Draft Restoration Plan and Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement for Restoration Resulting From the Kalamazoo River Natural Resource Damage Assessment, 55144-55146 [2015-23016]
Download as PDF
<![CDATA[
tkelley on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
55144
Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 177 / Monday, September 14, 2015 / Notices
Agenda: To review and evaluate grant
applications.
Place: Sheraton Hotel—Silver Spring, 8777
Georgia Avenue, Silver Spring, MD 20910.
Contact Person: Betty Hayden, Ph.D.,
Scientific Review Officer, Center for
Scientific Review, National Institutes of
Health, 6701 Rockledge Drive, Room 4206,
MSC 7812, Bethesda, MD 20892, 301–435–
1223, haydenb@csr.nih.gov.
Name of Committee: Center for Scientific
Review Special Emphasis Panel,
Fellowships: Sensory and Motor
Neurosciences, Cognition and Perception.
Date: October 15–16, 2015.
Time: 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Agenda: To review and evaluate grant
applications.
Place: Embassy Suites Alexandria—Old
Town, 1900 Diagonal Road, Alexandria, VA
22314.
Contact Person: Sharon S. Low, Ph.D.,
Scientific Review Officer, Center for
Scientific Review, National Institutes of
Health, 6701 Rockledge Drive, Room 5104,
MSC 7846, Bethesda, MD 20892, 301–237–
1487, lowss@csr.nih.gov.
Name of Committee: Vascular and
Hematology Integrated Review Group,
Hemostasis and Thrombosis Study Section.
Date: October 15, 2015.
Time: 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Agenda: To review and evaluate grant
applications.
Place: Warwick Seattle Hotel, 401 Lenora
Street, Seattle, WA 98121.
Contact Person: Bukhtiar H. Shah, Ph.D.,
DVM, Scientific Review Officer, Vascular and
Hematology IRG, Center for Scientific
Review, National Institutes of Health, 6701
Rockledge Drive, Room 4120, MSC 7802,
Bethesda, MD 20892, (301) 806–7314,
shahb@csr.nih.gov.
Name of Committee: Cell Biology
Integrated Review Group, Biology of the
Visual System Study Section.
Date: October 19–20, 2015.
Time: 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Agenda: To review and evaluate grant
applications.
Place: Residence Inn Bethesda, 7335
Wisconsin Avenue, Bethesda, MD 20814.
Contact Person: Michael H. Chaitin, Ph.D.,
Scientific Review Officer, Center for
Scientific Review, National Institutes of
Health, 6701 Rockledge Drive, Room 5202,
MSC 7850, Bethesda, MD 20892, (301) 435–
0910, chaitinm@csr.nih.gov.
Name of Committee: Oncology 2—
Translational Clinical Integrated Review
Group, Cancer Immunopathology and
Immunotherapy Study Section.
Date: October 19–20, 2015.
Time: 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Agenda: To review and evaluate grant
applications.
Place: Crown Plaza Dallas Downtown,
1015 Elm Street, Dallas, TX 75202.
Contact Person: Denise R Shaw, Ph.D.,
Scientific Review Officer, Center for
Scientific Review, National Institutes of
Health, 6701 Rockledge Drive, Room 6158,
MSC 7804, Bethesda, MD 20892, 301–435–
0198, shawdeni@csr.nih.gov.
Name of Committee: Infectious Diseases
and Microbiology Integrated Review Group,
VerDate Sep<11>2014
18:15 Sep 11, 2015
Jkt 235001
Host Interactions with Bacterial Pathogens
Study Section.
Date: October 20, 2015.
Time: 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Agenda: To review and evaluate grant
applications.
Place: Marriott Wardman Park Washington
DC Hotel, 2660 Woodley Road, NW.,
Washington, DC 20008.
Contact Person: Fouad A El-Zaatari, Ph.D.,
Scientific Review Officer, Center for
Scientific Review, National Institutes of
Health, 6701 Rockledge Drive, Room 3186,
MSC 7808, Bethesda, MD 20892, (301) 435–
1149, elzaataf@csr.nih.gov.
Name of Committee: Digestive, Kidney and
Urological Systems Integrated Review Group,
Systemic Injury by Environmental Exposure.
Date: October 21–22, 2015.
Time: 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Agenda: To review and evaluate grant
applications.
