[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 22 (Friday, February 1, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Pages 7448-7449]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-02158]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Indian Affairs


Final 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 (BIA) as lead agency, with the Spokane Tribe of Indians 
(Tribe), National Indian Gaming Commission (NIGC), Washington State 
Department of Transportation (WSDOT), the City of Airway Heights 
(City), Spokane County, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and 
the U.S. Department of the Air force (Air Force) serving as cooperating 
agencies, intends to file a Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) 
with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for the Spokane 
Tribe of Indians West Plains Casino and Mixed Use Project, City of 
Airway Heights, Spokane County, Washington, and that the FEIS is now 
available for public review.

DATES: The Record of Decision on the proposed action will be issued on 
or after 30 days from the date the EPA publishes its Notice of 
Availability in the Federal Register. Any comments on the FEIS must 
arrive on or before 30 days following the date the EPA publishes its 
Notice of Availability in the Federal Register.

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.

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: 
    Background: The Tribe has requested that the Secretary of the 
Interior issue a two-part determination under Section 20 of the Indian 
Gaming Regulatory Act (IGRA) for Class III gaming on 145 acres held in 
Federal trust for the Tribe in the City of Airway Heights adjacent to 
the unincorporated West Plains area of Spokane County, Washington. The 
project site is located immediately northwest of the intersection of 
U.S. Highway 2 (S-2) and Craig Road.
    The Proposed Project consists of the following components: (1) 
Issuance of a

[[Page 7449]]

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 hotel tower would not exceed 145 
feet above ground level. Access to the project site would be provided 
via three driveways along US-2 and three driveways along Craig Road.
    The following alternatives are considered in the FEIS: (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 FEIS 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.
    The BIA serves as the Lead Agency for compliance with the National 
Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). The BIA has afforded other government 
agencies and the public extensive opportunity to participate in the 
preparation of the FEIS. The BIA held a public scoping meeting for the 
project on September 16, 2009, in the City of Airway Heights, 
Washington. A Notice of Availability for the Draft EIS was published in 
the Federal Register on March 2, 2012 (77 FR 12873) and announced a 45-
day review period ending on April 16, 2012. In response to public 
requests, the BIA published a notice of the reopening of the comment 
period in the Federal Register on April 26, 2012 (77 FR 24976). The 
extended comment period ended on May 16, 2012. The total comment period 
for the Draft EIS was 75 days. The BIA held a public hearing on the 
Draft EIS on March 26, 2012, in the City of Airway Heights.
    Directions for Submitting Comments: Please include your name, 
return address, and the caption: ``FEIS Comments, Spokane Tribe of 
Indians West Plains Development Project,'' on the first page of your 
written comments.
    Locations where the FEIS is Available for Review: The FEIS will be 
available for review at the BIA Spokane Agency Office located at Agency 
Square Road, Building 201, Wellpinit, Washington 99040; the Airway 
Heights Branch of the Spokane County Library District located at 1213 
South Lundstrom Street, Airway Heights, Washington 99001; and the 
Spokane Public Library located at 906 West Main Street, Spokane, 
Washington 99201. The FEIS is also available online at: http://www.westplainseis.com.
    To obtain a compact disk copy of the FEIS, please provide your name 
and address in writing or by voicemail to Dr. B.J. Howerton, 
Environmental Protection Specialist, Bureau of Indian Affairs, 
Northwest Regional Office. Contact information is listed in the FOR 
FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT section of this notice. Individual paper 
copies of the FEIS 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 Department of the Interior Regulations (43 CFR 
part 46), implementing the procedural requirements of the NEPA 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: September 20, 2012.
Donald E. Laverdure,
Assistant Secretary, Indian Affairs.
[FR Doc. 2013-02158 Filed 1-31-13; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-W7-P