[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 105 (Thursday, June 2, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Pages 32370-32371]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 05-10908]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Reclamation


San Luis Drainage Feature Re-evaluation, Alameda, Contra Costa, 
Fresno, Kern, Kings, Merced, San Joaquin, San Luis Obispo, and 
Stanislaus Counties, CA

AGENCY: Bureau of Reclamation, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of availability of the Draft Environmental Impact 
Statement (Draft EIS) and notice of public hearings; DES 05-28.

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SUMMARY: Pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 
1969 (as amended), the Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) has made 
available for public review and comments a Draft EIS for the San Luis 
Drainage Feature Re-evaluation. The Draft EIS describes and presents 
the environmental effects of the eight alternatives, the no-Action 
alternative and seven action alternatives. Four public hearings will be 
held to receive comments from individuals and organizations on the 
Draft EIS.

DATES: The Draft EIS will be available for a 60-day public review 
period. Comments are due on August 1, 2005. Four public hearings have 
been scheduled to receive oral or written comments regarding the 
project's environmental effects:
     Monday, July 11, 2005, 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m., Sacramento, 
CA
     Tuesday, July 12, 2005, 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., Concord, CA
     Wednesday, July 13, 2005, 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., Fresno, CA
     Thursday, July 14, 2005, 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., Cayucos, CA

ADDRESSES: The public hearings will be held at the following locations:
     Federal Building, Cafeteria Conference Room C-1001, 2800 
Cottage Way, Sacramento, CA 95825
     Heald College Conference Center, Rooms 1 and 2, 5130 
Commercial Circle, Concord, CA 94520
     Piccadilly Inn Shaw, Crown Room, 2305 West Shaw, Fresno, 
CA 93711
     Cayucos Veterans Hall, 10 Cayucos Drive, Cayucos, CA 93430
    Send comments on the Draft EIS to San Luis Drainage Feature Re-
evaluation, c/o Mr. Jerry Robbins, Project Manager, Bureau of 
Reclamation, 2800 Cottage Way, Sacramento, CA 95825 or by calling 916-
978-5061.
    Copies of the Draft EIS may be requested from Mr. Jerry Robbins, 
Project Manager, Bureau of Reclamation, at the above address or by 
calling 916-978-5061. See Supplementary Information section for 
locations where copies of the Draft EIS are available for public 
inspection.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Jerry Robbins, Project Manager, 
Bureau of Reclamation, 2800 Cottage Way, Sacramento, CA 95825 or by 
calling 916-978-5061.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The proposal Federal actions is to plan and 
construct a drainage system for the San Luis Unit. This proposed action 
would meet the needs of the San Luis Unit for

[[Page 32371]]

drainage service, fulfill the requirements of the February 2000 Court 
Order, and be completed under the authority of Public Law 86-488. The 
Draft EIS evaluates seven action alternatives in addition to a No 
Action alternative: In-Valley Disposal, In-Valley Groundwater Quality 
Land Retirement, In-Valley Water Needs Land Retirement, In-Valley 
Drainage Impaired Area Land Retirement, Ocean Disposal, Delta-Chipps 
Island Disposal, and Delta-Carquinez Strait Disposal. All of the 
alternatives would include common elements: On-farm and in-district 
actions, drainwater collection systems, regional reuse facilities, the 
Firebaugh sumps, and land retirement of at least 44,106 acres. In 
addition to the common elements, the action alternatives (except Ocean 
Disposal) involve varying levels of drainwater treatment (by reverse 
osmosis and/or biological selenium treatment) and/or additional land 
retirement. Reclamation has not identified an agency preferred action 
alternative and the environmentally preferred alternative in the Draft 
EIS. Reclamation has identified the resources to be evaluated in the 
Draft EIS to include surface water resources, groundwater resources, 
biological resources, selenium bioaccumulation, geology and seismicity, 
energy resources, air resources, agricultural production and economics, 
land use and soil resources, recreational resources, cultural 
resources, aesthetics, regional economics, and social issues and 
environmental justice. Reclamation has determined that the action 
alternatives were unlikely to affect traffic and transportation, noise, 
utilities and public services, and Indian Trust Assets.
    Copies of the Draft EIS are available for public inspection and 
review at the following locations:
     U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, Denver Office Library, 
Building 67, Room 167, Denver Federal Center, 6th and Kipling, Denver, 
CO 80225; telephone: 303-445-2072
     U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, Office of Public Affairs, 2800 
Cottage Way, Sacramento, CA 95825-1898; telephone: 916-978-5100
     Natural Resources Library, U.S. Department of the 
Interior, 1849 C Street NW., Main Interior Building, Washington, DC 
20240-0001
     Alameda County Public Library, 2450 Stevenson Blvd., 
Fremont, CA
     Contra Costa County Public Library, 1750 Oak Park Blvd., 
Pleasant Hill, CA
     Fresno County Public Library, 2420 Mariposa Street, 
Fresno, CA
     Kern County Public Library, 701 Truxton Avenue, 
Bakersfield, CA
     Kings County Public Library, 401 N. Douty Street, Hanford, 
CA
     Merced County Public Library, 1312 South 7th Street, Los 
Banos, CA
     San Joaquin Public Library, 605 N. El Dorado Street, 
Stockton, CA
     San Luis Obispo County Public Library, P.O. Box 8107, San 
Luis Obispo, CA
     Stanislaus County Public Library, 1500 I Street, Modesto, 
CA
     UCB Water Resources Center Archives, 410 O'Brien Hall, 
Berkeley, CA
     http://www.usbr.gov/mp/
    Oral and written comments, including names and home addresses of 
respondents, will be available for public review. Individual 
respondents may request that we withhold their home address from public 
disclosure, which will be honored to the extent allowable by law. There 
may be circumstances in which a respondent's identity may also be 
withheld from public disclosure, as allowable by law. If you wish to 
have your name and/or address withheld, you must state this prominently 
at the beginning of your comment. 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.

Hearing Process Information

    The purpose of the public hearing is to provide the public with an 
opportunity to comment on environmental issues addressed in the Draft 
EIS. Written comments will also be accepted.
    Persons needing special assistance to attend and participate in the 
public hearing should contact Mr. Jerry Robbins, at 916-978-5061, as 
soon as possible. In order to allow sufficient time to process 
requests, please call no later than one week before the public hearing. 
Information regarding this proposed action is available in alternative 
formats upon request.

    Dated: March 5, 2005.
Kirk C. Rodgers,
Regional Director, Mid-Pacific Region.
[FR Doc. 05-10908 Filed 6-1-05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-MN-M