[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 113 (Tuesday, June 13, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 34161-34162]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-9184]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Reclamation


San Luis Drainage Feature Reevaluation, 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 Final Environmental Impact 
Statement (EIS) for the San Luis Drainage Feature Reevaluation.

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SUMMARY: Pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 
1969 (as amended), the Bureau of Reclamation has prepared a Final EIS 
for the San Luis Drainage Feature Reevaluation. Under section 
1502.14(e) of the NEPA regulations, the Council for Environmental 
Quality requires identification of a preferred alternative in the Final 
EIS. To comply with this requirement and in accordance with the 
Federally-mandated Economic and Environmental Principles and Guidelines 
for Water and Related Land Resources Implementation Studies, 
Reclamation has identified the National Economic Development 
alternative, the In-Valley/Drainage-Impaired Area Land Retirement 
Alternative, as the preferred alternative.

DATES: Reclamation will not make a decision on the proposed action 
until at least 30 days after release of the Final EIS. After the 30-day 
waiting period, Reclamation will complete a Record of Decision (ROD). 
The ROD will state the action that will be implemented and will discuss 
all factors leading to the decision.

ADDRESSES: To obtain a compact disc or paper copy of the Final EIS, 
please e-mail Ms. Sammie Cervantes at [email protected] or write 
Ms. Cervantes at Bureau of Reclamation, 2800 Cottage Way (MP-730), 
Sacramento, CA 95825. The Final EIS may be viewed online at http://www.usbr.gov/mp/sccao/sld/docs/index.html.
    See the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section for locations where 
copies of the Final EIS are available.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Please contact Mr. Gerald Robbins at 
916-978-5061, fax 916-978-5094, or e-mail: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    The proposed Federal action 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 drainage service, fulfill the requirements of 
a February 2000 Court Order issued in litigation concerning drainage in 
the San Luis Unit, and be completed under the authority of Public Law 
86-488. The Final 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 the 
Ocean Disposal) involve varying levels of drainwater treatment (by 
reverse osmosis, and/or biological selenium treatment) and/or 
additional land retirement. The resources evaluated in the Final 
include: surface

[[Page 34162]]

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 determined that the action alternatives were unlikely to 
affect traffic and transportation, noise, utilities and public 
services, and Indian Trust Assets.
    Copies of the Final EIS are available for review and inspection at 
the following public libraries:
     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, Mid-Pacific Regional Library, 2800 
Cottage Way, Sacramento, CA 95825; telephone 916-978-5593;
     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 Boulevard, 
Fremont, CA 94538; telephone 510-745-1400;
     Contra Costa County Library, 1750 Oak Park Boulevard, 
Pleasant Hill, CA 94523; telephone 925-646-6434;
     Fresno County Public Library, 2420 Mariposa Street, 
Fresno, CA 93721; telephone 559-488-3195;
     Kern County Public Library, 701 Truxton Avenue, 
Bakersfield, CA 93301; telephone 661-868-0701;
     Kings County Public Library, 401 North Douty Street, 
Hanford, CA 93230; telephone 559-582-0261;
     Merced County Public Library, 1312 South 7th Street, Los 
Banos, CA 95334; telephone 209-826-5254;
     San Joaquin County Public Library, 605 North El Dorado 
Street, Stockton, CA 95334; telephone 209-937-8221;
     San Luis Obispo County Public Library Bookmobile, PO Box 
8107, San Luis Obispo, CA 93403; telephone for Bookmobile schedule/
location 805-788-2145;
     Stanislaus County Public Library, 1500 I Street, Modesto, 
CA 95354; telephone 209-558-7800;
     UC Berkeley Water Resources Center Archives, 410 O'Brien 
Hall, Berkeley, CA 94720; telephone 510-642-2666.

Additional Information

    Additional information is available online at http://www.usbr.gov/mp/sccao/sld/index.html. A Notice of Availability of the Draft EIS was 
published in the Federal Register on June 2, 2005 (70 FR 32370). The 
Final EIS contains responses to all comments received and reflects 
comments and any additional information received during the review 
period.
    Reclamation's practice is to make any communication related to 
proposed projects, including names and home addresses, 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 
communication. 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.

Susan L. Ramos,
Assistant Regional Director, Mid-Pacific Region.
[FR Doc. E6-9184 Filed 6-12-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-MN-P