Restoration and Compensation Determination Plan and Environmental Assessment: Aluminum Production Plants and Engine Manufacturer, St. Lawrence River, Massena, NY, 20298 [2013-07822]

Agencies

• DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
• National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 65 (Thursday, April 4, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Page 20298]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-07822]



[[Page 20298]]

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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration


Restoration and Compensation Determination Plan and Environmental 
Assessment: Aluminum Production Plants and Engine Manufacturer, St. 
Lawrence River, Massena, NY

AGENCY: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 
Commerce.

ACTION: Notice of Availability of the Restoration and Compensation 
Determination Plan and Environmental Assessment for natural resource 
injuries and service losses associated with the release of hazardous 
substances from two aluminum production plants and one engine 
manufacturer into the St. Lawrence River environment near Massena, New 
York.

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SUMMARY: Pursuant to the requirements of the Comprehensive 
Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act of 1980, as 
amended (CERCLA) notice is hereby given that a document entitled, ``St. 
Lawrence Environment Restoration and Compensation Determination Plan 
and Environmental Assessment'' (RCDP) is being made available for 
public review.
    This RCDP has been approved by the State, Federal and Tribal 
Natural Resource Trustee agencies (the Trustees) including: the 
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), acting on 
behalf of the Department of Commerce; United States Fish & Wildlife 
Service, acting on behalf of the Bureau of Indian Affairs and the U. S. 
Department of the Interior (USFWS/DOI); and the State of New York; and 
the St. Regis Mohawk Tribe. The Trustees act on behalf of the public 
under CERCLA and State law to protect and restore natural resources 
injured or lost as a result of releases or the threat of a release of a 
hazardous substance.
    Public Review and Comment: The publication of this notice opens the 
period for public comment on the RCDP. Two information public meetings 
will be held during the public comment period in Massena and Akwesasne, 
N.Y. All comments must be submitted no later than thirty (30) days 
after the publication date in this Federal Register. Comments may be 
sent electronically or in written form. Written comments may be sent 
to: Lisa Rosman, NOAA, Assessment and Restoration Division, 290 
Broadway, 20th Floor, New York, NY 10007. Electronic comments may be 
sent directly to: lisa.rosman@noaa.gov.
    Please provide a subject line, indicating that your comments relate 
to restoration planning for the St. Lawrence NRDA settlements. Any 
comments received will become part of the administrative record and 
will be available to the public. Please be aware that your entire 
comment--including your personal identifying information--may be made 
publicly available.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: The RCDP is available for downloading 
at https://www.darrp.noaa.gov/northeast/lawrence/ (by clicking 
on Case Documents and the document title under Restoration Planning on 
that page). Copies of the RCDP are also available at: (1) St. Regis 
Mohawk Tribe Environment Division, 449 Frogtown Road, Akwesasne, NY 
13655, By Appointment: (518) 358-5937; (2) Akwesasne Library, 321 State 
Route 37, Akwesasne, NY 13655, (518)-358-2240; (3) Massena Public 
Library, 41 Glenn Street, Massena, NY 13662, (315)-769-9914. The 
document will also be posted to the St. Regis Mohawk Tribe https://www.srmtenv.org/index.php?spec=nrda_main and the U.S. Fish and 
Wildlife Service Web site https://www.fws.gov/northeast/nyfo/ec/nrda.htm. Meeting dates will be posted to the trustee Web sites listed 
above. Requests for further information can be obtained through Lisa 
Rosman at the contact information provided above.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Injuries to natural resources have occurred 
as a result of releases of hazardous substances from industrial 
facilities owned by Alcoa, Inc., Reynolds Metals Co., and General 
Motors Central Foundry near Massena, St. Lawrence County, New York. The 
RCDP describes the natural resource injuries and associated losses and 
outlines proposed restoration projects. Hazardous substances released 
from these industries included polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), 
polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), aluminum, fluoride, and 
cyanide. These hazardous substances have injured natural resources and 
the habitats which support them in the vicinity of the facilities, 
including the Mohawk community of Akwesasne, preventing the practice of 
traditional cultural practices by the Mohawk Community, and resulting 
in the issuance of fish consumption advisories.
    Proposed Restoration: The trustees negotiated a settlement which 
requires the responsible parties, Alcoa Inc. and Reynolds Metals Co. to 
pay damages to compensate the public for the injuries to natural 
resources and lost human use of the resources. The 2013 Consent Decree 
establishing this settlement has been lodged in United States District 
Court for the Northern District of New York and will be the subject of 
a separate Federal Register notice and public comment period. Pursuant 
to the Consent Decree, the trustees expect to receive approximately 
$18.5 million in cash and projects from Alcoa and Reynolds for 
restoration. In addition, the trustees have received approximately $1.8 
million in restoration funds from a 2011 General Motors bankruptcy 
settlement.
    The Trustees considered various restoration alternatives to 
compensate the public for injuries from site releases and to restore 
the types of natural resource services that were provided by the 
resources injured by the hazardous substances. The preferred 
restoration alternatives identified are summarized in the RCDP. In 
total, $20.3 million from these two natural resource damage settlements 
will be used to complete preferred projects identified in the RCDP 
consisting of ecological restoration projects, human use projects that 
enhance access to fishing and boating, and projects to support 
traditional Mohawk cultural practices, including an apprenticeship 
program to promote Mohawk language and traditional teachings. A portion 
of the funds will also support Mohawk cultural institutions including 
youth outdoor education programs, and horticultural programs for 
medicine, healing, and nutrition. Details are provided in the RCDP.

    Dated: March 19, 2013.
David G. Westerholm,
Director, Office of Response and Restoration, National Ocean Service, 
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
[FR Doc. 2013-07822 Filed 4-3-13; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-JE-P