Preparation of an Environmental Assessment in Consideration of Issuance of a Bald Eagle Programmatic Take Permit and Implementation of the Associated Eagle Conservation Plan for the Great Bay Wind Energy Project, Somerset County, Maryland, 143-145 [2013-31394]
Download as PDF
<![CDATA[
maindgalligan on DSK5TPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
Federal Register / Vol. 79, No. 1 / Thursday, January 2, 2014 / Notices
National Toxicology Laboratories,
Inc., 1100 California Ave., Bakersfield,
CA 93304, 661–322–4250/800–350–
3515.
One Source Toxicology Laboratory,
Inc., 1213 Genoa-Red Bluff, Pasadena,
TX 77504, 888–747–3774 (Formerly:
University of Texas Medical Branch,
Clinical Chemistry Division; UTMB
Pathology-Toxicology Laboratory).
Pacific Toxicology Laboratories, 9348
DeSoto Ave., Chatsworth, CA 91311,
800–328–6942 (Formerly: Centinela
Hospital Airport Toxicology
Laboratory).
Pathology Associates Medical
Laboratories, 110 West Cliff Dr.,
Spokane, WA 99204, 509–755–8991/
800–541–7891x7.
Phamatech, Inc., 10151 Barnes
Canyon Road, San Diego, CA 92121,
858–643–5555.
Quest Diagnostics Incorporated, 1777
Montreal Circle, Tucker, GA 30084,
800–729–6432 (Formerly: SmithKline
Beecham Clinical Laboratories;
SmithKline Bio-Science Laboratories).
Quest Diagnostics Incorporated, 400
Egypt Road, Norristown, PA 19403,
610–631–4600/877–642–2216
(Formerly: SmithKline Beecham
Clinical Laboratories; SmithKline BioScience Laboratories).
Quest Diagnostics Incorporated, 8401
Fallbrook Ave., West Hills, CA 91304,
818–737–6370 (Formerly: SmithKline
Beecham Clinical Laboratories).
Redwood Toxicology Laboratory,
3650 Westwind Blvd., Santa Rosa, CA
95403, 707–570–4434 .
South Bend Medical Foundation, Inc.,
530 N. Lafayette Blvd., South Bend, IN
46601, 574–234–4176 x1276.
Southwest Laboratories, 4625 E.
Cotton Center Boulevard, Suite 177,
Phoenix, AZ 85040, 602–438–8507/800–
279–0027.
STERLING Reference Laboratories,
2617 East L Street, Tacoma, Washington
98421, 800–442–0438.
Toxicology & Drug Monitoring
Laboratory, University of Missouri
Hospital & Clinics, 301 Business Loop
70 West, Suite 208, Columbia, MO
65203, 573–882–1273.
US Army Forensic Toxicology Drug
Testing Laboratory, 2490 Wilson St.,
Fort George G. Meade, MD 20755–5235,
301–677–7085.
*The Standards Council of Canada
(SCC) voted to end its Laboratory
Accreditation Program for Substance
Abuse (LAPSA) effective May 12, 1998.
Laboratories certified through that
program were accredited to conduct
forensic urine drug testing as required
by U.S. Department of Transportation
(DOT) regulations. As of that date, the
certification of those accredited
VerDate Mar<15>2010
17:20 Dec 31, 2013
Jkt 232001
Canadian laboratories will continue
under DOT authority. The responsibility
for conducting quarterly performance
testing plus periodic on-site inspections
of those LAPSA-accredited laboratories
was transferred to the U.S. HHS, with
the HHS’ NLCP contractor continuing to
have an active role in the performance
testing and laboratory inspection
processes. Other Canadian laboratories
wishing to be considered for the NLCP
may apply directly to the NLCP
contractor just as U.S. laboratories do.
Upon finding a Canadian laboratory to
be qualified, HHS will recommend that
DOT certify the laboratory (Federal
Register, July 16, 1996) as meeting the
minimum standards of the Mandatory
Guidelines published in the Federal
Register on April 30, 2010 (75 FR
22809). After receiving DOT
certification, the laboratory will be
included in the monthly list of HHScertified laboratories and participate in
the NLCP certification maintenance
program.