Place: Handlery Union Square Hotel, 351
Geary Street, San Francisco, CA 94102.
Contact Person: Patricia Greenwel, Ph.D.,
Scientific Review Officer, Center for
Scientific Review, National Institutes of
Health, 6701 Rockledge Drive, Room 2178,
MSC 7818, Bethesda, MD 20892, 301–435–
1169, greenwep@csr.nih.gov.
Name of Committee: Center for Scientific
Review Special Emphasis Panel, PAR13–325:
Development of Appropriate Pediatric
Formulations and Pediatric Drug Delivery
Systems.
Date: October 21, 2015.
Time: 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Agenda: To review and evaluate grant
applications.
Place: National Institutes of Health, 6701
Rockledge Drive, Bethesda, MD 20892,
(Virtual Meeting).
Contact Person: Kristin Kramer, Ph.D.,
Scientific Review Officer, Center for
Scientific Review, National Institutes of
Health, 6701 Rockledge Drive, Room 5205,
MSC 7846, Bethesda, MD 20892, (301) 437–
0911, kramerkm@csr.nih.gov.
(Catalogue of Federal Domestic Assistance
Program Nos. 93.306, Comparative Medicine;
93.333, Clinical Research, 93.306, 93.333,
93.337, 93.393–93.396, 93.837–93.844,
93.846–93.878, 93.892, 93.893, National
Institutes of Health, HHS)
Dated: September 9, 2015.
David Clary,
Program Analyst, Office of Federal Advisory
Committee Policy.
[FR Doc. 2015–23041 Filed 9–11–15; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4140–01–P
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND
HUMAN SERVICES
National Institute of General Medical
Sciences; Notice of Closed Meeting
Pursuant to section 10(d) of the
Federal Advisory Committee Act, as
amended (5 U.S.C. App.), notice is
hereby given of the following meeting.
Frm 00063
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
Name of Committee: National Institute of
General Medical Sciences Special Emphasis
Panel; Support of NIGMS Program Project
Grants.
Date: October 13, 2015.
Time: 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Agenda: To review and evaluate grant
applications.
Place: National Institutes of Health,
Natcher Building, 45 Center Drive, Room
3An.12N, Bethesda, MD 20892 (Telephone
Conference Call).
Contact Person: Margaret J. Weidman,
Ph.D., Scientific Review Officer, Office of
Scientific Review, National Institute of
General Medical Sciences, National Institutes
of Health, 45 Center Drive, Room 3An.12N,
Bethesda, MD 20892, 301–594–2048,
weidmanma@nigms.nih.gov.
(Catalogue of Federal Domestic Assistance
Program Nos. 93.375, Minority Biomedical
Research Support; 93.821, Cell Biology and
Biophysics Research; 93.859, Pharmacology,
Physiology, and Biological Chemistry
Research; 93.862, Genetics and
Developmental Biology Research; 93.88,
Minority Access to Research Careers; 93.96,
Special Minority Initiatives, National
Institutes of Health, HHS)
Dated: September 9, 2015.
Melanie J. Gray,
Program Analyst, Office of Federal Advisory
Committee Policy.
[FR Doc. 2015–23026 Filed 9–11–15; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4140–01–P
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Fish and Wildlife Service
[FWS–R3–EC–2015–N157;
FVHC98120300940–XXX–FF03E16000]
Draft Restoration Plan and
Programmatic Environmental Impact
Statement for Restoration Resulting
From the Kalamazoo River Natural
Resource Damage Assessment
Fish and Wildlife Service,
Interior.
ACTION: Notice of availability; request
for comments.
AGENCY:
National Institutes of Health
PO 00000
The meeting will be closed to the
public in accordance with the
provisions set forth in sections
552b(c)(4) and 552b(c)(6), Title 5 U.S.C.,
as amended. The grant applications and
the discussions could disclose
confidential trade secrets or commercial
property such as patentable material,
and personal information concerning
individuals associated with the grant
applications, the disclosure of which
would constitute a clearly unwarranted
invasion of personal privacy.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service (USFWS), the National Oceanic
and Atmospheric Administration
(NOAA), the Michigan Department of
SUMMARY:
E:\FR\FM\14SEN1.SGM
14SEN1
tkelley on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 177 / Monday, September 14, 2015 / Notices
Environmental Quality, the Michigan
Department of Natural Resources, and
the Michigan Attorney General,
collectively acting as Trustees for
natural resources, announce the
availability of the Draft Restoration Plan
and Programmatic Environmental
Impact Statement for Restoration
Resulting from the Kalamazoo River
Natural Resource Damage Assessment.
