[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 99 (Tuesday, May 24, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Pages 29779-29780]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 05-10261]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[CA 660-05-1330-EP]


Proposed Otay Hills Quarry Project

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare a joint Environmental Impact 
Statement (EIS) and Environmental Impact (EIR).

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SUMMARY: In compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act 
(NEPA) of 1969, 40 CFR 1508.22, and the California Environmental 
Quality Act (CEQA), notice is herby given that the Bureau of Land 
Management (BLM) and the San Diego County Department of Planning and 
Land Use (DPLU) intend to prepare a joint Environmental Impact 
Statement (EIS) and Environmental Impact Report (EIR) for the proposed 
development of a rock quarry on private land and federal mineral 
estate. The proposed EIS/EIR will describe and analyze alternatives for 
a proposed operation to extract construction aggregates on a 210-acre 
site in the foothills of Otay Mountain, San Diego County, California.

DATES: This notice initiates the public scoping process. Comments on 
issues may be submitted in writing to the address listed below. 
Additionally, public meetings will be held to encourage public input. 
All public meetings will be announced through the local news media, 
newspapers, and the BLM Web site (http://www.ca.blm.gov/palmsprings) at 
least 15 days prior to the event. Additional opportunities for public 
participation will be provided upon publication of the draft EIS/EIR.

ADDRESSES: Comments should be sent to Greg Hill, Otay Hills Project, 
Bureau of Land Management, 690 W. Garnet Ave., P.O. Box 581260, North 
Palm Springs, CA 92258 or by fax at (760) 251-4899, or by e-mail at 
[email protected]. Documents pertinent to this proposal, including 
comments with the names and addresses of respondents, will be available 
for public review at the BLM Palm Springs-South Coast Field Office 
located at 690 W. Garnet Avenue, North Palm Springs, California, during 
regular business hours of 7:45 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through 
Friday, except holidays, and may be published as part of the EIS/EIR. 
Individual respondents may request confidentiality. If you wish to 
withhold your name or street 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 law. BLM will not consider 
anonymous comments. All submissions from organizations and businesses, 
and from individuals identifying themselves as representatives or 
officials of organizations or businesses, will be available for public 
inspection in their entirety.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For further information and/or to have 
your name added to our mailing list, contact Greg Hill, Otay Hills 
Project, Bureau of Land Management, Palm Springs-South Coast Field 
Office, (760) 251-4840, or by e-mail at [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Superior Ready Mix Company proposes to mine 
rock for the production of construction aggregates on their property on 
Otay Mesa, in southwestern San Diego County. The extraction area 
includes 15 acres of land for which the mineral rights (federal split 
estate) are held by

[[Page 29780]]

the United States and administered by the Bureau of Land Management 
(BLM). Additionally, the project site lies within the boundary of the 
San Diego County Multiple Species Conservation Program (MSCP) Subarea 
Plan and will require a Major amendment to said plan through the United 
States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) and the California Department 
of Fish and Game (CDFG). The site is 2.5 miles north east of the Otay 
Mesa International Border Crossing, approximately \1/4\ mile north of 
the intersection of Alta Road and Otay Mesa Road. The proposed rock 
quarry operations will include phased recovery of rock resources, 
materials processing, concrete batch plant, cement treated base plant, 
asphalt batch plant, and recycling of asphalt and concrete products. 
Operations are expected to last approximately 50 years. The total 
anticipated production of the extraction operations is estimated to be 
50 million tons (25 million cubic yards). Approximately seven million 
tons is proposed to be extracted from the Federal mineral estate. These 
Federal mineral materials are proposed to be disposed of in accordance 
with the 1947 Materials Act (61 Stat. 681) and the Federal mineral 
materials disposal regulations at 43 CFR part 3600. Total annual 
production amounts are anticipated to be between 0.6-1.0 million tons 
of aggregate. The proposed project would generate approximately 460 
round trip truck trips per day. The project would also create 
biological preserve areas prior to extraction. Due to the long-term 
nature of the extraction activities on the project site, ongoing 
extraction and reclamation would occur consecutively. As final slopes 
are graded, these areas would be reclaimed in accordance with 
reclamation objectives. Reclamation of the site includes the creation 
of a nearly level pad up to 165 acres in size and an open space 
easement along the eastern portion of the site. Potential end land uses 
must be consistent with San Diego County's East Otay Mesa Specific Plan 
which governs land use on the project site. Two likely uses compatible 
with the underlying plan and zoning designations for the site include 
residential development and/or mixed industrial development. The 
project alternatives are: (A) Proposed Action (210-acre rock quarry, 
materials processing, batch plants, and recycling of asphalt and 
concrete products) (B) Reduced Footprint (80-acre rock quarry, 
materials processing, batch plants, and recycling of asphalt and 
concrete products) (C) No Build/No Project (Two Scenarios): No Build 
Alternative would set the baseline environmental setting for the site 
and would assume that this area will remain undeveloped; No Project 
Alternative would assume that the site would be developed per the 
existing land uses approved with the East Otay Mesa Specific Plan.

    Dated: March 2, 2005.
Gail Acheson,
Field Manager, Palm Springs-South Coast Field Office.
[FR Doc. 05-10261 Filed 5-23-05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-40-P