[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 170 (Friday, August 31, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 53225-53226]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-21507]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Indian Affairs


Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the Proposed Seminole 
Tribe of Florida Fee-to-Trust, City of Coconut Creek, Broward County, 
FL

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 (BIA) as lead agency, with the Seminole Tribe of Florida 
(Tribe), City of Coconut Creek (City), and Broward County serving as 
cooperating agencies, intends to file a Draft Environmental Impact 
Statement (DEIS) with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) 
for the Seminole Tribe of Florida Fee-to-Trust Project, City of Coconut 
Creek, Florida, Broward County, Florida. This notice announces that the 
DEIS is now available for public review and the date, time, and 
location of a public hearing to receive comments on the DEIS.

DATES: The DEIS will be available for public comment beginning August 
31, 2012. Written comments on the DEIS must arrive by October 15, 2012. 
The public hearing will be held on Tuesday, October 9, 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. 
Franklin Keel, Eastern Regional Director, Bureau of Indian Affairs, 545 
Marriott Drive, Suite 700, Nashville, TN 37214. The public hearing will 
be held at the City of Coconut Creek Commission Chamber, 4800 West 
Copans Road, Coconut Creek, Florida, 33063.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Chester McGhee, Environmental 
Protection Specialist, Bureau of Indian Affairs, Eastern Region, 545 
Marriott Drive, Suite 700, Nashville, TN 37214; fax (615) 564-6701; 
phone (615) 564-6832.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Public review of the DEIS is part of the 
administrative process for the evaluation of tribal application to the 
BIA for the Federal trust acquisition of approximately 45 acres in 
Coconut Creek, Broward County, Florida. The Tribe proposes to construct 
a hotel/resort on the trust property subsequent to the trust 
acquisition. A Notice of Intent (NOI) was published in the Sun-Sentinel 
on August 5, 6, and 7, 2010 and in the Federal Register on August 6, 
2010 (75 FR 47616). The BIA held a public scoping meeting for the 
project on September 15, 2010, at the Coral Springs High School 
Auditorium, in Coral Springs, Florida. Pursuant to Council on 
Environmental Quality (CEQ) 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 Tribe has requested that the Secretary of the Interior acquire 
approximately 45 acres of Tribal-owned land in Federal trust for the 
Tribe in the City of Coconut Creek, Florida. The

[[Page 53226]]

project site is located northeast of the intersection of U.S. Highway 
7/US-441 and Sample Road. The property surrounds on three sides the 
existing Seminole Coconut Creek Trust Property, currently housing the 
Coconut Creek Casino. The Proposed Action consists of transferring the 
45 acres of property and the subsequent development of a 
hotel/resort and other ancillary uses (Proposed Project). At full 
build-out, the proposed hotel/resort facility would total approximately 
47,000 square-feet (sf) of retail space, 54,000 sf of dining, a 2,500 
seat showroom, and a 1,000-room hotel. The hotel tower would not exceed 
275 feet above ground level. Access to the project site would be 
provided via one driveway along Sample Road, one driveway along SR-7/
US-441, and one driveway along NW 54th Avenue. The following 
alternatives are considered in the DEIS:
     Alternative A--Proposed Project;
    [cir] Sub-Alternative A-1--No Coconut Creek Approvals or 
Agreements;
     Alternative B--Reduced Intensity Alternative;
     Alternative C--No Action by Federal Government;
    [cir] Sub-Alternative C-1--No Coconut Creek Approvals or 
Agreements.
    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.
    Directions for Submitting Comments: Please include your name, 
return address, and the caption: ``DEIS Comments, Seminole Tribe of 
Florida Fee-to-Trust Project,'' on the first page of your written 
comments.
    Locations where the DEIS is Available for Review: The DEIS is 
available for review at the Broward County Northwest Regional Library 
located at 3151 University Drive, Coral Springs, Florida, 33065 and the 
City of Coconut Creek City Hall located at 4800 West Copans Road, 
Coconut Creek, Florida, 33063. The DEIS is also available online at: 
http://www.seminoleeis.com.
    To obtain a compact disk copy of the DEIS, please provide your name 
and address in writing or by voicemail to Chester McGhee, Environmental 
Protection Specialist, Bureau of Indian Affairs, Eastern Regional 
Office. Contact information is listed below in the FOR FURTHER 
INFORMATION CONTACT section of this notice. Individual paper copies of 
the DEIS will be provided upon payment of applicable 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 pursuant to Sec. 1503.1 of 
the Council of Environmental Quality Regulations (40 CFR parts 1500 
through 1508) and Sec. 46.305 of the Department of Interior 
Regulations (43 CFR part 46), implementing the procedural 
requirements of the NEPA of 1969, 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: August 9, 2012.
Donald E. Laverdure,
Acting Assistant Secretary--Indian Affairs.
[FR Doc. 2012-21507 Filed 8-30-12; 8:45 am]
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