[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 138 (Tuesday, July 20, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Pages 43431-43432]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 04-16583]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Indian Affairs


Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for 
the Proposed Scotts Valley Band of Pomo Indians' Trust Acquisition and 
Casino Project, Contra Costa County, CA

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) as lead agency, with the Scotts Valley Band of Pomo 
Indians (Band) as cooperating agency, intends to gather information 
necessary for preparing an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for a 
proposed 29.87 acre trust acquisition and casino project to 
be located within unincorporated Contra Costa County, California. The 
purpose of the proposed action is to help provide for the economic 
development of the Band. 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 August 19, 2004. The public scoping meeting 
will be held August 4, 2004, from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m., or until the last 
public comment is received.

ADDRESSES: You may mail or hand carry written comments to Clay Gregory, 
Regional Director, Pacific Regional Office, Bureau of Indian Affairs, 
2800 Cottage Way, Sacramento, California 95825. The public scoping 
meeting will be held at Richmond Memorial Auditorium, 403 Civic Center 
Plaza, Richmond, California.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: William Allan, (916) 978-6043.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Band proposes that 29.87 
acres of land be taken into trust and that a casino, parking and other 
facilities supporting the casino be constructed on the trust 
acquisition property. The 29.87 acres encompasses 6 parcels 
of land located entirely within unincorporated Contra Costa County, 
California, contiguous with the city of Richmond. The project site is 
adjacent to Richmond Parkway and Parr Boulevard, and within 3 miles of 
Interstate 80. Regional access to the casino complex would be from 
Richmond Parkway via Interstate 80.
    The Proposed Action includes the development of a 225,000 square foot, 30-foot tall casino complex, which would consist of 
a combination of uses including, but not limited to the following: a 
main gaming hall; food and beverage facilities, including a restaurant, 
buffet, food court and sports bar; an entertainment lounge; banking and 
administration facilities; and an event center. The proposed facility 
would also include approximately 1,200 surface parking stalls and 1,400 
parking stalls located in a 3 level parking structure. 
Spaces for self-parking, valet parking, overflow parking, bus and RV 
parking, employee parking and executive parking would also be provided. 
Driveways along Parr Boulevard would provide access to the parking 
areas and the casino.
    Areas of environmental concern to be addressed in the EIS include 
land use, geology and soils, water resources, agricultural resources, 
biological

[[Page 43432]]

resources, cultural resources, mineral resources, paleontological 
resources, traffic and transportation, noise, air quality, public 
health/environmental hazards, public services and utilities, hazardous 
waste and materials, socio-economics, environmental justice, and visual 
resources/ aesthetics. The range of issues addressed may be expanded 
based on comments received during the scoping process.

Public Comment Availability

    Comments, including names and addresses of respondents, will be 
available for public review at the BIA address shown in the ADDRESSES 
section, during 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 the 
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. 4371 et seq.), 
and the Department of the Interior Manual (516 DM 1-6), and is in the 
exercise of authority delegated to the Principal Deputy Assistant 
Secretary--Indian Affairs by 209 DM 8.1.

    Dated: July 15, 2004.
Aurene M. Martin,
Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary--Indian Affairs.
[FR Doc. 04-16583 Filed 7-19-04; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-W7-P