[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 231 (Monday, December 2, 2019)]
[Notices]
[Pages 66001-66002]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-26018]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Reclamation

[RR02142100, XXXR5537F3, RX.198722001000000]


Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement and 
Public Scoping Meeting for the Friant-Kern Canal Middle Reach Capacity 
Correction Project, Tulare and Kern Counties, California

AGENCY: Bureau of Reclamation, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of intent; request for comments.

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SUMMARY: The Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) intends to prepare an 
Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) on the Friant-Kern Canal Middle 
Reach Capacity Correction Project. Reclamation is requesting public and 
agency comment to identify significant issues or other alternatives to 
be addressed in the EIS.

DATES: Submit written comments on the scope of the EIS on or before 
January 2, 2020.
    A scoping meeting will be held on December 18, 2019, 5:30 p.m. to 
7:30 p.m., Porterville CA at the U.S. Forest Service Sequoia National 
Forest Headquarters, 1839 S. Newcomb Street, Porterville CA 93257.

ADDRESSES: Provide written scoping comments, requests to be added to 
the mailing list, or requests for sign language interpretation for the 
hearing impaired or other special assistance needs to Ms. Rain Emerson, 
Environmental Compliance Branch Chief, Bureau of Reclamation, South-
Central California Area Office, 1243 N Street, Fresno CA 93721;

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. Rain Emerson, Bureau of 
Reclamation, South-Central California Area Office, 1243 N Street, 
Fresno CA 93721; telephone (559) 262-0335; facsimile (559) 262-0371; 
email [email protected]. Persons who use a telecommunications device 
for the deaf may call the Federal Relay Service (FedRelay) at 1-800-
877-8339 TTY/ASCII to contact the above individual during normal 
business hours or to leave a message or question after hours. You will 
receive a reply during normal business hours. Information on this 
project may also be found at: https://www.usbr.gov/mp/nepa/nepa_project_details.php?Project_ID=41341.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Reclamation is issuing this notice pursuant 
to the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, as amended (NEPA),

[[Page 66002]]

42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.; the Council on Environmental Quality's (CEQ) 
regulations for implementing NEPA, 43 CFR parts 1500 through 1508; and 
the Department of the Interior's NEPA regulations, 43 CFR part 46.

Background

    A 33-mile-long section (milepost 88 to milepost 121) of the Friant-
Kern Canal located within Tulare and Kern Counties referred to as the 
Middle Reach has lost 50 percent of its original design capacity due to 
regional land subsidence. This has resulted in water delivery impacts 
to Friant Division long-term contractors and reduces the ability of the 
Friant-Kern Canal to convey flood waters during wet years.
    Reclamation, in partnership with the Friant Water Authority (FWA), 
proposes to restore the capacity of this 33-mile-long section. The 
proposed action includes two alternatives to address subsidence 
impacts: (1) A Canal Enlargement (CE) Alternative, and (2) a Canal 
Enlargement and Realignment (CER) Alternative. Under the CE 
Alternative, the entire 33-mile long section of the Middle Reach would 
be enlarged by widening and raising the canal banks. Under the CER 
Alternative, approximately 10 miles of the existing canal would be 
widened and raised and approximately 23 miles of the canal corridor 
would be realigned to newly constructed canal segments. Reclamation is 
proposing to provide cost-share funding for the project pursuant to the 
San Joaquin River Restoration Settlement Act (Pub. L. 111-11 Sec.  
10201) and the Water Infrastructure Improvement for the Nation Act 
(Pub. L. 114-322 Sec.  4007).
    Reclamation is not presently aware of Indian Trust Assets or 
environmental justice issues associated with the proposed action but 
requests any information relative to this issue be submitted during the 
scoping period.
    Reclamation intends to complete an EIS for this project pursuant to 
NEPA to ensure consideration of potential environmental effects from 
implementing the proposed action. As such, Reclamation will also 
consider a reasonable range of alternatives that could meet the purpose 
for the project. Reclamation and FWA are requesting public and agency 
input to assist in identifying significant issues or alternatives to be 
addressed in the EIS.
    To determine the scope of issues relevant to environmental 
concerns, Reclamation and the FWA prepared an environmental assessment 
and initial study, which is available at https://www.usbr.gov/mp/nepa/nepa_project_details.php?Project_ID=41341. Effects to certain resources 
were determined to be potentially significant, and effects to other 
resources were found to be absent or relatively minor. Reclamation will 
focus the EIS on analyzing the effects to resources where a potentially 
significant effect exists. The resources to be discussed are: 
Agricultural Resources, Air Quality, Biological Resources, Cultural 
Resources including Tribal Cultural Resources, Geology and Soils, 
Greenhouse Gasses and Climate Change, Hazards and Hazardous Materials 
including Wildfire, Hydrology and Water Quality, Land Use, Noise, 
Environmental Justice, Socioeconomics, Transportation, and Utilities 
and Service Systems. Agencies and the public are encouraged to review 
the environmental assessment and initial study, and provide input 
regarding potentially significant issues to be addressed, or to 
identify potential alternatives that would meet the purpose of the 
project.

Special Assistance for Public Scoping and Open House Meetings

    If special assistance is required to participate in the public 
scoping meeting, please contact Ms. Rain Emerson, Bureau of 
Reclamation, South-Central California Area Office, 1243 N Street, 
Fresno CA 93721; telephone (559) 262-0335; facsimile (559) 262-0371; 
email [email protected]. Persons who use a telecommunications device 
for the deaf may call the FedRelay at 1-800-877-8339 TTY/ASCII to 
contact the above individual during normal business hours or to leave a 
message or question after hours. You will receive a reply during normal 
business hours. All meeting facilities are physically accessible to 
people with disabilities.

Public Disclosure

    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 
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.

 Ernest A. Conant,
Regional Director, Bureau of Reclamation, California-Great Basin--
Interior Region 10.
[FR Doc. 2019-26018 Filed 11-29-19; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4332-90-P