[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 65 (Monday, April 5, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Pages 17706-17707]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 04-7556]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Reclamation


Folsom Dam Road, Folsom, CA

AGENCY: Bureau of Reclamation, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of Intent to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement 
(EIS).

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SUMMARY: The Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) is planning to prepare 
an EIS for a proposed permanent restriction to public access to Folsom 
Dam. The Folsom Dam Road, which was closed indefinitely for security 
reasons on February 28, 2003, was closed to preserve and protect the 
core mission of the facility and for the ultimate safety of the public. 
The closure followed a series of security reviews, including a final 
review conducted by the Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA) and 
subsequent full-scale analysis and evaluation of DTRA's recommendations 
by Reclamation and the Department of the Interior. The evaluation 
determined that uncontrolled access to Folsom Dam presents a clear 
security risk to the facility.

DATES: Reclamation will seek public input on alternatives, concerns, 
and issues to be addressed in the EIS through scoping meetings through 
scoping meetings in May. The schedule and locations of the scoping 
meetings are as follows:

 Wednesday, May 26, 2004, 4:30-7 p.m, Sacramento, CA
 Thursday, May 27, 2004, 4:30-7 p.m., Folsom, CA

    Written comments on the scope of alternatives and impacts to be 
considered should be sent to Mr. Robert Schroeder at the below address 
by June 10, 2004.

ADDRESSES: The meeting locations are:
 Sacramento at the Library Galleria--West Meeting 
Room, 828 I Street

 Folsom at the Folsom Community Center--West Room, 52 
Natoma Street


FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Robert Schroeder, Reclamation, 
7794 Folsom Dam Road, Folsom, California 95630; telephone number (916) 
989-7274.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Controlled access by authorized Government 
personnel is necessary to minimize the security risks and maximize the 
safety not only of Folsom Dam, but that of the entire Sacramento 
metropolitan population downstream of the Dam. Reclamation determined 
that an EIS is needed to examine the effect of the road closure on the 
natural and human environment.

[[Page 17707]]

    Alternatives to the proposed action of a permanent restriction to 
public access include ending the indefinite road closure at some as yet 
to be determined time, reopening the road on a partial basis, and a no 
action alternative which would reopen the road to the level of access 
in place prior to the February 2003 indefinite closure. That level of 
access included restrictions such as closing the road overnight and 
allowing no trucks at any time.
    If special assistance is required at the scoping meetings, contact 
Mr. Robert Schroeder, Reclamation, at (916) 989-7274. Please notify Mr. 
Schroeder as far in advance of the meetings as possible to enable 
Reclamation to secure the needed services. If a request cannot be 
honored, the requestor will be notified. A telephone device for the 
hearing impaired (TDD) is available at (916) 989-7285.
    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.

    Dated: March 10, 2004.
Frank Michny,
Regional Environmental Officer, Mid-Pacific Region.
[FR Doc. 04-7556 Filed 4-2-04; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-MN-P