Janine Denis Cook,
Chemist, Division of Workplace Programs,
Center for Substance Abuse Prevention,
SAMHSA.
[FR Doc. 2013–31377 Filed 12–31–13; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4160–20–P
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Fish and Wildlife Service
[FWS–R5–ES–2013–0132;
FXHC11220500000]
Preparation of an Environmental
Assessment in Consideration of
Issuance of a Bald Eagle
Programmatic Take Permit and
Implementation of the Associated
Eagle Conservation Plan for the Great
Bay Wind Energy Project, Somerset
County, Maryland
Fish and Wildlife Service,
Interior.
ACTION: Notice of intent, notice of
scoping meeting, and request for
comments.
AGENCY:
We, the U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service (Service), intend to
prepare an environmental assessment
(EA) to address the potential impacts of
the issuance of a programmatic eagle
take permit (permit) pursuant to the
Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act
(BGEPA). The permit would authorize
the taking of bald eagles associated with
the construction and operation of the
proposed Great Bay Wind Energy
Project (Project) and implementation of
an associated eagle conservation plan
SUMMARY:
PO 00000
Frm 00052
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
143
(ECP). The issuance of an eagle take
permit is a Federal action subject to
analysis under the National
Environmental Policy Act of 1969
(NEPA). We provide this notice to
announce the initiation of a public
scoping period during which we invite
other agencies and the public to submit
written comments that provide
suggestions and information on the
scope of issues and alternatives to be
addressed in the EA. We also announce
that we will hold a public meeting
where oral and written comments will
also be accepted.
DATES: Written comments must be
received on or before February 3, 2014.
We will hold one public scoping
meeting; see Public Meeting under
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION for the
date, time, and location.
ADDRESSES: Comments concerning the
issuance of the programmatic eagle take
permit and the preparation of the
associated EA should be identified as
such, and may be submitted by one of
the following methods:
• https://www.regulations.gov/.
• U.S. Mail: U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service, Attn: Sarah Nystrom, Ecological
Services, 300 Westgate Center Drive,
Hadley, MA 01035.
• In-Person Drop-off, Viewing, or
Pickup: Written comments will be
accepted at the public meeting on
Wednesday, January 15, 2014, or can be
dropped off during regular business
hours at the address above.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms.
Sarah Nystrom, Regional Bald and
Golden Eagle Coordinator, U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service, 300 Westgate Center
Drive, Hadley, MA 01035; 413–253–
8592 (telephone); Sarah_Nystrom@
fws.gov (electronic mail). If you use a
telecommunications device for the deaf,
please call the Federal Information
Relay Service at 1–800–877–8339.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Introduction
We publish this notice under NEPA,
as amended (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.), and
its implementing regulations (40 CFR
1506.6), as well as in compliance with
BGEPA (16 U.S.C. 668–688d).
Great Bay Wind I, LLC (Applicant), a
subsidiary of Lavaca Wind, LLC which
is an affiliate of Pioneer Green Energy,
LLC, has applied for a programmatic
eagle take permit for the taking of bald
eagles (Haliaeetus leucocephalus)
associated with the Project. We intend
to gather the information necessary to
prepare a draft EA to evaluate the
impacts of, and alternatives to, the
proposed issuance of a permit under
BGEPA to the Applicant for the
E:\FR\FM\02JAN1.SGM
02JAN1
144
Federal Register / Vol. 79, No. 1 / Thursday, January 2, 2014 / Notices
maindgalligan on DSK5TPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
construction and operation of the
Project and implementation of an
associated ECP.
The Applicant would own, construct,
and operate the Project. The Project
would be located on 12,046 acres (4,875
hectares) of private agricultural lands in
Somerset County, Maryland, and would
consist of 25 wind turbine generators,
access roads, an electrical collection
system, an operations and maintenance
building, a switchyard, and a substation.
The Project would generate up to 90
megawatts and is anticipated to have a
lifespan of up to 30 years.
