[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 199 (Thursday, October 15, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Page 55406]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-27639]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Reclamation
Long-Term Contract Renewal, Central Valley Project, California
AGENCY: Bureau of Reclamation, Department of the Interior.
ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare an environmental impact statement
and notice of meetings.
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SUMMARY: Pursuant to Section 102(2)(C) of the National Environmental
Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA), the Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation)
proposes to prepare environmental documents for the purpose of renewing
existing long-term and interim contracts for the Central Valley
Project, California. Specific quantities of water to be in the renewal
contracts will be subject to a needs assessment.
At present, it is not clear whether the scope of the action and
anticipated project impacts will require preparation of an
environmental impact statement (EIS) instead of an environmental
assessment (EA). However, to ensure a timely and appropriate level of
NEPA compliance and limit potential future delays to the project
schedule, Reclamation is proceeding, at this time, as if the project
impacts would require preparation of an EIS. Reclamation will
reevaluate the need for an EIS after obtaining written and oral
comments on project alternatives and impacts during the scoping
process. Reclamation will publish a notice of cancellation if, as a
result of scoping, a decision is made to prepare an EA rather than an
EIS.
DATES: See Supplementary Information Section for meeting dates.
ADDRESSES: Written comments on the project scope of the environmental
document(s) may be submitted by December 11, 1998, and sent to Mr. Alan
R. Candlish, Bureau of Reclamation, 2800 Cottage Way. Attention: MP-
120, Sacramento CA 95825
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Alan R. Candlish, Bureau of
Reclamation, 2800 Cottage Way. Attention: MP-120, Sacramento CA 95825,
telephone: 916/978-5190 or Ms. Donna Tegelman, Bureau of Reclamation,
2800 Cottage Way. Attention: MP-440, Sacramento CA 95825, telephone:
916/978-5250 (TDD 978-5608).
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Section 3404(c) of the Central Valley
Project Improvement Act authorizes renewal of existing long-term water
service contracts for 25 years after appropriate environmental review
including the completion of a Programmatic Environmental Impact
Statement (PEIS) required under Section 3409. A draft PEIS was released
on November 7, 1998, with an extended comment period closing April 17,
1998. A final PEIS is scheduled for release in June 1999. The
additional environmental document(s) for contract renewal will tier off
of the final PEIS.
The long-term contract renewal environmental document(s) will be
prepared on a regional basis. The specific regions will be determined
following scoping. The different service areas of the CVP that will be
evaluated include: Shasta/Trinity Division including Cow Creek and
Clear Creek South Units; portions of the Sacramento River Division
including Corning Canal, Tehama-Colusa Canal and Feather River Water
District; American River Division including Folsom Unit, Sly Park Unit,
and Auburn-Folsom South Unit; Delta Division including Contra Costa and
Delta-Mendota Canals; San Luis Unit; San Felipe Division; Friant
Division; and miscellaneous other CVP service areas that are served by
New Melones, Hidden, and Buchanan Reservoirs and Cross Valley Canal.
Individual service areas may be combined together in one document if
they have related issues.
Meetings
Seven scoping meetings will be held to solicit comments from
interested parties to assist in determining the scope of the
environmental analysis and to identify the significant issues related
to this proposed action, including issues related to negotiations. The
meetings will be held on the following dates at the specified
locations:
Monday, November 2, 1998, at 7:00 p.m. at the: Waterfront
Plaza Hotel, 10 Washington Street, Oakland, California, 510/836-3800.
Thursday, November 5, 1998, at 7:00 p.m. at the: Las
Molinas VFW, 7980 Sherwood Blvd, Las Molinas, California, 530/384-2759.
Monday, November 9, 1998, at 7:00 p.m. at the: Sheraton
Smugglers Inn, 3737 North Blackstone Ave, Fresno, California, 209/226-
2110.
Tuesday, November 10, 1998, at 7:00 p.m. at the:
Granzellas Hotel, 391 Sixth Street, Williams, California, 530/473-3310.
Monday, November 16, 1998, at 7:00 p.m. at the: Sacramento
Inn, 1401 Arden Way, Sacramento, California, 916/922-8041.
Wednesday, November 18, 1998, at 7:00 p.m. at the: Forest
Park Inn, 375 Leadvesley Road, Gilroy, California, 408/848-5144.
Thursday, November 19, 1998, at 7:00 p.m. at the: Double
Tree Inn, 1150 Ninth Street, Modesto, California, 209/526-6000.
Special Services
A headphone device for the hearing impaired will be available at
the meetings. Persons requiring other special services should contact
Alisha Sterud at 916/978-5190. Please notify this office as far in
advance of the meetings as possible, but no later than 3 working days
prior to the particular meeting to enable Reclamation to secure the
needed services. If a request cannot be honored, the requester will be
notified.
Dated: October 8, 1998.
Michael Jackson,
Acting Deputy Regional Director.
[FR Doc. 98-27639 Filed 10-14-98; 8:45 am]
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