Publication of this notice begins the
public comment period for this Draft
Restoration Plan and Programmatic
Environmental Impact Statement (Draft
RP/PEIS). The purpose of the Draft RP/
PEIS is to present the Trustees’
proposed approach to restoration to
compensate the public for losses to
natural resources resulting from the
release of polychlorinated biphenyls
(PCBs) and to evaluate, in compliance
with the National Environmental Policy
Act (NEPA), the potential direct,
indirect, and cumulative impacts of
implementing the alternative
programmatic approaches to restoration
in the Kalamazoo River watershed.
DATES: Written comments must be
received by October 29, 2015.
ADDRESSES: Submitting Comments:
Written comments for the Trustees to
consider should be sent to Lisa
Williams, U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service, East Lansing Field Office, 2651
Coolidge Road, East Lansing, MI 48823.
Comments may also be submitted
electronically to kzoorivernrda@fws.gov,
with ‘‘Kalamazoo River RP/PEIS’’ in the
subject line. For more information, see
Public Comments under SUPPLEMENTARY
INFORMATION.
Viewing the Administrative Record:
Contact Judith Alfano, at (517) 373–
7402 or alfanoj@michigan.gov; selected
documents are also available at https://
www.fws.gov/midwest/es/ec/nrda/
KalamazooRiver.
Viewing EPA’s Comments on the
PEIS: For how to view comments on the
PEIS from the Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA), or for information on
EPA’s role in the EIS process, see EPA’s
Role in the EIS Process under
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Lisa
Williams, USFWS, by email at lisa_
williams@fws.gov or by phone at (517)
351–8324, or Julie Sims, NOAA
Restoration Center, by email at
julie.sims@noaa.gov or by phone at
(734) 741–2385.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The U.S.
Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) and
the National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration (NOAA), the Michigan
Department of Environmental Quality
(MDEQ), the Michigan Department of
Natural Resources, and the Michigan
VerDate Sep<11>2014
18:15 Sep 11, 2015
Jkt 235001
Attorney General, collectively acting as
Trustees for natural resources, have
prepared this Draft Restoration Plan and
Programmatic Environmental Impact
Statement (Draft RP/PEIS) for
restoration in the Kalamazoo River
watershed pursuant to both CERCLA
NRDA regulations and the National
Environmental Policy Act of 1969, as
amended (42 U.S.C. 4321–4347 et seq.;
NEPA), and its implementing
regulations in the Code of Federal
Regulations (CFR) at 40 CFR parts 1500–
1508. NEPA requires Federal agencies to
conduct environmental reviews of
proposed actions to consider the
potential impacts on the environment.
In the Draft RP/PEIS, the Trustees
describe restoration projects that could
compensate for injuries to natural
resources from polychlorinated
biphenyls (PCBs) released at and from
the Allied Paper, Inc./Portage Creek/
Kalamazoo River Superfund Site
(Superfund Site). These include both
general types of restoration projects as
well as two specific projects to restore
aquatic connectivity on the Kalamazoo
River by removing dams in and near
Otsego, Michigan. The public is invited
to provide comments to the Trustees on
the Draft RP/PEIS, including the
proposed restoration projects and
techniques, the programmatic
restoration alternatives, and the
potential impacts of the alternatives on
the environment.
Industrial activities in the Kalamazoo
area have released PCBs into the
environment. Recycling of carbonless
copy paper at several area paper mills
was the primary source of PCB release.
Waste from the recycling of such paper
conducted at Kalamazoo-area paper
mills also contained PCBs, and the
waste was disposed of by several
methods that resulted in releases of
PCBs into the environment. These PCBs
have contaminated sediments, the water
column, and biota in and adjacent to
downstream sections of Portage Creek,
the Kalamazoo River, and Lake
Michigan.