The Applicant will develop an ECP in
coordination with the Service as part of
its application for a permit. The
objectives of the ECP will be to describe
the environmental conditions in the
Project area, summarize the results of
eagle studies to date, develop an
assessment of impacts to bald eagles,
develop avoidance and minimization
elements, and describe compensatory
mitigation measures for unavoidable
impacts that might result from site
selection, construction, and operation of
the project.
Environmental Assessment
The NEPA (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.)
requires that Federal agencies conduct
an environmental analysis of their
proposed actions to determine if the
actions may significantly affect the
human environment. The proposed
action presented in the draft EA will be
compared to a reasonable range of
alternatives, including a no-action
alternative. The no-action alternative
would represent estimated future
conditions without the application for,
or issuance of, a permit.
The proposed action for the EA is the
Service’s decision whether to issue a
permit pursuant to BGEPA (50 CFR
22.26) for the take of bald eagles
associated with, but not the purpose of,
the construction and operation of the
Project and implementation of the
associated ECP. The BGEPA defines
‘‘take’’ as ‘‘to pursue, shoot, shoot at,
poison, wound, kill, capture, trap,
collect, destroy, molest, or disturb
individuals, their nests and eggs’’ (50
CFR 22.3). ‘‘Disturb’’ means to agitate or
bother an eagle to a degree that causes
or is likely to cause (1) injury to an
eagle; (2) a decrease in its productivity,
by substantially interfering with normal
breeding, feeding, or sheltering
behavior; or (3) nest abandonment, by
substantially interfering with normal
breeding, feeding, or sheltering behavior
(50 CFR 22.3).
Issuance of an eagle take permit is a
Federal action subject to analysis of
potential environmental impacts under
VerDate Mar<15>2010
17:20 Dec 31, 2013
Jkt 232001
NEPA. The Service will prepare an EA
to help decide whether to issue a permit
authorizing take of bald eagles
associated with the Project. Upon
review of the EA, the Service will
conclude the EA process with one of the
following: (1) A finding of no significant
impact; (2) a notice of intent to prepare
an environmental impact statement; or
(3) a result that no further action is
taken on the proposal.
public to ask questions and provide oral
comments. Both oral and written
comments will be accepted at the
meeting. Comments can also be
submitted by methods listed in the
ADDRESSES section. Once the draft EA is
complete and made available for review,
there will be an additional opportunity
for public comment on the content of
that document through a public meeting
and comment period.
Environmental Review and Next Steps
The Service will conduct an
environmental review to analyze the
proposed action, along with other
alternatives and the associated impacts
of each. The draft EA will provide the
basis for the impact evaluation for each
potentially affected resource and the
range of alternatives to be addressed.
The draft EA is expected to provide
biological descriptions of the affected
species and habitats, as well as the
effects of the alternatives on other
resources, such as vegetation, wetlands,
wildlife, geology and soils, air quality,
water resources, water quality, cultural
resources, land use, recreation, visual
resources, local economy, and
environmental justice.
Following completion of the
environmental review, the Service will
publish a notice of availability and a
request for comment on the draft EA.
The draft EA is expected to be
completed and available to the public in
2014.
Public Comments
We request data, comments, new
information, and suggestions from the
public, other concerned governmental
agencies, the scientific community,
industry and any other interested party
on this notice. We will consider these
comments in developing the draft EA.
We particularly seek comments on the
following:
1. The direct, indirect, and
cumulative effects that implementation
of any reasonable alternative could have
on bald eagles, other wildlife species,
and their habitats;
2. Other reasonable alternatives (in
addition to permit issuance and noaction), for consideration and their
associated effects;
3. Relevant biological data and
additional information concerning bald
eagles;
4. Current or planned activities in the
Project area and their possible impacts
on bald eagles;
5. The presence of archaeological
sites, buildings and structures, historic
events, sacred and traditional areas, and
other historic preservation concerns,
which are required to be considered in
project planning by the National
Historic Preservation Act; and
6. Any other environmental issues
that should be considered with regard to
the proposed Project and permit action.
Comments and materials we receive,
as well as supporting documentation we
use in preparing the EA, will be
available for public inspection by
appointment, during normal business
hours, at our office (see FOR FURTHER
INFORMATION CONTACT).
