[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 42 (Friday, March 2, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Page 12873]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-4803]



[[Page 12873]]

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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Indian Affairs


Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the Proposed Spokane 
Tribe of Indians West Plains Casino and Mixed Use Project, City of 
Airway Heights, Spokane County, WA

AGENCY: Bureau of Indian Affairs, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of availability.

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SUMMARY: This notice advises the public that the Bureau of Indian 
Affairs intends to file a draft environmental impact statement with the 
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for the Spokane Tribe of Indians 
West Plains casino and mixed use project, City of Airway Heights, 
Spokane County, Washington. The draft statement is now available for 
public review and BIA will hold a public hearing to receive comments on 
the mixed use project.

DATES: Submit written comments by April 16, 2012. The public hearing 
will be held on March 26, 2012, starting at 6 p.m. and will run until 
the last public comment is received.

ADDRESSES: You may mail or hand deliver written comments to Mr. Stanley 
Speaks, Northwest Regional Director, Bureau of Indian Affairs, 
Northwest Region, 911 Northeast 11th Avenue, Portland, Oregon 97232.
    The public hearing will be held at the Sunset Elementary School 
Gymnasium, 12824 West 12th Avenue, Airway Heights, Washington 99001.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr. B.J. Howerton, Bureau of Indian 
Affairs, Northwest Region, 911 Northeast 11th Avenue, Portland, Oregon 
97232; fax (503) 231-2275; phone (503) 231-6749.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Public review of the draft environmental 
impact statement (DEIS) is part of the administrative process for 
evaluating tribal applications seeking a two-part determination from 
the Secretary of the Interior under Section 20 of the Indian Gaming 
Regulatory Act (25 U.S.C. 2719(b)(1)(B)). Under Council on 
Environmental Quality National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) 
regulations (40 CFR 1506.10), the publication of this notice of 
availability in the Federal Register initiates a 45-day public comment 
period.

Background

    The Spokane Tribe of Indians (Tribe) has requested that the 
Secretary of the Interior issue a two-part determination under Section 
20 of the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act for Class III gaming on 145 
acres held in Federal trust for the Tribe near the City of Airway 
Heights, Washington. The 145-acre project is located immediately west 
of the city limits of Airway Heights in the unincorporated West Plains 
area of Spokane County, Washington.
    The proposed project consists of the following components: (1) 
Issuance of a two-part determination by the Secretary of the Interior; 
and (2) development of a casino-resort facility, parking structure, 
site retail, commercial building, tribal cultural center, and police/
fire station within the project site. At full build-out, the proposed 
casino-resort facility would have approximately 98,442 square feet of 
gaming floor and a 300-room hotel.
    The following alternatives are considered in the DEIS: (1) Proposed 
casino and mixed-use development; (2) reduced casino and mixed-use 
development; (3) non-gaming mixed-use development; and (4) no action/no 
development. Environmental issues addressed in the DEIS include geology 
and soils, water resources, air quality, biological resources, cultural 
and paleontological resources, socioeconomic conditions (including 
environmental justice), transportation and circulation, land use, 
public services, noise, hazardous materials, aesthetics, cumulative 
effects, and indirect and growth inducing effects.
    BIA issues the DEIS as lead agency, with the Spokane Tribe of 
Indians, National Indian Gaming Commission, Washington State Department 
of Transportation, City of Airway Heights, Spokane County, Federal 
Aviation Administration, and U.S. Department of the Air Force serving 
as cooperating agencies. BIA held a public scoping meeting for the 
project on September 16, 2009, in the City of Airway Heights, 
Washington.

Directions for Submitting Comments

    Please include your name, return address, and the caption: ``DEIS 
Comments, Spokane Tribe of Indians West Plains Development Project,'' 
on the first page of your written comments.

Locations Where the DEIS Is Available for Review

    The DEIS will be available for review at the Airway Heights Branch 
of the Spokane County Library District, located at 1213 South Lundstrom 
St. Airway Heights, Washington 99001 and the Spokane Public Library, 
located at 906 West Main Street, Spokane, Washington 99201. The DEIS is 
also available online at: http://www.westplainseis.com.
    To obtain a compact disk copy of the DEIS, please provide your name 
and address in writing or by voice mail to Dr. B.J. Howerton, whose 
contact information is listed in the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT 
section of this notice. Individual paper copies of the DEIS will be 
provided upon payment of printing expenses by the requestor for the 
number of copies requested.

Public Comment Availability

    Comments, including names and addresses of respondents, will be 
available for public review at the BIA mailing address shown in the 
ADDRESSES section of this notice, during regular business hours, 8 a.m. 
to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, except holidays. Before including 
your address, telephone number, email 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.

    Authority: This notice is published under Sec.  1503.1 of the 
Council of Environmental Quality Regulations (40 CFR parts 1500 
through 1508) and Sec.  46.305 of the Department of the Interior 
Regulations (43 CFR part 46), implementing the procedural 
requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act of l969, as 
amended (42 U.S.C. 4371, et seq.), and is in the exercise of 
authority delegated to the Assistant Secretary--Indian Affairs by 
209 DM 8.

    Dated: February 17, 2012.
Larry Echo Hawk,
Assistant Secretary--Indian Affairs.
[FR Doc. 2012-4803 Filed 3-1-12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-W7-P