[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 51 (Friday, March 15, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Pages 11707-11708]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-6284]


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

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Reclamation

[Nevada, INT-DES 01-43]


Implementation Agreement, Inadvertent Overrun and Payback Policy 
and Related Federal Actions, Colorado River in the Lower Basin

AGENCY: Bureau of Reclamation, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of public comment period extension.

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

SUMMARY: The Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) published a notice of 
availability of and public hearing for a draft environmental impact 
statement (EIS) on the Implementation Agreement, Inadvertent Overrun 
and Payback Policy and Related Federal Actions in the Federal Register, 
(67 FR 1988), on January 15, 2002, requesting comments on the adequacy 
of the draft EIS. This notice extends the original comment period, as 
identified below in the DATES section.

DATES: The comment period for receiving comments on the draft EIS has 
been extended from March 12, 2002, to March 26, 2002.

[[Page 11708]]


ADDRESSES: Send written comments to Mr. Bruce Ellis, Chief, 
Environmental Resources Management Division, Bureau of Reclamation, 
Phoenix Area Office (PXAO-1500), PO Box 81169, Phoenix, AZ 85069-1169; 
fax number (602) 216-4006.
    A copy of the draft EIS is available upon request from Ms. Janice 
Kjesbo, Bureau of Reclamation, Phoenix Area Office (PXAO-1500), PO Box 
81169, Phoenix, AZ 85069-1169, telephone (602) 216-3864, faxogram (602) 
216-4006. A copy of the draft EIS is also available for public 
inspection and review at the libraries listed under SUPPLEMENTARY 
INFORMATION below.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Reclamation has issued a draft EIS on the 
proposed execution of an Implementation Agreement (IA) that would 
commit the Secretary of the Interior (Secretary) to make Colorado River 
water deliveries in accordance with the terms and conditions of the IA 
to enable certain southern California water agencies to implement a 
proposed Quantification Settlement Agreement (QSA). (The QSA is an 
agreement in principle among several southern California water 
agencies. It establishes a framework of conservation measures and water 
transfers within southern California for up to 75 years. The QSA 
provides a substantial mechanism for California to reduce its 
diversions of Colorado River water in normal years to its 4.4 million 
acre-feet per year apportionment.) The proposed Federal action includes 
the following components: Execution of an IA, wherein the Secretary 
agrees to changes in the amount and/or location of deliveries of 
Colorado River water that are necessary to implement the QSA; adoption 
of an Inadvertent Overrun and Payback Policy (IOP), which establishes 
requirements for payback of inadvertent overuse of Colorado River water 
by Colorado River water users in Arizona, California, and Nevada; and 
implementation of biological conservation measures to offset potential 
impacts from the proposed action that could occur to federally listed 
fish and wildlife species.
    Copies of the draft EIS are available for public inspection and 
review at the following locations:
     Department of the Interior, Natural Resources Library, 
1849 C St., NW, Washington, DC 20240.
     Bureau of Reclamation, Denver Office Library, Building 67, 
Room 167, Denver Federal Center, 6th and Kipling, Denver, CO 80225.
     Bureau of Reclamation, Lower Colorado Regional Office, 
Nevada Highway and Park St., Boulder City, NV 89006.
     Bureau of Reclamation, Phoenix Area Office, 2222 W. Dunlap 
Ave., Suite 100, Phoenix, AZ 85021.
     Bureau of Reclamation, Southern California Area Office, 
27710 Jefferson Ave., Suite 201, Temecula, CA 92590-2628.
     Bureau of Reclamation, Yuma Area Office, 7301 Calle Agua 
Salada, Yuma, AZ 85364-9763.
     Bureau of Reclamation, Upper Colorado Regional Office, 125 
S. State St., Salt Lake City, UT 84138-1102.
     Lake Havasu City Library, 1787 McCulloch Blvd. North, Lake 
Havasu City, AZ 86403.
     Mohave County Library, 1170 Hancock Rd., Bullhead City, AZ 
86442.
     Parker Public Library, 1001 S. Navajo Ave., Parker, AZ 
85344.
     Phoenix Public Library (Burton Barr Central), 1221 N. 
Central Ave., AZ 85004.
     Yuma County Library, 350 S. 3rd Ave., Yuma, AZ 85364.
     Los Angeles Central Library, 630 W. 5th St., Los Angeles, 
CA 90071.
     Palo Verde Valley Library, 125 W. Chanslor Way, Blythe, CA 
92225.
     San Bernardino County Library, 1111 Bailey Ave., Needles, 
CA 92363.
     San Diego Central Library, 820 E St., San Diego, CA 92101.
     Henderson District Public Library, 280 South Water St., 
Henderson, NV 89015.
     Salt Lake City Public Library, 209 E 500 S, Salt Lake 
City, UT 84111.
    Written comments received by Reclamation become part of the public 
record associated with this action. Accordingly, Reclamation makes 
these 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 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 allowable by law. If you wish us to withhold your name and/or 
address, you must state this prominently at the beginning of your 
comment. However, we will not consider anonymous comments. 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.

    Dated: March 11, 2002.
Willie Taylor,
Director, Office of Environmental Policy and Compliance.
[FR Doc. 02-6284 Filed 3-14-02; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-MN-P