Environmental Impact Statements and Regulations; Availability of EPA Comments

EPA expressed environmental concerns about adverse impacts to water and air quality, cultural resources and to threatened and endangered species. ERP No. D-AFS-L67041-OR Rating EO2, Granite Area Mining Projects, Proposals to Approve Plans of Operation on 16 Mining Claims within the Granite Creek Watershed, Implementation North Fork John Day Ranger District, Umatilla National Forest, Grant County, OR. Summary: EPA expressed environmental objections with the preferred alternative because preliminary determinations indicate that 10 of 16 mine plans would likely adversely affect listed mid-Columbian steel head, potential impacts to listed bull trout and Forest Service sensitive fish species, and a lack of alternatives to mitigate already impacted aquatic resources. EPA recommends that the final EIS include sufficient measures to protect and restore impaired water bodies and habitats of listed species. ERP No. D-FAA-C51022-NJ Rating LO, Atlantic City International Airport, Air Service Improvements, Economic Development and Enhanced Efficiency and Safety, Airport Layout Plan Approval, Atlantic County, NJ. Summary: EPA has a lack of objections with the project due to our early coordination with the FAA on the proposed action. ERP No. D-FHW-F40408-00 Rating EC2, Trunk Highway 60 Reconstruction Project, Improvements from 1.8 miles south of the Minnesota-Iowa Border (120th Street) to I-90 north of the City of Worthington, Funding, U.S. Army COE Section 404 and NPDES Permits Issuance, Nobles County, MN and Osceola County, IA. Summary: EPA expressed environmental concerns regarding water quality and natural resource impacts in addition to historic and cultural resource impacts. EPA requested further analyses in the FEIS and stronger purpose and need discussion in relation to the project. ERP No. D-MMS-L02028-AK Rating EO2, Beaufort Sea Planning Area Multiples Sale 186, 195 and 202 Oil and Gas Lease Sales, Alaska Outer Continental Shelf, Offshore Marine Environment, Beaufort Sea Coastal Plain, and the North Slope Borough of Alaska. Summary: EPA expressed environmental objections to the proposed action since it did not include the deferral lease blocks that were associated with the four deferral alternatives that would protect subsistence whale areas. EPA also expressed concern about the sufficiency of analyses addressing impacts of potential oil spills and noise disturbances to whale hunting, environmental justice, and threatened eiders. EPA recommended that the EIS's proposed alternative include deferral blocks that protects subsistence whaling and address EPA's concerns with additional information and analyses. ERP No. D-SFW-L02029-AK Rating EC2, Swanson River Satellites Natural Gas Exploration and Development Project, Evaluation of a Right- of-Way Permit Application and U.S. Army COE Section 404 and NPDES Permits Issuance, Kenai National Wildlife Refuge, Kenai Peninsula, AK. Summary: EPA identified environmental concerns related to the need to (1) minimize impacts from exploration activities, (2) maximize the reclamation and reuse of gravel, (3) minimize impacts to wetlands and their functions and (4) provided technical support of impact characterizations. EPA also recommended that government-to-government consultation with affected Tribal governments be conducted before issuance of the final EIS. ERP No. DS-COE-L32010-00 Rating EC2, Columbia River Channel Improvement Project, Additional Information to Update the Disposal Plan and to Update the Project Economics, Columbia and Lower Willamette River Federal Navigation Channel, OR. Summary: EPA expressed environmental concerns and recommended that the Corps prepare a cumulative effects analysis, explain how this project will affect the goals and objectives of the Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan for the lower Columbia River estuary, and improve the discussion on project monitoring.