Notice of Scoping for Preparing an Environmental Impact Analysis of a Proposed Pilot Project at Everglades National Park, 28843-28844 [E8-11111]

Download as PDF Federal Register / Vol. 73, No. 97 / Monday, May 19, 2008 / Notices DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR Bureau of Land Management [ID–200–1120–DD–241A] Notice of Public Meeting, Twin Falls District Resource Advisory Council Meeting, Idaho Bureau of Land Management, Interior. ACTION: Notice of Public Meeting. AGENCY: SUMMARY: In accordance with the Federal Land Policy and Management Act (FLPMA), the Federal Advisory Committee Act of 1972 (FACA), and the Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act of 2004 (FLREA), the U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Twin Falls District and Elko District Resource Advisory Councils (RAC) will meet as indicated below. DATES: June 19 and 20, 2008. The first day of the two-day meeting will consist of an information gathering tour of the proposed China Mountain Wind Project. The tour will begin with a one-hour presentation at 10 a.m. (MST) at Cactus Pete’s Resort Casino in Jackpot, Nevada. Following the tour, there will be a brief business meeting for the Twin Falls District RAC at Cactus Pete’s Resort Casino. On June 20, there will be a joint business meeting for the Twin Falls and Elko District RACs for one hour beginning at 8 a.m. and ending at 9 a.m. (MST). Each RAC will then meet separately to conduct individual District business. The Twin Falls District RAC’s meeting will end no later than 4 p.m. The public comment period for the Twin Falls District RAC meeting will be from 9:15 a.m. to 9:45 a.m. The meeting will also be held at Cactus Pete’s Resort Casino in Jackpot, Nevada. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Heather Tiel-Nelson, Twin Falls District, Idaho, 2536 Kimberly Road, Twin Falls, Idaho 83301, (208) 736– 2352. The 15member RAC advises the Secretary of the Interior, through the Bureau of Land Management, on a variety of planning and management issues associated with public land management in Idaho. The Twin Falls District RAC business meeting agenda will include the following topics: Discussion of China Mountain Wind Energy Project tour, Jarbidge Resource Management Plan update, and Twin Falls District energy projects. Additional topics may be added and will be included in local media announcements. More information is available at https:// pwalker on PROD1PC71 with NOTICES SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: VerDate Aug<31>2005 17:18 May 16, 2008 Jkt 214001 www.blm.gov/id/st/en/res/ resource_advisory.3.html. The Elko District RAC notice of this meeting was previously published. All meetings are open to the public. The public may present written comments to the RAC in advance of or at the meeting. Each formal RAC meeting will also have time allocated for receiving public comments. Depending on the number of persons wishing to comment and time available, the time for individual oral comments may be limited. Individuals who plan to attend and need special assistance, such as sign language interpretation or other reasonable accommodations, should contact the BLM as provided above. Dated: May 12, 2008. Bill Baker, District Manager. [FR Doc. E8–11120 Filed 5–16–08; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4310–GG–P DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR National Park Service Notice of Scoping for Preparing an Environmental Impact Analysis of a Proposed Pilot Project at Everglades National Park National Park Service, Department of the Interior. ACTION: Notice of Scoping for preparing an environmental impact analysis of a proposed pilot project at Everglades National Park. AGENCY: SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given, in accordance with the provisions of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.), that public scoping is being initiated for an environmental impact analysis process to evaluate the use of swales placed downstream of existing culverts for improving water flows under Tamiami Trail (U.S. 41) into Northeast Shark Slough, Everglades National Park (Park). The purpose of this scoping effort is to identify environmental issues and potential alternatives to be addressed in the environmental impact analysis. The NEPA analysis will begin with the preparation of the Environmental Assessment (EA). As the project moves forward and if the National Park Service (NPS) determines that this project is likely to result in significant impacts to the human environment, the EA will be converted to an Environmental Impact Statement. