[Federal Register Volume 60, Number 135 (Friday, July 14, 1995)]
[Notices]
[Pages 36301-36302]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 95-16778]



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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management
[CA-060-04-5440-10-B026]


Mesquite Regional Class III Landfill; Notice of Availability

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of availability.

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SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that a joint Final Environmental Impact 
Statement and Environmental Impact Report (EIS/EIR) has been prepared 
by 

[[Page 36302]]
the Bureau of Land Management and the County of Imperial for the 
proposed Mesquite Regional Class III Landfill. The proposed federal 
action analyzes the environmental effects of a land exchange for 
approximately 1,750 acres, rights of way for a railroad spur and a gas 
pipeline plus an amendment to the California Desert Conservation Area 
Plan.
    The Draft EIS/EIR was released on April 8, 1994, with a 90 day 
public review period. Two public hearings were held during the public 
comment period to receive verbal testimony regarding the Draft 
document's adequacy or accuracy. The first hearing was held at 7 p.m. 
PDT, Wednesday, May 25, 1994, at the El Centro Community Center, 375 
South First Street, El Centro, California 92243. The second hearing was 
held at 7 p.m. PDT, Thursday, May 26, 1994, at the Desert Expo Center, 
Fine Arts Building, 46-350 Arabia Street, Indio, California 92201. 
Written comments were accepted through July 6, 1994. Responses to all 
public comments and statements given at the various public hearings are 
included as part of the Final EIS/EIR. Public comments were considered 
during preparation of the Final EIS/EIR.

DATES: For Public Comments: A 30-day public review period has been 
established for this document. Written comments concerning the adequacy 
or accuracy of the Final EIS/EIR must be filed no later than August 14, 
1995.

ADDRESSES: Written comments must be filed no later than August 14, 
1995, and should be addressed to: Bureau of Land Management, 1661 South 
4th Street, El Centro, CA 92243.

FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION CONTACT: Thomas Zale, Multi-Resources Staff 
Chief, Bureau of Land Management, El Centro Resource Area, 1661 South 
4th Street, El Centro, California, 92243.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Gold Fields Mining Co. (Gold Fields), 
Western Waste Industries, and S.P. Environmental Systems have formed a 
(Partnership) that would own and develop the proposed landfill located 
contiguous to the site of the currently operating Mesquite Gold Mine 
and Ore Processing Facility (Mesquite Mine) in eastern Imperial County. 
The proposed project would include the unloading and loading of 
Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) residue containers, placement of MSW into 
the landfill, rail and equipment maintenance, landfill gas recovery and 
destruction by flaring or utilization of energy recovery techniques, 
leachate collection and processing and waste water treatment. Temporary 
storage of recyclable materials from originating transportation 
operations (in accordance with AB939) would also be provided.
    The proposed project would involve 4,250 acres, of which 2,290 
acres would be utilized for the landfill footprint and ancillary 
facilities. The proposed landfill is designed to accommodate up to 600 
million tons of MSW residue and would have an operational life of 100 
years. MSW would be collected from population centers in Southern 
California, including Imperial County, by local collection vehicles and 
taken to existing or future transfer stations/material recovery 
facilities (MRFs) where it would be sorted and processed to remove 
recyclables, hazardous materials, and other unacceptable wastes in 
accordance with AB939. From these locations, MSW residue would be 
transferred to railroad loading intermodals where it would be loaded 
for rail haulage to the Mesquite Regional Landfill project site. Truck 
transfer of Imperial County MSW residue could also occur (based on 
future decisions made by local officials) after processing at local 
transfer stations/MRFs. The estimated rate of growth of daily MSW 
volumes would be 4,000 tons per day (tpd) for Year 1 of operations, 
increasing up to 20,000 tpd after Year 7. The estimated daily number of 
trains that would be required would be one train during Year 1 (4,000 
tpd), increasing to 5 trains after Year 7 (20,000 tpd). The proposed 
maximum daily volume of MSW residue would be 20,000 tons per day 
averaged over a two week, 12 day period. The actual rate of growth and 
operational life of the landfill will depend upon market conditions for 
MSW disposal in communities that choose to use the regional landfill.
    In addition to the No Action Alternative, four alternatives to the 
proposed action are considered in the Final EIS/EIR and include: 
Smaller Landfill Footprint (Alternative I); Decreased Disposal Rate 
(Alternative II); Alternative Mesquite Regional Landfill Site 
(Alternative III); and Larger Project (increased maximum disposal rate 
and larger landfill footprint) (Alternative IV). The Final EIS/EIR 
analyzes the effects of the proposed action and alternatives on such 
environmental issues including but not limited to: air quality, social 
and economic impacts, ground and surface water quality, endangered and 
other special status plants and animals, cultural or historical and 
visual resources.

    Dated: June 23, 1995.
G. Ben Koski,
Area Manager.
[FR Doc. 95-16778 Filed 7-13-95; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-40-P