[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 170 (Tuesday, September 3, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Pages 56303-56304]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-22402]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[CAAZRI06106]


Notice of Realty Action; Recreation and Public Purposes (R&PP) 
Act Classification for Conveyance

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of realty action.

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[[Page 56304]]

SUMMARY: This notice serves to amend the description of lands contained 
in a Notice of Realty Action published in the Federal Register March 6, 
1998 (Volume 63, Number 44, Page 11307-11308). The following lands, 
located adjacent to the Palo Verde Solid Waste Landfill in Imperial 
County, California, have been examined and found suitable for 
conveyance to the County of Imperial under the provisions of the 
Recreation and Public Purposes Act of June 14, 1926, as amended (43 
U.S.C. 869 et seq.): SBBM, T.9S., R.21E., sec. 15, S\1/2\SW\1/4\SW\1/
4\NE\1/4\SW\1/4\, SE\1/4\SE\1/4\SE\1/4\NW\1/4\SW\1/4\, E\1/2\E\1/
2\NE\1/4\SW\1/4\SW\1/4\ (4.38 acres, more or less).
    Background: The Palo Verde Solid Waste Landfill has been operated 
by the County of Imperial, Department of Public Works on a 40-acre site 
leased from the Bureau of Land Management since 1966. Prior to fencing 
the boundary of the leased land, a portion of a pesticide container 
cell was inadvertently placed outside the perimeter of the landfill on 
the lands described above. Subsequent to the 1988 amendment of the R&PP 
Act of 1926, authorizing the issuance of patents to lands devoted to 
solid waste disposal, BLM notified the County that public lands would 
no longer be leased for solid waste disposal. Consequently, the 
Imperial County Board of Supervisors adopted Resolution No. 97-078, 
initiating the purchase/patent process for those public lands 
previously leased for this purpose. Because the County has converted 
the Palo Verde Landfill to a transfer station, the acreage has been 
reduced from the originally leased 40 acres, to approximately 31.25 
acres so that only those lands impacted by previous landfill activities 
will be patented.
    The described lands are not needed for Federal purposes, and 
conveyance without reversionary interest is consistent with current BLM 
land use planning. A landfill transfer audit and environmental 
assessment have been conducted in compliance with the National 
Environmental Policy Act of 1969, as well as other Federal and State 
laws applicable to the disposal of solid waste and hazardous 
substances. The patent will be subject to the following terms, 
conditions, and reservations:
    1. Provisions of the Recreation and Public Purposes Act and all 
applicable regulations of the Secretary of the Interior.
    2. A right-of-way for ditches and canals constructed by the 
authority of the United States.
    3. Those rights granted to North Baja Pipeline, L.L.C. for a 
natural gas pipeline and related facilities, together with approved 
ingress and egress thereto, as described in the approved North Baja 
Pipeline Plan of Development, dated March 2002, by way of right-of-way 
CACA-42662.
    4. All minerals shall be reserved to the United States together 
with the right to prospect for, mine and remove same under applicable 
law and regulations as prescribed by the Secretary of the Interior.
    5. The patentee shall comply with all Federal and State laws 
applicable to the disposal, placement, or release of hazardous 
substances.
    6. The patentee shall indemnify and hold harmless the United States 
against any legal liability or future costs that may arise out of any 
violation of such laws.
    7. No portion of the land covered by such patent shall under any 
circumstance revert to the United States.

DATES: For a period of 45 days after publication of this notice in the 
Federal Register, interested parties may submit comments regarding this 
suitability determination to the Field Manager, Bureau of Land 
Management, El Centro Field Office, 1661 South 4th Street, El Centro, 
CA 92243. Objections will be reviewed by the State Director who may 
sustain, vacate, or modify this realty action. In the absence of any 
objections, this realty action will become the final determination of 
the Department of the Interior 60 days from the date of publication of 
this Notice.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, CONTACT: Linda Self, Realty Specialist, at the 
above address, telephone (760) 337-4426, or e-mail [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Publication of this Notice in the Federal 
Register segregates the public land to the extent that it will not be 
subject to appropriation under the public land laws, including 
locations under the mining laws, except for conveyance under the 
Recreation and Public Purposes Act and leasing under the mineral 
leasing laws.

    Dated: July 25, 2002.
Greg Thomsen,
Field Manager.
[FR Doc. 02-22402 Filed 8-30-02; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-40-P