[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 189 (Friday, September 30, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Page 57324]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 05-19603]



[[Page 57324]]

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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Reclamation

[DES 05-55]


San Luis Unit Long-Term Contract Renewal

AGENCY: Bureau of Reclamation, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of availability of the Draft Environmental Impact 
Statement (DEIS).

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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 comment a DEIS for the renewal of Long-
Term Water Service Contracts for the San Luis Unit of the Central 
Valley Project (CVP). The DEIS describes and presents the environmental 
effects of three altern atives, including no action, for implementing 
the renewal of the Long-Term Water Service Contracts. A 45-day public 
comment period will be allowed to receive comments from individuals and 
organizations on the DEIS.
    Reclamation issued a previous version of the DEIS on December 9, 
2004 (69 FR 71424). Due to information received during the comment 
period on the previous DEIS, Reclamation has prepared and is issuing a 
new DEIS.

DATES: The DEIS is available for a 45-day public review period. Written 
comments on the DEIS will be accepted on or before November 21, 2005.

ADDRESSES: Send comments on the Draft EIS to Bureau of Reclamation, 
Mid-Pacific Region, Attn: Joe Thompson, 1243 ``N'' Street, Fresno, CA 
93644.
    Copies of the Draft EIS may be requested from Ms. Janet 
Sierzputowski, Reclamation, 2800 Cottage Way, Sacramento, CA 95825, or 
by calling (916) 978-5112. See SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section for 
locations where copies of the DEIS are available for public inspection.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Joe Thompson, Environmental 
Specialist, Reclamation, at (559) 487-5179.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The DEIS addresses impacts related to the 
renewal of long-term water service contracts between Reclamation and 
the contractors in the San Luis Unit. The alternatives present a range 
of water service agreement provisions that could be implemented for 
long-term contract renewals. The first alternative, the No-Action 
Alternative, consists of renewing water service contracts as described 
by the preferred alternative of the Programmatic Environmental Impact 
statement for the Central Valley Project Improvement Act. The No-Action 
Alternative serves as the basis for determining impacts of the action 
alternatives. A proposal by Reclamation was submitted to the 
contractors in 1999 with an alternative contract being submitted by the 
contractors in 2000. Reclamation and the Contractors have negotiated in 
a public forum the CVP-wide terms and conditions with these proposals 
serving as the basis for analysis of such ``bookends.'' The contract 
provisions that were selected as a result of the negotiation process 
together constitute the Preferred Alternative. The Preferred 
Alternative is described in the Alternatives section of the DEIS. The 
DEIS evaluates the Preferred Alternative against the No-Action 
Alternative for the environmental documentation that evaluates the 
impacts and benefits of renewing the long-term water service contracts.
    Copies of the DEIS are available for public inspection and review 
at the following locations:
     Bureau of Reclamation, Denver Office Library, Building 67, 
Room 167, Denver Federal Center, 6th and Kipling, Denver, CO 80225; 
telephone: (303) 445-2072.
     Bureau of Reclamation, Office of Public Affairs, 2800 
Cottage Way, Sacramento, CA 95825-1898; telephone: (916) 978-5100.
     Bureau of Reclamation, South Central California Area 
Office, 1243 ``N'' Street, Fresno, CA 93721.
     Natural Resources Library, U.S. Department of the 
Interior, 1849 C Street, NW., Main Interior Building, Washington, DC 
20240-0001.
    The DEIS is also available for inspection in public libraries in 
Fresno, Madera, Merced, Kings, Stanislaus, and Kern counties.
    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.

    Dated: July 19, 2005.
Allan Oto,
Acting Assistant Regional Director, Mid-Pacific Region.
[FR Doc. 05-19603 Filed 9-29-05; 8:45 am]
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