[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 216 (Friday, November 7, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Pages 63128-63129]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-28119]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Indian Affairs


Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for 
the Proposed Mandan, Hidatsa, Arikara Nation Clean Fuels Refinery, Ward 
County, ND

AGENCY: Bureau of Indian Affairs, Interior.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: This notice advises the public that the Bureau of Indian 
Affairs (BIA), with the cooperation of the Mandan, Hidatsa, Arikara 
(MHA) Nation, intends to gather the information necessary for preparing 
an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the proposed 468-acre Fee-
to-Trust Transfer and Clean Fuels Refinery Project in Ward County, 
North Dakota. The purpose of the proposed action is to help meet the 
land base and economic needs of the MHA Nation.

DATES: You may submit written comments on the scope and implementation 
of this proposal through December 8, 2003.

ADDRESSES: You may mail or hand carry written comments to Horace Pipe, 
25300 366 Street SW, Makoti, North Dakota 58756.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Horace Pipe, (701) 726-5894.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The MHA Nation proposes that 468 acres of 
land be taken into trust, that a clean fuels refinery be constructed on 
160 acres of that land. The 468 acres of land to be taken into trust 
are in the northeast corner of the Fort Berthold Indian Reservation 
along the south side of North Dakota Highway 23, about 2 miles west of 
the turnoff to Makoti, North Dakota. The land and refinery, which will 
be owned and managed by the MHA Nation, will be in sections 19 and 20 
of Township 152 North, Range 87 West.
    The MHA Nation proposes to construct a petroleum refinery to 
process 10,000 barrels per stream day of synthetic crude from northern 
Alberta, obtained from a nearby, existing pipeline. The refinery will 
be a new state-of-the-art facility that will be able to meet current 
and proposed 2008 EPA regulations. The facility will be the most 
technologically advanced refinery in the United States and it will 
produce the cleanest gasoline and diesel fuel in the country. The 
project would employ 600 to 1000 positions during construction and 65 
to 70 positions during operation.
    The BIA will serve as the Lead Agency for compliance with the 
National Environmental Policy Act. The Environmental Protection Agency 
will be a Cooperating Agency.
    The EIS will assess the environmental consequences of BIA approval 
of the fee-to-trust transfer of land and the refinery project. Areas of 
environmental concern include effects to socio-economics; air quality; 
transportation; ground and surface water; wildlife and their habitats; 
threatened, endangered, or special-status species; cultural

[[Page 63129]]

resources; aesthetics; land uses; and health and safety. The range of 
issues to be addressed may be further expanded based on comments 
received during the scoping process.

Public Comment Solicitation

    Comments, including names and home addresses of respondents, will 
be available for public review at the address shown in the ADDRESSES 
section, during regular business hours, 7:30 a.m. to 4 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 12, 2003.
Aurene M. Martin,
Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary--Indian Affairs.
[FR Doc. 03-28119 Filed 11-6-03; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-W7-P