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Everglades National Park Protection and Expansion Act of 1989, 16 U.S.C. 410r– 5 et seq., (Expansion Act) expanded the PO 00000 Frm 00050 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 28843 boundaries of the Park to include approximately 109,000 acres (Expansion Area) south of the Tamiami Trail in Miami-Dade County, Florida. The Expansion Act directs the NPS to preserve the Park’s outstanding natural features, and enhance and restore its ecological values and natural hydrologic conditions. The Expansion Act also authorized the Modified Water Deliveries (MWD) Project, whose purpose is to improve water deliveries within the Park and restore the natural hydrologic conditions to the extent practicable. One of the objectives of the MWD Project is to improve the conveyance of water to the Expansion Area, which will require modifications to Tamiami Trail and associated culverts under the roadway. In this regard, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACOE) is preparing the 2008 Limited Reevaluation Report to assess potential roadway modifications, including alternatives such as constructing bridges, adding culverts, and installing swales downstream of existing culverts. Recent modeling done by the USACOE suggests that constructing bridges and adding culverts may improve water flow to the Expansion Area. However, the efficacy of placing swales downstream of existing culverts as a measure to improve hydrologic conveyance remains questionable. In addition, the potential environmental impacts caused by swale construction must be addressed. Therefore, the Park believes it is appropriate to assess the potential effects of swale construction in a comprehensive manner by means of a pilot project. The purpose of the pilot project is to test whether constructing spreader swales downstream of two existing culverts will improve water flow into the Northeast Shark Slough. Test results should enable a realistic assessment of the degree of improved hydrologic conveyance provided by the swales when compared to the conveyance capacity of the existing culverts. In addition, test results are expected to assist in determining the relative ecological benefits of swales and the environmental impacts associated with their construction and use. DATES: Written comments regarding the proposed project must be postmarked no later than 30 days from the publication of this notice. As part of this scoping effort, a public workshop will be held in Miami-Dade County to solicit public input about the proposed project. Notification of the workshop will be announced in the newspaper Miami Herald and through the NPS Planning E:\FR\FM\19MYN1.SGM 19MYN1 28844 Federal Register / Vol. 73, No. 97 / Monday, May 19, 2008 / Notices Environment and Public Comment (PEPC) Web site: https:// parkplanning.nps.gov. ADDRESSES: Written comments should be addressed to National Park Service, Attention Pat Kenney, Denver Service Center, Planning Division, P.O. Box 25287, Denver, Colorado 80225–0287. Comments may also be submitted via the PEPC Web site using the links provided below. General information about the proposed project is available at the office of the Superintendent, Everglades National Park, 40001 State Road 9336, Homestead, Florida 33034. Additionally, interested persons may view the PEPC Web site: https:// parkplanning.nps.gov, then select ‘‘Everglades NP’’ from the drop down box, then ‘‘Proposed Spreader Swales Pilot Test,’’ and ‘‘Open for Public Comment.’’ Before including your address, phone number, e-mail 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. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Superintendent’s Office, at 305–242– 7707, or EVER_superintendent@nps.gov. Authority: The authority for publishing this notice is contained in 40 CFR 1506.6. The responsible official for this notice is the Acting Regional Director, Southeast Region, National Park Service, 100 Alabama Street, SW., 1924 Building, Atlanta, Georgia 30303. Dated: May 8, 2008. Art Frederick, Acting Regional Director, Southeast Region. [FR Doc. E8–11111 Filed 5–16–08; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4310–XH–P DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE pwalker on PROD1PC71 with NOTICES Notice of Lodging of Modification of Consent Decree Under the Clean Water Act, the Clean Air Act, and the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act Notice is hereby given that on May 13, 2008, a proposed ‘‘Agreement And Order Regarding Modification Of The August 10, 2006 Consent Decree’’ (‘‘Agreement and Order’’) in United States of America v. Rohm and Haas Texas Inc., Civil Action No. 4:06–cv– 01622, was lodged with the United VerDate Aug<31>2005 17:18 May 16, 2008 