[Federal Register Volume 59, Number 214 (Monday, November 7, 1994)]
[Unknown Section]
[Page 0]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 94-97421]


[[Page Unknown]]

[Federal Register: November 7, 1994]


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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
 

Notice of Intent To Prepare a Draft Environmental Impact 
Statement (DEIS) for the Construction of a Subregional Long-Term 
Wastewater Project by the City of Santa Rosa in Sonoma County, 
California

AGENCY: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, San Francisco District, DOD.

ACTION: Notice of intent.

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SUMMARY: The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will prepare a Draft 
Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the proposed Santa Rosa 
Subregional Long-Term Wastewater Project (Project). The purpose of the 
Project is to provide for effluent disposal from the Subregional 
Sewerage System wastewater treatment facilities operated by the City of 
Santa Rosa. The Project would implement a program to dispose of 
tertiary treated wastewater from system members and customers through 
the year 2010. The City of Santa Rosa has applied for a Department of 
Army (DA) permit for authorization to discharge dredged and fill 
material, and to work in navigable waters of the United States in 
association with construction of the Project. The DA permit application 
process, scoping process, and preparation of the Draft EIS will be 
conducted by the Regulatory Branch of the San Francisco District.

ADDRESSES: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, San Francisco District, 
Regulatory Branch, 211 Main Street, San Francisco, California 94105-
1905.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Questions about the proposed action and Draft EIS can be answered by 
Wade Eakle at the Corps of Engineers (Telephone 415-744-3325, ext. 
222).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

1. Proposed Action

    The Corps of Engineers has received an application for a Department 
of the Army permit from the City of Santa Rosa to discharge dredged and 
fill material, and to work in navigable waters of the United States in 
association with construction of a Subregional Long-Term Wastewater 
Project. Project implementation could include construction of 
embankments to create a wastewater storage reservoir; construction of a 
groundwater infiltration basin; construction of pipelines to distribute 
reclaimed water; construction of irrigation drainage facilities; and 
construction of berms of create or restore wetlands.
    The Laguna Wastewater Treatment Plant operated by the City of Santa 
Rosa provides tertiary treatment for approximately 16 million gallons 
of wastewater per day (mgd) average dry weather flow (ADWF) from the 
Subregional Sewerage System. This results in an average annual flow of 
7,000 million gallons (mg). Wastewater flows are projected to increase 
to approximately 22.5 mgd ADWF by the year 2010, including 
consideration for lower flows due to water conservation. This results 
in an average annual flow of 9,800 mg.
    Disposal of treated wastewater from the Laguna plant is through 
agricultural irrigation, created wetlands, urban irrigation, and 
discharge to the Russian River through the Laguna de Santa Rosa. 
Ordinarily, discharge to the Russian River is limited to a maximum of 1 
percent of river flow (5 percent with the permission of the California 
Regional Water Quality Control Board), and storage is provided to hold 
treated wastewater so that maximum legal discharge is not exceeded. 
However, due to a combination of conditions which may occur during the 
October 1-May 14 discharge season, discharge to the Russian River may 
exceed the legal maximum.
    These conditions can occur during winters characterized by periodic 
light rain but overall drier-than-normal conditions. As a result, the 
current Subregional System is weather-dependent, leaving it without a 
reliable, legally sanctioned wastewater disposal option. By 1999 the 
City of Santa Rosa must put in place a disposal solution to meet future 
capacity needs, no matter what weather conditions occur. The purpose of 
the Santa Rosa Subregional Long-Term Wastewater Project is to provide 
this solution.
    The DA permit application will be processed by the Regulatory 
Branch of the San Francisco District, Corps of Engineers, pursuant to 
the provisions of Section 10 of the Rivers and Harbors Act of 1899 (33 
U.S.C. 403) and Section 404 of the Clean Water Act (33 U.S.C. 1344).
    In accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, 
as amended (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.) the Corps of Engineers has 
determined that the proposed action may have a significant impact on 
the quality of the human environment and therefore requires the 
preparation of an Environmental Impact Statement. A combined EIS/EIR 
(Environmental Impact Report) will be prepared with the Corps of 
Engineers as the Federal lead agency and the City of Santa Rosa as the 
lead agency for the EIR.

