[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 165 (Thursday, August 26, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Pages 52519-52520]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 04-19220]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

Bureau of Reclamation

[NM-030-5101-ER-GO46]


Notice of Intent to Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement 
(EIS) for the Alamogordo Regional Water Supply Project, New Mexico

AGENCIES: Bureau of Land Management and Bureau of Reclamation, 
Interior.

ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare an EIS and notice of public scoping 
meetings.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: Pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 
1969, as amended, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and the Bureau of 
Reclamation (Reclamation) intend to prepare an EIS. The EIS will be 
analyzing the impacts associated with a proposal to develop a well 
field, construct a pipeline, and construct and operate a desalination 
water treatment facility in the Tularosa Basin, New Mexico (the 
Project). In addition, the EIS will present a discussion of significant 
environmental impacts and a comparison of reasonable alternatives. The 
BLM and Reclamation will serve as joint lead agencies and direct the 
preparation of the EIS by a third-party contractor funded by the City 
of Alamogordo, New Mexico.

DATES: Public scoping meetings will be held at the following times and 
locations:

October 5, 2004--6 to 8 p.m., Willie Estrada Civic Center, 800 East 
First Street, Alamogordo, New Mexico 88310.
October 6, 2004--6 to 8 p.m., Senior Center, 1055 Bookout Road, 
Tularosa, New Mexico 88352.

ADDRESSES: Public scoping meetings will be held in Alamogordo and 
Tularosa, New Mexico, in order to receive input from interested 
agencies, organizations, and individuals, and to present further 
information regarding the Project.
    Scoping is an early and public process for determining the issues 
to be addressed, for identifying any significant issues and suggesting 
alternatives related to the proposed Federal action. The scoping period 
will be open from August 26, 2004 to October 25, 2004. When the draft 
EIS is complete, its availability will be announced in the Federal 
Register, in the local news media, and through direct contact with 
interested parties. Written comments regarding the scope and content of 
the EIS, as well as requests for information regarding the Project, 
should be forwarded to SWCA Environmental Consultants, Attention: 
Alamogordo Regional Water Supply Project, 7001 Prospect Place NE., 
Suite 100, Albuquerque, New Mexico 87110, or by electronic mail to 
[email protected].
    Those not desiring to submit comments or suggestions at this time, 
but who would like to receive a copy of the draft EIS, should contact 
SWCA Environmental Consultants at the address provided above. Comments 
will be solicited on the draft document for a minimum of 45 days after 
the Environmental Protection Agency publishes a Notice of Availability 
of the Draft EIS in the Federal Register.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Philip Rhinehart, Bureau of Land 
Management, at (505) 525-4426 or Robert Maxwell, Bureau of Reclamation, 
at (505) 462-3597.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The purpose of this EIS is to evaluate the 
potential for significant environmental and socioeconomic impacts as a 
result of the Project, provide a decision-making tool that will compare 
and analyze project alternatives, serve as a public information 
document, and track and document the process used to reach decisions. 
The need for the Project is to secure a sustainable fresh water 
resource for use by the City of Alamogordo and the surrounding region, 
as the current water supply is not sufficient to meet both current and 
future water demands. The region that would be potentially affected by 
the Project includes an area within the boundary of the Tularosa Ground 
Water Basin, as declared by the State Engineer of New Mexico (the 
Basin).
    The Project would provide a water supply to serve the region's 
needs by pumping ground water from the Hueco-Bolson aquifer, a large 
portion of which

[[Page 52520]]

underlies the Tularosa Basin. The water within the aquifer and within 
the Basin is saline and would require treatment to meet drinking water 
standards. Saline water is defined as water that has a total dissolved 
solids (salts) concentration that is above drinking water standards. 
Estimates indicate that the volume of saline water stored within the 
Basin is enough to sustain a regional water supply to meet the region's 
present and future demands, if treated to meet drinking water 
standards. The Project is proposed to help serve the water supply needs 
of the Alamogordo region by continuing to ensure water conservation 
within the City, and by treating saline water from the Basin to meet 
drinking water standards.
    Parameters to be evaluated in the EIS include (1) the location of 
project facilities, (2) desalination methodologies, (3) the effects of 
pumping water from the Hueco-Bolson aquifer, (4) the techniques used 
for concentrate disposal or beneficial re-use of concentrate that is a 
product of the desalination process, and (5) the consequences of not 
developing the Project.

Public Disclosure

    Scoping comments, including names and addresses of respondents, 
will be available for public review. Individual respondents may request 
confidentiality. If you wish to withhold your name and address from 
public 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. 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 disclosure in their 
entirety.

Bureau of Reclamation.

    Dated: July 2, 2004.
Rick L. Gold,
Regional Director--UC Region, Bureau of Land Management.
    Dated: July 6, 2004.
Edwin L. Roberson,
Field Manager, Las Cruces.
[FR Doc. 04-19220 Filed 8-25-04; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-VC-P