[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 10 (Wednesday, January 15, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 2691-2692]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-00476]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Reclamation

[14XR0680A1, RX.00236101.0021000, RR04313000]


Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement and 
Announcement of Public Scoping Meetings for Continued Implementation of 
the 2008 Operating Agreement for the Rio Grande Project, New Mexico and 
Texas

AGENCY: Bureau of Reclamation, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of intent.

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SUMMARY: The Bureau of Reclamation is issuing this notice to advise the 
public that an environmental impact statement (EIS) will be prepared 
for the proposed continued implementation of the 2008 Operating 
Agreement over its entire remaining term (through 2050) for the Rio 
Grande Project in New Mexico and Texas. The Operating Agreement is a 
written detailed description of how Reclamation allocates, releases 
from storage, and delivers Rio Grande Project water to users within the 
Elephant Butte Irrigation District (EBID) in New Mexico, the El Paso 
County Water Improvement District No. 1 (EPCWID) in Texas, and to users 
covered by the 1906 international treaty with Mexico. In addition, this 
EIS proposes to evaluate the environmental effects of renewing San Juan 
Chama Project storage contracts under authority of the Act of December 
29, 1981, Pub. L. 97-140, 95 Stat. 1717, providing for storage in 
Elephant Butte Reservoir.

DATES: Comments on the scope of the EIS must be received by February 
14, 2014.
    Three public scoping meetings will be held to solicit public input 
on the scope of the EIS, potential alternatives, and issues to be 
addressed in the EIS. See the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section for 
meeting dates.

ADDRESSES: Written comments regarding the scope and content of the EIS 
should be sent to Ms. Rhea Graham, Bureau of Reclamation, Albuquerque 
Area Office, 555 Broadway NE., Suite 100, Mail Stop ALB-103, 
Albuquerque, New Mexico 87102, or provided via email at 
[email protected].
    Those not desiring to submit comments or suggestions at this time, 
but who would like to receive a copy of the EIS, should contact Ms. 
Graham using the information cited above. See the SUPPLEMENTARY 
INFORMATION section for locations of public scoping meetings.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. Rhea Graham, Bureau of 
Reclamation;

[[Page 2692]]

telephone 505-462-3560; email at [email protected]. Individuals who use 
a telecommunications device for the deaf may call the Federal 
Information Relay Service (FIRS) at 1-800-877-8339 to contact Ms. 
Graham during normal business hours. The FIRS is available 24 hours a 
day, 7 days a week, to leave a message or question with Ms. Graham. You 
will receive a reply during normal business hours.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Pursuant to the National Environmental 
Policy Act, Reclamation will serve as the lead federal agency for 
preparation of the EIS on the continued implementation of the Operating 
Agreement for the Rio Grande Project, New Mexico and Texas. The 
responsible official for this action is Reclamation's Upper Colorado 
Regional Director.

Background

    The Rio Grande Project includes Elephant Butte and Caballo dams and 
reservoirs, a power generating plant, and five diversion dams (Percha, 
Leasburg, Mesilla, American, and International) located on the Rio 
Grande in New Mexico and Texas. The Rio Grande Project was authorized 
by Congress under the authority of the Reclamation Act of 1902 and the 
Rio Grande Project Act of February 25, 1905. The Rio Grande Project 
Operating Agreement was signed in 2008 to allocate Rio Grande Project 
water, which includes water stored in Elephant Butte and Caballo 
reservoirs and return flows to the Rio Grande between the EBID in the 
Rincon and Mesilla valleys of New Mexico and the EPCWID in the Mesilla 
and El Paso valleys of Texas and Mexico. The Rio Grande Project also 
provides water to Mexico under the 1906 international treaty. Rio 
Grande Project water is provided by Reclamation to irrigate a variety 
of crops and for municipal and industrial water uses.

Purpose and Need for Action

    The purpose and need for action is to meet contractual obligations 
to EBID and EPCWID to implement a written set of criteria and 
procedures for allocating, delivering, and accounting for Rio Grande 
Project water to both districts consistent with their rights under 
applicable law each year in compliance with various court decrees, 
settlement agreements, and contracts. These include the 2008 Compromise 
and Settlement Agreement among Reclamation, EBID, and EPCWID, and 
contracts between the United States and the EBID and EPCWID. The 
purpose and need of an ancillary but potentially similar action is to 
implement the provisions of the Act of December 29, 1981, to allow the 
storage of San Juan-Chama project water acquired by contract with the 
Secretary of the Interior pursuant to Public Law 87-483 in Elephant 
Butte Reservoir.

Proposed Action

    The proposed federal action is to continue to implement the 2008 
Operating Agreement for the Rio Grande Project over the remaining term 
(through 2050), and a potentially similar action under 40 CFR 1508.25, 
to implement long-term contracts for storage of San Juan-Chama water in 
the Rio Grande Project.

Scoping Process

    This notice initiates the scoping process which guides the 
development of the EIS. To ensure that the full range of issues related 
to this proposed action are addressed and all significant issues 
identified, comments and suggestions are invited from all interested 
parties. Comments or questions concerning this proposed action and the 
EIS should be directed to Reclamation using the contact information 
provided above. To be most effective, written comments should be 
received prior to the close of the comment period and should clearly 
articulate the commentor's concerns.

Dates and Addresses of Public Scoping Meetings

    The scoping meeting dates and addresses are:
 Thursday, January 30, 2014, 3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m., Bureau of 
Reclamation, Albuquerque Area Office, 555 Broadway NE., Suite 100, 
Albuquerque, New Mexico 87102
 Friday, January 31, 2014, 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., Elephant 
Butte Irrigation District, 530 South Melendres Street, Las Cruces, New 
Mexico 88005
 Saturday, February 1, 2014, 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m., Bureau of 
Reclamation, El Paso Field Division, 10737 Gateway West, Suite 350, El 
Paso, Texas 79935

Special Assistance for Public Scoping Meetings

    If special assistance is required at the scoping meetings, please 
contact Ms. Graham at 505-462-3560 or email at [email protected]. Please 
notify Ms. Graham at least two weeks in advance of the meeting 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 your comment, please be 
advised 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.

    Dated: November 5, 2013.
Brent Rhees,
Deputy Regional Director--Upper Colorado Region, Bureau of Reclamation.
[FR Doc. 2014-00476 Filed 1-14-14; 8:45 am]
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