[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 10 (Friday, January 14, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Pages 2428-2429]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-895]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Reclamation


Animas-La Plata Project, Colorado and New Mexico, INT-DES-00-02

AGENCY: Bureau of Reclamation, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of Availability and Notice of Public Hearings for the 
Draft Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement to the 1996 Final 
Supplement to the Final Environmental Statement for the Animas-La Plata 
Project.

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SUMMARY: Pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 
1969 (as amended), the Department of the Interior, Bureau of 
Reclamation (Reclamation), has prepared a Draft Supplemental 
Environmental Impact Statement (DSEIS) to the 1996 Final Supplement to 
the Final Environmental Statement for the Animas-La Plata Project 
(ALP). The DSEIS will evaluate the environmental impacts of various 
alternatives for final implementation of the Colorado Ute Settlement 
Act. One of the alternatives analyzed is the Administration Proposal, 
which was announced on August 11, 1998, and is limited to a smaller dam 
and reservoir designed to supply municipal and industrial water to the 
Colorado Ute Tribes, Navajo Nation, and non-Indian entities in the 
local area. This modified project deviates from those previously 
evaluated for ALP, thus necessitating the need for supplemental 
environmental review. The proposal also contains a nonstructural 
element as part of the settlement implementation which has not been the 
subject of any previous analysis under NEPA. Three public hearings will 
be held to receive comments from interested individuals and 
organizations on the environmental impacts of the proposal.

DATES: A 60-day public review period commences with the publication of 
this notice. Written comments on the DSEIS are due by March 17, 2000 
and should be submitted to the Four Corners Division Manager, Bureau of 
Reclamation. Public hearings on the DSEIS will be held during the month 
of February in Durango, Farmington, and Denver. The public hearings 
schedule is as follows:

February 15, 2000, 7-9 p.m., Double Tree Hotel, Main Ballroom, 501 
Camino Del Rio, Durango, Colorado
February 16, 2000, 7-9 p.m., Farmington Civic Center, Exhibition Hall 
1, 200 West Arrington, Farmington, New Mexico.
February 17, 2000, 7-9 p.m., Denver Convention Center, Room A-209, 700 
14th Street, Denver, Colorado.

ADDRESSES: Written comments on the DSEIS should be addressed to Pat 
Schumacher, Four Corners Division Manager, Four Corners Division of the 
Western Colorado Area Office, 835 East Second Avenue, Suite 300, 
Durango, Colorado 81301-5475; telephone (970) 385-6590; faxogram (970) 
385-6539; E-mail ALPDSEISC[email protected]. The document is 
available on the Internet at http://www.uc.usbr.gov under the 
Environmental Studies, Summaries & Reports heading. If requesting 
copies of the DSEIS, contact Mr. Schumacher using any of the methods 
noted above.
    Our practice is to make comments, including names and home 
addresses of respondents, available for public review. Individual 
respondents may request that we withhold their home address from public 
disclosure, which we will honor to the extent allowable by law. If you 
wish us to withhold your name and/or address, you must state this 
prominently at the beginning of your comment. We will make all 
submissions from organizations or businesses, and from individuals 
identifying themselves as representatives or officials of

[[Page 2429]]

organizations or businesses, available for public disclosure in their 
entirety.
    Copies of the DSEIS are also available for public review and 
inspection at the following locations:
      Bureau of Reclamation, U.S. Department of the Interior, 
Room 7455, 18th and C Streets, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20240.
      Bureau of Reclamation, Denver Office Library, Denver 
Federal Center, Building 67, Room 67, Denver, Colorado 80225.
      Bureau of Reclamation, Upper Colorado Regional Office, 
125 South State Street, Room 6107, Salt Lake City, Utah 84138.
      Bureau of Reclamation, Four Corners Division of the 
Western Colorado Area Office, 835 East Second Avenue, Suite 300, 
Durango, Colorado 81301-5475.
      Bureau of Reclamation, Western Colorado Area Office, 2764 
Compass Drive, Suite 106, Grand Junction, Colorado 81506.
      Local Affairs Department/Division of Local Government, 
Attention: Charles Unseld, 1313 Sherman Street, Room 521, Denver, 
Colorado 80203.
      Energy, Minerals and Natural Resources Department, 
Attention: Jennifer A. Salisbury, Secretary, 2040 South Pacheco Street, 
Santa Fe, New Mexico 87505.

Libraries

    Copies will also be available for public review and inspection at 
the following public libraries:

Colorado

Colorado State University Library, Ft. Collins
Cortez City Library
Denver City Library
Durango High School Library
Durango Public Library
Ft. Lewis College Library, Durango
University of Northern Colorado Library, Greeley
University of Denver, Penrose Library, Denver
University of Colorado, Norlin Library, Boulder

New Mexico

Albuquerque Public Library
Alturian Public Library, Aztec
Bloomfield City Library
Farmington Public Library
Navajo Community College Library, Shiprock
New Mexico State Library, Santa Fe
New Mexico State University Library, Las Cruces
San Juan College Library, Farmington
University of New Mexico Library, Albuquerque
Zimmerman Library, Albuquerque

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ken Beck, Team Leader, Bureau of 
Reclamation, Four Corners Division of the Western Colorado Area Office, 
835 East Second Avenue, Suite 300, Durango, Colorado 81301-5475, 
telephone (970) 385-6558.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: For supplementary information please see the 
Federal Register notice of January 4, 1999, 64 FR 176-179.

    Dated: January 10, 2000.
Eluid Martinez,
Commissioner, Bureau of Reclamation.
[FR Doc. 00-895 Filed 1-13-00; 8:45 am]
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