[Federal Register: July 16, 2003 (Volume 68, Number 136)]
[Notices]
[Page 42130-42131]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr16jy03-115]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Reclamation
Environmental Water Account
AGENCY: Bureau of Reclamation, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of Availability of Draft Environmental Impact DES 03-40
Statement/Environmental Impact Report (EIS/EIR) and notice of public
workshops and public hearings.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation), the National
Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) Federal lead agency; and the California
Department of Water Resources (DWR), the California Environmental
Quality Act (CEQA) State lead agency; along with the U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service (FWS) and National Marine Fisheries Service (NOAA
Fisheries), Federal Cooperating Agencies; and the California Department
of Fish and Game (DFG), State Responsible Agency, have made available
for public review and comment the Draft EIS/EIR for the CALFED
Environmental Water Account (EWA).
The EWA addresses fish protection and recovery in the San Francisco
Bay/Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta while at the same time improving water
supply reliability for Central Valley Project (CVP) and State Water
Project (SWP) customers. The CVP and SWP facilities that pump water
from the Delta can entrain and kill fish, some of which are Federally
and State listed species. Reductions in CVP and SWP pumping to protect
these fish species can reduce water supply reliability. The EWA
involves environmentally beneficial changes in operations of the CVP
and SWP for Delta dependent native fish species, and acquires and
manages water assets to pay back the water foregone by the CVP and SWP,
assuring no uncompensated water cost to the projects' water users.
Reclamation, DWR, FWS, NOAA Fisheries, and DFG collectively manage EWA
assets and recommend operational changes to the CVP and SWP facilities.
FWS, NOAA Fisheries, and DFG are responsible for recommending actions
that protect and benefit Delta dependent fish populations. Reclamation
and DWR are responsible for acquiring water assets from willing sellers
and storing, conveying, and delivering the assets to the projects at
appropriate times and locations to assure no uncompensated water cost
to the projects' water users.
DATES: Submit written comments on the Draft EIS/EIR on or before
September 15, 2003.
Public workshops will be held to discuss the purpose and content of
the Draft EIS/EIR. The public workshops will be held as follows:
[sbull] Wednesday, July 16, 2003, 6 p.m., San Diego, CA.
[sbull] Monday, July 21, 2003, 6 p.m., Red Bluff, CA.
[sbull] Tuesday, July 22, 2003, 6 p.m., Fresno, CA.
[sbull] Wednesday, July 23, 2003, 6 p.m., Tracy, CA.
[sbull] Tuesday, July 29, 2003, 10 a.m., Sacramento, CA.
Public hearings will be held to provide the public an opportunity
to orally comment on the Draft EIS/EIR. Written comments will also be
accepted at the public hearing. The public hearings will be held as
follows:
[sbull] Monday, August 25, 2003, 10 a.m., Sacramento, CA.
[sbull] Tuesday, August 26, 2003, 6 p.m., Red Bluff, CA.
[sbull] Thursday, August 28, 2003, 6 p.m., Fresno, CA.
ADDRESSES: Public workshops will be held at the following locations:
[sbull] San Diego, CA--Hyatt Regency Islandia, 1441 Quivira Road.
[sbull] Red Bluff, CA--Community and Senior Center, 1500 South
Jackson Road.
[sbull] Fresno, CA--Ramada Inn Shaw, 324 East Shaw, Ballroom Shaw
A.
[sbull] Tracy, CA--VFW, 430 West Grand Line Road.
[sbull] Sacramento, CA--Best Western Expo Inn, 1413 Howe Avenue,
Expo Room.
Public hearings will be held at the following locations:
[sbull] Sacramento, CA--Best Western Expo Inn, 1413 Howe Avenue,
Expo Room.
[sbull] Red Bluff, CA--Community and Senior Center, 1500 South
Jackson Road.
[sbull] Fresno, CA--Ramada Inn Shaw, 324 East Shaw, Ballroom Shaw
C.
Written comments on the Draft EIS/EIR should be addressed to Ms.
Sandy Osborn, Bureau of Reclamation, 2800 Cottage Way MP-720,
Sacramento, CA 95825 and Ms. Delores Brown, Department of Water
Resources, 3251 ``S'' Street, Sacramento, CA 95816.
Copies of the Draft EIS/EIR may be requested from Ms. Sammie
Cervantes, Bureau of Reclamation, 2800 Cottage Way, Sacramento, CA
95825, or by calling 916-978-5104, TDD 916-978-5608, or
scervantes@mp.usbr.gov. The Draft EIS/EIR is accessible from the
following Web sites: http://www.mp.usbr.gov or http://www.dwr.water.ca.gov.
locations where copies of the Draft EIS/EIR are available for public
review.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. Sandy Osborn, Bureau of
Reclamation, at 916-978-5129, TDD 916-978-5608, e-mail:
sosborn@mp.usbr.gov; or Ms. Delores Brown, DWR, at 916-227-2407, e-
mail: delores@water.ca.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This EIS/EIR addresses implementation of the
EWA as provided in the CALFED Programmatic EIS/EIR Record of Decision.
The Draft EIS/EIR analyzes the direct, indirect, and cumulative effects
on the physical, natural, and socioeconomic environment that may result
from the purchase, storage, and conveyance of EWA assets, and the
actions taken by the EWA to benefit fish populations. The EWA is
designed to minimize adverse environmental effects, and the EIS/EIR
proposes mitigation measures to offset unavoidable impacts. Resources
analyzed in the EIS/EIR include water supply, power, air quality,
aquatic and terrestrial wildlife, water quality, recreation, cultural
resources, aesthetics, and socioeconomics, Indian Trust Assets, and
environmental justice.
Copies of the Draft EIS/EIR are available for public review at the
following locations:
[sbull] Department of Water Resources, Division of Environmental
Services, 3251 S Street, Sacramento, CA 95816.
[sbull] Bureau of Reclamation, Public Affairs Office, 2800 Cottage
Way, Sacramento, CA 95825.
[[Page 42131]]
[sbull] California Bay-Delta Authority, 650 Capitol Mall, 5th
Floor, Sacramento, CA 95812.
[sbull] Bureau of Reclamation, Denver Office Library, Building 67,
Room 167, Denver Federal Center, 6th and Kipling, Denver, Colorado
80225, 303-445-2072.
[sbull] Natural Resources Library, U.S. Department of the Interior,
1849 C Street, NW., Main Interior Building, Washington, DC 20240-0001.
[sbull] At various county libraries, contact Sammie Cervantes at
916-978-5104, TDD 916-978-5608, for specific locations.
Oral and written comments, including names and home addresses of
respondents, will be made available for public review. Individual
respondents may request that their home address be withheld from public
disclosure, which will be honored to the extent allowable by law. There
may be circumstances in which respondents' identity may also be
withheld from public disclosure, as allowable by law. If you wish to
have your name and/or address withheld, you must state this prominently
at the beginning of your comment. All submissions from organizations or
businesses, and from individuals identifying themselves as
representatives or officials of organizations or businesses, will be
made available for public disclosure in their entirety.
Dated: June 10, 2003.
Kirk C. Rodgers,
Regional Director, Mid-Pacific Region.
[FR Doc. 03-18045 Filed 7-15-03; 8:45 am]