[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 49 (Wednesday, March 13, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Pages 15973-15974]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-05604]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Reclamation


Notice of Public Scoping Meetings for the Pojoaque Basin Regional 
Water System Environmental Impact Statement, New Mexico

AGENCY: Bureau of Reclamation, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of public scoping meetings.

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SUMMARY: Pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, as 
amended, the Bureau of Reclamation is preparing an environmental impact 
statement for the Pojoaque Basin Regional Water System. As part of that 
process, Reclamation will host five public scoping meetings to provide 
information on the project and to solicit input on the scope of the 
document, alternatives, concerns, and issues to be addressed in the 
environmental impact statement.

DATES: Public scoping meetings will be held from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. 
on the following dates:
     Monday, April 1, 2013, in Tesuque, New Mexico.
     Tuesday, April 2, 2013, in Pojoaque, New Mexico.
     Wednesday, April 3, 2013, in Santa Fe, New Mexico.
     Thursday, April 4, 2013, in Espa[ntilde]ola, New Mexico.
     Tuesday, April 9, 2013, in Taos, New Mexico.
    The scoping period will be open from March 13, 2013 to May 3, 2013.

ADDRESSES: Public scoping meetings will be held at the following 
locations:
     Tesuque--Tesuque Valley Elementary School Cafeteria, 1555

[[Page 15974]]

Bishop's Lodge Road, Tesuque, New Mexico, 87574.
     Pojoaque--Pojoaque Valley School District Campus, West 
Wing Conference Room, 1574 State Road 502 West, Santa Fe, New Mexico 
87506.
     Santa Fe--Santa Fe Community College, Jemez Rooms 1&2, 
6401 Richards Avenue, Santa Fe, New Mexico 87508.
     Espa[ntilde]ola--Northern New Mexico College, Cafeteria, 
921 N. Paseo de O[ntilde]ate, Espa[ntilde]ola, New Mexico 87532.
     Taos--Taos Convention Center, Rio Grande Hall, Room A, 120 
Civic Plaza, Taos, New Mexico 87571.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. Molly Thrash, Bureau of 
Reclamation, Albuquerque Area Office, 555 Broadway NE., Suite 100, 
Albuquerque, New Mexico, 87102; telephone (505) 462-3702; facsimile 
(505) 462-3780; email [email protected]. Persons who use a 
telecommunications device for the deaf may call the Federal Information 
Relay Service (FIRS) at 1-800-877-8339 to contact the above individual 
during normal business hours. The FIRS is available 24 hours a day, 7 
days a week to leave a message or question with the above individual. 
You will receive a reply during normal business hours.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Bureau of Reclamation is the lead 
Federal agency for preparation of the Pojoaque Basin Regional Water 
System Environmental Impact Statement (EIS). As such, Reclamation 
published a Notice of Intent to Prepare an EIS on February 24, 2012 (77 
FR 11155). The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Bureau of Indian Affairs, 
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Indian Health Service, New Mexico 
Department of Transportation, New Mexico Office of the State Engineer, 
County of Santa Fe, City of Santa Fe, and the Pueblos of Namb[eacute], 
Pojoaque, San Ildefonso, and Tesuque have been invited to participate 
as cooperating agencies. Other entities may be considered as necessary 
during the EIS process.
    Reclamation is proposing to plan, design, and construct the 
Pojoaque Basin Regional Water System in accordance with the Aamodt 
Litigation Settlement Act, which is Title VI of the Claims Resolution 
Act of 2010 (Pub. L. 111-291, Title VI; 124 Stat. 3065). The proposed 
project would divert, treat, and distribute potable water to the Pueblo 
and non-Pueblo residents of the Pojoaque Basin. The Regional Water 
System would consist of surface water diversion and water treatment 
facilities within the boundaries of San Ildefonso Pueblo on the Rio 
Grande and storage tanks, transmission and distribution pipelines, and 
aquifer storage and recovery well fields that would supply up to 4,000 
acre-feet of water annually to customers within the Pojoaque Basin.
    Additional Information on the project is available at the project 
Web site at PojoaqueBasinEIS.com.

Public Scoping

    Scoping is an early, ongoing, and open public process for 
determining the relevant issues to be addressed in the EIS and for 
identifying any significant issues and suggested alternatives related 
to the proposed Federal action.
    Public comments on the scope and content of the EIS may be provided 
at the public meetings, submitted online through the project Web site, 
sent via email or facsimile, or mailed to the address shown below. To 
be most effectively considered, comments should be submitted by May 3, 
2013.
    Public comments and/or requests to be added to the project mailing 
list will be accepted at all of the public scoping meetings or by any 
of the methods shown below:
     Email: [email protected].
     Facsimile: (505) 462-3780.
     Web site: PojoaqueBasinEIS.com.
     Address: Bureau of Reclamation, Albuquerque Area Office, 
Suite 100 (ALB-842), 555 Broadway NE., Suite 100, Albuquerque, New 
Mexico, 87102.
    In addition to the public scoping meetings described above, 
Reclamation may host additional scoping meetings with Pueblo members at 
or near each of the four Pueblos. Government-to-government consultation 
will continue with the Pueblo governments and coordination will 
continue with other Federal and State agencies.

Special Assistance for Public Meetings

    If special assistance is required to participate in a particular 
scoping meeting, please contact Ms. Molly Thrash at (505) 462-3702, or 
via email at [email protected]. A telephone device for the hearing 
impaired is available at 1-800-877-8339. Please provide notification as 
far in advance as possible to enable Reclamation to secure the needed 
services. If a request cannot be honored, the requestor will be 
notified.

Public Disclosure

    Before including your address, phone number, email address, or 
other personal identifying information in any communication, you should 
be aware that your entire comments--including your personal identifying 
information--may be made publicly available at any time. While you can 
ask us in your communication to withhold your personal identifying 
information from public review, we cannot guarantee that we will be 
able to do so.

    Dated: January 16, 2013.
 Larry Walkoviak,
 Regional Director--Upper Colorado Region, Bureau of Reclamation.
[FR Doc. 2013-05604 Filed 3-12-13; 8:45 am]
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