[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 178 (Wednesday, September 14, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Page 63257]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-22094]
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DEPARTMENT OF STATE
[Public Notice: 9713]
Notice of 30 Day Public Comment Period Regarding the National
Interest Determination for Otay Water District's Presidential Permit
Application
AGENCY: Department of State.
ACTION: Notice.
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SUMMARY: On November 25, 2013, the Otay Water District applied for a
Presidential Permit from the Department of State (``State Department'')
authorizing the construction, connection, operation, and maintenance of
a cross-border liquid pipeline for the importation of desalinated
seawater at the international boundary between the United States and
Mexico in San Diego County, California. On September 2, 2016, after
consulting with the public and interested agencies, the Office of
Environmental Quality and Transboundary Issues (OES/EQT) at the State
Department and the Otay Water District issued a final environmental
impact report/environmental impact statement (EIR/EIS). Background
information related to the application, including the application and
the EIR/EIS, may be found at: http://www.state.gov/p/wha/rt/permit/app/otaypermit/index.htm.
The State Department's review of this application is based upon
Executive Order 11423 of August 16, 1968, as amended. As provided in
E.O. 11423, the Department is circulating this application to relevant
federal agencies for review and comment. Under E.O. 11423, the
Department has the responsibility to determine, taking into account
views from these agencies and other stakeholders, whether issuing a
Presidential Permit to Otay Water District authorizing the
construction, connection, operation, and maintenance of a cross-border
liquid pipeline for the importation of desalinated seawater would serve
the national interest. That determination process involves
consideration of many factors, including foreign policy; environmental,
cultural, and economic impacts; compliance with applicable law and
regulations; and other issues.
Interested members of the public are invited to submit written
comments regarding this application. The public comment period will end
30 days from the publication of this notice. Comments are not private.
They will be posted on the site http://www.regulations.gov. The
comments will not be edited to remove identifying or contact
information, and the State Department cautions against including any
information that one does not want publicly disclosed. The State
Department requests that any part soliciting or aggregating comments
received from other persons for submission to the State Department
inform those persons that the State Department will not edit their
comments to remove identifying or contact information, and that they
should not include any information in their comments that they do not
want publicly disclosed.
DATES: Comments must be submitted no later than October 14, 2016 at
11:59 p.m.
ADDRESSES: For reasons of efficiency, the State Department encourages
the electronic submission of comments through the federal government's
eRulemaking Portal (http://www.regulations.gov), enter the Docket No.
DOS-2016-0061, and follow the prompts to submit a comment. The State
Department also will accept comments submitted in hard copy by mail and
postmarked no later than October 14, 2016. Please note that standard
mail delivery to the State Department can be delayed due to security
screening. To submit comments by mail, use the following address: U.S.-
Mexico Border Affairs Office, Room 3924, Department of State, 2201 C
St. NW., Washington, DC 20520.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Office of Mexican Affairs, Bureau of
Western Hemisphere Affairs, via email at [email protected];
by phone at 202-647-9894; or by mail at WHA/MEX--Room 3924, Department
of State, 2201 C St. NW., Washington, DC 20520.
Dated: September 8, 2016.
Colleen A. Hoey,
Director, Office of Mexican Affairs, Department of State.
[FR Doc. 2016-22094 Filed 9-13-16; 8:45 am]
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