[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 199 (Thursday, October 15, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Page 55406]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-27639]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Reclamation


Long-Term Contract Renewal, Central Valley Project, California

AGENCY: Bureau of Reclamation, Department of the Interior.

ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare an environmental impact statement 
and notice of meetings.

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SUMMARY: Pursuant to Section 102(2)(C) of the National Environmental 
Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA), the Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) 
proposes to prepare environmental documents for the purpose of renewing 
existing long-term and interim contracts for the Central Valley 
Project, California. Specific quantities of water to be in the renewal 
contracts will be subject to a needs assessment.
    At present, it is not clear whether the scope of the action and 
anticipated project impacts will require preparation of an 
environmental impact statement (EIS) instead of an environmental 
assessment (EA). However, to ensure a timely and appropriate level of 
NEPA compliance and limit potential future delays to the project 
schedule, Reclamation is proceeding, at this time, as if the project 
impacts would require preparation of an EIS. Reclamation will 
reevaluate the need for an EIS after obtaining written and oral 
comments on project alternatives and impacts during the scoping 
process. Reclamation will publish a notice of cancellation if, as a 
result of scoping, a decision is made to prepare an EA rather than an 
EIS.

DATES: See Supplementary Information Section for meeting dates.

ADDRESSES: Written comments on the project scope of the environmental 
document(s) may be submitted by December 11, 1998, and sent to Mr. Alan 
R. Candlish, Bureau of Reclamation, 2800 Cottage Way. Attention: MP-
120, Sacramento CA 95825

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Alan R. Candlish, Bureau of 
Reclamation, 2800 Cottage Way. Attention: MP-120, Sacramento CA 95825, 
telephone: 916/978-5190 or Ms. Donna Tegelman, Bureau of Reclamation, 
2800 Cottage Way. Attention: MP-440, Sacramento CA 95825, telephone: 
916/978-5250 (TDD 978-5608).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Section 3404(c) of the Central Valley 
Project Improvement Act authorizes renewal of existing long-term water 
service contracts for 25 years after appropriate environmental review 
including the completion of a Programmatic Environmental Impact 
Statement (PEIS) required under Section 3409. A draft PEIS was released 
on November 7, 1998, with an extended comment period closing April 17, 
1998. A final PEIS is scheduled for release in June 1999. The 
additional environmental document(s) for contract renewal will tier off 
of the final PEIS.
    The long-term contract renewal environmental document(s) will be 
prepared on a regional basis. The specific regions will be determined 
following scoping. The different service areas of the CVP that will be 
evaluated include: Shasta/Trinity Division including Cow Creek and 
Clear Creek South Units; portions of the Sacramento River Division 
including Corning Canal, Tehama-Colusa Canal and Feather River Water 
District; American River Division including Folsom Unit, Sly Park Unit, 
and Auburn-Folsom South Unit; Delta Division including Contra Costa and 
Delta-Mendota Canals; San Luis Unit; San Felipe Division; Friant 
Division; and miscellaneous other CVP service areas that are served by 
New Melones, Hidden, and Buchanan Reservoirs and Cross Valley Canal. 
Individual service areas may be combined together in one document if 
they have related issues.

Meetings

    Seven scoping meetings will be held to solicit comments from 
interested parties to assist in determining the scope of the 
environmental analysis and to identify the significant issues related 
to this proposed action, including issues related to negotiations. The 
meetings will be held on the following dates at the specified 
locations:
     Monday, November 2, 1998, at 7:00 p.m. at the: Waterfront 
Plaza Hotel, 10 Washington Street, Oakland, California, 510/836-3800.
     Thursday, November 5, 1998, at 7:00 p.m. at the: Las 
Molinas VFW, 7980 Sherwood Blvd, Las Molinas, California, 530/384-2759.
     Monday, November 9, 1998, at 7:00 p.m. at the: Sheraton 
Smugglers Inn, 3737 North Blackstone Ave, Fresno, California, 209/226-
2110.
     Tuesday, November 10, 1998, at 7:00 p.m. at the: 
Granzellas Hotel, 391 Sixth Street, Williams, California, 530/473-3310.
     Monday, November 16, 1998, at 7:00 p.m. at the: Sacramento 
Inn, 1401 Arden Way, Sacramento, California, 916/922-8041.
     Wednesday, November 18, 1998, at 7:00 p.m. at the: Forest 
Park Inn, 375 Leadvesley Road, Gilroy, California, 408/848-5144.
     Thursday, November 19, 1998, at 7:00 p.m. at the: Double 
Tree Inn, 1150 Ninth Street, Modesto, California, 209/526-6000.

Special Services

    A headphone device for the hearing impaired will be available at 
the meetings. Persons requiring other special services should contact 
Alisha Sterud at 916/978-5190. Please notify this office as far in 
advance of the meetings as possible, but no later than 3 working days 
prior to the particular meeting to enable Reclamation to secure the 
needed services. If a request cannot be honored, the requester will be 
notified.

    Dated: October 8, 1998.
Michael Jackson,
Acting Deputy Regional Director.
[FR Doc. 98-27639 Filed 10-14-98; 8:45 am]
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