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Federal Register/Vol. 68, No. 4/Tuesday, January 7, 2003/Notices

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Federal Register/Vol. 68, No. 4/Tuesday, January 7, 2003/Notices Federal Register / Vol. 68, No. 4 / Tuesday, January 7, 2003 / Notices 775 opportunity to submit comments in significant public interest in the holding accepted until February 6, 2003. All response to public notices nor do the of a public hearing, EPA may decide to comments must be received or state’s public notice procedures include hold such a hearing. postmarked by midnight of February 6, providing public notices by mail to all Dated: December 18, 2002. 2003, or must be delivered by hand by interested parties, as required by the Bharat Mathur, the close of business of that date to the regulations. In order to partially address address specified below. this concern, the state has implemented Acting Regional Administrator, Region 5. an internet based public notice system [FR Doc. 03–285 Filed 1–6–03; 8:45 am] ADDRESSES: This proposed permit is that makes all public notices available BILLING CODE 6560–50–P identified as Docket No. OW–2002– on the MDEQ website. EPA and MDEQ 0048. Please send an original and three will be discussing additional corrective copies of your comments and enclosures actions that need to be taken to ensure ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION (including references) to the ‘‘OW– that all interested persons receive timely AGENCY 2002–0048, Comment Clerk’’, Water public notices of projects requiring [FRL–7436–5] Docket (MC 4101T), U.S. Environmental CWA section 404 permits. Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania As part of our review of MDEQ’s Issuance of a General Permit to the Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20460. enforcement efforts, citizen complaint National Science Foundation for the Hand deliveries should be delivered to: files were reviewed in all of the MDEQ Ocean Disposal of Man-Made Ice Piers EPA Water Docket, 1301 Constitution district offices. Based on the annual From its Base at McMurdo Sound on Avenue, NW., Room B–135, reports prepared by MDEQ, an average Antarctica Washington, DC 20004. Electronic mail of 800 citizen complaints are comments will be accepted at the e-mail AGENCY: investigated each year. The program Environmental Protection address, [email protected], review found that district offices make Agency (EPA). and must be received by close of a concerted effort to address complaints. ACTION: Proposed permit. business of the date specified above. Generally, the review found complaints SUMMARY: EPA is today proposing to Electronic comments must be submitted were routinely followed with site issue a general permit under sections as an ASCII, WP 5.1, WP 6.1, or WP 8 inspections, which usually were made 102(a) and 104(c) of the Marine file, avoiding the use of special within two weeks of receipt of the Protection, Research, and Sanctuaries characters and any form of encryption. complaint. Act (MPRSA) to the National Science Electronic comments must be identified An opportunity for public Foundation (NSF) for the disposal at sea by Docket Number OW–2002–0048. participation in the State’s enforcement of man-made ice piers from its base at Comments and data will also be process is required by federal law, and McMurdo Sound on Antarctica. The accepted on discs in ASCII, WP 5.1, WP MDEQ has agreed to implement NSF is the agency of the United States 6.1, or WP 8 file format. Electronic procedures to comply with the Government responsible for oversight of comments on this notice may be filed requirements of 40 CFR 233.41(e)(2). the United States Antarctic Program. online at many Federal Depository This review concludes that MDEQ has Libraries. To ensure that the Agency can maintained a satisfactory enforcement The NSF currently operates three major bases in Antarctica: McMurdo Station read, understand, and therefore properly program. MDEQ has designed the respond to comments, commenters enforcement program to identify un- on Ross Island, adjacent to McMurdo Sound; Palmer Station, near the western should cite the paragraph(s) or sections permitted activities and initiates in the proposed permit to which each enforcement responses in a timely terminus of the Antarctic Peninsula; and Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station, at comment refers. Commenters should manner. Overall, Michigan’s use a separate paragraph for each issue enforcement program achieves the geographic South Pole. McMurdo Station is the largest of the three discussed. Commenters should submit appropriate injunctive relief through any references cited in their comments. wetlands restoration and wetland stations, and serves as the primary logistics base for Antarctica. In order to Commenters who want the Agency to mitigation and obtains adequate acknowledge receipt of their comments penalties. The review of MDEQ’s use of unload supplies at McMurdo Station, ships dock at an ice pier at McMurdo should include a self-addressed, administrative