[Federal Register: December 7, 1999 (Volume 64, Number 234)]
[Notices]               
[Page 68373]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr07de99-87]                         

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DEPARTMENT OF INTERIOR

Bureau of Reclamation

 
Colorado River Interim Surplus Criteria; Notice of Intent To 
Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement

AGENCY: Bureau of Reclamation, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare an environmental impact statement.

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SUMMARY: Pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 
1969, as amended, and the Council on Environmental Quality's 
regulations for implementing the procedural provisions of NEPA, the 
Department of the Interior, Bureau of Reclamation (``Reclamation''), 
proposes to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (``EIS'') for 
development of interim implementing criteria pursuant to Article III 
(3) of the Long-Range Operating Criteria that will be used by the 
Secretary of the Interior (``Secretary'') to determine surplus 
conditions for management of the Colorado River.
    Reclamation previously published Federal Register notices on 
Tuesday, May 18, 1999 (64 FR 27008) and Friday May 28, 1999 (64 FR 
29068) announcing its intention to consider the development of specific 
criteria that will identify those circumstances under which the 
Secretary may make Colorado River water available for delivery to the 
States of Arizona, California, and Nevada (Lower Division States or 
Lower Basin) in excess of the 7,500,000 acre-foot Lower Basin 
apportionment. Those notices announced four public scoping meetings and 
requested oral and written comments on the need for such criteria, the 
format for the criteria, the scope of specific surplus criteria, and 
the issues and alternatives that should be analyzed.
    The public comment period ran from May 18, 1999 until June 30, 
1999. In addition to oral comments submitted at four public scoping 
meetings, we received 32 letters during the comment period. The 
respondents included one irrigation district, three water districts, 
two individuals, three environmental organizations, nine state 
agencies, two federal organizations, three tribes, two cities, three 
water users associations, one corporation, one water resource 
organization, one conservation district and one public utility.
    Based on the public comments received, Reclamation has made the 
decision to prepare an EIS that evaluates the potential impacts of 
alternative implementing interim criteria that will be used by the 
Secretary to determine surplus conditions for management of the 
Colorado River.
    Supplementary information is provided in the aforementioned May 18, 
1999 Federal Register notice.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jayne Harkins, telephone (702) 293-
8190; faxogram (702) 293-8042; E-mail at: jharkins@lc.usbr.gov or Tom 
Ryan, telephone (801) 524-3732, faxogram (801) 524-3858; E-mail at: 
tryan@uc.usbr.gov.

    Dated: December 1, 1999.
David J. Hayes,
Acting Deputy Secretary of the Interior.
[FR Doc. 99-31681 Filed 12-6-99; 8:45 am]
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