[Federal Register Volume 59, Number 193 (Thursday, October 6, 1994)]
[Unknown Section]
[Page 0]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 94-24757]
[[Page Unknown]]
[Federal Register: October 6, 1994]
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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Forest Service
Management of Vegetation Within Electric Utility Rights-of-Way on
the Allegheny National Forest in Elk, Forest, McKean and Warren
Counties, PA
AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.
ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare an environmental impact statement.
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SUMMARY: A draft and a final environmental impact statement is being
prepared for the management of vegetation on 776 acres of land
associated with 120 miles of electric utility rights-of-way on the
Allegheny National Forest. Herbicide application, mechanical clearing
and manual cutting alone, and in combination, are alternatives that
will be considered.
The herbicides being considered in the analysis include glyphosate
(trade names are RoundupR RodeoR, and AccordR),
metsulfuron methyl (trade names is EscortR), triclopyr (trade
names are Garlon 3AR and Garlon 4R), picloram (trade names
are Tordon KR and AccessR), imazapyr (trade name is
ArsenalR), and fosamine (trade name is Krenite UTR). The
herbicide would be applied in water or mineral oil, depending on the
formulation used and the method of application.
Various manual and mechanical herbicide application methods are
being considered. Manual ground level applications include low volume
basal, low volume foliar and stump treatment. Mechanical ground level
applications include low volume selective foliar and high volume
foliar. The specific herbicide formulation (trade named product),
carrier and method of application will vary with the characteristics of
the site, the components of the vegetation community and other factors.
Aerial application of herbicide is not being considered in this
analysis.
The purpose of these treatments is to ensure safe and reliable
transmission and distribution of electric power across portions of the
Allegheny National Forest. This environmental impact statement will
amend the Allegheny National Forest Land and Resource Management Plan
completed in 1986.
The environmental impact statement will be site specific on
approxiamtely 120 miles of electric utility rights-of-way located on
the Forest. The electric utility lines are owned and operated by the
Pennsylvania Electric Company or West Penn Power Company.
The environmental impact statement is being prepared by
Environmental Consultants, Incorporated, jointly funded by the
Allegheny National Forest and the two electric utility companies. The
decision that will be made in the EIS is to determine the site specific
treatments for vegetation management projects on the specific sites.
The decision will be made with full public participation and is
appealable under 36 CFR part 217.
The Agency invites written comments and suggestions on the scope
and substance of the analysis and the environmental impact statement.
In addition, the agency gives notice that the environmental impact
statement preparation process will be conducted so that interested and
affected people are aware of how they may participate in and contribute
to the final decision.
DATES: Comments concerning the scope of the analysis should be
submitted in writing and postmarked by October 31, 1994, to ensure
timely consideration.
ADDRESSES: Send written comments to Powerline Vegetation Management
Analysis, Allegheny National Forest, 222 Liberty Street, P.O. Box 847,
Warren PA 16365.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Bob White, Allegheny National Forest
Silviculturist at 814/723-5150 about the Environmental Impact
Statement. For information about vegetation management under power
lines, contact Charles Olenik, Forestry Manager, Pennsylvania Electric
Company at 814/533-8868.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Allegheny National Forest Land and
Resource Management Plan completed in 1986, provides for management of
electric power transmission and distribution corridors on parts of the
Forest. Management of vegetation that can interfere with reliable and
efficient transmission and distribution of electric power is needed for
approximately 776 acres of land under approximately 120 miles of power
lines on the Allegheny National Forest. The purpose of this vegetation
management is to produce a plant community that is generally low
growing, will stabilize the site against erosion, will provide a
diversity of wildlife habitat, and will minimize power outages and
costs of management.
A range of alternatives will be considered, including herbicide
application, mechanical clearing and manual cutting alone, and a
combination of these techniques. The ``no action alternative'' is the
method of vegetation management currently in use on a site-specific
basis. Activities carried out on the ground under this alternative vary
from site to site, but will be described and analyzed in the draft and
the final environmental impact statements.
