[Federal Register: December 17, 2002 (Volume 67, Number 242)]
[Notices]
[Page 77287-77288]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr17de02-61]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Fish and Wildlife Service
Notice of Availability of the Revised Assessment Plan for the
Natural Resource Damage Assessment at the St. Louis River/Interlake/
Duluth Tar Superfund Site
AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of availability.
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SUMMARY: Notice is given that the document titled ``Assessment Plan for
the Natural Resource Damage Assessment at the St. Louis River
Interlake/Duluth Tar Superfund Site, 9/24/02'' (``The Plan'') is
available for public review. The U.S. Departments of the Interior (Fish
and Wildlife Service, Bureau of Indian Affairs) and Commerce (National
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration), The State of Minnesota
(Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, Minnesota Pollution Control
Agency), The Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa, and The 1854
Authority (representing the Bois Forte Band and Grand Portage Band of
Lake Superior Chippewa) are trustees for natural resources
(``trustees'') considered in this assessment, pursuant to subpart G of
the National Oil and Hazardous Substances Pollution Contingency Plan,
40 CFR 300.600 and 300.610, and Executive Order 12580.
The trustees are following the guidance of the Natural Resource
Damage Assessment Regulations found at 43 CFR part 11, and provided the
public an opportunity to review a draft Plan and submit comments (67 FR
132, Jul. 10, 2002). The trustees considered all comments received, and
revised the draft Plan. The Plan announced by this Notice is considered
to be complete for implementation, as provided for in 43 CFR 11.32(c).
Interested members of the public are invited to review the Plan.
Copies of the Plan can be requested from the address listed below.
DATES: The trustees completed revisions to the Plan on September 24,
2002.
ADDRESSES: Requests for copies of the Plan should be sent to: Marilyn
Danks, Trustee Coordinator, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources,
Division of Ecological Services, 500 Lafayette Road, St. Paul, MN
55155-4025. You may also submit requests for copies of the Plan by
sending electronic mail (e-mail) to: marilyn.danks@dnr.state.mn.us. See
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION for information about electronic mailing and
access.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Case Management and Logistical
Information: Dave Warburton, (612) 725-3548 (x203) Technical
Information: Annette Trowbridge, (612) 725-3548 (x202).
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The trustees are undertaking an assessment
of damages resulting from suspected injuries to natural resources in
and near the Lower St. Louis River which have been exposed to hazardous
substances released by industrial activity at the St. Louis River/
Interlake/Duluth Tar Superfund Site. The trustees suspect this exposure
has caused injury and resultant damages to trustee resources. The
injury and resultant damages will be assessed under the Comprehensive
Environmental Response,
[[Page 77288]]
Compensation, and Liability Act, as amended, and the Clean Water Act,
as amended, in order to determine the appropriate type and extent of
resource restoration. The Assessment Plan addresses the trustees'
overall assessment approach, and utilizes both existing data as well as
additional data to be collected as described in study workplans
attached to the Plan. It is important to note that the purpose of the
Plan is to organize the approach for determining and quantifying
natural resource injuries and calculating the damages associated with
those injuries; the Plan is not a claim for damages for injuries to all
natural resources listed in the Assessment Plan. The trustees provided
the public an opportunity to review a draft Plan and submit comments
(67 FR 132, Jul. 10, 2002). All comments received by the trustees in
response to the draft Plan were carefully reviewed and considered. As a
result, a number of revisions were made to the draft Plan. Revisions
made to the draft Plan in response to public comments include minor
wording changes clarifying the responsible parties as identified by
Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, decisions regarding implementation
of the assessment, the State's role under the Minnesota Environmental
Response, Compensation, and Liability Act, and coordination of the
assessment with the Remedial Investigation/Feasibility Study process. A
paragraph was also added to clarify the availability of quality
assurance project plans for trustee-conducted studies. Other changes
included corrected capitalization of words and citations and/or
references, wording edits, additions of scientific names for fish and
wildlife species, and updated confirmation of exposure values. The
Avian Exposure and Injury Study Workplan did not change. The Methods
section of the Fish Exposure and Injury Study Workplan was rearranged
to clarify procedures, and to note that individual fish are being
analyzed in 2002, for greater statistical strength in the study. A
``Revisions to Draft Assessment Plan'' document, is included with the
Plan, and provides a listing of all revisions. These revisions are not
significant and do not alter the scope or methodologies proposed for
the assessment. Therefore, the Assessment Plan, with these
modifications, is considered to be complete for implementation. All of
the comments received on the draft Plan during the public review
period, as well as trustee responses to those comments, will be
included in the Report of Assessment to be completed at the conclusion
of the assessment.
This Plan may be modified at any stage of the assessment as new
information becomes available. If significant modifications are made to
this Plan, and when other major planning documents and/or reports that
are part of the assessment process are completed, the trustees will
solicit public comments on the modifications or other documents as
provided in 43 CFR part 11. Any further Plan modifications considered
to be non-significant will be made available for public review, but the
implementation of such modifications will not be delayed as a result of
the review. Plan addenda may be prepared by the trustees to provide
public notice of additional data collection activities. Restoration of
natural resources will be proposed by the trustees following the
assessment.
Electronic Mail and Access
You may request copies of the Plan, and the ``Revisions to Draft
Assessment Plan'' document, by sending electronic mail (e-mail) to:
marilyn.danks@dnr.state.mn.us. Do not use any special characters or
forms of encryption in your e-mail.
Dated: November 22, 2002.
William F. Hartwig,
Regional Director, Region 3, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
[FR Doc. 02-31638 Filed 12-16-02; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-55-P