[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 217 (Friday, November 7, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 66254-66255]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-26634]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Reclamation


Folsom Dam Safety of Dams Mormon Island Auxiliary Dam (MIAD) 
Modification, California

AGENCY: Bureau of Reclamation, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement/
Environmental Impact Report (EIS/EIR) and notice of public scoping 
meetings.

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SUMMARY: Pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and 
the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), the Bureau of 
Reclamation, the lead Federal agency, and the Sacramento Area Flood 
Control Agency (SAFCA), acting as the lead State agency, will prepare a 
joint EIS/EIR for the proposed Folsom Dam Safety of Dams MIAD 
Modification (Proposed Action). The purpose of the Proposed Action is 
to reduce the seismic and static risk of failure of MIAD. In this way, 
Reclamation will achieve the existing standards for dam safety and 
reduce the risk of injury to those people living and working downstream 
of the Folsom Dam complex.

DATES: A series of scoping meetings will be held to solicit public 
input on the scope of the environmental document, alternatives, 
concerns, and issues to be

[[Page 66255]]

addressed in the EIS/EIR. The scoping meeting dates are:
     Tuesday, December 2, 2008. 1 p.m. to 4 p.m., Folsom, CA.
     Tuesday, December 2, 2008. 6 p.m. to 9 p.m., Folsom, CA.
     Thursday, December 4, 2008. 6 p.m. to 9 p.m., El Dorado 
Hills, CA.
    Written comments on the scope of the EIS/EIR will be accepted until 
January 3, 2009.

ADDRESSES: The public scoping meetings will be held at:
     Folsom: Folsom Community Center, 52 Natoma Street, Folsom, 
CA 95630.
     El Dorado Hills: El Dorado Hills Community Services 
District, 1021 Harvard Way, El Dorado Hills, CA 95762.
    Written comments on the scope of the EIS/EIR document should be 
sent to Ms. Elizabeth Vasquez, Central California Area Office, Bureau 
of Reclamation, 7794 Folsom Dam Road, Folsom, CA 95630-1799; or e-
mailed to [email protected].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. Elizabeth Vasquez, Central 
California Area Office, Bureau of Reclamation, at the CCAO general 
telephone number 916-988-1707, e-mail at: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Background

    The March 2007 Folsom Dam Safety and Flood Damage Reduction EIS/EIR 
(Folsom DS/FDR EIS/EIR) included NEPA/CEQA analysis of modifying MIAD. 
The analysis in the Folsom DS/FDR EIS/EIR considered several methods to 
modify MIAD to achieve Reclamation's risk standards for dam safety. The 
May 2007 Record of Decision Folsom Dam Safety of Dams and Security 
Upgrades Project documented that the preferred alterative for MIAD 
modification was to place an overlay and seepage control filters on the 
downstream (terrestrial) side of MIAD and reinforce the MIAD foundation 
using a construction technique known as jet grouting. At that time, 
some of the required permits and consultations (Endangered Species Act, 
Fish and Wildlife Coordination Act, and Sec 106 of the National 
Historic Preservation Act) were also obtained. Subsequent 
investigations into the feasibility of the MIAD Modification Project as 
conceived in the Folsom DS/FDR EIS/EIR have indicated that the design 
of the MIAD Modification Project will need to be changed to achieve 
Reclamation's existing risk standards for dam safety. Specifically, the 
utilization of jet grouting to stabilize the foundation of MIAD is 
unlikely to meet those risk standards.
    The purpose of the Proposed Action is to reduce the seismic and 
static risk of failure of MIAD. In this way, Reclamation will achieve 
the existing standards for dam safety and reduce the risk of injury to 
those people living and working downstream of the Folsom Dam complex. 
This proposed project is a feature of the Folsom Dam Safety of Dams 
Project, and the analysis will tier from the March 2007 NEPA/CEQA 
environmental analysis, the Folsom DS/FDR EIS/EIR.
    At this time, there are no known or possible Indian trust assets or 
environmental justice issues associated with the Proposed Action.

Special Assistance for Public Scoping Meetings

    If special assistance is required to participate in the public 
hearings, please contact Ms. Elizabeth Vasquez at 916-989-7192, TDD 
916-989-7285, or e-mail [email protected]. Please notify Ms. Vasquez 
as far in advance as possible to enable Reclamation to secure the 
needed services. If a request cannot be honored, the requestor will be 
notified. A telephone device for the hearing impaired (TDD) is 
available at 916-989-7285.

Public Disclosure

    Before including your name, address, phone number, e-mail address, 
or other personal identifying information in your comment, you should 
be aware that your entire comment--including your personal identifying 
information--may be made publicly available at any time. While you can 
ask us in your comment to withhold your personal identifying 
information from public review, we cannot guarantee that we will be 
able to do so.

    Dated: October 28, 2008.
Michael Chotkowski,
Acting Regional Environmental Officer, Mid-Pacific Region.
[FR Doc. E8-26634 Filed 11-6-08; 8:45 am]
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