[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 62 (Thursday, March 30, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Pages 16961-16962]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-7812]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Reclamation


Keechelus Dam Safety of Dams Modification, Yakima Project, 
Washington

AGENCY: Bureau of Reclamation, Interior.

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

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SUMMARY: Pursuant to section 102(2)(C) of the National Environmental 
Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969, as amended, the Bureau of Reclamation 
(Reclamation) proposes to prepare an environmental impact statement 
(EIS) on structural and nonstructural alternatives to correct safety 
deficiencies at Keechelus Dam in the State of Washington. In June 1998, 
Reclamation's Safety of Dams (SOD) Program identified safety 
deficiencies from void sites and dam embankment deterioration which 
could lead to embankment failure. The SOD Program indicated that there 
is a need to correct dam safety deficiencies at Keechelus Dam to 
protect property and the lives of people living downstream of the dam.

DATES: Scoping meetings will be held on the following dates and times:
     North Bend, Washington: April 18, 2000, Open House 6 to 7 
p.m.; Meeting 7 to 9 p.m.
     Ellensburg, Washington: April 19, Open House 12 noon to 1 
p.m.; Meeting 1 to 3 p.m. and Open House 6 to 7 p.m.; Meeting 7 to 9 
p.m.
    Written comments will be accepted through April 24, 2000, for 
inclusion in the scoping summary document. Requests for sign language 
interpretation for the hearing impaired should be submitted to Dave 
Kaumheimer, as indicated below by April 11, 2000.

ADDRESSES: Comments and requests to be added to the mailing list may be 
submitted to Bureau of Reclamation, Upper Columbia Area Office, 
Attention: Dave Kaumheimer, Environmental Programs Manager, PO Box 
1749, Yakima, Washington 98907-1749.
    The scoping meetings will be held at the following locations:
     North Bend--North Bend (U.S. Forest Service) Ranger 
Station, 42404 SE North Bend Way, North Bend, Washington.
     Ellensburg--Ellensburg Inn, 1700 Canyon Road, Ellensburg, 
Washington.
    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

[[Page 16962]]

we will honor to the extent allowable by law. There also may be 
circumstances in which we would withhold a respondent's identity from 
public disclosure, as allowed 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 organizations or businesses, available 
for public disclosure in their entirety.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dave Kaumheimer, Environmental 
Programs Manager, Bureau of Reclamation, telephone: (509) 575-5848 
x232; fax: (509) 454-5650.
    The meeting facilities are physically accessible to people with 
disabilities. Please direct requests for sign language interpretation 
for the hearing impaired, or other auxiliary aids, to Dave Kaumheimer 
at (509) 575-5848 x232 via toll free TTY relay (800) 833-6388 by April 
11, 2000.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    Keechelus Dam was constructed at the lower end of a natural lake on 
the Yakima River about 10 miles northwest of Easton, Washington, in 
Kittitas County. This earthfill structure was constructed between 1913 
and 1917 and is approximately 6,550 feet long with a maximum height of 
128 feet. It creates a reservoir with an active storage capacity of 
158,000 acre-feet.
    In June 1998, during the excavation of a trench for a telephone 
line conduit, a void was found in the crest of Keechelus Dam. This 
discovery led to further geotechnical investigations, including ground 
penetrating radar and geologic exploration activities, to determine the 
condition of the overall dam. Subsequent investigations identified more 
than 40 potential void sites and significant evidence of dam embankment 
deterioration from seepage which could lead to embankment failure. As 
an interim safety measure, Keechelus Reservoir has been operated at a 
restricted full pool elevation 7 feet below the normal full pool 
elevation since November 1998, with increased technical monitoring and 
surveillance at the dam.
    The scope of this document will focus on correcting the dam safety 
deficiencies at Keechelus Dam to protect property and the lives of 
people living downstream from the dam, and evaluating the potential 
impacts associated with the proposed alternatives. Correcting the SOD 
deficiencies in no way restricts potential future modifications to the 
structure.

Public Involvement

    Reclamation plans to conduct public scoping meetings to solicit 
input on the alternatives developed to correct safety deficiencies at 
Keechelus Dam and to identify potential issues and impacts associated 
with those alternatives. Reclamation will summarize comments received 
during the scoping meetings and from letters of comment received during 
the scoping period, identified under DATES, into a scoping summary 
document which will be made available to the public.

    Dated: March 24, 2000.
Max B. Gallegos,
Acting Regional Director, Pacific Northwest Region.
[FR Doc. 00-7812 Filed 3-29-00; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-94-M