[Federal Register: August 10, 2007 (Volume 72, Number 154)]
[Notices]
[Page 45068-45069]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr10au07-118]
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INTERNATIONAL BOUNDARY AND WATER COMMISSION, UNITED STATES AND MEXICO
United States Section; Notice of Availability of Draft
Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement, Improvements to the USIBWC
Tijuana River Flood Control Project
AGENCY: United States Section, International Boundary and Water
Commission (USIBWC).
ACTION: Notice of availability of Draft Programmatic Environmental
Impact Statement.
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SUMMARY: Pursuant to section 102(2)(c) of the National Environmental
Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969, as amended, the United States Section,
International Boundary and Water Commission (USIBWC) has prepared a
Draft Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (Draft PEIS) for
future improvements to the Tijuana River Flood Control Project operated
by the USIBWC in southern San Diego County. The Draft PEIS, prepared in
cooperation with the United States Army Corps of Engineers, analyzes
potential effects of the No Action Alternative and two action
alternatives for future improvements. Because several measures under
consideration are at a conceptual level of development, the USIBWC has
taken a broad programmatic look at the potential environmental
implications of future implementation measures. The USIBWC will apply
the programmatic evaluation as an overall guidance for future
environmental evaluations of individual improvement projects whose
implementation is anticipated or possible within a 20-year timeframe.
Once any given improvement project is identified for future
implementation, site-specific environmental documentation will be
developed based on project specifications and PEIS findings. Public
participation in the evaluation of potential effect is encouraged. A
public hearing will be held at the City of Imperial Beach, California,
to receive oral comments on the Draft PEIS from interested
organizations and individuals through transcription by a certified
court reporter. Written comments may be submitted at the public
hearings or mailed to the USIBWC during the 45-day public review period
to the contact and address below.
DATES: Written comments are requested by September 24, 2007, which is
calculated from the anticipated date of the Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA) Notice of Availability of August 10, 2007. A Public
hearing will be held on August 30, 2007, from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. PST, at
the City of Imperial Beach, Dempsey Holder Safety Center, 950 Ocean
Lane, Imperial Beach, CA 91932. Hearing date and location will also be
announced in local newspapers one week prior to the hearing date.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Daniel Borunda, Environmental
Protection Specialist, Environmental Management Division, USIBWC, 4171
North Mesa Street, C-100, El Paso, Texas 79902 or e-mail:
danielborunda@ibwc.state.gov.
Copies of the Draft PEIS are available for inspection and review at
the following locations: United States
[[Page 45069]]
Section, International Boundary and Water Commission, San Diego Field
Office, 2225 Dairy Mart Road, San Ysidro, CA 92173; and San Diego
Central Library, 820 E. Street, San Diego, CA 92101. A copy of the
Draft PEIS will also be posted at the USIBWC Web site at http://www.ibwc.state.gov
.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Draft PEIS analyzes potential effects of
the No Action Alternative and two action alternatives for future
improvement of the Tijuana River FCP. Potential future improvements to
the Tijuana River Flood Control Project were organized in two action
alternatives, Enhanced Operation and Maintenance Alternative, focusing
on engineering improvements; and Multipurpose Project Management
Alternative, incorporating additional measures for multiple use of the
floodway and environmental measures supporting initiatives by federal
agencies, local governments, and other organizations; these initiatives
would be conducted largely under cooperative agreements. The two action
alternatives were evaluated in terms of their potential effects
relative to those of the No Action Alternative, in the areas of water,
biological, cultural and socioeconomic resources, land use, and
environmental health issues.
A copy of the DEIS has been filed with EPA in accordance with 40
CFR parts 1500-1508 and USIBWC procedures. The public comment period of
the Draft PEIS will end 45 days after publication of the NOA in the
Federal Register by EPA.
Dated: August 1, 2007.
Susan E. Daniel,
General Counsel.
[FR Doc. E7-15429 Filed 8-9-07; 8:45 am]
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