[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 193 (Monday, October 6, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Pages 57705-57706]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-25394]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Indian Affairs


Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for 
the Proposed Mohawk Mountain Resort and Casino, Sullivan County, NY

AGENCY: Bureau of Indian Affairs, Interior.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: This notice advises the public that the Bureau of Indian 
Affairs, with the cooperation of the St. Regis Band of Mohawk Indians, 
intends to gather the information necessary for preparing an 
Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the proposed Mohawk Mountain 
Resort and Casino, Town of Thompson, Sullivan County, New York. The 
purpose of the proposed action is to help meet the economic development 
needs of the tribe. This notice also announces a public scoping meeting 
to identify potential issues and content for inclusion in the EIS.

DATES: Written comments on the scope and implementation of this 
proposal must arrive by October 15, 2003. The public scoping meeting 
will be held on October 8, 2003, at 7 p.m.
    The draft EIS is expected to be completed by November 1, 2003, and 
to be available for public review and comment for a period of 45 days 
from the date the Notice of Availability of the draft EIS is published 
in the Federal Register. The final EIS is expected to be completed by 
January 15, 2004, and to be available to the public for a period of 30 
days from the date the Notice of Availability of the final EIS is 
published in the Federal Register. The Record of Decision on the 
proposed action will be issued on or about March 1, 2004.

ADDRESSES: You may mail, hand carry or telefax written comments to Mr. 
Franklin Keel, Regional Director, Eastern Regional Office, Bureau of 
Indian Affairs, 711 Stewarts Ferry Pike, Nashville, Tennessee 37214, 
Telefax (615) 467-1701.
    The public scoping meeting will be held at the Sullivan County 
Government Center, Legislative Meeting Room, 2nd Floor, 100 North 
Street, Monticello, New York 12701.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jim Kardatzke, (615) 467-1675.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) proposes 
to take 66 acres of land into trust on behalf of the St. Regis Band of 
Mohawk Indians (Tribe), on which the Tribe, through a development 
agreement with Park Place Entertainment Corporation, proposes to build 
a resort and casino complex to be called the Mohawk Mountain Resort and 
Casino. The property is located along the east side of Anawana Lake 
Road (C.R. 103) in the Town of Thompson, Sullivan County, New York, 
approximately 3 miles north of the Village of Monticello. The project 
design contemplates a 750 room hotel and 450,000 square foot casino and 
support area, a 2,000 seat theater and several restaurants spread 
across the 66 acres to be taken into trust, with a 5,040 stall parking 
garage on an adjacent 141 acre parcel.
    The Tribe prepared and submitted to the BIA an Environmental 
Assessment (EA) on the proposed action in December 2002. Upon 
consideration of the EA, and of project changes made after the EA was 
prepared, the BIA found that an EIS would be required for the proposed 
action. The EA will, however, serve as a part of the scoping process 
for the EIS. In addition, the project is undergoing review pursuant to 
the New York State Environmental Quality Review Act, which has included 
public hearings held by the Town of Thompson to receive public comments 
on the EA. The comments from these hearings will also serve as a part 
of the scoping process for the EIS.
    Issues identified to date to be addressed in the EIS include, but 
are not limited to the following:
    [sbull] Traffic--concerns that traffic jams may result from the 
project and that emergency services may be compromised.
    [sbull] Noise--concerns that sounds from the resort and casino will 
travel offsite and adversely affect nearby residences, wildlife and/or 
livestock.
    [sbull] Water Supply/Water Quality--concerns that the project will 
have an adequate water supply and will not adversely affect water 
quality in Anawana Lake or its tributaries.
    [sbull] Wetlands--the minimization and/or avoidance of wetland 
impacts.
    Wildlife--concerns regarding the project's impact on fish and 
wildlife and their habitats, including threatened and endangered 
species.
    [sbull] Sewage Disposal--concerns regarding the handling of sewage 
effluent.
    [sbull] Land Use/Community Character--concerns regarding how the 
project might affect the character of surrounding lands and 
communities.
    [sbull] Socio-economics--concerns regarding how the project might 
affect local business and property values.
    [sbull] Air Quality `` concerns regarding the additive air impacts 
of project-induced traffic.
    [sbull] Cumulative Effects `` concerns regarding the cumulative 
environmental impacts of the project when considered together with 
other reasonably foreseeable development projects in the region.
    [sbull] Alternatives to the preferred alternative.
    The range of issues and alternatives addressed in the EIS may be 
further expanded based on comments received in response to this notice, 
or to the scoping meeting announced in this notice.

Public Comment Availability

    Comments, including names and addresses of respondents, will be 
available for public review at the mailing address shown in the

[[Page 57706]]

ADDRESSES section, during regular business hours, 8 a.m. to 4:30 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.

    Dated: October 1, 2003.
Aurene M. Martin,
Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary--Indian Affairs.
[FR Doc. 03-25394 Filed 10-2-03; 2:05 pm]
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