Based on the risks that PCBs pose to
the environment and to human health,
the U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA) listed the Allied Paper,
Inc./Portage Creek/Kalamazoo River
Superfund Site on the National
Priorities List on August 30, 1990. PCBs
are listed as hazardous substances under
CERCLA. EPA and MDEQ currently
describe the site being addressed by the
Superfund remedial investigation as
including: (1) Five disposal areas and
six paper mill properties; (2) a 3-mile
stretch of Portage Creek from Cork Street
in the City of Kalamazoo to where the
creek meets the Kalamazoo River; and
PO 00000
Frm 00064
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
55145
(3) an approximately 80-mile stretch of
the Kalamazoo River, from Morrow Dam
to Lake Michigan, with adjacent
floodplains, wetlands, and in-stream
sediments.
As defined in the Stage 1 Assessment
Report (MDEQ et al. 2005; available at
https://www.fws.gov/midwest/es/ec/
nrda/KalamazooRiver), the Trustees are
using the term Kalamazoo River
Environment (KRE) to represent the
entire natural resource damage
assessment area. The KRE encompasses
the area being addressed by the
Superfund remedial investigations for
the site’s operable units, along with any
area where hazardous substances
released at or from the Superfund site
have come to be located, and areas
where natural resources or the services
they provide may have been affected by
the site-related hazardous substances
releases (MDEQ et al. 2005).
The Trustees expect to have
opportunities to settle natural resource
damage claims for the KRE with willing
parties. The Draft RP/PEIS will provide
an ecological framework, with public
input, to maximize the benefits of
specific restoration projects to the
affected resources in the KRE that might
be included in or funded by future
settlements or past bankruptcy
settlements. The Draft RP/PEIS will
provide criteria and guidance for
Trustees to use in selecting feasible
restoration projects.
In compliance with 40 CFR part 1505
et seq., the Trustees will include in the
NRDA Administrative Record (Record)
documents that the Trustees rely upon
during the development of the Draft RP/
PEIS. The hard copy Record is on file
at MDEQ (contact Judith Alfano; see FOR
FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT).
CERCLA
Under the Comprehensive
Environmental Response, Compensation
and Liability Act (CERCLA; 42 U.S.C.
9601 et seq.), parties responsible for
releasing hazardous substances into the
environment are liable both for the costs
of responding to the release (by cleaning
up, containing, or otherwise
remediating the release) and for
damages arising from injuries to
publicly owned or managed natural
resources resulting from the release.
CERCLA’s Natural Resource Damage
Assessment (NRDA) regulations (43 CFR
11) describe the process of assessing the
nature and extent of the resulting injury,
destruction, or loss of natural resources
and the services they provide. Carrying
out of the NRDA process also includes
determining the compensation required
to make the public whole for such
injuries, destruction, or loss. CERCLA
E:\FR\FM\14SEN1.SGM
14SEN1
55146
Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 177 / Monday, September 14, 2015 / Notices
authorizes certain Federal and State
agencies and Indian tribes to act on
behalf of the public as Trustees for
affected natural resources. Under
CERCLA, these agencies and tribes are
authorized to assess natural resource
injuries and to seek compensation,
referred to as damages, from responsible
parties, including the costs of
performing the damage assessment. The
Trustees are required to use recovered
damages for the following purposes
only: To restore, replace, or acquire the
equivalent of the injured or lost
resources and services.
EPA’s Role in the EIS Process
tkelley on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
Public Comments
Comments are specifically requested
regarding the alternatives, proposed
restoration techniques and projects,
scope of analysis, and assessment of
impacts. Please see the ADDRESSES
section for how to submit information.
Before including your address, phone
number, email address, or other
personal identifying information in your
comment, you should be aware that
your entire comment—including your
personal identifying information—may
be made publicly available at any time.
While you can ask us in your comment
to withhold your personal identifying
information from public review, we
cannot guarantee that we will be able to
do so.
18:15 Sep 11, 2015
Jkt 235001
[FR Doc. 2015–23016 Filed 9–11–15; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310–55–P
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Indian Affairs
[156A2100DD/AAKC001030/
A0A501010.999900 253G]
Renewal of Agency Information
Collection for Leases and Permits
Bureau of Indian Affairs,
Interior.
ACTION: Notice of request for comments.
AGENCY:
In addition to this Federal Register
notice, EPA is publishing a notice
announcing the PEIS, as required under
section 309 of the Clean Air Act (42
U.S.C. 7401 et seq.; CAA).
