[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 65 (Thursday, April 4, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Page 20298]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing 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: [email protected].
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 http://www.darrp.noaa.gov/northeast/lawrence/index.html (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 http://www.srmtenv.org/index.php?spec=nrda_main and the U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service Web site http://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]
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