Jkt 214001 States District Court for the Southern District of Texas. In its Complaint filed May 11, 2006, the United States alleged that Rohm and Haas Texas Inc. (‘‘Rohm and Haas’’) violated Clean Water Act section 301, 33 U.S.C. 1311, by discharging pollutants in excess of permit effluent limits; violated Clean Air Act section 112(d), 42 U.S.C. 7412(d), by failing to comply with the requirements of the national emission standards for hazardous air pollutants (‘‘NESHAPS’’), 40 CFR Part 63; and violated the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act section 3008(a) and (g), 42 U.S.C. 6928(a) and (g), by failing to comply with the provisions of the federally approved Texas hazardous waste management program. The alleged violations occurred at a chemical manufacturing complex owned and operated by Rohm and Haas located in Deer Park, Texas (‘‘the facility’’). The United States sought injunctive relief and civil penalties to address these violations. On August 10, 2006, the court entered a Consent Decree in the matter (‘‘the 2006 Consent Decree’’) which required Rohm and Haas to pay a civil penalty of $485,000 and implement a supplemental environmental project (‘‘SEP’’). The SEP required by the 2006 Consent Decree involved the purchase of at least 300 acres of coastal wetlands and associated upland prairie in the Texas Galveston Bay Watershed (‘‘the Conservation Property’’) and the transfer of the Conservation Property to a nonprofit for conservation. The Consent Decree also required monitoring of CWA compliance. If Rohm and Haas violates the effluent limits in its permit, the Consent Decree requires the company to take action to prevent future violations. Under the 2006 Consent Decree, Rohm and Haas paid the civil penalty of $485,000 and began implementing a SEP. The 2006 Consent Decree provided for implementation of the SEP by transfer of the Conservation Property to a private non-profit organization. The proposed Agreement and Order would modify the SEP requirements of the 2006 Consent Decree to add the option of allowing Rohm and Haas to transfer the Conservation Property to a government agency and by allowing some additional time for completion of the SEP. The proposed Agreement and Order would also modify the termination provisions of the 2006 Consent Decree. The United States Department of Justice will receive for a period of five (5) days from the date of this publication comments relating to the Agreement and Order. Comments should be addressed to the Assistant PO 00000 Frm 00051 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 Attorney General, Environment and Natural Resources Division, and either e-mailed to pubcommentees.enrd@usdoj.gov or mailed to P.O. Box 7611, U.S. Department of Justice, Washington, DC 20044–7611, and should reference United States v. Rohm and Haas Texas, Inc., Civil Action No. 4:06-cv-01622, D.J. Ref. No. 90–5–1–1– 06926. The Agreement and Order may be examined at the Office of the United States Attorney, 919 Milam St., Suite 1500, Houston, TX 77002. During the public comment period, the Agreement and Order may also be examined on the following Department of Justice Web site: https://www.usdoj.gov/enrd/ Consent_Decrees.html. A copy of the Agreement and Order may also be obtained by mail from the Consent Decree Library, P.O. Box 7611, U.S. Department of Justice, Washington, DC 20044–7611 or by faxing or e-mailing a request to Tonia Fleetwood (tonia.fleetwood@usdoj.gov), fax number (202) 514–0097, phone confirmation number (202) 514–1547. In requesting a copy from the Consent Decree Library, please enclose a check in the amount of $4.25 (25 cents per page reproduction cost) payable to the U.S. Treasury or, if by e-mail or fax, forward a check in that amount to the Consent Decree Library at the stated address. Maureen M. Katz, Assistant Section Chief, Environmental Enforcement Section, Environment and Natural Resources Division. [FR Doc. E8–11073 Filed 5–16–08; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4410–CW–P DEPARTMENT OF LABOR Office of the Secretary Submission for OMB Review: Comment Request May 13, 2008. The Department of Labor (DOL) hereby announces the submission of the following public information collection requests (ICR) to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (Pub. L. 104–13, 44 U.S.C. chapter 35). A copy of each ICR, with applicable supporting documentation; including among other things a description of the likely respondents, proposed frequency of response, and estimated total burden may be obtained from the RegInfo.gov Web site at https://www.reginfo.gov/ public/do/PRAMain or by contacting Darrin King on 202–693–4129 (this is E:\FR\FM\19MYN1.SGM 19MYN1

