[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 108 (Monday, June 7, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Pages 32209-32210]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-13512]



[[Page 32209]]

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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Reclamation


North San Pablo Bay Restoration and Reuse Project

AGENCY: Bureau of Reclamation, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of Availability of the Final Environmental Impact Report 
and Environmental Impact Statement (Final EIR/EIS).

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SUMMARY: Pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and 
the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), the Bureau of 
Reclamation (Reclamation), the Federal lead agency, and Sonoma County 
Water Agency (SCWA), acting as project administrator of the North Bay 
Water Reuse Authority (NBWRA) and the State lead agency, have prepared 
a Final EIR/EIS for the implementation of the North San Pablo Bay 
Restoration and Reuse Project (Project), also referred to as the North 
Bay Water Recycling Program.
    The purpose of the Project is to create a regional wastewater reuse 
project to provide recycled water for agricultural, urban, and 
environmental uses and to promote the expanded beneficial use of 
recycled water in the North Bay region. In this way, water demand 
issues and wastewater discharge issues of the region can be addressed 
in an integrated and synergistic manner. Implementation of the Project 
would include upgrades to treatment processes and construction of 
pipelines, pump station, and storage facilities to distribute recycled 
water for use in compliance with Article 4 in Title 22 of the 
California Code of Regulations, which sets water quality standards and 
treatment reliability criteria for recycled water. The Project may be 
partially Federally funded under Title XVI of Public Law 102-575, as 
amended, which provides a mechanism for Federal participation and cost 
sharing in approved water reuse projects, and also non-title XVI funds.
    A Notice of Availability of the Draft EIR/EIS was published in the 
Federal Register on May 12, 2009 (74 FR 22175). The written comment 
period on the Draft EIR/EIS extended to July 20, 2009. The Final EIR/
EIS contains responses to all comments received and reflects comments 
and any additional information received during the review period.

DATES: Reclamation will not make a decision on the Project until at 
least 30 days after the release of the Final EIR/EIS. After the 30-day 
consideration period, Reclamation will complete a Record of Decision 
(ROD). The ROD will state the action that will be implemented and will 
discuss all factors leading to the decision.

ADDRESSES: A compact disc or a copy of the Final EIR/EIS may be 
requested from Mr. Marc Bautista, SCWA, 404 Aviation Boulevard, Santa 
Rosa, CA 95403; by writing to the SCWA, P.O. Box 11628, Santa Rosa, CA 
95406; by calling (707) 547-1998; or by e-mailing 
[email protected]. The Final EIR/EIS is also available on the 
following Web site at http://www.usbr.gov/mp/nepa/nepa_projdetails.cfm?Project_ID=2157.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Marc Bautista, SCWA, 707-547-1998; 
[email protected], or Mr. Doug Kleinsmith, Reclamation, (916) 978-
5034, TDD (916) 978-5608, or via e-mail at [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The NBWRA, established under a Memorandum of 
Understanding (MOU) in August 2005, is comprised of four wastewater 
utilities and one water agency in the North San Pablo Bay region of 
California. Participants include SCWA, Las Gallinas Valley Sanitary 
District (LGVSD), Novato Sanitary District (Novato SD), Sonoma Valley 
County Sanitation District (SVCSD), and Napa Sanitation District (Napa 
SD). In addition, North Marin Water District and the County of Napa are 
participating financially and providing support. NBWRA proposes to 
expand the use of recycled water and reduce discharge into San Pablo 
Bay with this long-term inter-agency project. The area encompasses 318 
square miles of land in Marin, Sonoma, and Napa counties.
    The North San Pablo Bay regions of Sonoma, Marin and Napa counties 
are facing long-term water supply shortfalls. Surface and groundwater 
supplies within these areas are limited, and some local groundwater 
basins are overpumped, with detrimental effects on water levels and 
water quality. Recycled water can augment local water supplies on a 
regional basis, provide water that meets agricultural and municipal 
nonpotable quality needs, and provide increased reliability.
    Additionally, reliable water supply is needed in order to continue 
the restoration of tidal wetlands in San Pablo Bay that contain habitat 
for endangered and threatened species. Wastewater treatment agencies 
also face strict regulatory limits on the timing and quality of the 
treated wastewater they can discharge to San Pablo Bay, as well as the 
rivers and streams that flow to it. By treating wastewater to the 
stricter regulatory levels required for reuse, the agencies can recycle 
the water productively to address water supply needs and reduce the 
amount released to North San Pablo Bay and its tributaries. The project 
would provide recycled water for agricultural, urban, and environmental 
uses thereby reducing reliance on local and imported surface water and 
groundwater supplies and reducing the amount of treated effluent 
released to North San Pablo Bay and its tributaries. Some of the 
project benefits include reduction of wastewater discharge to regional 
waterways and the resulting environmental benefit to fish and wildlife.
    The Project consists of distribution facilities, treatment capacity 
improvements, and storage to recover and reuse between 6,655 and 12,750 
acre-feet per year of recycled water available for environmental, 
agricultural, and municipal reuse.
    The Draft EIR/EIS was developed to provide the public and 
responsible and trustee agencies reviewing the Project an analysis of 
the potential effects, both beneficial and adverse, on the local and 
regional environment associated with construction and operation of the 
Project. The Draft EIR/EIS documented the direct, indirect, and 
cumulative effects to the physical, biological, and socioeconomic 
environment that may result from the Project.
    The Draft EIR/EIS addressed potentially significant environmental 
issues and recommends adequate and feasible mitigation measures to 
reduce or eliminate significant environmental impacts. The Draft EIR/
EIS examined three alternatives at an equal level of detail: Basic 
System, Partially Connected System, and Fully Connected System. The 
Phase I Implementation Plan for these alternatives was examined at a 
project level of detail. The Draft EIR/EIS also examined the No Project 
Alternative, No Action Alternative, and other Alternatives to the 
Proposed Action.
    A series of public meetings on the Draft EIR/EIS were held in June 
2009. Copies of the Final EIR/EIS are available for public review at 
the following locations:
     Bureau of Reclamation, Mid-Pacific Regional Office 
Library, 2800 Cottage Way, Sacramento, CA 95825.
     Sonoma County Water Agency, 404 Aviation Way, Santa Rosa, 
CA 95403.
     Las Gallinas Valley Sanitary District, 300 Smith Ranch 
Road, San Rafael, CA 94903.
     Novato Sanitary District, 500 Davidson Street, Novato, CA 
94945.
     Napa Sanitation District, 935 Hartle Court, Napa, CA 
94559.

[[Page 32210]]

     Sonoma Valley Regional Library, 755 West Napa St., Sonoma, 
CA 95476.
     Sonoma County Central Library, 211 E Street, Santa Rosa, 
CA 95404.
     Marin County--Novato Branch Library, 1720 Novato Blvd., 
Novato, CA 94947.
     Napa City--County Library, 580 Coombs Street, Napa, CA 
94559.
     Marin County--Central Branch Library, 3501 Civic Center 
Drive 427, San Rafael, CA 94903.
    Before including your name, address, phone number, e-mail address, 
or other personal identifying information in any correspondence, you 
should be aware that your entire correspondence, including your 
personal identifying information, may be made publicly available at any 
time. While you can request in your correspondence that Reclamation 
withhold your personal identifying information from public review, we 
cannot guarantee Reclamation is able to do so.

    Dated: October 30, 2009.
Pablo R. Arroyave,
Deputy Regional Director, Mid-Pacific Region.

    Editorial Note: This document was received in the Office of the 
Federal Register on June 2, 2010.

[FR Doc. 2010-13512 Filed 6-4-10; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-MN-P