[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 172 (Friday, September 5, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 53077-53078]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-20669]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Indian Affairs

[AAK6006201 134A2100DD AOR3B30.999900]


Final Environmental Impact Statement for the Proposed Fee-to-
Trust Transfer of Property and Subsequent Development of a Resort/Hotel 
and Ancillary Facilities in the City of Taunton, MA and Tribal 
Government Facilities in the Town of Mashpee, MA by the Mashpee 
Wampanoag Tribe

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 Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe (Tribe) 
and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers serving as cooperating agencies, 
is making available for public review the Final Environmental Impact 
Statement (FEIS) regarding the Tribe's application for the conveyance 
into trust of 170 acres  located in Mashpee, Massachusetts, 
and 151 acres  located in Taunton, Massachusetts, for the 
benefit of the Tribe.

DATES: The Record of Decision on the proposed action will be issued on 
or after 30 days from the date the Environmental Protection Agency 
(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, hand carry or telefax written comments to Mr. 
Chet L. McGhee, Regional Environmental Protection Specialist, Bureau of 
Indian Affairs, Eastern Regional Office, 545 Marriott Drive, Suite 700, 
Nashville, Tennessee 37214; Telefax (615) 564-6571. Please see the 
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section of this notice for directions for 
submitting comments and locations where copies of the FEIS are 
available.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Chet L. McGhee at (615) 564-6500.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The federal actions under consideration 
consist of:
    (1) The acquisition in trust of 170 acres  in Mashpee, 
Massachusetts, and 151 acres  in Taunton, Massachusetts, in 
accordance with section 5 of the Indian Reorganization Act (IRA), 25 
USC 465, and the procedures set forth in 25 CFR part 151; and
    (2) The issuance of a reservation proclamation in accordance with 
section 7 of the IRA, 25 U.S.C. 467.
    The Tribe proposes to construct a resort/hotel and gaming facility 
within the project site in Taunton, Massachusetts, and to develop 
Tribal Government facilities located on the lands in Mashpee, 
Massachusetts.
    At full build-out, the Tribe's proposed resort/hotel and gaming 
facility would have approximately 132,000 square feet of gaming floor. 
Access to the Taunton site would be via O'Connell Way, off of Stevens 
Street, near the intersection of Stevens Street and Route 140 in 
Taunton, Massachusetts. The following alternatives are considered in 
the FEIS:
    (A) The development as proposed;
    (B) Reduced Intensity I Alternative;
    (C) Reduced Intensity II Alternative; and
    (D) No Action Alternative.
    Issues addressed in the FEIS include: transportation; wetlands and 
other waters of the United States; stormwater; geology and soils; rare 
species and wildlife habitat; hazardous materials; water supply; 
wastewater; utilities; solid waste; air quality; greenhouse gas; 
cultural resources; noise, visual impacts; socio-economics; 
environmental justice; cumulative effects, and indirect and growth 
inducing effects.
    The resort/hotel alternative has been selected as the Tribe's 
Preferred Alternative as discussed in the FEIS. The information and 
analysis contained in the FEIS, as well as its evaluation and 
assessment of the Tribe's Preferred Alternative, are intended to assist 
the Department of the Interior (Department) in its review of the issues 
presented in the Tribe's application. The Preferred Alternative does 
not necessarily reflect the Department's final decision because the 
Department must further evaluate all of the criteria listed in 25 CFR 
part 151.

[[Page 53078]]

In addition, the Department must further evaluate the criteria listed 
in 25 CFR part 292 in making a final determination that the Mashpee and 
Taunton sites may be considered the ``initial reservation'' of the 
Tribe pursuant to section 20(b)(1)(B)(ii) of IGRA. The Department's 
consideration and analysis of the applicable regulations may lead to a 
final decision that selects an alternative other than the Preferred 
Alternative, including no action, a variant of the Preferred 
Alternative, or another one of the alternatives analyzed in the FEIS.
    The BIA has afforded other government agencies and the public 
extensive opportunity to participate in the preparation of this EIS. 
The BIA published a Notice of Intent (NOI) to prepare the EIS for the 
proposed action in the Federal Register on May 31, 2012 (77 FR 32132). 
The BIA held public scoping meetings on June 20, 2012, at Taunton High 
School in Taunton, Massachusetts, and on June 21, 2012, at Mashpee High 
School in Mashpee, Massachusetts. A Notice of Availability for the 
Draft EIS (DEIS) was published in the Federal Register on November 15, 
2013 (78 FR 68860), and the EPA published its Notice in the Federal 
Register on November 22, 2013 (78 FR 70041). The BIA held public 
hearings on December 2, 2013, at Mashpee High School in Mashpee, 
Massachusetts, and on December 3, 2013, at Taunton High School in 
Taunton, Massachusetts. Comments on the DEIS received from the public 
and based on internal BIA review were considered and incorporated as 
appropriate into the FEIS.
    Locations Where the FEIS is Available for Review: The FEIS will be 
available for review at the following locations during normal business 
hours:
     Taunton Public Library, 12 Pleasant Street, Taunton, 
Massachusetts 02780;
     Mashpee Public Library, 64 Steeple Street, Mashpee, 
Massachusetts 02649; and
     Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe Headquarters at 483 Great Neck 
Road--South, Mashpee, Massachusetts 02649.
The FEIS is also available online at: http://www.mwteis.com. To obtain 
a compact disc copy of the FEIS, please provide your name and address 
in writing or by voicemail to Mr. Chet L. McGhee, Regional 
Environmental Protection Specialist, Bureau of Indian Affairs, Eastern 
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 only upon payment of applicable printing 
expenses by the requestor for the number of copies requested.
    Public Comment Availability: 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 may request 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 in accordance with section 
1503.1 of the Council on Environmental Quality regulations (40 CFR 
1500 et seq.) and the Department of the Interior Regulations (43 CFR 
part 46) implementing the procedural requirements of the National 
Environmental Policy Act (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.), and the 
Department of Interior Manual (516 DM 1-6), and is in accordance 
with the exercise of authority delegated to the Assistant 
Secretary--Indian Affairs by part 209 DM 8.1.

    Dated: August 25, 2014.
Kevin K. Washburn,
Assistant Secretary--Indian Affairs.
[FR Doc. 2014-20669 Filed 9-4-14; 8:45 am]
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