The EPA is charged under the CAA to
review all Federal agencies’ EISs and to
comment on the adequacy and the
acceptability of the environmental
impacts of proposed actions in the EISs.
EPA also serves as the repository (EIS
database) for EISs prepared by Federal
agencies and provides notice of their
availability in the Federal Register. The
EIS database provides information about
EISs prepared by Federal agencies, as
well as EPA’s comments concerning the
EISs. All EISs are filed with EPA, which
publishes a notice of availability on
Fridays in the Federal Register.
For more information, see https://
www.epa.gov/compliance/nepa/
eisdata.html. You may search for EPA
comments on EISs, along with EISs
themselves, at https://
cdxnodengn.epa.gov/cdx-enepa-public/
action/eis/search.
VerDate Sep<11>2014
Dated: August 24, 2015.
Charles Wooley,
Acting Regional Director, Midwest Region,
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
In compliance with the
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the
Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) is seeking
comments on the renewal of Office of
Management and Budget (OMB)
approval for the collection of
information for Leases and Permits, 25
CFR 162. The information collection is
currently authorized by OMB Control
Number 1076–0155. This information
collection expires November 30, 2015.
DATES: Submit comments on or before
November 13, 2015.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments
on the information collection to Ms.
Sharlene Roundface, Office of Trust
Services, Bureau of Indian Affairs, 1849
C Street NW., Mailstop 3642—MIB,
Washington, DC 20240; email:
Sharlene.Roundface@bia.gov.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms.
Sharlene Roundface, telephone: (202)
208–5831.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
SUMMARY:
I. Abstract
The Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) is
seeking renewal of the approval for
information collection conducted under
25 CFR 162, Leases and Permits, for the
review and approval of leases and
permits on land the United States holds
in trust or restricted status for
individual Indians and Indian tribes.
This information collection allows BIA
to review applications for leases and
permits, modifications, and
assignments, and to determine:
(a) Whether or not a lease may be
approved or granted;
(b) The value of each lease;
(c) The appropriate compensation to
landowners; and
(d) Provisions for violations of
trespass.
A response is required to obtain or
retain a benefit.
PO 00000
Frm 00065
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
II. Request for Comments
The BIA requests your comments on
this collection concerning: (a) The
necessity of this information collection
for the proper performance of the
functions of the agency, including
whether the information will have
practical utility; (b) The accuracy of the
agency’s estimate of the burden (hours
and cost) of the collection of
information, including the validity of
the methodology and assumptions used;
(c) Ways we could enhance the quality,
utility, and clarity of the information to
be collected; and (d) Ways we could
minimize the burden of the collection of
the information on the respondents.
Please note that an agency may not
conduct or sponsor, and an individual
need not respond to, a collection of
information unless it has a valid OMB
Control Number.
It is our policy to make all comments
available to the public for review at the
location listed in the ADDRESSES section.
Before including your address, phone
number, email address or other personal
identifying information in your
comment, you should be aware that
your entire comment—including your
personal identifying information—may
be made publicly available at any time.
While you can ask us in your comment
to withhold your personal identifying
information from public review, we
cannot guarantee that we will be able to
do so.
III. Data
OMB Control Number: 1076–0155.
Title: Leases and Permits, 25 CFR 162.
Brief Description of Collection:
Generally, trust and restricted land may
be leased by Indian landowners with the
approval of the Secretary of the Interior,
except when specified by statute.
Submission of this information allows
BIA to review applications for
obtaining, modifying and assigning
leases and permits of land that the
United States holds in trust or restricted
status for individual Indians and Indian
tribes. The information is used to
determine approval of a lease,
amendment, assignment, sublease,
mortgage or related document. Response
is required to obtain or retain a benefit.
Type of Review: Extension without
change of currently approved collection.
Respondents: Individual Indians and
Indian tribes seeking to lease their trust
or restricted land and businesses that
lease trust and restricted land.
Estimated Number of Respondents:
127,110.
