[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 33 (Friday, February 19, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Page 7522]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-3127]


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INTERNATIONAL BOUNDARY AND WATER COMMISSION, UNITED STATES AND MEXICO


United States Section; Notice of Availability of the Final 
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 Final 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 
Final Environmental Impact Statement (Final EIS) for flood control 
improvements to the Presidio Flood Control Project, Presidio, Texas 
(Presidio FCP). The EIS analyzed potential impacts of the No Action 
Alternative and six action alternatives under consideration. Site-
specific information was 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 were assessed in the Final 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.

DATES: The Draft EIS was available for a 45-day review period, November 
20, 2009 to January 12, 2010. Written comments were incorporated into 
the Final EIS. The USIBWC will announce its decision regarding future 
actions within the Presidio FCP in a Record of Decision to be published 
in the Federal Register no sooner than 30 days after the Environmental 
Protection Agency publishes a Notice of Availability for the Final 
Environmental Impact Statement, Flood Control Improvements and Partial 
Levee Relocation, USIBWC Presidio Flood Control Project, Presidio, 
Texas. A copy of the Final 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.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Daniel Borunda, Acting Division 
Chief, Environmental Management Division, USIBWC, 4171 North Mesa 
Street, C-100, El Paso, Texas 79902 or e-mail: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Final EIS analyzed potential effects of 
the No Action Alternative and six action alternatives for flood control 
improvement alternatives for the Presidio FCP. The following six action 
alternatives were taken into consideration: (1) Retaining the current 
levee alignment, repairing structural levee damages 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.
    Preferred Alternative: The USIBWC has identified Alternative 2, 
raise the levee in-place to provide 25-year flood protection to the 
City of Presidio and the adjacent agricultural areas as the preferred 
alternative for implementation. This has also been identified as the 
environmentally preferred alternative.

    Dated: February 11, 2010.
Eric Meza,
Legal Adviser.
[FR Doc. 2010-3127 Filed 2-18-10; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7010-01-P