[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 227 (Friday, November 27, 2009)]
[Notices]
[Pages 62346-62347]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-28370]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Reclamation


Mormon Island Auxiliary Dam (MIAD) Modification Project, 
Sacramento and El Dorado Counties, CA

AGENCY: Bureau of Reclamation, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of availability of the Draft Supplemental Environmental 
Impact Statement/Environmental Impact Report (EIS/EIR) and notice of 
public meeting.

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SUMMARY: Pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act and the 
California Environmental Quality Act, the Bureau of Reclamation 
(Reclamation), the lead Federal agency and the Sacramento Area Flood 
Control Agency (SAFCA), the CEQA lead agency, have made available for 
public review and comment a Draft Supplemental EIS/EIR for the MIAD 
Modification Project.
    The MIAD Modification Project is a feature of the larger Folsom Dam 
Safety/Flood Damage Reduction (DS/FDR) Project currently underway by 
Reclamation, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps), and the Corps' 
non-Federal sponsors, the Central Valley Flood Protection Board and 
SAFCA, to address hydrologic, static, and seismic issues at Folsom Dam 
and Reservoir. The analysis in the Folsom DS/FDR EIS/EIR considered 
several methods to modify MIAD to achieve Reclamation's risk standards 
for dam safety. Subsequent investigations have shown that the preferred 
alternative's design approaches and construction techniques 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 will not meet Reclamation's dam safety standards. 
The purpose of this Draft Supplemental EIS/EIR is to analyze additional 
techniques to stabilize the MIAD foundation to meet the existing risk 
standards for dam safety.
    Additionally, the supplement addresses potential environmental 
effects associated with completing mitigation for the Folsom DS/FDR 
Project at the Mississippi Bar site. The two mitigation alternatives 
include the improvement of up to 80 acres of seasonal wetland and 
riparian habitat and the no action alternative. The environmental 
effects of the mitigation were not addressed in the previous 
environmental document as the location for mitigation had not been 
determined.

DATES: Comments on the MIAD Modification Project Draft Supplemental 
EIS/EIR should be submitted on or before January 18, 2010.
    Two public meetings will be held to provide interested individuals 
with an opportunity to comment in writing on the MIAD Modification 
Project Draft Supplemental EIS/EIR. Each public meeting will allow time 
to review information displays, ask questions, and provide written 
comments on distributed comment forms:
     Wednesday, December 16, 2009, 6 to 9 p.m., Folsom, CA.
     Thursday, December 17, 2009, 6 to 9 p.m., El Dorado Hills, 
CA.

[[Page 62347]]


ADDRESSES: The public 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.
    Send written comments on the MIAD Modification Project Draft 
Supplemental EIS/EIR and requests for a compact disk or a bound copy of 
the Draft Supplemental EIS/EIR to Mr. Matthew See, Bureau of 
Reclamation, 7794 Folsom Dam Road, Folsom, CA 95630 (e-mail: 
[email protected]; telephone: 916-989-7198). The MIAD Draft Supplemental 
EIS/EIR will also be available at: http://www.usbr.gov/mp/nepa/nepa_projdetails.cfm?Project_ID=3472.
    Copies of the MIAD Modification Project Draft Supplemental EIS/EIR 
are available for public review at the following locations:
    Bureau of Reclamation, Denver Office Library, Building 67, Room 
167, Denver Federal Center, 6th and Kipling, Denver CO 80225.
    Bureau of Reclamation, Mid-Pacific Regional Office Library, 2800 
Cottage Way, W-1825, Sacramento, CA 95825-1989.
    El Dorado County Library, 345 Fair Lane, Placerville, CA 95667-
5699.
    Folsom Public Library, 411 Stafford Street, Folsom, CA 95630.
    Natural Resources Library, U.S. Department of the Interior, 1849 C 
Street, NW., Main Interior Building, Washington, DC 20240-0001.
    Roseville Public Library, 311 Vernon Street, Roseville, CA 95678.
    Sacramento Central Library, 828 I Street, Sacramento, CA 95814-
2589.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Matthew See at 916-989-7198, TDD 
916-989-7285, e-mail [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Folsom Facility consists of 12 
structures (dams and dikes), that impound the American River forming 
Folsom Reservoir. As part of their responsibilities, Reclamation and 
the Corps have determined that the Folsom Facility requires structural 
improvements to increase overall public safety above existing 
conditions including addressing dam safety and security issues. Both 
Reclamation and the Corps share in the responsibility of ensuring that 
the Folsom Facility is maintained and operated under their respective 
agency dam safety regulations and guidelines, as defined by Congress. 
The improvements will enhance the facility's ability to reduce flood 
damages posed by hydrologic (flood), seismic (earthquake), and static 
(seepage) events. These events have a low probability of occurrence in 
a given year; however, due to the large population downstream of Folsom 
Dam, modifying the facilities is prudent and necessary to improve 
public safety above current baseline conditions and meet current safety 
standards.
    Reclamation has identified the need for expedited action to reduce 
hydrologic, static, and seismic risks under its Safety of Dams (SOD) 
Program and security issues under its Security Program. These 
identified risks are among the highest risks for all dams in 
Reclamation's inventory, and the Folsom Facility is among Reclamation's 
highest priorities within its SOD Program. Both Reclamation and the 
Corps have conducted engineering studies to identify potential 
corrective measures for the Folsom Facility to alleviate seismic, 
static, and hydrologic dam safety issues and flood management concerns. 
These two Federal agencies have combined their efforts resulting in (1) 
a Joint Federal Project for addressing Reclamation's dam safety 
hydrologic risk and the Corps' flood damage red objectives and (2) 
other stand-alone flood damage reduction and dam safety actions to be 
completed by the respective agencies in a coordinated manner.
    A supplemental EIS/EIR is required to address the potential 
environmental effects of the newly proposed foundation stabilizing 
methods. The Draft Supplemental EIS/EIR describes four action 
alternatives that address the stabilization of both the upstream (water 
side) and downstream (dry side) foundations of MIAD. The No Action 
alternative is also included in these analyses. To address the upstream 
foundation seismic issues, an overlay would be added. To address the 
downstream foundation seismic issues, the foundation needs to be 
completely excavated and replaced. The four action alternatives address 
different methods of excavation and replacement of the downstream 
foundation.
    The MIAD Modification Project Draft Supplemental EIS/EIR discusses 
the project background, purpose and need, project description and 
alternatives, and related projects. The Draft Supplemental EIS/EIR 
addresses the impacts of project construction on aquatic resources, 
terrestrial vegetation and wildlife, hydrology, water quality, flood 
control, groundwater, water supply, socioeconomics, cultural resources, 
soils, minerals, geological resources, visual resources, transportation 
and circulation, land use, planning and zoning, recreation resources, 
public services and utilities, air quality, public health and safety, 
growth inducement, noise, environmental justice, and Indian trust 
assets.

Special Assistance for Public Meetings

    If special assistance is required at the public meetings, please 
contact Mr. Matthew See, Bureau of Reclamation, at 916-989-7198. Please 
notify Mr. See as far in advance of the meetings as possible to enable 
Reclamation to secure the needed services. If a request cannot be 
honored, the requestor will be notified.

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 19, 2009.
Pablo R. Arroyave,
Deputy Regional Director, Mid-Pacific Region.
[FR Doc. E9-28370 Filed 11-25-09; 8:45 am]
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