Frequency of Response: One approval
per lease, other collections occur fewer
than once per lease, on average, upon
E:\FR\FM\14SEN1.SGM
14SEN1
]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 177 (Monday, September 14, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 55144-55146]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-23016]
=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Fish and Wildlife Service
[FWS-R3-EC-2015-N157; FVHC98120300940-XXX-FF03E16000]
Draft Restoration Plan and Programmatic Environmental Impact
Statement for Restoration Resulting From the Kalamazoo River Natural
Resource Damage Assessment
AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of availability; request for comments.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), the National
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the Michigan Department
of
[[Page 55145]]
Environmental Quality, the Michigan Department of Natural Resources,
and the Michigan Attorney General, collectively acting as Trustees for
natural resources, announce the availability of the Draft Restoration
Plan and Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement for Restoration
Resulting from the Kalamazoo River Natural Resource Damage Assessment.
Publication of this notice begins the public comment period for this
Draft Restoration Plan and Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement
(Draft RP/PEIS). The purpose of the Draft RP/PEIS is to present the
Trustees' proposed approach to restoration to compensate the public for
losses to natural resources resulting from the release of
polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and to evaluate, in compliance with
the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), the potential direct,
indirect, and cumulative impacts of implementing the alternative
programmatic approaches to restoration in the Kalamazoo River
watershed.
DATES: Written comments must be received by October 29, 2015.
ADDRESSES: Submitting Comments: Written comments for the Trustees to
consider should be sent to Lisa Williams, U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service, East Lansing Field Office, 2651 Coolidge Road, East Lansing,
MI 48823. Comments may also be submitted electronically to
kzoorivernrda@fws.gov, with ``Kalamazoo River RP/PEIS'' in the subject
line. For more information, see Public Comments under SUPPLEMENTARY
INFORMATION.
Viewing the Administrative Record: Contact Judith Alfano, at (517)
373-7402 or alfanoj@michigan.gov; selected documents are also available
at https://www.fws.gov/midwest/es/ec/nrda/KalamazooRiver.
Viewing EPA's Comments on the PEIS: For how to view comments on the
PEIS from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), or for information
on EPA's role in the EIS process, see EPA's Role in the EIS Process
under SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Lisa Williams, USFWS, by email at
lisa_williams@fws.gov or by phone at (517) 351-8324, or Julie Sims,
NOAA Restoration Center, by email at julie.sims@noaa.gov or by phone at
(734) 741-2385.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS)
and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the
Michigan Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ), the Michigan
Department of Natural Resources, and the Michigan Attorney General,
collectively acting as Trustees for natural resources, have prepared
this Draft Restoration Plan and Programmatic Environmental Impact
Statement (Draft RP/PEIS) for restoration in the Kalamazoo River
watershed pursuant to both CERCLA NRDA regulations and the National
Environmental Policy Act of 1969, as amended (42 U.S.C. 4321-4347 et
seq.; NEPA), and its implementing regulations in the Code of Federal
Regulations (CFR) at 40 CFR parts 1500-1508. NEPA requires Federal
agencies to conduct environmental reviews of proposed actions to
consider the potential impacts on the environment.
In the Draft RP/PEIS, the Trustees describe restoration projects
that could compensate for injuries to natural resources from
polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) released at and from the Allied Paper,
Inc./Portage Creek/Kalamazoo River Superfund Site (Superfund Site).
These include both general types of restoration projects as well as two
specific projects to restore aquatic connectivity on the Kalamazoo
River by removing dams in and near Otsego, Michigan. The public is
invited to provide comments to the Trustees on the Draft RP/PEIS,
including the proposed restoration projects and techniques, the
programmatic restoration alternatives, and the potential impacts of the
alternatives on the environment.
Industrial activities in the Kalamazoo area have released PCBs into
the environment. Recycling of carbonless copy paper at several area
paper mills was the primary source of PCB release. Waste from the
recycling of such paper conducted at Kalamazoo-area paper mills also
contained PCBs, and the waste was disposed of by several methods that
resulted in releases of PCBs into the environment. These PCBs have
contaminated sediments, the water column, and biota in and adjacent to
downstream sections of Portage Creek, the Kalamazoo River, and Lake
Michigan.
Based on the risks that PCBs pose to the environment and to human
health, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) listed the
Allied Paper, Inc./Portage Creek/Kalamazoo River Superfund Site on the
National Priorities List on August 30, 1990. PCBs are listed as
hazardous substances under CERCLA. EPA and MDEQ currently describe the
site being addressed by the Superfund remedial investigation as
including: (1) Five disposal areas and six paper mill properties; (2) a
3-mile stretch of Portage Creek from Cork Street in the City of
Kalamazoo to where the creek meets the Kalamazoo River; and (3) an
approximately 80-mile stretch of the Kalamazoo River, from Morrow Dam
to Lake Michigan, with adjacent floodplains, wetlands, and in-stream
sediments.
