[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 30 (Tuesday, February 17, 2009)]
[Notices]
[Page 7406]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-3249]



[[Page 7406]]

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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Department of the Army; Corps of Engineers


Intent To Prepare a Supplemental Draft Environmental Impact 
Statement for the Proposed Northern Integrated Supply Project in 
Northeastern Colorado

AGENCY: Department of the Army, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, DoD.

ACTION: Notice of intent.

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SUMMARY: The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (COE) is preparing a 
Supplemental Draft Environmental Impact Statement (SDEIS) to further 
analyze the direct, indirect and cumulative effects of the Northern 
Integrated Supply Project (NISP). Construction of the proposed Project 
will result in temporary and permanent impacts to jurisdictional waters 
of the United States, thereby requiring a Clean Water Act Section 404 
permit. The COE released a Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) 
for NISP April 30, 2008. Significant comments were received during 
three public hearings held for the Draft Environmental Impact Statement 
(DEIS) as well as submitted during the comment period. The COE has 
determined that substantial additional analysis is required and that 
the purposes of the National Environmental Policy Act would be 
furthered through the preparation of the SDEIS.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Questions and comments regarding the 
proposed action and SDEIS should be addressed to Chandler Peter, NEPA/
404b1 Coordinator, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, 9307 South Wadsworth 
Boulevard, Littleton, CO 80128; (303) 979-4120; 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: NISP is a collaborative regional water 
supply project between 15 water providers (Participants) and the 
Northern Colorado Water Conservancy District acting by and through the 
Northern Integrated Supply Project Water Activity Enterprise 
(District). The Participants are a group of growing towns and rural 
domestic water districts located in Larimer, Weld, and Boulder 
Counties, CO. The participants are: Central Weld County Water District, 
Dacono, Eaton, Erie, Evans, Firestone, Frederick, Fort Collins Loveland 
Water District, Fort Lupton, Fort Morgan, Lafayette, Left Hand Water 
District, Morgan County Quality Water District, Severance, and Windsor. 
The project will provide approximately 40,000 acre-feet of new reliable 
water supply, which will meet a portion of the Participants' estimated 
2025 additional water supply needs. The Northern Integrated Supply 
Project would be a non-federal project constructed, owned and operated 
by the District.
    The SDEIS will be prepared according to the COE's procedures for 
implementing the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969, as 
amended, 42 U.S.C.4332(2)(c), and consistent with the COE's policy to 
facilitate public understanding and review of agency proposals. A full 
range of reasonable alternatives, including the proposed Project and no 
action, were evaluated in the DEIS. Revisions to some of those 
alternatives as well as additional analysis involving factors such as 
hydrology, geomorphology, aquatic resources, water quality, and 
cumulative effects will be accomplished in the SDEIS. Scoping meetings 
will not be held pursuant to 40 CFR 1502.9(c)(4). Public hearings will 
be conducted on the SDEIS which has an anticipated release of June 
2010.
    The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the U.S. Fish and 
Wildlife Service, the Colorado Department of Transportation, and 
Larimer County are cooperating agencies in the formulation of the EIS.

Chandler J. Peter,
NEPA/404b1 Coordinator, Operations Division, Omaha District.
[FR Doc. E9-3249 Filed 2-13-09; 8:45 am]
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