[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 23 (Wednesday, February 4, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 5790-5791]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-2752]


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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Department of the Navy


Notice of Intent to Prepare a Supplemental Environmental Impact 
Statement for Milcon Project P-527b, Sewage Effluent Compliance, at 
Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, California

AGENCY: Department of the Navy, DOD.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The U.S. Marine Corps announces its intent to prepare a 
Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) to evaluate the 
environmental effects of proposed alternative methods of sewage 
effluent disposal, in order to achieve compliance with a San Diego 
Regional Water Quality Control Board (RWQCB) Cease and Desist Order at 
Marine Corps Base (MCB), Camp Pendleton. This report will supplement 
the Sewage Effluent Compliance Project, Lower Santa Margarita Basin 
Environmental Impact Statement/Report (EIS/R).

DATES: Submit comments on or before March 23, 1998.

ADDRESSES: Send written comments to Southwest Division, Naval 
Facilities Engineering Command, 1220 Pacific Highway, San Diego, CA 
92132-5190, (Attn: Ms. Vicky Taylor, Code 533.VT

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. Vicky Taylor, (619) 532-3007.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Pursuant to section 102(2)(C) of the 
National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969 as implemented by the 
Council on Environmental Quality Regulations (40 CFR parts 1500-1508), 
the U.S. Marine Corps announces its intent to prepare a Supplemental 
Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) to evaluate the environmental 
effects of proposed alternative methods of sewage effluent disposal, in 
order to achieve compliance with a San Diego Regional Water Quality 
Control Board (RWQCB) Cease and Desist Order at Marine Corps Base 
(MCB), Camp Pendleton. The Sewage Effluent Compliance Project, Lower 
Santa Margarita Basin Environmental Impact Statement/Report (EIS/R), 
which this report will supplement, addressed a system of pumps and 
piping to deliver effluent from Sewage Treatment Plants 1, 2, 3, 8, and 
13 to percolation ponds and an existing ocean outfall for discharge. 
Each of the three alternatives evaluated included an element of 
effluent or brine discharge through the ocean outfall. During final 
consideration of the proposed action, the City of Oceanside City 
Council disapproved use

[[Page 5791]]

of its ocean outfall, thus requiring evaluation of further 
alternatives.
    MCB Camp Pendleton is proceeding with on-base construction of the 
effluent collection and percolation pond elements of the disposal 
system described in the Final EIS/R and Record of Decision. This 
Supplemental EIS will analyze four alternatives to provide additional 
and sufficient disposal capacity, without the use of an ocean outfall, 
to achieve compliance with the San Diego RWQCB Cease and Desist Order.
    The four alternatives include: Alternative 1, land disposal--
percolation of all effluent; Alternative 2, land and live stream 
disposal--percolation with seasonal discharge; Alternative 3, land and 
live stream disposal--percolation, advanced treatment and live stream 
discharge; and Alternative 4, land disposal--percolation, advanced 
treatment and reclamation. All alternatives will require the 
construction of percolation ponds at up to three locations; Lemon 
Grove, I-5/Railroad site, and the Boat Basin site. Under Alternative 1, 
the effluent would be conveyed through underground piping between the 
three sites. Most of this piping would be installed in existing 
roadways.
    Under Alternative 2, berm height and depth at Lemon Grove will be 
increased, and an effluent storage pond will be constructed at Stuart 
Mesa. These structures will accommodate effluent storage when effluent 
input to the percolation ponds exceeds the percolation rate, and live 
stream disposal is not feasible. The effluent will be discharged from 
the Lemon Grove and Stuart Mesa storage ponds to the Santa Margarita 
River when the volume of river flow provides sufficient dilution of the 
effluent. The proposed discharge point will be north of the Lemon Grove 
ponds.
    Alternative 3 will process effluent, that is in excess of the 
percolation rate, to remove nitrogen, phosphorous and other 
constituents, and will be discharged to the Santa Margarita River at 
the same point identified in Alternative 2. Construction of an advanced 
water treatment (AWT) facilities adjacent to Sewage Treatment Plant 
(STP) 13 and some effluent storage capacity will be required. Although 
the AWT would improve the quality of the effluent, it is not 
anticipated that the current Basin Plan objectives for total dissolved 
solids (TDS) would be achieved, and modification to the Basin Plan 
would be required.
    Alternative 4 will be similar to Alternative 3, except the AWT 
effluent will be conveyed to a point near the existing irrigation 
system and used for irrigation of on-base, leased agricultural lands 
northwest of the Lemon Grove ponds, on the east and west sides of I-5.
    In addition, an alternative for a more limited expansion of the 
Lemon Grove Ponds will be considered in the Supplemental EIS. This 
alternative would limit the size of the Lemon Grove pond expansion to 
avoid the removal of approximately 300 eucalyptus trees. This 
alternative may be combined with any of Alternatives 1-4.
    A supplement to the previously issued EIR is not required since the 
revised proposed action does not require local approvals or California 
Environmental Quality Act certification.
    The scope of the analyses and issues of concern for this 
Supplemental EIS are anticipated to be very similar to those addressed 
in the Final EIS/R. The major issues are expected to be hydrology and 
water quality, biological resources, and cultural resources. Other 
issues to be addressed include geology and soils, air quality, land 
use, transportation and circulation, noise, visual resources, safety 
and environmental health, utilities, socioeconomics, and environmental 
justice.
    This notice has been mailed to all parties who commented on the 
Sewage Effluent Compliance Project, Lower Santa Margarita Basin 
Environmental Impact Statement/Report (EIS/R), and other interested 
parties. This Notice has also been published in local newspapers. The 
Marine Corps invites agencies, organizations, and the general public to 
provide written comments relative to the proposed project and the 
issues to be addressed in the Supplemental EIS. Scoping comments should 
clearly describe specific issues or topics which the commentor believes 
the Supplemental EIS should address. Written statements or questions 
regarding the scoping process should be received no later than March 
23, 1998, and should be sent to: Southwest Division, Naval Facilities 
Engineering Command, 1220 Pacific Highway, San Diego, CA 92132-5190, 
(Attn: Ms. Vicky Taylor, Code 533.VT), phone (619) 532-3007.

    Dated: January 30, 1998.
L.L. Larson,
Colonel, USMC, Acting Head, Land Use and Military Construction Branch, 
Facilities and Services Division, Installations and Logistics 
Department, By direction of the Commandant of the Marine Corps.
[FR Doc. 98-2752 Filed 2-3-98; 8:45 am]
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