As defined in the Stage 1 Assessment Report (MDEQ et al. 2005;
available at https://www.fws.gov/midwest/es/ec/nrda/KalamazooRiver), the
Trustees are using the term Kalamazoo River Environment (KRE) to
represent the entire natural resource damage assessment area. The KRE
encompasses the area being addressed by the Superfund remedial
investigations for the site's operable units, along with any area where
hazardous substances released at or from the Superfund site have come
to be located, and areas where natural resources or the services they
provide may have been affected by the site-related hazardous substances
releases (MDEQ et al. 2005).
The Trustees expect to have opportunities to settle natural
resource damage claims for the KRE with willing parties. The Draft RP/
PEIS will provide an ecological framework, with public input, to
maximize the benefits of specific restoration projects to the affected
resources in the KRE that might be included in or funded by future
settlements or past bankruptcy settlements. The Draft RP/PEIS will
provide criteria and guidance for Trustees to use in selecting feasible
restoration projects.
In compliance with 40 CFR part 1505 et seq., the Trustees will
include in the NRDA Administrative Record (Record) documents that the
Trustees rely upon during the development of the Draft RP/PEIS. The
hard copy Record is on file at MDEQ (contact Judith Alfano; see FOR
FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT).
CERCLA
Under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and
Liability Act (CERCLA; 42 U.S.C. 9601 et seq.), parties responsible for
releasing hazardous substances into the environment are liable both for
the costs of responding to the release (by cleaning up, containing, or
otherwise remediating the release) and for damages arising from
injuries to publicly owned or managed natural resources resulting from
the release. CERCLA's Natural Resource Damage Assessment (NRDA)
regulations (43 CFR 11) describe the process of assessing the nature
and extent of the resulting injury, destruction, or loss of natural
resources and the services they provide. Carrying out of the NRDA
process also includes determining the compensation required to make the
public whole for such injuries, destruction, or loss. CERCLA
[[Page 55146]]
authorizes certain Federal and State agencies and Indian tribes to act
on behalf of the public as Trustees for affected natural resources.
Under CERCLA, these agencies and tribes are authorized to assess
natural resource injuries and to seek compensation, referred to as
damages, from responsible parties, including the costs of performing
the damage assessment. The Trustees are required to use recovered
damages for the following purposes only: To restore, replace, or
acquire the equivalent of the injured or lost resources and services.
EPA's Role in the EIS Process
In addition to this Federal Register notice, EPA is publishing a
notice announcing the PEIS, as required under section 309 of the Clean
Air Act (42 U.S.C. 7401 et seq.; CAA).
The EPA is charged under the CAA to review all Federal agencies'
EISs and to comment on the adequacy and the acceptability of the
environmental impacts of proposed actions in the EISs. EPA also serves
as the repository (EIS database) for EISs prepared by Federal agencies
and provides notice of their availability in the Federal Register. The
EIS database provides information about EISs prepared by Federal
agencies, as well as EPA's comments concerning the EISs. All EISs are
filed with EPA, which publishes a notice of availability on Fridays in
the Federal Register.
For more information, see https://www.epa.gov/compliance/nepa/eisdata.html. You may search for EPA comments on EISs, along with EISs
themselves, at https://cdxnodengn.epa.gov/cdx-enepa-public/action/eis/search.
Public Comments
Comments are specifically requested regarding the alternatives,
proposed restoration techniques and projects, scope of analysis, and
assessment of impacts. Please see the ADDRESSES section for how to
submit information.
Before including your address, phone number, email address, or
other personal identifying information in your comment, you should be
aware that your entire comment--including your personal identifying
information--may be made publicly available at any time. While you can
ask us in your comment to withhold your personal identifying
information from public review, we cannot guarantee that we will be
able to do so.
Dated: August 24, 2015.
Charles Wooley,
Acting Regional Director, Midwest Region, U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service.
[FR Doc. 2015-23016 Filed 9-11-15; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-55-P
