[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 225 (Tuesday, November 24, 2009)]
[Notices]
[Page 61366]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-28136]


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INTERNATIONAL BOUNDARY AND WATER COMMISSION, UNITED STATES AND MEXICO


United States Section; Notice of Availability of Draft 
Environmental Impact Statement, Flood Control Improvements and Partial 
Levee Relocation, Presidio Flood Control Project, Presidio, TX

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

ACTION: Notice of Availability of Draft 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 Environmental Impact Statement (Draft EIS) for flood control 
improvements to the Presidio Flood Control Project, Presidio, Texas 
(Presidio FCP). The EIS analyzes potential impacts of the No Action 
Alternative and six action alternatives under consideration. Site-
specific information is used to evaluate environmental consequences 
that may result from implementing improvements in the upper, middle and 
lower reaches of the Presidio FCP. The following environmental 
resources are assessed in the Draft EIS: Biological resources, cultural 
resources, water resources, land use, socioeconomic resources and 
transportation, environmental health issues (air quality, noise, public 
health, and environmental hazards), and cumulative impacts. A public 
hearing will be held in the City of Presidio to receive comments on the 
Draft EIS from interested organizations and individuals through 
transcription by a certified court reporter. Written comments may be 
submitted at the public hearing, or mailed to the USIBWC during the 
public review period to the contact and address below.

DATES: Written comments are requested by January 12, 2010. The Draft 
EIS for the Presidio Flood Control Project will be available to 
agencies, organizations and the general public on November 20, 2009. A 
copy of the Draft EIS will be available for review at the City of 
Presidio Library, 2440 O'Reilly Street, Presidio, Texas 79845, and will 
also be posted at the USIBWC Web site at http://www.ibwc.gov. The 
USIBWC will conduct a public hearing at the Presidio Activities Center, 
1200 East O'Reilly Street, Presidio, Texas 79845, on December 10, 2009, 
from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. CST. The hearing date and location will also be 
announced in local newspapers two weeks prior to the hearing date.

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].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Draft EIS analyzes potential effects of 
the No Action Alternative and flood control improvement alternatives 
for the Presidio FCP. The following six action alternatives are under 
consideration: (1) Retaining the current levee alignment, repairing 
structural levee damage and raising some levee segments as required to 
ensure full protection from a 25-year flood event; (2) 100-year flood 
protection of the City of Presidio and agricultural lands along the 
Presidio FCP by raising the levee system along its entire length and 
current alignment; (3) raising the entire levee system for 100-year 
flood protection, retaining current levee alignment in the upper and 
middle reaches of the Presidio FCP but partially relocating 
approximately 3.4 miles of the levee in the lower reach; (4) 100-year 
flood protection of the City of Presidio by raising the levee system in 
the upper and middle reaches of the Presidio FCP, in conjunction with a 
new 1.3-mile spur levee starting at mile 9.2 to connect the raised 
levee section to elevated terrain south of the City of Presidio; a 25-
year flood protection would be retained in the lower reach along 
agricultural lands; (5) 100-year flood protection of the City of 
Presidio by raising in place the levee system along the upper and 
middle reaches of the Presidio FCP, constructing a new 1.4-mile spur 
levee at mile 8.5, and retaining the 25-year flood protection in the 
lower reach; and (6) raising the levee along the upstream sections of 
the levee system to provide 100-year flood protection to the City of 
Presidio and retaining the 25-year flood protection of agricultural 
lands in the lower reach, as in the two previous alternatives, and 
constructing a new 2.9-mile-long spur levee in the middle reach, 
starting at levee mile 7.3, along a railroad track.
    Five copies of the Draft EIS for the Presidio FCP have been filed 
with USEPA, Region 6 Office of Federal Activities, in accordance with 
40 CFR parts 1500-1508 and USIBWC procedures. The public comment period 
of the Draft EIS will end January 12, 2010.

    Dated: November 18, 2009.
Pamela Barber,
Legal Counsel.
[FR Doc. E9-28136 Filed 11-23-09; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7010-01-P