[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 24 (Thursday, February 5, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Pages 5516-5517]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 04-2501]


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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Department of the Army; Corps of Engineers


Intent To Prepare a Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the 
Proposed Rio del Oro Project, in Sacramento County, CA, Corps Permit 
Application Number 199900590

AGENCY: Department of the Army, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers,DOD.

ACTION: Notice of intent.

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SUMMARY: The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps), SacramentoDistrict, 
will prepare a Draft Environmental ImpactStatement (DEIS) for the 
proposed Rio del Oro project, a proposed residential and commercial 
development in RanchoCordova, Sacramento County, CA. Elliot Homes, Inc. 
has applied for a permit to fill approximately 47 acres of waters of 
the United States, including vernal pools, and other wetlands.

DATES: Public scoping meetings will be held on February 26, 2004. The 
first meeting will be held at RanchoCordova's City Hall, at 1:30 p.m., 
and the second meeting will be at Mills Station, at 6:30 p.m.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION Contact: Questions about the proposed action 
and DEIS can be answered by Mr. JustinCutler, (916) 557-5258,

[[Page 5517]]

[email protected], 1325J Street, Room 1480, Sacramento, CA 
95814-2922.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The applicant has applied for a Department 
of the Army permit under section 404 of the Clean Water Act to 
construct a residential and commercial development. The proposed 
project would be developed on approximately 3,828 acres south of 
Highway 50 in RanchoCordova, Sacramento County. The project site is 
located south of White Rock Road, north of Douglas Road, and east of 
Sunrise Boulevard. The project consists of approximately 1200 high, 
medium and low density residential homes, 38 retail/commercial offices, 
9 parks, 10 schools, and 2 wetland preserves and other open space 
areas. The proposed project site has a past history of grazing, 
landfill activities, gold mining, and rocket fuel testing. 
Approximately one-third of the site is grasslands, which have been used 
for grazing and contain vernal pool complexes and the upper reaches of 
Morrison Creek. Past gold mining in the 1920s and 1950s, and past 
landfill activities, have altered the remaining two-thirds of the site. 
Since mining ceased, the site was used to burn excess rocket fuel and 
test energetic material. Due to the rocket testing and propellant 
burning on the site, soil and groundwater at the site are known to 
contain trichloroethene (TCE) and other volatile organic compounds. The 
California Department of Toxic Substances Control has issued Imminent 
and Substantial Endangerment Orders to address the issue of TCE 
detected in a county well. The site has been divided into eleven 
primary study areas with responsibility for performing the required 
investigations divided between McDonnell Douglas and Aerojet General 
Corporation based upon previous usage. Soil and groundwater remediation 
continues to occur at the site.
    A total of 74.61 acres of waters of the United States have been 
identified on the project site, including 37.02 acres of vernal pools, 
20.44 acres of seasonal wetlands, 6.43 acres of riparian wetland, 6.47 
acres of ponds, and 4.25 acres of stream channels. The applicant has 
applied to fill approximately 47 acres of these waters to construct the 
project. A 505-acre vernal pool/wetland preserve in the southern 
portion of the project, where the highest concentration of vernal pools 
exists on the project site, would be preserved. The preserve would 
contain 27.62 acres of waters of the United States. The applicant 
proposes to create approximately 22 acres of additional vernal pools in 
the preserve.
    The Corps' public involvement program includes several 
opportunities to provide oral and written comments (See DATES). 
Affected Federal, state, local agencies, Indian tribes, and other 
interested private organizations and parties are invited to 
participate. Currently, potentially significant issues to be analyzed 
in depth in the DEIS include, loss of waters of the United States, 
including wetlands, cultural resources, biological resources, hazardous 
materials, air quality, surface and groundwater, water quality, noise, 
aesthetics, and socio-economic effects.
    Except for on-site preserve alternatives, no specific on-site or 
off-site project alternatives have been identified. However, 
alternatives, including the no-project alternative, other locations and 
other site configurations, will be evaluated in the DEIS and in 
accordance with the section 404(b)(1) guidelines.
    The Corps has initiated formal consultation with the U.S. Fish and 
Wildlife Service, under section 7 of the Endangered Species Act, for 
five Federally threatened or endangered species and one species 
proposed for listing that may be affected by the project. The Corps 
will also be consulting with the State Historic Preservation Officer 
under section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act for 
potential impacts to properties listed, or potentially eligible for 
listing, on the National Register of Historic Places.
    The Environmental Impact Statement will be prepared as a joint 
document with the City of Rancho Cordova. The City is the local agency 
responsible for preparing an Environmental Impact Report in compliance 
with the California Environmental Quality Act. The DEIS is expected to 
be released in March of 2005.

Luz D. Ortiz,
Army Federal Register Liaison Officer.
[FR Doc. 04-2501 Filed 2-4-04; 8:45 am]
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