[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 239 (Tuesday, December 12, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Pages 77671-77672]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-31606]



[[Page 77671]]

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Reclamation

[FES00-54]


East Bay Municipal Utility District Supplemental Water Supply 
Project

AGENCY: Bureau of Reclamation, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of availability of Final Environmental Impact Report/
Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIR/FEIS).

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: Pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and 
the California Environmental Quality Act, the Bureau of Reclamation 
(Reclamation) and the East Bay Municipal Utility District (EBMUD) have 
prepared a joint FEIR/FEIS for the EBMUD Supplemental Water Supply 
Project. Reclamation and EBMUD prepared a draft environmental impact 
report/draft environmental impact statement (DEIR/DEIS) for the 
proposed project in November 1997, and a draft recirculated 
environmental impact report/supplemental environmental impact statement 
(REIR/SEIS) in October 2000. The FEIR/FEIS incorporates the DEIR/DEIS 
and REIR/SEIS, by reference, and includes all comments received on the 
DEIR/DEIS and the REIR/SEIS, and responses to those comments.

DATES: No decision will be made on the proposed action until at least 
30 days after release of the FEIR/FEIS. After the 30-day waiting 
period, Reclamation will be preparing a Record of Decision (ROD) and 
EBMUD will be preparing a Notice of Determination, both of which will 
state the action that will be implemented and will discuss all factors 
leading to the respective decision of each agency. When an alternative 
is selected and the ROD is signed, Reclamation and EBMUD will resume 
negotiations on the amendatory contract to conform the contract terms 
to accurately reflect the selected alternative.

ADDRESSES: Copies of the FEIR/FEIS may be requested from Ms. Ann Reis, 
Water Supply Improvements Division, EBMUD, P.O. Box 24055, MS 
305, Oakland CA 94623, (510) 287-1197.
    See ``Supplementary Information'' section for locations where 
copies of the FEIR/FEIS are available for inspection.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Kurt Ladensack, Water Supply 
Improvements Division, EBMUD, P.O. Box 24055, MS 305, Oakland 
CA 94623, (510) 287-1197; or Mr. Robert Schroeder, Environmental 
Specialist, Reclamation, Central California Area Office, 7794 Folsom 
Dam Road, Folsom CA 95630, (916) 988-1707.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The federal action supported by this FEIS/
FEIR is execution of an amendment to the 1970 contract. The amendatory 
contract will provide for a selection of one of the following 
alternative diversion sites under the identified and other appropriate 
conditions:
     A diversion of EBMUD's contractual supply at ``site 5'' on 
the American River (alternative 4) that must include the completion, 
prior to construction, of a satisfactory water storage strategy which 
will allow EBMUD to meet project purposes within the necessary flow 
pattern limitations. The storage strategy must include all necessary 
additional environmental documentation and be completed in a 
satisfactory manner. Additionally, the amendatory contract will include 
for ``site 5'' specific diversion rates and schedules (e.g., Hodge 
flows for ``site 5''), which will be in effect for the duration of the 
contract, and will assure compliance with the State Wild and Scenic 
Rivers Act.
     A diversion of EBMUD's contractual supply at Freeport on 
the Sacramento River (alternative 6), instead of an American River 
diversion. The Freeport diversion would be structured to allow and 
encourage regional water management partnerships that will consider 
interim water supplies to be made available by regional partners.
    The amendatory contract will prohibit deliveries of water diverted 
at Nimbus Dam as currently provided in Article 9(a) of the existing 
1970 contract. However, if permitting and necessary agreements for 
another point of diversion are not completed by a certain date, EBMUD 
will have the right to deliveries as provided in Article 9(a) of the 
existing 1970 contract.
    The amendatory contract will provide that in order for diversions 
to occur at any of the diversion sites identified above, all relevant 
state and federal laws and regulations must be complied with, and 
approval of the Contracting Officer is required. The Contracting 
Officer will initiate and complete consultation under Section 7 of the 
Endangered Species Act, and will comply with NEPA, as applicable, prior 
to approving any such diversions.
    Included in the FEIR/FEIS, for clarity of reference only, is 
Appendix A. It is a draft amendatory contract that Reclamation 
circulated for public comment in December 1998. The REIR/SEIS and FEIR/
FEIS refers to the provisions of the December 1998, draft amendatory 
contract. Although the entire 1998 draft amendatory contract is 
included in this FEIR/FEIS, Reclamation and EBMUD expect to replace 
this amendatory contract with a new draft amendatory contract that 
conforms to the provisions contained within the ROD.
    Copies of the FEIR/FEIS are available for inspection at the 
following locations:
     East Bay Municipal Utility District at 375 Eleventh Street 
in Oakland CA 94607-4240
     Sacramento County Water Agency at 827 Seventh Street, Room 
301 in Sacramento CA 95814
     City of Sacramento Utilities Department at 5770 Freeport 
Boulevard, Suite 100 in Sacramento CA 95822
     Sacramento County Clerk-Recorder's Office at 600 Eighth 
Street in Sacramento CA 95814
     Bureau of Reclamation, Office of Public Affairs at 2800 
Cottage Way in Sacramento CA 95825
     Bureau of Reclamation, Folsom Area Office at 7794 Folsom 
Dam Road in Folsom CA 95630
     Library, Bureau of Reclamation at 6th Avenue and Kipling, 
Room 167, Building 67, Denver Federal Center in Denver CO 80225-0007
     Natural Resources Library, U.S. Department of the Interior 
at 1849 C Street NW, Main Interior Building in Washington DC 20240-0001
     Sacramento Central Library at 828 I Street in Sacramento 
CA 95814
     Lodi Public Library at 201 W. Locust Street in Lodi CA 
95240
     Caesar Chavez Central Library at 605 N. El Dorado Street 
in Stockton CA 95202
     Science, Social Science & Government Documents Department, 
Oakland Public Library at 125 14th Street in Oakland CA 94612
     Contra Costa County Clerk's Office at 730 Las Juntas in 
Martinez CA 94553
     Alameda County Clerk's Office at 1225 Fallen Street in 
Oakland CA 94612
     San Joaquin County Clerk's Office at 24 S. Hunter, Room 
304 in Stockton CA 95202
     Elk Grove Branch Library at 8962 Elk Grove Boulevard in 
Elk Grove CA 95624
     Rancho Cordova Community Library at 9845 Folsom Boulevard 
in Rancho Cordova CA 95827
     Herald Fire Station at 12746 Ivie Road in Herald CA 95638
     Galt Branch Library at 1000 Caroline Avenue in Galt CA 
95632
     Tracy Public Library at 20 E. Eaton Avenue in Tracy CA 
95376
     Amador Public Library at 25 East Main in Ione CA 95640

[[Page 77672]]

     Calaveras County Central Library at 891 Mountain Ranch 
Road in San Andreas CA 95249
     Community Development Department at 104 Oak Street in 
Brentwood CA 94513
     City Hall at 708 3rd Street in Brentwood CA 94513
     Brentwood Library at 751 3rd Street in Brentwood CA 94513
     Antioch Library in 501 West 18th Street in Antioch CA 
95409
     Antioch Planning Department at Third and H Street in 
Antioch CA 94531
     City Clerk/Records Department at 65 Civic Avenue in 
Pittsburg CA 94565
     Pittsburg Library at 80 Power Avenue in Pittsburg CA 94565
     Contra Costa County Public Library at 1664. N. Broadway in 
Walnut Creek CA 94596

    Dated: December 5, 2000.
Kirk C. Rodgers,
Deputy Regional Director.
[FR Doc. 00-31606 Filed 12-11-00; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-MN-P