Public Meeting
The primary purpose of the scoping
process is for the public to assist the
Service in developing a draft EA by
identifying important issues and
alternatives related to permit issuance,
to provide the public with a general
understanding of the background of the
eagle permit process and activities it
would cover, and an overview of the
NEPA process.
The scoping meeting will be held on
January 15, 2014, from 6 to 8 p.m. at the
J.M. Tawes Technology & Career Center,
7982 Crisfield Highway, Westover, MD
21871. The primary purpose of the
meeting and associated public comment
period is to solicit suggestions and
information on the scope of issues and
alternatives for the Service to consider
when drafting the EA. The meeting
format will consist of an open house
prior to, and directly following, the
formal scoping meeting. The open house
format will provide an opportunity to
learn about the Project and the proposed
action. The initial open house will be
followed by a formal presentation of the
proposed action, summary of the NEPA
process, and an opportunity for the
PO 00000
Frm 00053
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
Public Availability of Comments
Written comments we receive become
part of the public record associated with
this action. Before including your
address, telephone number, electronic
mail address, or other personal
identifying information in your
comments, 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
E:\FR\FM\02JAN1.SGM
02JAN1
Federal Register / Vol. 79, No. 1 / Thursday, January 2, 2014 / Notices
cannot guarantee that we will be able to
do so.
Meeting Location Accommodations
Please note that the meeting location
is accessible to wheelchair users. If you
require additional accommodations,
please notify us at least 1 week in
advance of the meeting.
Authority
We provide this notice under NEPA
regulations (40 CFR 1501.7 and
1508.22). The intent of the notice is to
enable us to obtain suggestions and
additional information from other
agencies and the public on the scope of
issues to be considered.
Dated: December 11, 2013.
Martin Miller,
Acting Assistant Regional Director, Ecological
Services, Northeast Region.
[FR Doc. 2013–31394 Filed 12–31–13; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4510–55–P
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Land Management
[LLAZ910000.L12100000.XP0000LXSS150A
00006100.241A]
State of Arizona Resource Advisory
Council Meetings
Bureau of Land Management,
Interior.
ACTION: Notice of public meetings.
AGENCY:
In accordance with the
Federal Land Policy and Management
Act of 1976 and the Federal Advisory
Committee Act of 1972, the U.S.
Department of the Interior, Bureau of
Land Management (BLM), Arizona
Resource Advisory Council (RAC) will
meet in Phoenix, Arizona, as indicated
below.
DATES: The RAC Working Groups will
meet on January 28 from 8:30 a.m. to
4:30 p.m., and the Business meeting will
take place January 29 from 8 a.m. to 4
p.m.
ADDRESSES: The meetings will be held at
the BLM National Training Center
located at 9828 North 31st Avenue,
Phoenix, Arizona 85051.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Dorothea Boothe, Arizona RAC
Coordinator at the Bureau of Land
Management, Arizona State Office, One
North Central Avenue, Suite 800,
Phoenix, Arizona 85004–4427, 602–
417–9504. Persons who use a
telecommunications device for the deaf
(TDD) may call the Federal Information
Relay Service (FIRS) at 1–800–877–8339
to contact the above individual during
maindgalligan on DSK5TPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
SUMMARY:
VerDate Mar<15>2010
17:20 Dec 31, 2013
Jkt 232001
normal business hours. The FIRS is
available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week,
to leave a message or question with the
above individual. You will receive a
reply during normal business hours.
The 15member Council advises the Secretary
of the Interior, through the BLM, on a
variety of planning and management
issues associated with public land
management in Arizona. Planned
agenda items include: A welcome and
introduction of Council members; BLM
State Director’s update on BLM
programs and issues; updates on the
RAC Colorado River District Grazing
Subcommittee; Section 106
Consultation Process; Department of the
Interior Themes and Landscape Level
Opportunities for BLM; Sonoran
Landscape Pilot; U.S. Forest Service
Recreation Fee Program Proposals;
reports by the RAC Working Groups;
RAC questions on BLM District Manager
Reports; and other items of interest to
the RAC. The Recreation RAC (RRAC)
Working Group will review and make
recommendations on U.S. Forest Service
recreation fee program proposals.
