[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 227 (Friday, November 26, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Page 68970]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 04-26193]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Indian Affairs


Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for 
the Lower Lake Rancheria Casino-Hotel Project, Oakland, 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 Lower Lake Rancheria Koi Nation 
as a cooperating agency, intends to gather information necessary for 
preparing an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for a proposed casino 
and hotel project to be located in Oakland, California. The purpose of 
the proposed action is to help provide a land base for, and address the 
socio-economic needs of the Lower Lake Rancheria Koi Nation. This 
notice also announces a public scoping meeting to identify potential 
issues, concerns and alternatives to be considered in the EIS.

DATES: Written comments on the scope and implementation of this 
proposal must arrive by December 29, 2004. The public scoping meeting, 
to be co-hosted by the BIA and the Lower Lake Rancheria Koi Nation, 
will be held Wednesday, December 15, 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 at the East Oakland Senior Center, 9255 Edes Avenue, 
Oakland, CA 94603.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: John Rydzik, (916) 978-6042.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Lower Lake Rancheria Koi Nation is 
presently a landless federally-recognized tribe, governed by a tribal 
council elected pursuant to its constitution. The Lower Lake Rancheria 
Koi Nation is eligible to acquire land to be placed in trust.
    The land proposed to be placed in trust, a 35.45-acre paved land 
parcel, is located within the incorporated City of Oakland in Alameda 
County, California. The project parcel is located southeast of San 
Leandro Bay, across the ``Airport Channel'' from Oakland International 
Airport, at the corner of Swan Way and Pardee Drive.
    The tribe and developers are currently conducting a marketing study 
to assist in determining the overall size of the proposed facility. At 
this time, the casino can be expected to be approximately 200,000 
square feet in size, which would be constructed during Phase I. Phase 
II would include the construction and operation of a 300 room hotel on 
the project site. The casino footprint would consist of a combination 
of uses, including the main gaming hall, food and beverage facilities, 
banking and administration facilities, and possibly an event center. 
The conceptual design of the facility is expected to be completed prior 
to the public scoping meeting announced in this notice.
    Areas of environmental concern to be addressed in the EIS include 
land use, geology and soils, water resources, agricultural resources, 
biological 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. In addition to 
the proposed action, a reasonable range of alternatives, including a 
no-action alternative, will be analyzed in the EIS. The range of issues 
and alternatives 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 of 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.), 
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.l.

    Dated: November 16, 2004.
Michael D. Olsen,
Acting Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary--Indian Affairs.
[FR Doc. 04-26193 Filed 11-24-04; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-W7-P