[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 151 (Tuesday, August 7, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Pages 44180-44181]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E7-15294]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

National Park Service


Final Environmental Impact Statement, Systems Conveyance and 
Operations Program, Lake Mead National Recreation Area, Clark County, 
NV; Notice of Approval of Record of Decision

    Summary: Pursuant to section 102(2)(C) of the National 
Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (Pub. L. 91-190, as amended) and the 
implementing regulations promulgated by the Council on Environmental 
Quality (40 CFR 1505.2), the Department of the Interior, National Park 
Service has prepared, and the Regional Director, Pacific West Region 
has approved, the Record of Decision for the Clean Water Coalition's 
proposed System Conveyance and Operations Program. The formal no-action 
period was officially initiated February 23, 2007, with the U.S. 
Environmental Protection Agency's Federal Register notification of the 
filing of the Final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS).
    Decision: The Final EIS analyzed a no-action alternative, a process 
improvement alternative, and three

[[Page 44181]]

pipeline alternatives that would variously redirect a portion of highly 
treated effluent from the Las Vegas Wash into the Boulder Basin. The 
selected alternative--Boulder Islands North pipeline alternative--
combines use of current conventional treatment processes, plant 
optimization, and increased treatment. In addition, a pipeline will be 
constructed to convey highly treated effluent from three treatment 
facilities to a discharge location near the Boulder Islands in Lake 
Mead. There will be flexibility in discharge conveyed depending upon 
lake conditions and the objectives identified in the Boulder Basin 
Adaptive Management Plan which was developed and agreed to by all 
involved parties. As documented in the Final EIS, this course of action 
was deemed to be ``environmentally preferred''.
    The Final EIS, and previously in the Draft EIS (the latter was 
released in September 2005), assessed the full spectrum of foreseeable 
environmental consequences, and appropriate mitigation measures 
identified, for each alternative considered. Beginning with early 
scoping, through the preparation of the Draft and Final EIS, numerous 
public meetings were hosted. Approximately 500 oral and written 
comments were received during the scoping phase or in response to the 
Draft EIS. Key coordination, consultations, or other contacts which 
aided in preparing the Draft and Final EIS involved (but were not 
limited to) the Bureau of Reclamation, cities of Las Vegas and 
Henderson, Clark County Water Reclamation District, Metropolitan Water 
District of Southern California, Southern Nevada Water Authority, 
Nevada State Historic Preservation Office, the Bureau of Land 
Management, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Local communities, 
county and city officials, and interested organizations were contacted 
extensively during initial scoping and throughout the conservation 
planning and environmental impact analysis process.
    Copies: Interested parties desiring to review the Record of 
Decision may obtain a complete copy by contacting the Superintendent, 
Lake Mead National Recreation Area, 601 Nevada Highway, Boulder City, 
NV 89005; or via telephone request at (702) 293-8920.

    Dated: July 5, 2007.
Patricia L. Neubacher,
Acting Regional Director, Pacific West Region.
[FR Doc. E7-15294 Filed 8-6-07; 8:45 am]
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