[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 15 (Tuesday, January 25, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Pages 3557-3558]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 05-1286]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Reclamation


Contra Costa Water District Alternative Intake Project, Contra 
Costa and San Joaquin Counties, CA

AGENCY: Bureau of Reclamation, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of Intent to prepare an environmental impact statement 
(EIS) and notice of scoping meetings.

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SUMMARY: Pursuant to section 102(2)(c) of the National Environmental 
Policy Act (NEPA), the Department of the Interior, Bureau of 
Reclamation (Reclamation) intends to prepare an EIS to evaluate Contra 
Costa Water District's (CCWD's) proposed Alternative Intake Project. 
The project purpose is to protect and improve water quality for CCWD's 
customers. The proposed action includes the construction of a new 
intake and fish screen in the Central Delta, a pumping plant, and an 
associated pipeline from the new intake to CCWD's Old River Pumping 
Plant on Old River. The proposed action would involve adding a new 
point of diversion to certain existing water rights held by CCWD and by 
Reclamation. In addition to the proposed action, other alternatives 
will be evaluated that may include different intake locations, 
desalination, and other treatment options. Potential Federal 
involvement may include the approval of an additional point of 
diversion pursuant to CCWD's water service contract with Reclamation, 
and operational changes. The EIS will be combined with an Environmental 
Impact Report (EIR) prepared by CCWD pursuant to the California 
Environmental Quality Act (CEQA).

DATES: Three public scoping meetings will be held to solicit comments 
from interested parties to assist in determining the scope of the 
environmental analysis, including the alternatives to be addressed, and 
to identify the significant environmental issues related to the 
proposed action. The meeting dates are:
     Tuesday, February 15, 6-8 p.m. in Concord, California.
     Wednesday, February 16, 10 a.m.-12 p.m. in Sacramento, 
California.
     Thursday, February 17, 6-8 p.m. in Antioch, California.

[[Page 3558]]

    Written comments on the scope of the environmental document, 
alternatives, and impacts to be considered should be sent to Ms. 
Samantha Salvia at the address below. All comments are requested by 
March 4, 2005.

ADDRESSES: The scoping meetings will be held at:
     Concord at the CCWD Board Room, Contra Costa Water 
District, 1331 Concord Avenue.
     Sacramento at the Federal Building Cafeteria Conference 
Room C-1001, Bureau of Reclamation, 2800 Cottage Way.
     Antioch at the Veterans of Foreign Wars Hall, 815 Fulton 
Shipyard Road.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. Samantha Salvia, Project Manager, 
Contra Costa Water District, P.O. Box H2O, Concord, CA 94524-2099, 
(925) 688-8057, [email protected]; or Mr. Robert Eckart, 
Supervisory Environmental Specialist, Bureau of Reclamation, Mid-
Pacific Region, 2800 Cottage Way, MP-152, Sacramento, CA, 95825-1898, 
(916) 978-5051, [email protected]. If you would like to be included 
on the EIS/EIR mailing list, please contact Ms. Salvia by e-mail at 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    CCWD's mission is ``to strategically provide its service area with 
a reliable supply of high-quality water at the lowest cost possible, in 
an environmentally responsible manner.'' CCWD relies entirely upon the 
Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta for its supply, which includes both 
Central Valley Project (CVP) water and water diverted under CCWD water 
rights. Water quality problems for CCWD result from elevated 
concentrations of salinity, minerals, bromide and organic carbon, and 
turbidity in Delta source water. These constituents can cause taste and 
odor problems for consumers and may contribute to health risks in some 
individuals. Water quality degradation in the Delta from increased 
diversions, upstream development, and runoff, have made it more 
difficult for CCWD to meet increasingly stringent drinking water 
regulations and the water quality objectives that CCWD has set for 
service to its customers.
    To continue to protect and improve water quality delivered to its 
customers, CCWD is initiating a two-year planning study that will 
evaluate the benefits of CCWD adding a new, screened intake and 
conveyance system in the southwest portion of the central Delta, to 
access better source water quality. The study will complete project 
planning, alternatives analyses, a joint EIR/EIS, permitting, and 
preliminary engineering design by mid-2006. At that point, it will be 
decided whether to proceed with design and construction of the 
recommended project.
    The proposed project would add a new intake at a location with 
better quality water, but would not increase CCWD's total diversion 
capacity (rate or annual quantity). The existing Old River Intake and 
Pump Station, with a current capacity of 250 cubic feet per second 
(cfs), would remain in place. The new up to 250 cfs intake would 
provide CCWD with the operational flexibility to divert water from Old 
River or the new intake to provide the highest water quality for CCWD 
customers (the total maximum diversion rate of 250 cfs would not 
change). A new pipeline, approximately two to four miles in length, 
would convey water from the new intake, in the southwest portion of the 
Delta, to CCWD's existing Old River conveyance system.
    The proposed project would involve adding a new point of diversion 
to certain existing water rights held by CCWD and by Reclamation. CCWD 
would not seek to increase its water rights, CVP contract amounts, or 
Los Vaqueros Reservoir filling or release rates through this project; 
CCWD and Reclamation would only seek to add a new point of diversion.
    If implemented, it is anticipated that the project would help 
protect CCWD customers' future water quality, ensure that CCWD is able 
to meet or exceed future drinking water regulatory requirements, and 
provide increased operational flexibility. The project would be 
developed in a way that avoids or minimizes impacts, including impacts 
to Delta water users and to the environment.

Additional Information

    The environmental review will be conducted pursuant to NEPA, CEQA, 
the federal and state Endangered Species Acts, and other applicable 
laws, to analyze the potential environmental impacts of implementing a 
range of feasible alternatives. There are no known Indian Trust Assets 
or environmental justice issues associated with the proposed action. 
Public input on the range of alternatives to be considered will be 
sought through the public scoping process.
    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 addresses 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: January 18, 2005.
Frank Michny,
Regional Environmental Officer, Mid-Pacific Region.
[FR Doc. 05-1286 Filed 1-24-05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-MN-P