Agencies

[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 97 (Monday, May 19, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 28843-28844]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-11111]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

National Park Service


Notice of Scoping for Preparing an Environmental Impact Analysis 
of a Proposed Pilot Project at Everglades National Park

AGENCY: National Park Service, Department of the Interior.

ACTION: Notice of Scoping for preparing an environmental impact 
analysis of a proposed pilot project at Everglades National Park.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given, in accordance with the provisions of 
the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.), 
that public scoping is being initiated for an environmental impact 
analysis process to evaluate the use of swales placed downstream of 
existing culverts for improving water flows under Tamiami Trail (U.S. 
41) into Northeast Shark Slough, Everglades National Park (Park). The 
purpose of this scoping effort is to identify environmental issues and 
potential alternatives to be addressed in the environmental impact 
analysis. The NEPA analysis will begin with the preparation of the 
Environmental Assessment (EA). As the project moves forward and if the 
National Park Service (NPS) determines that this project is likely to 
result in significant impacts to the human environment, the EA will be 
converted to an Environmental Impact Statement.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Everglades National Park Protection and 
Expansion Act of 1989, 16 U.S.C. 410r-5 et seq., (Expansion Act) 
expanded the boundaries of the Park to include approximately 109,000 
acres (Expansion Area) south of the Tamiami Trail in Miami-Dade County, 
Florida. The Expansion Act directs the NPS to preserve the Park's 
outstanding natural features, and enhance and restore its ecological 
values and natural hydrologic conditions. The Expansion Act also 
authorized the Modified Water Deliveries (MWD) Project, whose purpose 
is to improve water deliveries within the Park and restore the natural 
hydrologic conditions to the extent practicable.
    One of the objectives of the MWD Project is to improve the 
conveyance of water to the Expansion Area, which will require 
modifications to Tamiami Trail and associated culverts under the 
roadway. In this regard, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACOE) is 
preparing the 2008 Limited Reevaluation Report to assess potential 
roadway modifications, including alternatives such as constructing 
bridges, adding culverts, and installing swales downstream of existing 
culverts.
    Recent modeling done by the USACOE suggests that constructing 
bridges and adding culverts may improve water flow to the Expansion 
Area. However, the efficacy of placing swales downstream of existing 
culverts as a measure to improve hydrologic conveyance remains 
questionable. In addition, the potential environmental impacts caused 
by swale construction must be addressed. Therefore, the Park believes 
it is appropriate to assess the potential effects of swale construction 
in a comprehensive manner by means of a pilot project.
    The purpose of the pilot project is to test whether constructing 
spreader swales downstream of two existing culverts will improve water 
flow into the Northeast Shark Slough. Test results should enable a 
realistic assessment of the degree of improved hydrologic conveyance 
provided by the swales when compared to the conveyance capacity of the 
existing culverts. In addition, test results are expected to assist in 
determining the relative ecological benefits of swales and the 
environmental impacts associated with their construction and use.

DATES: Written comments regarding the proposed project must be 
postmarked no later than 30 days from the publication of this notice. 
As part of this scoping effort, a public workshop will be held in 
Miami-Dade County to solicit public input about the proposed project. 
Notification of the workshop will be announced in the newspaper Miami 
Herald and through the NPS Planning

[[Page 28844]]

Environment and Public Comment (PEPC) Web site: https://
parkplanning.nps.gov.

ADDRESSES: Written comments should be addressed to National Park 
Service, Attention Pat Kenney, Denver Service Center, Planning 
Division, P.O. Box 25287, Denver, Colorado 80225-0287. Comments may 
also be submitted via the PEPC Web site using the links provided below. 
General information about the proposed project is available at the 
office of the Superintendent, Everglades National Park, 40001 State 
Road 9336, Homestead, Florida 33034. Additionally, interested persons 
may view the PEPC Web site: https://parkplanning.nps.gov, then select 
``Everglades NP'' from the drop down box, then ``Proposed Spreader 
Swales Pilot Test,'' and ``Open for Public Comment.''
    Before including your address, phone number, e-mail 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.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Superintendent's Office, at 305-242-
7707, or EVER_superintendent@nps.gov.

    Authority: The authority for publishing this notice is contained 
in 40 CFR 1506.6.

    The responsible official for this notice is the Acting Regional 
Director, Southeast Region, National Park Service, 100 Alabama Street, 
SW., 1924 Building, Atlanta, Georgia 30303.

    Dated: May 8, 2008.
Art Frederick,
Acting Regional Director, Southeast Region.
[FR Doc. E8-11111 Filed 5-16-08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-XH-P

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