[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 69 (Friday, April 10, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 19347-19348]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-08142]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Reclamation

[RR06230000, 15XR0680A1, RN.07694998.0000501]


Notice of Availability of the Northwest Area Water Supply Project 
Final Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement; Burke, Bottineau, 
Divide, McHenry, McLean, Mountrail, Pierce, Renville, Ward, and 
Williams Counties, North Dakota

AGENCY: Bureau of Reclamation, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of availability.

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SUMMARY: The Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) is notifying the 
public that Reclamation has prepared a Final Supplemental Environmental 
Impact Statement (SEIS) for the Northwest Area Water Supply Project 
(Project). Reclamation has evaluated comments received from the public 
on the Draft SEIS and is recommending a preferred alternative for 
approval. The Missouri River and Groundwater Alternative would provide 
a high quality and reliable water supply to meet existing and future 
water needs. This alternative would include conventional treatment at 
the biota water treatment plant, located within the Missouri River 
Basin, and the proposed intake for the Project would be located within 
Reclamation's Snake Creek Pumping Plant on Lake Sakakawea.

DATES: Reclamation will not make a decision on the proposed action 
until at least 30 days after filing of the Final SEIS. After the 30-day 
waiting period, Reclamation will complete a Record of Decision. The 
Record of Decision will identify the selected action for implementation 
and will discuss factors and rationale used in making the decision.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. Alicia Waters, Project Manager, 
(701) 221-1206; or by email at [email protected]. The Final SEIS and 
additional information is available at http://www.usbr.gov/gp/dkao. 
Send requests for an executive summary and compact disc to Ms. Alicia 
Waters, Bureau of Reclamation, P.O. Box 1017, Bismarck, North Dakota 
58502, or at the email address above.

[[Page 19348]]


SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Pursuant to the National Environmental 
Policy Act of 1969, the Final SEIS documents the potential direct, 
indirect, and cumulative environmental and socioeconomic effects of the 
proposed action to construct a municipal, rural and industrial (MR&I) 
water system to provide drinking water to local communities and rural 
water systems in northwestern North Dakota. The Project is sized to 
serve projected population growth through the year 2060. Water provided 
by the Project would be treated to meet the primary drinking water 
standards established by the Safe Drinking Water Act. The Project would 
supply water to specific delivery points. Each community or rural water 
system would be responsible for connecting to the distribution line and 
delivering water through their water system to end users. The Project 
was authorized by the Garrison Diversion Reformulation Act of 1986 and 
the Dakota Water Resources Act of 2000 as part of the MR&I Grant 
Program.
    Four action alternatives were evaluated in the Final SEIS. These 
alternatives fall into two categories--those using only inbasin water 
sources (Souris River and groundwater) and those proposing to use water 
from the Missouri River (Lake Sakakawea). The preferred alternative, 
Missouri River and Groundwater Alternative, would use Lake Sakakawea as 
the primary water source. This water would be conveyed to the biota 
water treatment plant where it would be treated using conventional 
treatment processes. After treatment at the biota water treatment 
plant, the water would be conveyed in a buried pipeline to the Minot 
water treatment plant and blended with water from the Minot and Sundre 
aquifers. Following this treatment, water would be supplied to Project 
members through a distribution pipeline system.
    Some of the resources potentially affected by the proposed action 
that are evaluated in the Final SEIS include: Surface water and 
groundwater resources, water quality, aquatic invasive species, 
threatened and endangered species, socioeconomics, environmental 
justice and historic properties. The geographic scope of analysis 
generally covers the Missouri and Souris river basins, and carries 
analysis into Canada as directed by the U.S. District Court.
    A Notice of Availability of the Draft SEIS was published in the 
Federal Register on June 27, 2014 (79 FR 36556). The written comment 
period for the Draft SEIS was extended 30 days and concluded on 
September 10, 2014 (79 FR 45459). The Final SEIS contains responses to 
all substantive comments received, and reflects comments and additional 
information received during the review period.
    Copies of the Final SEIS are available for public review at the 
following locations:
     Bureau of Reclamation, Dakotas Area Office, 304 East 
Broadway Avenue, Bismarck, ND 58501.
     Bureau of Reclamation, Great Plains Regional Office, 316 
North 26th Street, Billings, MT 59101.
     Bureau of Reclamation, Denver Office Library, Building 67, 
Room 167, Denver Federal Center, 6th and Kipling, Denver, CO 80225.
     Natural Resources Library, U.S. Department of the 
Interior, 1849 C Street NW., Main Interior Building, Washington, DC 
20240-0001.
     Bismarck Public Library, 515 North 5th Street, Bismarck, 
ND 58501.
     Bottineau City Hall, 115 West 6th Street, Bottineau, ND 
58318.
     Minot Public Library, 516 2nd Avenue SW., Minot, ND 58701.
     Mohall Public Library, 115 Main Street West, Mohall, ND 
58761.
     North Dakota State Library, 604 East Boulevard Avenue, 
Bismarck, ND 58505.

    Dated: April 2, 2015.
John F. Soucy,
Deputy Regional Director, Great Plains Region.
[FR Doc. 2015-08142 Filed 4-9-15; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4332-90-P