Members of the public are welcome to
attend the Working Group and Business
meetings. A public comment period is
scheduled on the day of the Business
meeting from 11:15 a.m. to 11:45 a.m.
during the RRAC Session for any
interested members of the public who
wish to address the Council on BLM or
Forest Service recreation fee programs,
and again from 1:30 p.m. to 2 p.m. for
any interested members of the public
who wish to address the Council on
BLM programs and business. Depending
on the number of persons wishing to
speak and time available, the time for
individual comments may be limited.
Written comments may also be
submitted during the meeting for the
RAC’s consideration. Final meeting
agendas will be available two weeks
prior to the meetings and posted on the
BLM Web site at: https://www.blm.gov/
az/st/en/res/rac.html. Individuals who
need special assistance, such as sign
language interpretation or other
reasonable accommodations, should
contact the RAC Coordinator listed
above no later than two weeks before
the start of the meeting. Under the
Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement
Act, the RAC has been designated as the
RRAC and has the authority to review
all BLM and Forest Service recreation
fee proposals in Arizona. The RRAC
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
PO 00000
Frm 00054
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
145
will review recreation fee program
proposals at this meeting.
June E. Shoemaker,
Acting Arizona State Director.
[FR Doc. 2013–31386 Filed 12–31–13; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310–32–P
INTERNATIONAL TRADE
COMMISSION
[Investigation No. 731–TA–1143 (Review)]
Small Diameter Graphite Electrodes
From China; Institution of a Five-Year
Review
United States International
Trade Commission.
ACTION: Notice.
AGENCY:
The Commission hereby gives
notice that it has instituted a review
pursuant to section 751(c) of the Tariff
Act of 1930 (19 U.S.C. 1675(c)) (the Act)
to determine whether revocation of the
antidumping duty order on small
diameter graphite electrodes from China
would be likely to lead to continuation
or recurrence of material injury.
Pursuant to section 751(c)(2) of the Act,
interested parties are requested to
respond to this notice by submitting the
information specified below to the
Commission; 1 to be assured of
consideration, the deadline for
responses is February 3, 2014.
Comments on the adequacy of responses
may be filed with the Commission by
March 17, 2014. For further information
concerning the conduct of this review
and rules of general application, consult
the Commission’s Rules of Practice and
Procedure, part 201, subparts A through
E (19 CFR part 201), and part 207,
subparts A, D, E, and F (19 CFR part
207).
DATES: Effective Date: January 2, 2014.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Mary Messer (202–205–3193), Office of
Investigations, U.S. International Trade
Commission, 500 E Street SW.,
Washington, DC 20436. Hearingimpaired persons can obtain
information on this matter by contacting
the Commission’s TDD terminal on 202–
205–1810. Persons with mobility
impairments who will need special
SUMMARY:
1 No response to this request for information is
required if a currently valid Office of Management
and Budget (OMB) number is not displayed; the
OMB number is 3117–0016/USITC No. 14–5–303,
expiration date June 30, 2014. Public reporting
burden for the request is estimated to average 15
hours per response. Please send comments
regarding the accuracy of this burden estimate to
the Office of Investigations, U.S. International Trade
Commission, 500 E Street SW., Washington, DC
20436.
E:\FR\FM\02JAN1.SGM
02JAN1
]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 1 (Thursday, January 2, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 143-145]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-31394]
=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Fish and Wildlife Service
[FWS-R5-ES-2013-0132; FXHC11220500000]
Preparation of an Environmental Assessment in Consideration of
Issuance of a Bald Eagle Programmatic Take Permit and Implementation of
the Associated Eagle Conservation Plan for the Great Bay Wind Energy
Project, Somerset County, Maryland
AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of intent, notice of scoping meeting, and request for
comments.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), intend to
prepare an environmental assessment (EA) to address the potential
impacts of the issuance of a programmatic eagle take permit (permit)
pursuant to the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act (BGEPA). The
permit would authorize the taking of bald eagles associated with the
construction and operation of the proposed Great Bay Wind Energy
Project (Project) and implementation of an associated eagle
conservation plan (ECP). The issuance of an eagle take permit is a
Federal action subject to analysis under the National Environmental
Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA). We provide this notice to announce the
initiation of a public scoping period during which we invite other
agencies and the public to submit written comments that provide
suggestions and information on the scope of issues and alternatives to
be addressed in the EA. We also announce that we will hold a public
meeting where oral and written comments will also be accepted.
