[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 227 (Monday, November 26, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 70460-70461]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-28551]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Indian Affairs


Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for 
the Proposed Ho-Chunk Nation Beloit Casino Project, City of Beloit, 
Rock County, WI

AGENCY: Bureau of Indian Affairs, Interior.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: This notice advises the public that the Bureau of Indian 
Affairs (BIA) as lead agency intends to gather information necessary 
for preparing an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) in connection 
with the Ho-Chunk Nation (Nation) application for a proposed 33-acre 
fee-to-trust transfer and casino project to be located in the City of 
Beloit, Rock County, Wisconsin. This notice also announces a public 
scoping meeting to identify potential issues and content for inclusion 
in the EIS.

DATES: Written comments on the scope of the EIS must arrive by December 
26, 2012. The public scoping meeting will be held on December 13, 2012, 
from 6 p.m. until the last public comment is received.

ADDRESSES: You may mail or hand carry written comments to Ms. Diane 
Rosen, Midwest Regional Director, Bureau of Indian Affairs, Midwest 
Region, Norman Pointe II Building, 5600 West American Boulevard, Suite 
500, Bloomington, MN 55347. Please include your name, return address, 
and ``DEIS Scoping Comments, Ho-Chunk Nation Beloit Casino Project'' on 
the first page of your written comments. The public scoping meeting 
will be held at Aldrich Middle School, 1859 Northgate Drive, Beloit, 
Wisconsin 53511.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Scott Doig, Environmental Protection 
Specialist, Bureau of Indian Affairs, Midwest Region, Norman Pointe II 
Building, 5600 West American Boulevard, Suite 500, Bloomington, MN 
55347; Phone (612) 725-4514.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The proposed action would transfer 
approximately 33 acres of land from fee to trust status, upon which the 
Nation would develop a casino, hotel, parking, and other supporting 
facilities. The property is located within the incorporated boundaries 
of the City of Beloit, Wisconsin. Areas of environmental concern 
identified for analysis in the EIS include land resources, water 
resources, air quality, noise, biological resources, cultural

[[Page 70461]]

resources, resource use patterns, traffic and transportation, public 
health/environmental hazards, public services and utilities, 
socioeconomics, environmental justice, and visual resources/aesthetics. 
Alternatives identified for analysis include the proposed action, a no-
action commercial (non-gaming) construction alternative, a no-action 
no-construction alternative, a reduced-intensity development 
alternative, and an alternative site location alternative. The range of 
issues and alternatives are open to revision based on comments received 
in response to this notice. Additional information, including a map of 
the project site, is available by contacting the person listed in the 
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT section of this notice. Other related 
approvals may be required to implement the project, including approval 
of the Nation's fee-to-trust application, determination of the site's 
eligibility for gaming, compliance with the Clean Water Act, and local 
service agreements. To the extent applicable, the EIS will identify and 
evaluate issues related to these approvals.
    Public Comment Availability: Comments, including names and 
addresses of respondents, will be available for public review at the 
BIA address shown in the ADDRESSES section, during regular business 
hours, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, except holidays. 
Before including your address, phone 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 in your comment that your personal identifying information be 
withheld from public review, the BIA cannot guarantee that this will 
occur.

    Authority:  This notice is published in accordance with sections 
1503.1 and 1506.6 of the Council on Environmental Quality 
Regulations (40 CFR parts 1500 through 1508) implementing the 
procedural requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act of 
1969, as amended (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.), and the Department of the 
Interior National Environmental Policy Act Implementation Policy (43 
CFR part 46), and is in the exercise of authority delegated to the 
Assistant Secretary--Indian Affairs by 209 DM 8.

    Dated: September 20, 2012.
Donald E. Laverdure,
Acting Assistant Secretary--Indian Affairs.
[FR Doc. 2012-28551 Filed 11-23-12; 8:45 am]
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