[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 224 (Thursday, November 20, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Pages 65467-65468]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-29087]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Indian Affairs


Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for 
the Proposed Stockbridge-Munsee, 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 Stockbridge-Munsee Community, Band 
of Mohican Indians (Tribe), intends to gather the information necessary 
for preparing an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the proposed 
Stockbridge-Munsee Casino, Town of Thompson, Sullivan County, New York. 
The purpose of the proposed action is to help the Stockbridge-Munsee 
Community meet tribal economic needs and to serve as one part of the 
land claim settlement between the Tribe and the State of New York. 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 December 19, 2003. The public scoping meeting 
will be held December 4, 2003, at 7 p.m.

ADDRESSES: You may mail, hand carry or telefax written comments to, 
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 Tribe proposes that 333 acres of land 
into trust on behalf of the Tribe, on which the Tribe, through a 
development agreement with trading Cove New York, proposes to build a 
casino. The property is located on County Highway 161 at State Route 
17, Exit 107, in the town of Thompson, Sullivan County, New York. The 
project would consist of a 584,000 square foot casino and supporting 
facilities, including food and beverage outlets, retail facilities, a 
service station, a warehouse and parking, to be constructed entirely on 
the proposed trust acquisition. In a second phase of the proposed 
project, a hotel would be built immediately adjacent to the casino.
    The Tribe prepared and submitted to the BIA an Environmental 
Assessment (EA) on the proposed action in February, 2001, that was 
released for public comment in December, 2002. The BIA has withdrawn 
this EA and elected to complete an EIS. The EA will, however, 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] Soil erosion and sediment control--design of construction 
controls to manage exposed soils.
    [sbull] Stormwater management--design of stormwater controls to 
manage runoff from the developed area from both a water quality and 
quantity standpoint.
    [sbull] Wetlands--minimization and avoidance of direct or indirect 
wetland impacts and mitigation plans for unavoidable impacts.
    [sbull] Wildlife and fisheries--measures to avoid and minimize 
impacts to species, including listed species.
    [sbull] Historical and archeological resources--identification and 
avoidance of cultural resources.
    [sbull] Traffic--analysis of future traffic and proposal of 
adequate mitigation.
    [sbull] Air quality--analysis of local and regional air quality 
impacts from mobile sources.
    [sbull] Socio-economic--project effects on local economy (including 
population and housing) and public services.
    [sbull] Utilities--provision of water supply and wastewater 
treatment to the project and how provision of those services may affect 
existing capacities.
    [sbull] Cumulative effects--review of 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 
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.


[[Page 65468]]


    Dated: November 12, 2003.
Aurene M. Martin,
Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary--Indian Affairs.
[FR Doc. 03-29087 Filed 11-19-03; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-W7-P