consent agreements stamped envelope. No comments found that the agreements effectively Station; this man-made pier has a normal life span of three to five years. submitted by facsimile transmission resolved the violations at issue and (fax) will be accepted. The record for resulted in additional environmental At the end of its useful life, all transportable equipment, materials, and this proposed permit has been restoration and conservation of wetland. established, as noted above, as Docket Although there is no legal debris are removed, the pier is cast loose No. OW–2002–0048, and includes requirement that EPA receive public from its moorings at the base and towed printed, paper versions of electronic comment regarding the preliminary out to McMurdo Sound for disposal, comments. The record is available for determinations of its informal review of where it melts naturally. Issuance of this inspection from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Michigan’s section 404 program, EPA general permit is necessary because the Monday through Friday, excluding legal has decided to accept such public pier must be towed out to sea for holidays, at the Water Docket, 1301 comments for a period of sixty (60) days disposal at the end of its useful life. Constitution Avenue, NW., Room B– from the publication date of this notice. This proposed general permit is 135, Washington, DC 20004. For access EPA seeks public comment on its intended to protect the marine to docket materials, call (202) 566–2426, preliminary determination that formal environment by setting forth specific to schedule an appointment. withdrawal proceedings not be permit terms and conditions, including commenced, as well as EPA’s detailed operating conditions during use of the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: findings regarding MDEQ’s pier and clean-up, with which the NSF David Redford, Chief, Marine Pollution administration of the permitting and must comply before the disposal of such Control Branch, Oceans and Coastal enforcement program and the adequacy ice piers would take place. Protection Division (4504T), U.S. of Michigan’s legal authorities. If public DATES: Written comments on this Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 comments received by EPA indicate proposed general permit will be Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W., VerDate Dec<13>2002 10:19 Jan 06, 2003 Jkt 200001 PO 00000 Frm 00035 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 E:\FR\FM\07JAN1.SGM 07JAN1 776 Federal Register / Vol. 68, No. 4 / Tuesday, January 7, 2003 / Notices Washington, DC, 20460; telephone (202) thick, is constructed during the winter At the end of each austral summer 566–1288. season in the following manner. season, the pier is inspected, and as SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Construction begins when the frozen much of the gravel non-slip surface as ice pack in McMurdo Sound reaches possible is removed and stored for use A. Background on McMurdo Station Ice approximately 0.6 m (2 ft) in thickness. the following season. If the pier is to be Pier Snow is bermed to a depth of about 0.6 reused the next year, it is flooded with The NSF was established as an m (2 ft) on the ice pack, at the perimeter seawater during the winter to create a independent agency of the Executive of what will be the ice pier. Heavy-duty new surface for the following summer Branch of the government in 1950. pumps are then used to flood the ice season. The pier has a normal viable life Following the International Geophysical pack inside the bermed snow with about of three to five years; after that period, Year in 1957–1958, President 10 cm (4 in) of seawater. This water factors such as stress cracking and Eisenhower decided that the NSF freezes solid in about 24 hours, when erosion no longer allow the pier to be should have full responsibility for the the process is repeated with another 10 used. The erosion of the seaward face of formulation, coordination, and cm of seawater. This process is repeated the ice pier is caused by such factors as management of the United States until the ice thickness of the pier wave action, contact of vessels with the Antarctic Program (USAP). The NSF reaches approximately 1.5 m (5 ft). pier face, and the discharge of coolant currently operates three major bases in When that thickness of the pier is water from ships docked at the pier. Antarctica: McMurdo Station on Ross achieved, several holes are drilled in the When the pier has deteriorated to the Island, adjacent to McMurdo Sound; ice near the periphery of the ice pier, point that it is not capable of being used Palmer Station, near the western and lengths of 2″ steel pipe are inserted the following season, the wooden poles terminus of the Antarctic Peninsula; and vertically into the holes. The space are cut off just above the surface of the Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station, at surrounding the pipe-ice interface is ice, the gravel is scraped off for use in the geographic South Pole.
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