[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 153 (Friday, August 8, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Pages 47363-47364]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-20273]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Reclamation


Freeport Regional Water Project, Sacramento, CA

AGENCY: Bureau of Reclamation, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of Availability of the Draft Environmental Impact DES03-
48 Statement/Environmental Impact Report (Draft EIS/EIR) and notice of 
public hearings.

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SUMMARY: The Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) and the Freeport 
Regional Water Authority (FRWA) have made available for public review 
and comment the Draft EIS/EIR for the Freeport Regional Water Project.
    The proposed project would construct and operate a water supply 
system to meet regional water supply needs. The project would (1) 
support acquisition of additional Sacramento County Water Agency (SCWA) 
surface water entitlements to promote efficient conjunctive use of 
groundwater in its Zone 40 area, consistent with the Sacramento Area 
Water Forum Agreement and County of Sacramento General Plan policies; 
(2) provide facilities through which SCWA can deliver existing and 
anticipated surface water entitlements to Zone 40 area; (3) provide 
facilities through which East Bay Municipal Utility District (EBMUD) 
can take delivery of a supplemental supply of water that would 
substantially meet its need for water and reduce existing and future 
customer deficiencies during droughts; and (4) improve EBMUD system 
reliability and operational flexibility during droughts, catastrophic 
events, and scheduled major maintenance at Pardee Dam or Reservoir.

DATES: Submit written comments on the Draft EIS/EIR on or before 
October 7, 2003 at the address provided below. Four public hearings 
have been scheduled to receive oral or written comments regarding the 
project's environmental effects:
    [sbull] Thursday, September 4, 2003, 6:30-8:30 p.m., Sacramento, CA
    [sbull] Tuesday, September 9, 2003, 6:30-8:30: p.m., Herald, CA
    [sbull] Wednesday, September 10, 2003, 6:30-8:30 p.m., Oakland, CA
    [sbull] Thursday, September 11, 2003, 6:30-8:30 p.m., Sacramento, 
CA

ADDRESSES: The public hearings will be held at the following locations:
    [sbull] Sacramento, CA (September 4)--Pannell Community Center, 
2450 Meadowview Road
    [sbull] Herald, CA--Herald Fire Department, 127 Ivie Road
    [sbull] Oakland, CA--EBMUD Training Room, 375 11th Street, 2nd 
Floor
    [sbull] Sacramento, CA (September 11)--Wildhawk Golf Course, 7713 
Vineyard Road
    Please send written comments to Freeport Regional Water Project, 
Draft EIS/EIR Comments, Freeport Regional Water Authority, 1510 J 
Street 140, Sacramento, CA 95814, Fax: (916) 444-2137.
    Copies of the Draft EIS/EIR may be requested from Mr. Kroner at the 
above address or by calling (916) 326-5489. See Supplementary 
Information section for locations where copies of the Draft EIS/EIR are 
available for public inspection.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Rob Schroeder, Reclamation, at 
(916) 989-7274, TDD (916) 989-7285, or e-mail: [email protected]; 
or Mr. Kurt Kroner, at (916) 326-5489, or e-mail at [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Draft EIS/EIR addresses facilities-
related impacts including the effects of project construction and 
operation on hydrology, water quality, fish resources, recreation, 
vegetation and wildlife, visual resources, cultural resources, land 
use, geology, soils, seismicity,

[[Page 47364]]

groundwater, traffic and circulation, air quality, noise, and public 
health and safety. Diversion-related impacts include the effects of 
increased diversions from the Sacramento River and associated changes 
in Reclamation's operation of Central Valley Project (CVP) facilities. 
Project diversions therefore may directly or indirectly affect the 
Sacramento River, its tributaries, and Delta resources including water 
supply, fish and aquatic habitat, riparian vegetation and habitat, 
water quality, recreation, visual and cultural resources, and power 
supply. The Draft EIS/EIR also evaluates potential growth-inducing 
impacts for the SCWA and EBMUD water service areas. An evaluation of 
cumulative hydrologic and water service area impacts associated with 
reasonably foreseeable actions is also included.
    Copies of the Draft EIS/EIR are available for public inspection and 
review at the following locations:
    [sbull] East Bay Municipal Utility District, 375 11th Street, 
Oakland, CA, 94607
    [sbull] Sacramento County Water Agency, 827 Seventh Street, Room 
301, Sacramento, CA, 95814
    [sbull] Sacramento County Clerk-Recorder's Office, 600 Eighth 
Street, Sacramento, CA, 95814
    [sbull] Sacramento Public Library, 828 I Street, Sacramento, CA 
95814
    [sbull] Bureau of Reclamation, 7794 Folsom Dam Road, Folsom, CA 
95630
    [sbull] Bureau of Reclamation, Denver Office Library, Building 67, 
Room 167, Denver Federal Center, 6th and Kipling, Denver, CO 80225; 
telephone: (303) 445-2072
    [sbull] Bureau of Reclamation, Office of Public Affairs, 2800 
Cottage Way, Sacramento, CA 95825-1898; telephone: (916) 978-5100
    [sbull] Natural Resources Library, U.S. Department of the Interior, 
1849 C Street NW., Main Interior Building, Washington, DC 20240-0001
    [sbull] Elk Grove Community Library, 8962 Elk Grove Boulevard, Elk 
Grove, CA, 95624
    [sbull] Belle Cooledge Community Library, 5600 Southland Park 
Drive, Sacramento, CA, 95822
    [sbull] Valley Hi--North Laguna, 6351 Mack Road, Sacramento, CA, 
95823
    [sbull] Southgate Community Library, 6132 66th Avenue, Sacramento, 
CA, 95823
    [sbull] Galt Neighborhood Library, 1000 Caroline Avenue, 
Sacramento, CA, 95632
    [sbull] Pannell Community Center, 2450 Meadowview Road, Sacramento, 
CA, 95832
    [sbull] Clarksburg Branch Library, 52915 Netherlands Road, P.O. Box 
229, Clarksburg, CA, 95612
    [sbull] Lodi Public Library, 201 W. Locust Street, Lodi, CA, 95240
    Our practice is to make 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. 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.
    Hearing Process Information: The purpose of the public hearing is 
to provide the public with an opportunity to comment on environmental 
issues addressed in the Draft EIS/EIR. Written comments will also be 
accepted.

    Dated: July 15, 2003.
William H. Luce, Jr.,
Acting Regional Director, Mid-Pacific Region.
[FR Doc. 03-20273 Filed 8-7-03; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-MN-P