[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 176 (Tuesday, September 10, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Pages 47752-47753]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-23066]
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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
[FRL-5560-8]
Ocotillo-Coyote Wells Aquifer in Imperial County, California;
Sole Source Aquifer Final Determination
AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency.
ACTION: Notice.
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SUMMARY: Notice is hearby given that, pursuant to Section 1424(e) of
the Safe Drinking Water Act, the Regional Administrator of the
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has determined that the Ocotillo-
Coyote Wells Aquifer, underlying portions of Imperial County,
California, is the sole or principal source of drinking water for
Ocotillo, Nomirage, Yuha Estates, and Coyote Wells and that this
aquifer, if contaminated, would create a significant hazard to public
health. As a result of this action, all Federal financially assisted
projects constructed in the Ocotillo-Coyote Wells area and its
streamflow source zones will be subject to EPA review to ensure that
these projects are designed and constructed such that they do not
create a significant hazard to public health.
DATES: This determination shall be promulgated for purposes of judicial
review at 1:00 P.M. Eastern time on September 24, 1996.
ADDRESSES: The data on which these findings are based are available to
the public and may be inspected during normal business hours at the
U.S.
[[Page 47753]]
Environmental Protection Agency, Region 9, Ground Water Protection
Section, 75 Hawthorne Street, San Francisco, California 94105.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Wendy L. Melgin, Hydrogeologist,
Ground Water Protection Section, U.S. EPA Region 9, at 415-744-1831.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Background
Section 1424(e) of the Safe Drinking Water Act (42 U.S.C., 300f,
300h-3(e), P.L. 93-523) states:
(e) If the Administrator determines on his own initiative or
upon petition, that an area has an aquifer which is the sole or
principle drinking water source for the area and which, if
contaminated, would create a significant hazard to public health, he
shall publish notice of that determination in the Federal Register.
After the publication of any such notice, no commitment for Federal
financial assistance (through a grant, contract, loan guarantee, or
otherwise) may be entered into for any project which the
Administrator determines may contaminate such aquifer through a
recharge zone so as to create a significant hazard to public health,
but a commitment for Federal financial assistance may, if authorized
under another provision of law, be entered into to plan or design
the project to assure that it will not so contaminate the aquifer.
On May 2, 1994, EPA received a petition from ``The Ocotillo Club'',
which petitioned EPA to designate the Ocotillo-Coyote Wells Aquifer as
a sole source aquifer. A public hearing was conducted on September 21,
1995 in Ocotillo, California, and the public was permitted to submit
comments and information on the petition until March 25, 1996.
II. Basis for Determination
The factors to be considered by the Administrator in connection
with the designation of an area under Section 1424(e) are: (1) Whether
the Ocotillo-Coyote Wells Aquifer is the area's sole or principle
source of drinking water and (2) whether contamination of the aquifer
would create a significant hazard to public health.
On the basis of technical information available to this Agency, the
Administrator has made the following findings, which are the bases for
the determination noted above:
1. The Ocotillo-Coyote Wells Aquifer currently serves as the ``sole
source'' of drinking water for the residents of Ocotillo, Coyote Wells,
Yuha Estates and Nomirage.
2. Contamination of the aquifer would create a significant hazard
to public health. There is no economically feasible alternative
drinking water source near the designated area.
3. The determination of the boundary of the Sole Source Aquifer is
consistent with EPA's Sole Source Aquifer designation Decision Process:
Petition Review Guidance (Office of Ground Water Protection, 1987).
III. Description of the Ocotillo-Coyote Wells Sole Source Aquifer
The Ocotillo-Coyote Wells Sole Source Aquifer underlies an 87-
square mile area in the southwestern corner of Imperial County, near
Ocotillo, California. Ocotillo is approximately 25 miles west of El
Centro and 90 east of San Diego. Ground water is found primarily in the
saturated Quaternary-age alluvial valley-fill deposits, which are
derived from the surrounding mountains and consist of fine sand and
gravel interspersed with silts and clays of varying thickness and
extent.
The designated area includes the surface area above the alluvial
unconfined aquifer and the surrounding recharge areas located in the
Jacumba and Coyote Mountains. The boundaries of the sole source aquifer
are largely topographically defined along major surface watershed
boundaries in the Jacumba and Coyote Mountains, with the exception of
the Elsinore Fault boundary and the boundary with the U.S.-Mexican
border. The Elsinore fault was chosen as a boundary because it
separates the sole source aquifer area, which contains high quality,
potable water, from high saline, non-potable water to the east of the
fault.
IV. Information Utilized in Determination
The information utilized in this determination includes the
petition, written and verbal comments submitted by the public and
various technical publications. The above data are available to the
public and may be inspected during normal business hours at the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency, Region IX, Ground Water Protection
Section, 75 Hawthorne Street, San Francisco, California 94105.
V. Project Review
EPA Region IX will work with the Federal agencies that may in the
future provide financial assistance to projects within the boundaries
of the Ocotillo-Coyote Wells Sole Source Aquifer. EPA will seek to
develop agreements with other Federal Agencies whereby EPA will be
notified of proposed commitments of Federal financial assistance for
projects which could contaminate the aquifer. In the event that a
Federal financially assisted project could contaminate the Ocotillo-
Coyote Wells Sole Source Aquifer through its recharge zone so as to
create a hazard to public health, no commitment of Federal financial
assistance will be made. However, a commitment for Federal financial
assistance may, if authorized under another provision of law, be
entered into to plan or design the project to insure it will not
contaminate the aquifer.
Although the project review process cannot be delegated, EPA will
consider, to the maximum extent possible, any existing or future state,
tribal, and local control mechanisms in protecting the ground water
quality of the aquifer.
VI. Summary of Public Comments
The public hearing, held in Ocotillo, California on September 21,
1995, was attended by 28 people, with 9 people speaking. Of those who
expressed an opinion, four supported the designation of a Sole Source
Aquifer. Of those who submitted comments, fifteen opposed the
designation and 29 supported the designation. The public's written and
oral comments are fully addressed in EPA's Responsiveness Summary which
is available to the public during normal business hours at the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency, Region IX, Ground Water Protection
Section, 75 Hawthorne Street, San Francisco, California 94105.
Dated: August 14, 1996.
Alexis Strauss,
Acting Regional Administrator.
[FR Doc. 96-23066 Filed 9-9-96; 8:45 am]
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