[Federal Register: February 10, 1999 (Volume 64, Number 27)] [Notices] [Page 6675-6676] From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov] [DOCID:fr10fe99-115] ----------------------------------------------------------------------- DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR Fish and Wildlife Service Notice of Availability; Oil Spill Restoration Plan and Environmental Assessment AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior ACTION: Notice of availability ----------------------------------------------------------------------- SUMMARY: The Fish and Wildlife Service, on behalf of the Department of the Interior, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (Administration), the State of Washington, and the Makah Tribe, announces the release for public review of the Draft Restoration Plan and Environmental Assessment for the Tenyo Maru Oil Spill (Plan/ Assessment). The Plan/Assessment covers the Natural Resource Trustees' (Trustees) proposal to restore natural resources injured as a result of the 1991 Tenyo Maru fishing vessel oil spill. DATES: Written comments must be submitted on or before April 12, 1999. ADDRESSES: Requests for copies of the Plan/Assessment may be made to: Fish and Wildlife Service, 510 Desmond Drive SE, Suite 102, Lacey, Washington 98503, Attn: Cindy M. Chaffee. The Plan/Assessment is also available for download at http://www.r1.fws.gov. and http:// www.darcnw.noaa.gov/tenyo.htm. Written comments regarding the Plan/ Assessment should be sent to the same mailing address as requests for copies of the Plan/Assessment. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Cindy M.Chaffee, Fish and Wildlife Service, 510 Desmond Drive SE, Suite 102, Lacey, Washington 98503. Interested parties may also call (360) 753-4324. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On July 22, 1991, a Japanese fishing vessel (Tenyo Maru) and a Chinese freighter (Tuo Hai) collided about 20 miles northwest of Neah Bay, Washington, spilling at least 100,000 gallons of oil. Beaches were fouled with oil from Vancouver Island, British Columbia to northern Oregon. While impacts were scattered along the entire Washington State shoreline and the northern beaches of Oregon, the heaviest oiling occurred along the Makah Indian Reservation and the Olympic National Park shoreline. Seabirds, and to a lesser extent, kelp habitats, were demonstrated to have been injured by the spill. The trustees documented that common murres (Uria aalge) and federally threatened marbled murrelets (Brachyramphus marmoratus) were killed, as well as rhinoceros auklets [[Page 6676]] (Cerorhinca moncerata), tufted puffins (Fratercula cirrhata), Cassin's auklets (Ptychoramphus aleuticus) and pigeon guillemots (Cepphus columba). Oil was observed in many of the giant kelp (Macrocystis) and bull kelp (Nereocystis) dominated kelp beds from Cape Alava north to Tatoosh Island and from Tatoosh Island east to Waadah Island. Claims for natural resource damages were settled by consent decree under the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 (Act), 33 U.S.C. Sec. 2701 et seq. Under the consent decree, the defendants agreed to pay approximately $5.2 million to the natural resource trustees to compensate the public for the injury, destruction, and loss of natural resources resulting from the spill. The Plan/Assessment is presented to the public by the Trustees responsible for restoration implementation under the consent decree and is consistent with the Natural Resource Damage Assessment Regulations found at 15 CFR, Part 990. The Plan/Assessment describes the affected environment and illustrates potential restoration alternatives to restore, rehabilitate, replace, or acquire the equivalent of natural resources injured in the Tenyo Maru oil spill and their environmental consequences. The preferred restoration alternative selected by the Trustees is an integrative restoration approach that restores populations of injured resources, provides quality habitat, and allows natural recovery. Proposed restoration efforts will include the combination of protection and enhancement activities that have the greatest potential to restore the injured natural resources, with particular emphasis on seabirds. The Plan/Assessment proposes to restore injured resources by: (1) Restoring common murre colonies within the Copalis National Wildlife Refuge; (2) contributing to an oiled wildlife rehabilitation center; (3) educating the general public on human disturbance of nesting seabird colonies; (4) reducing seabird by-catch in coastal set- net fisheries; (5) protecting marbled murrelet habitat; and (6) reducing siltation in rivers. Interested members of the public are invited to review and comment on the Plan/Assessment. Copies of the plan are available for review at the Fish and Wildlife Service's Western Washington Office in Lacey, Washington (510 Desmond Drive SE, Suite 102); the Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary in Port Angeles, Washington (Federal Building, 138 West 1st Street, Suite 7) and; the Makah Tribe at Neah Bay, Washington (Old Air Force Building #15). Additionally the Plan/ Assessment will be available for review at the Fish and Wildlife Service's web site http://www.rl.fws.gov, at Administration's web site http://www.darcnw.noaa.gov/tenyo.htm, and at public libraries in Clallam, Jefferson, Grays Harbor, and Pacific Counties. Written comments will be considered and addressed in the final Restoration Plan and Environmental Assessment at the conclusion of the restoration planning process. Dated: February 2, 1999. Thomas J. Dwyer, Acting Regional Director, Region 1, Portland, Oregon. [FR Doc. 99-3198 Filed 2-9-99; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4310-55-P