 1 FEIS. EPA 
encourages the FAA to conduct a thorough analysis and discussion of 
direct, as well as, cumulative impacts associated with the proposed 
project in any Tier 2 environmental documentation.
    ERP No. F-FHW-D40311-00 US Route 15 Improvement Project, PA-6015, 
Section G-20 and G-22 Tioga County, Pennsylvania, PIN 6008.22.123 
Steuben County, New York and US Route 15 between PA Route 287 and 
Presho, New York, Funding and US Army COE Section 404 Permit Tioga 
County, PA and Steuben County, NY.
    Summary: EPA continues to express environmental concern about 
impacts to natural resources as a result of the disposal of fill 
material generated during construction. EPA and other resource agencies 
support the acquisition and reforestation of a 100-year floodplain 
along the Cowanesque River in order to offset any outstanding wetland 
impacts.
    ERP No. F-FHW-F40391-MI M-24 Reconstruction Project, From One Mile 
North of the Oakland County Line to I-69, Funding, Lapeer County, MI.
    Summary: EPA believes that issues raised at the DEIS stage have 
been adequately addressed. EPA concurs with the selected alternative 
and is satisfied with mitigation of wetland losses.
    ERP No. F-FHW-F40396-IL US 67 (FAP-310) Expressway from 
Jacksonville to Macomb Transportation Improvements, Funding, US Army 
COE Section 10 and 404 and NPDES Permits Issuance, Morgan, Cass, 
Schuyler and McDonough Counties, IL.
    Summary: EPA determined that the FEIS adequately addressed its 
concerns regarding the purpose and need of the project, the choice of 
alignment alternatives, and groundwater quality impacts. However, EPA 
remains concerned about the impacts of explosive demolition techniques 
on the quality of the Illinois River and the direct impacts to the 
Beardstown Marsh Natural Area. EPA recommends considering alternate 
alignments or providing funding for special management techniques on 
nearby sites.
    ERP No. F-FHW-G40164-TX President George Bush Turnpike (PGBT) 
Segment IV, Improvement from I-35E to I-635, Funding and US Army COE 
Section 404 Permit Issuance, Dallas Dallas County, TX.
    Summary: EPA has no further comments to offer. The Final EIS has 
responded to comments on the Draft EIS.
    ERP No. F-TPT-K61154-CA Presidio Trust Implementation Plan (PTIP), 
An Updated Plan for the Area B of the Presidio of San Francisco, 
Implementation, San Francisco Bay Area, Marin County, CA.
    Summary: The FEIS had adequately addressed EPA's issues raised in 
our DEIS comment letter.

    Dated: July 9, 2002.
Joseph C. Montgomery,
Director, NEPA Compliance Division, Office of Federal Activities.
[FR Doc. 02-17538 Filed 7-11-02; 8:45 am]
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