[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 6 (Thursday, January 9, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Page 1191]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-428]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Indian Affairs


Notice of Intent to Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for 
a Proposed Tribal Light Industrial Park, Umatilla Indian Reservation, 
Umatilla County, OR

AGENCY: Bureau of Indian Affairs, Interior.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA), with the cooperation of 
the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation (CTUIR), 
intends to gather the information necessary for preparing an 
Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the proposed lease of up to 
100 acres of land held in trust by the United States for the benefit of 
the CTUIR in Umatilla County, Oregon, for the construction and 
operation of a 400,000 square foot warehouse distribution center or 
similar sized light manufacturing facility. The purpose of the proposed 
action is to help meet the economic development needs of the CTUIR. 
Details on the project location and proposed action are provided in the 
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section. This notice also announces a public 
scoping meeting to identify potential issues to include in the EIS, 
identify which issues to analyze in depth, and eliminate issues that 
are not significant.

DATES: Comments on the scope and content of the EIS must arrive by 
February 7, 2003. The public scoping meeting will be held on Thursday, 
January 23, 2003, at 6 p.m.

ADDRESSES: You may mail or hand carry written comments to Philip 
Sanchez, Superintendent, Bureau of Indian Affairs, Umatilla Agency, 
P.O. Box 520, Pendleton, Oregon 97801.
    You may obtain a map displaying the proposed project location from 
Jerry L. Lauer, Natural Resource Officer, Bureau of Indian Affairs, 
Umatilla Agency, P.O. Box 520, Pendleton, Oregon 97801, telephone (541) 
278-3790.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jerry L. Lauer, (541) 278-3790.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The EIS will assess the environmental 
consequences of BIA approval of a lease between the developer of a 
400,000 square foot warehouse and distribution center or light 
manufacturing facility (lessee) and the CTUIR (lessor), of parts of the 
South Half of the North Half and the North Half of the South Half, 
Section 21, Township 2 North, Range 33 East, Willamette Meridian, 
Umatilla County, Oregon. The property encompasses approximately 100 
acres on the Umatilla Indian Reservation, adjacent to and south of Exit 
216 on Interstate 84.
    The proposed project has several components. These include 
construction of below-ground water, sewer, storm water drainage, and 
electric power service on the site; construction of a 40-foot-wide 
industrial access road; extension of utilities from current access 
points north of Interstate 84, including below grade crossing of 
Interstate 84; construction of a 400,000-square-foot warehouse or light 
manufacturing facility; and operation of the warehouse or light 
manufacturing facility with approximately 150 employees. In the case of 
the warehouse and distribution center, there will be approximately 100 
outgoing and 100 inbound semi-trailers each day.

Public Comment Availability

    Comments, including names and addresses of respondents, will be 
available for public review at the mailing address shown in the 
ADDRESSES section, during regular business hours, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., 
Monday through Friday, except holidays. Individual respondents may 
request confidentiality. If you wish us to withhold your name and/or 
address from public review or from disclosure under the Freedom of 
Information Act, you must 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.

Authority

    This notice is published in accordance with section 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 authority delegated to the Assistant Secretary--Indian 
Affairs by 209 DM 8.1.

    Dated: December 16, 2002.
Neal A. McCaleb,
Assistant Secretary--Indian Affairs.
[FR Doc. 03-428 Filed 1-8-03; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-W7-P