DATES: Written comments must be received on or before February 3, 2014.
We will hold one public scoping meeting; see Public Meeting under
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION for the date, time, and location.
ADDRESSES: Comments concerning the issuance of the programmatic eagle
take permit and the preparation of the associated EA should be
identified as such, and may be submitted by one of the following
methods:
https://www.regulations.gov/.
U.S. Mail: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Attn: Sarah
Nystrom, Ecological Services, 300 Westgate Center Drive, Hadley, MA
01035.
In-Person Drop-off, Viewing, or Pickup: Written comments
will be accepted at the public meeting on Wednesday, January 15, 2014,
or can be dropped off during regular business hours at the address
above.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. Sarah Nystrom, Regional Bald and
Golden Eagle Coordinator, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 300 Westgate
Center Drive, Hadley, MA 01035; 413-253-8592 (telephone); Sarah_Nystrom@fws.gov (electronic mail). If you use a telecommunications
device for the deaf, please call the Federal Information Relay Service
at 1-800-877-8339.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Introduction
We publish this notice under NEPA, as amended (42 U.S.C. 4321 et
seq.), and its implementing regulations (40 CFR 1506.6), as well as in
compliance with BGEPA (16 U.S.C. 668-688d).
Great Bay Wind I, LLC (Applicant), a subsidiary of Lavaca Wind, LLC
which is an affiliate of Pioneer Green Energy, LLC, has applied for a
programmatic eagle take permit for the taking of bald eagles
(Haliaeetus leucocephalus) associated with the Project. We intend to
gather the information necessary to prepare a draft EA to evaluate the
impacts of, and alternatives to, the proposed issuance of a permit
under BGEPA to the Applicant for the
[[Page 144]]
construction and operation of the Project and implementation of an
associated ECP.
The Applicant would own, construct, and operate the Project. The
Project would be located on 12,046 acres (4,875 hectares) of private
agricultural lands in Somerset County, Maryland, and would consist of
25 wind turbine generators, access roads, an electrical collection
system, an operations and maintenance building, a switchyard, and a
substation. The Project would generate up to 90 megawatts and is
anticipated to have a lifespan of up to 30 years.
The Applicant will develop an ECP in coordination with the Service
as part of its application for a permit. The objectives of the ECP will
be to describe the environmental conditions in the Project area,
summarize the results of eagle studies to date, develop an assessment
of impacts to bald eagles, develop avoidance and minimization elements,
and describe compensatory mitigation measures for unavoidable impacts
that might result from site selection, construction, and operation of
the project.
Environmental Assessment
The NEPA (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.) requires that Federal agencies
conduct an environmental analysis of their proposed actions to
determine if the actions may significantly affect the human
environment. The proposed action presented in the draft EA will be
compared to a reasonable range of alternatives, including a no-action
alternative. The no-action alternative would represent estimated future
conditions without the application for, or issuance of, a permit.
The proposed action for the EA is the Service's decision whether to
issue a permit pursuant to BGEPA (50 CFR 22.26) for the take of bald
eagles associated with, but not the purpose of, the construction and
operation of the Project and implementation of the associated ECP. The
BGEPA defines ``take'' as ``to pursue, shoot, shoot at, poison, wound,
kill, capture, trap, collect, destroy, molest, or disturb individuals,
their nests and eggs'' (50 CFR 22.3). ``Disturb'' means to agitate or
bother an eagle to a degree that causes or is likely to cause (1)
injury to an eagle; (2) a decrease in its productivity, by
substantially interfering with normal breeding, feeding, or sheltering
behavior; or (3) nest abandonment, by substantially interfering with
normal breeding, feeding, or sheltering behavior (50 CFR 22.3).
