[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]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
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.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
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]
BILLING CODE 3710-19-U