2. Alternatives

    The Project alternatives under consideration are:

a. No Project/No Action
b. South County Reclamation
c. Community Separator/South County Reclamation
d. West County Reclamation
e. Geysers Recharge
f. 20% Maximum Russian River Discharge
g. Other project proposals that are identified as feasible during the 
public scoping process

    Components of the alternatives to be analyzed for the Project may 
include: water conservation through compliance with state regulations 
and an expanded subregional retrofit program; expanded agricultural 
irrigation; flow augmentation of existing streams during periods of low 
flow; increased storage capacity, including new reservoir sites or use 
of below ground aquifers; expanded urban irrigation reuse; injection 
and reuse of treated wastewater at the Sonoma Geysers; and increased 
discharge to the Russian River (up to a maximum of 20 percent of river 
flow) either directly, through rapid infiltration in the river plain, 
or through the Laguna de Santa Rosa.

3. Scoping Process

    Pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act, as amended, 
agency planning for Federal or Federally permitted projects must 
include a ``scoping'' process. Scoping primarily involves determining 
the scope of issues to be addressed, and identifying the significant 
issues for in-depth analysis in the Draft EIS. The scoping process 
includes public participation to integrate information regarding public 
needs and concerns into the environmental document.
    The Corps of Engineers and the City of Santa Rosa will hold public 
scoping meetings on November 17, 1994 at 3 pm and 7 pm at the Steele 
Lane Recreation Center, 415 Steele Lane, Santa Rosa, California 95403. 
A formal presentation will precede the request for public comment. 
Representatives from the Corps of Engineers, the City of Santa Rosa, 
and Harland Bartholomew & Associates (the consultant preparing the EIS/
EIR) will be available at these meetings to receive comments from the 
public regarding issues of concern that should be addressed in the 
environmental document. Further public participation is planned, but 
not currently scheduled.
    Agencies and the public are also invited and encouraged to provide 
written comments in addition to, or in lieu of, oral comments at the 
scoping meetings. To be most helpful, the scoping comments should 
clearly describe specific environmental issues or topics which the 
commentator believes the document should address. Written comments 
should be mailed no later than December 1, 1994 to the District 
Engineer, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, San Francisco District, 211 
Main Street, San Francisco, California, 94105 ATTN: Wade Eakle.

a. Significant Issues

    The following issues have been identified as potentially 
significant and will be evaluated in the Draft EIS/EIR. However, the 
scope of analysis is not limited to these issues.

(1) Geologic conditions
(2) Hydrology, water quality and supply
(3) Traffic and transportation
(4) Air quality
(5) Noise conditions
(6) Biological resources, including endangered species, and fish and 
wildlife habitat
(7) Visual resources
(8) Cultural and historic resources
(9) Land use, including agricultural activity
(10) Public services and utilities
(11) Public health and safety hazards
(12) Recreational opportunities
(13) Socioeconomics
(14) Energy

b. Environmental requirements

    Environmental review and other consultation requirements applicable 
to the proposed action include:
    (1) National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, 42 U.S.C. 4371 et 
seq., 40 CFR Parts 1500-1508, and all implementing regulations.
    (2) Clean Water Act, as amended, 33 U.S.C. 1344.
    (3) Rivers and Harbors Act of 1899, 33 U.S.C. 403.
    (4) Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended, 16 U.S.C. 1536, 50 
CFR 402.
    (5) National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, as amended, 16 
U.S.C. 470.
    (6) Fish and Wildlife Coordination Act, 16 U.S.C. 661-667.
    (7) Coastal Zone Management Act of 1972, 16 U.S.C. 1456.
    (8) Final Rule for Regulatory Programs of the Corps of Engineers, 
33 CFR Parts 320-330.
    (9) Environmental Protection Agency's Guidelines for Specification 
of Disposal Sites for Dredged or Fill Material, 40 CFR Part 230.
    (10) California Environmental Quality Act of 1970, Public Resources 
Code, Section 21000 et seq., and all subsequent implementing 
regulations.
    (11) Chapter 1600 of the Fish and Game Code.

4. Availability of EIS

    The Draft EIS should be available for public review in October 
1995.
Michael J. Walsh,
Lieutenant Colonel, Corps of Engineers, District Engineer.
[FR Doc. 94-97421 Filed 11-4-94; 8:45 am]
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