The decision that will be made in the EIS is a site specific
determination of the treatments the power companies may use on each
site. The decision is appealable under 36 CFR part 217. Federal, state
and local agencies, and other individuals and organizations who may be
interested or affected by the decision are invited to participate in
the scoping process. This process will include (1) identification of
potential issues; (2) identification of issues to be analyzed in depth;
and (3) elimination of insignificant issues or those which have been
covered by a previous environmental review.
To assist the Forest Service in identifying and considering issues
and concerns on the proposed action, comments should be as specific as
possible. Please include your name, address, and telephone number
(organization represented and your title, if applicable).
Preliminary issues that have been identified are: (1) What is the
fate of herbicides, carriers and inert ingredients in the environment;
(2) what are the effects of herbicides, carriers and inert ingredients
on human health; (3) what are the effects on fish and wildlife; (3)
what are the impacts on water quality; and, (4) what are the costs and
effectiveness of various vegetation management strategies that will
ensure the reliability of electric power service.
The analysis is expected to take about 10 months. The draft
environmental impact statement will be filed with the Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA) and will be available for public review in
early July 1995. At that time EPA will publish a notice of availability
of the draft environmental impact statement in the Federal Register.
The comment period on the draft will be 45 days from the date the EPA
notice appears in the Federal Register. It is very important that those
interested in the management of the Allegheny National Forest
participate at that time. To be most helpful, comments on the draft
environmental impact statement should be as specific as possible, and
may address the adequacy of the statement or the merits of the
alternatives discussed (see the Council on Environmental Quality
Regulations (CEQ) for implementing the procedural provisions of the
National Environmental Policy Act at 40 CFR 1503.3).
The Forest Service believes it is important to give reviewers
notice at this early stage of several court rulings related to public
participation in the environmental review process. First reviewers of
draft environmental impact statements must structure their
participation in the environmental review of the proposals so that it
is meaningful and alerts an agency to the reviewers position and
contentions, Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Corp. v. NRDC, 45 U.S. 519,
553 (1978). Also, environmental objections that could be raised at the
draft environmental impact statement stage may be waived if not raised
until after completion of the final environmental impact statement,
City of Angoon v. Hodel, 803 F.2d 1016, 1022 (9th Cir. 1988), and
Wisconsin Heritages, Inc. v. Harris, 490 F.supp. 1334, 1338 (E.D. Wis.
1980). Because of these court rulings, it is very important that those
interested in this proposed action participate by the close of the 45-
day comment period so that substantive comments and objections are made
available to the Forest Service at a time when it can meaningfully
consider them and respond to them in the final environmental impact
statement.
Comments on the draft environmental impact statement should be as
specific as possible. It is also helpful if comments refer to specific
pages or chapters of the draft statement. Comments may also address the
adequacy of the draft environmental impact statement or the merits of
the alternatives formulated and discussed in the statement (Reviewers
may wish to refer to CEQ Regulations for implementing the procedural
provisions of the National Environmental Policy Act at 40 CFR 1503.3 is
addressing these points).
After the comment period ends on the draft environmental impact
statement, the comments received will be analyzed and considered by the
Forest Service in preparing the final environmental impact statement.
The final environmental impact statement is scheduled to be completed
in December 1995. In the final EIS the Forest Service is required to
respond to the comments received (40 CFR 1503.4). The responsible
official will consider the comments, responses, environmental
consequences discussed in the environmental impact statement, and
applicable laws, regulations and policies in making a decision
regarding this proposal. The responsible official will document the
decision and reasons for the decision in a Record of Decision. That
decision will be subject to appeal under 36 CFR part 217.
The responsible official is John E. Palmer, Forest Supervisor,
Allegheny National Forest, 222 Liberty Street, P.O. Box 847, Warren PA
16365.
Dated: September 21, 1994.
John E. Palmer,
Forest Supervisor.
[FR Doc. 94-24757 Filed 10-5-94; 8:45 am]
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