Issuance of an eagle take permit is a Federal action subject to
analysis of potential environmental impacts under NEPA. The Service
will prepare an EA to help decide whether to issue a permit authorizing
take of bald eagles associated with the Project. Upon review of the EA,
the Service will conclude the EA process with one of the following: (1)
A finding of no significant impact; (2) a notice of intent to prepare
an environmental impact statement; or (3) a result that no further
action is taken on the proposal.
Environmental Review and Next Steps
The Service will conduct an environmental review to analyze the
proposed action, along with other alternatives and the associated
impacts of each. The draft EA will provide the basis for the impact
evaluation for each potentially affected resource and the range of
alternatives to be addressed. The draft EA is expected to provide
biological descriptions of the affected species and habitats, as well
as the effects of the alternatives on other resources, such as
vegetation, wetlands, wildlife, geology and soils, air quality, water
resources, water quality, cultural resources, land use, recreation,
visual resources, local economy, and environmental justice.
Following completion of the environmental review, the Service will
publish a notice of availability and a request for comment on the draft
EA. The draft EA is expected to be completed and available to the
public in 2014.
Public Meeting
The primary purpose of the scoping process is for the public to
assist the Service in developing a draft EA by identifying important
issues and alternatives related to permit issuance, to provide the
public with a general understanding of the background of the eagle
permit process and activities it would cover, and an overview of the
NEPA process.
The scoping meeting will be held on January 15, 2014, from 6 to 8
p.m. at the J.M. Tawes Technology & Career Center, 7982 Crisfield
Highway, Westover, MD 21871. The primary purpose of the meeting and
associated public comment period is to solicit suggestions and
information on the scope of issues and alternatives for the Service to
consider when drafting the EA. The meeting format will consist of an
open house prior to, and directly following, the formal scoping
meeting. The open house format will provide an opportunity to learn
about the Project and the proposed action. The initial open house will
be followed by a formal presentation of the proposed action, summary of
the NEPA process, and an opportunity for the public to ask questions
and provide oral comments. Both oral and written comments will be
accepted at the meeting. Comments can also be submitted by methods
listed in the ADDRESSES section. Once the draft EA is complete and made
available for review, there will be an additional opportunity for
public comment on the content of that document through a public meeting
and comment period.
Public Comments
We request data, comments, new information, and suggestions from
the public, other concerned governmental agencies, the scientific
community, industry and any other interested party on this notice. We
will consider these comments in developing the draft EA. We
particularly seek comments on the following:
1. The direct, indirect, and cumulative effects that implementation
of any reasonable alternative could have on bald eagles, other wildlife
species, and their habitats;
2. Other reasonable alternatives (in addition to permit issuance
and no-action), for consideration and their associated effects;
3. Relevant biological data and additional information concerning
bald eagles;
4. Current or planned activities in the Project area and their
possible impacts on bald eagles;
5. The presence of archaeological sites, buildings and structures,
historic events, sacred and traditional areas, and other historic
preservation concerns, which are required to be considered in project
planning by the National Historic Preservation Act; and
6. Any other environmental issues that should be considered with
regard to the proposed Project and permit action.
Comments and materials we receive, as well as supporting
documentation we use in preparing the EA, will be available for public
inspection by appointment, during normal business hours, at our office
(see FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT).
Public Availability of Comments
Written comments we receive become part of the public record
associated with this action. Before including your address, telephone
number, electronic mail address, or other personal identifying
information in your comments, 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
[[Page 145]]
cannot guarantee that we will be able to do so.
Meeting Location Accommodations
Please note that the meeting location is accessible to wheelchair
users. If you require additional accommodations, please notify us at
least 1 week in advance of the meeting.
Authority
We provide this notice under NEPA regulations (40 CFR 1501.7 and
1508.22). The intent of the notice is to enable us to obtain
suggestions and additional information from other agencies and the
public on the scope of issues to be considered.
Dated: December 11, 2013.
Martin Miller,
Acting Assistant Regional Director, Ecological Services, Northeast
Region.
[FR Doc. 2013-31394 Filed 12-31-13; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4510-55-P
