[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 154 (Friday, August 10, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Pages 45067-45068]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E7-15146]


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INTERNATIONAL BOUNDARY AND WATER COMMISSION, UNITED STATES AND MEXICO


United States Section; Notice of Availability of Draft 
Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement, Improvements to the USIBWC 
Rio Grande Flood Control Projects Along the Texas-Mexico Border

AGENCY: United States Section, International Boundary and Water 
Commission (USIBWC).

ACTION: Notice of availability of Draft Programmatic Environmental 
Impact Statement.

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SUMMARY: Pursuant to section 102(2)(c) of the National Environmental 
Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969, as amended, the United States Section, 
International Boundary and Water Commission (USIBWC) has prepared a 
Draft Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (Draft PEIS) for 
future improvements to three Rio Grande Flood Control Projects (FCP) 
operated by the USIBWC along the Texas-Mexico Border: the Rectification 
FCP, the Presidio FCP and Lower Rio Grande FCP. The PEIS, prepared in 
cooperation with the United States Bureau of Reclamation, United States 
Fish and Wildlife Service and United States Army Corps of Engineers, 
analyzes potential impacts of the No Action Alternative and three 
action alternatives for future FCP improvements under consideration.
    Because several measures under consideration are at a conceptual 
level of development, the USIBWC has taken a broad programmatic look at 
the

[[Page 45068]]

potential environmental implications of measures identified for future 
implementation. The USIBWC will apply the programmatic evaluation as an 
overall guidance for future environmental evaluations of individual 
improvement projects whose implementation is anticipated or possible 
within a 20-year timeframe. Once any given improvement project is 
identified for future implementation, site-specific environmental 
documentation will be developed based on project specifications and 
PEIS findings. Public participation in the evaluation of potential 
effects is encouraged. Public hearings will be held at the Cities of El 
Paso, Presidio and McAllen, Texas, to receive oral comments on the 
Draft PEIS from interested organizations and individuals through 
transcription by a certified court reporter. Written comments may be 
submitted at the public hearings, or mailed to the USIBWC during the 
45-day public review period to the contact and address below.

DATES: Written comments are requested by September 24, 2007, which is 
calculated from the anticipated date of the Environmental Protection 
Agency (EPA) Notice of Availability of August 10, 2007. Public hearings 
will be held at the following locations and dates: (1) El Paso, Texas 
on August 21, 2007, from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. MST at the USIBWC Offices, 
4171 N. Mesa, C-100, El Paso, Texas 79902; (2) Presidio, Texas on 
August 22, 2007, from 6 to 9 p.m. CST at the Presidio Chamber of 
Commerce, 202 W. Oreilly Street, Presidio, Texas 79845; and (3) McAllen 
Texas on August 28, 2007, from 6 to 9 p.m. CST at the Four Point 
Sheraton Hotel, 2721 S. 10th Street, McAllen, Texas 78503. Hearing 
dates and locations also will be announced in local newspapers one week 
prior to hearing dates.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Daniel Borunda, Environmental 
Protection Specialist, Environmental Management Division, USIBWC, 4171 
North Mesa Street, C-100, El Paso, Texas 79902 or e-mail: 
[email protected].
    Copies of the Draft PEIS are available for inspection and review at 
the following locations: United States Section, International Boundary 
and Water Commission, 4171 North Mesa Street, El Paso, Texas; USIBWC 
Mercedes Field Office, 325 Golf Course Road, Mercedes, Texas 78570; 
Brownsville Public Library, 2600 Central Blvd, Brownsville, Texas 
78520; Harlingen Public Library, 410 '76 Drive, Harlingen, Texas 78550; 
McAllen Public Library, 601 N. Main Street, McAllen, Texas 78501; and 
City of Presidio Library, 2440 Oreilly St., Presidio, TX 79845. A copy 
of the Draft PEIS will also be posted at the USIBWC Web site at http://www.ibwc.state.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Draft PEIS analyzes potential effects of 
the No Action Alternative and three action alternatives for future 
improvement of the Rectification, Presidio and Lower Rio Grande Flood 
Control Projects. Potential improvements were organized in three action 
alternatives: (1) Enhanced Operation and Maintenance Alternative, 
focusing on engineering improvements; (2) Integrated Water Resources 
Management Alternative, integrating additional water conservation and 
quality measures to the projects' core mission of flood control and 
water delivery; and (3) Multipurpose Project Management Alternative, 
incorporating additional measures for multiple use of the floodway and 
environmental measures supporting initiatives by federal agencies, 
local governments, and other organizations, to be conducted largely 
under cooperative agreements. The Draft PEIS evaluated three action 
alternatives for each flood control project in terms of potential 
effects relative to those of the No Action Alternative, in the areas of 
water, biological, cultural and socioeconomic resources, land use, and 
environmental health issues.
    A copy of the Draft PEIS has been filed with EPA in accordance with 
40 CFR parts 1500-1508 and USIBWC procedures. The public comment period 
of the Draft PEIS will end 45 days after publication of the NOA in the 
Federal Register by EPA.

    Dated: July 30, 2007.
Susan Daniel,
General Counsel.
 [FR Doc. E7-15146 Filed 8-9-07; 8:45 am]
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