[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 105 (Wednesday, May 31, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Page 34678]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-13577]


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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Department of the Army, Corps of Engineers


Notice of Intent To Prepare a Draft Environmental Impact 
Statement (DEIS)/Draft Environmental Impact Report (DEIR)/Feasibility 
Study for Coyote Creek at Rock Springs Flood Damage Reduction Study, 
City of San Jose, Santa Clara County, CA

AGENCY: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, DoD.

ACTION: Notice of intent.

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SUMMARY: The purpose of this EIS/EIR is to identify and evaluate the 
environmental impacts of alternatives developed to provide flood damage 
reduction on Coyote Creek in the Rock Springs area in San Jose, 
California, as authorized by Section 205 of the 1948 Flood Control Act 
(33 U.S.C. 701s), as amended. To fulfill the requirements of Section 
102(2)(c) of the National Environmental Policy Act, the Corps of 
Engineers has determined that the proposed action may have a 
significant effect on the quality of the human environment, and 
therefore, requires the preparation of an Environmental Impact 
Statement. This document will also serve as the Environmental Impact 
Report (EIR) under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). 
Lead agency under CEQA is the Santa Clara Valley Water District. This 
environmental assessment is required by the National Environmental 
Policy Act of 1969, as amended (Pub. L. 91-190). Section 102(2)(A) 
requires Federal agencies to: ``Utilize a systematic interdisciplinary 
approach, which will insure the integrated use of the natural and 
social sciences and the environmental design arts in planning and 
decision making, which may have an impact on man's environment.''

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Written comments and questions 
regarding the scoping process or preparation of the EIS/EIR/FS may be 
directed to Tamara Terry, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, San Francisco 
District, 333 Market Street, 717S, Seventh Floor, San Francisco, CA 
94105-2197, (415) 977-8545, Fax: (415) 977-8695. E-mail: 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:   
    1. Authority: Pursuant to Section 102(2)(c) of the National 
Environmental Policy Act. of 1969, as implemented by the Council on 
Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) regulations (40 CFR Parts 1500-1508), 
the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), the Department of the 
Army and Santa Clara Valley Water District hereby give notice of intent 
to prepare a joint Environmental Impact Statement/Environmental Impact 
Report/Feasibility Study (EIS/EIR/FS) for the Rock Springs Flood Damage 
Reduction Project, Santa Clara, California.
    2. Comments/Scoping Meetings: Interested parties are requested to 
express their views concerning the proposed activity. The public is 
encouraged to provide written comments in addition to or in lieu of, 
oral comments at the scoping meeting. To be most helpful, scoping 
comments should clearly describe specific environmental topics or 
issues, which the commentator believes the document should address. 
Oral and written comments receive equal consideration. Two workshop-
scoping sessions will be held on Thursday, June 29, 2000. The first, 
from 2:30-4:30 p.m., is intended primarily for local, state, and 
federal agencies and organizations. The second, from 7-9 p.m. is 
intended for all interested parties. Both meetings will be held at the 
Leininger Community Center, 1300 Senter Road, San Jose, California.
    3. Availability of EIS/EIR/FS: The Draft EIS/EIR/FS should be 
available for public review in the spring of 2001.
    4. Agencies Supporting Project: The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers 
and Santa Clara Valley Water District will be the lead agencies in 
preparing the combined EIS/EIR/FS. The EIS/EIR/FS will provide an 
analysis supporting both the requirements of NEPA and CEQA in 
addressing impacts to the environment, which may result from 
implementation of flood control measures.
    5. Purpose and Need for Project: This project is intended to reduce 
flood damages from high water in Coyote Creek.
    6. Study Area Description: The Rock Springs study area encompasses 
an area bounded by Phelan Avenue, Senter Drive, and Needles Drive, in 
the Rock Springs area of San Jose, Santa Clara County, California.
    7. 1997 Flooding: In 1997, 25 apartment buildings were badly 
damaged during the January 27, 1997 flood on Coyote Creek, 
approximately a 15-year event. Water in some buildings was 4 to 5 feet 
deep.
    8. Project Alternatives: a. No Action. This alternative assumes 
that no flood damage reduction measures, structural or non-structural, 
will be implemented in the project area by the Federal government or 
any other entity. Flooding would continue at the same frequency and 
intensity as it has in the past.
    b. Flood Control Alternatives. Preliminary analysis suggests that 
flood damage reduction alternatives to be studied for the Coyote Creek 
at Rock Springs area would include both structural and non-structural 
measures. Structural alternatives identified at this time are an 
embankment levee and floodwall, or a setback levee.
    9. Other Environmental Review and Consultation Requirements: The 
DEIS/EIR will be used as the primary information document to secure 
compliance the Clean Water Act Section 404(b)(1) guidelines, the Fish 
and Wildlife Coordination Act, and the Endangered Species Act. The 
DEIS/EIR will be used by the local sponsor to meet its responsibilities 
under the California Environmental Quality Act, and used by the San 
Francisco Regional Water Quality Control Board to meet its 
responsibilities under the Porter-Cologne Act. The DEIS/EIR will be 
used by the ``trustee agency'' reviews by the State of California.
    10. DEIS/EIR Availability: The DEIS/EIR will be available to the 
public in the Spring of 2001.

Peter T. Grass,
LTC, EN, Commanding.
[FR Doc. 00-13577 Filed 5-30-00; 8:45 am]
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