[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 171 (Friday, September 1, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Pages 53328-53329]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-22631]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Indian Affairs


Final Environmental Impact Statement for the Proposed Cortina 
Integrated Waste Management Project, Cortina Rancheria of Wintun 
Indians, Colusa County, CA

AGENCY: Bureau of Indian Affairs, Interior.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: This notice advises the public that the Bureau of Indian 
Affairs (BIA) intends to submit a Final Environmental Impact Statement 
(FEIS) for the proposed approval of a lease of approximately 443 acres 
held in trust by the federal government for the Cortina Band of Wintun 
Indians in Colusa County, California, to the Environmental Protection 
Agency. The BIA prepared the FEIS in cooperation with the Cortina Band. 
The proposed action would allow the lessee, Cortina Integrated Waste 
Management, Inc., to develop and operate an integrated waste management 
project for the purpose of promoting the socioeconomic advancement of 
the Cortina Band. Brief descriptions of the proposed action and 
alternatives follow as supplementary information.

DATES: Written comments must arrive by September 30, 2000.

ADDRESSES: If you wish to comment, you may submit your comments by any 
one of several methods. You may mail or hand carry written comments to 
Ronald M. Jaeger, Regional Director, Pacific Region, Bureau of Indian 
Affairs, 2800 Cottage Way, Sacramento, California, 95825-1846. You may 
also comment via the Internet to [email protected]. Please submit 
Internet comments as an ASCII file, avoiding the use of special 
characters and any form of encryption. Include your name, return 
address and the caption, ``FEIS Comments, Cortina Integrated Waste 
Management Project,'' on the first page of your written comments or 
Internet message. If you do not receive confirmation from the system 
that your Internet message was received, contact us directly at (916) 
978-6043.
    Comments, including names and home addresses of respondents, will 
be available for public review at the above address during regular 
business hours, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, except 
holidays. Individual respondents may request confidentiality. If you 
wish to withhold your name and/or address from public review or from 
disclosure under the Freedom of Information Act, you must

[[Page 53329]]

state this prominently at the beginning of your written comment. Such 
requests will be honored to the extent allowed by law. We will not, 
however, consider anonymous comments. All submissions from 
organizations or businesses, and from individuals identifying 
themselves as representatives or officials of organizations or 
businesses, will be made available for public inspection in their 
entirety.
    To obtain a copy of the FEIS, please write or call William Allan, 
Environmental Protection Specialist, Pacific Region, Bureau of Indian 
Affairs, 2800 Cottage Way, Sacramento, CA 95825-1846, telephone (916) 
978-6043.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: William Allan, (916) 978-6043.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The proposed action is the approval of a 25 
year lease, renewable for an additional 25 years, of 443 acres of the 
640 acre Cortina Rancheria to Cortina Integrated Waste Management, Inc. 
(a California corporation that is a wholly owned subsidiary of 
Earthworks Industries, Inc., of Vancouver, Canada), for the development 
and operation of a landfill, materials recovery facility, composting 
facility, and petroleum-contaminated soil bio-remediation unit. Waste 
would be transported to these facilities for recovery of recyclable and 
disposal of non-recyclable materials, and recycled materials 
transported from the facilities to market destinations. The lease would 
obligate the lessee to post-closure maintenance responsibilities for a 
period of at least 30 years after final closure.
    Alternatives to the proposed project that are considered in the 
FEIS include the no action alternative (no lease approval) and two 
reduced project alternatives. One of these two alternatives would 
reduce the size of the landfill by eliminating a proposed 21 acre 
second phase. The other would eliminate the composting and bio-
remediation portions of the proposed action.
    This notice is published in accordance with Sec. 1503.1 of the 
Council on Environmental Quality Regulations (40 CFR parts 1500 through 
1508) implementing the procedural requirements of the National 
Environmental Policy Act of 1969, as amended (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.), 
and the Department of the Interior Manual (516 DM 1-6), and is in the 
exercise of the authority delegated to the Assistant Secretary--Indian 
Affairs by 209 DM 8.

    Dated: August 25, 2000.
Kevin Gover,
Assistant Secretary--Indian Affairs.
[FR Doc. 00-22631 Filed 8-31-00; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-02-P