[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 45 (Tuesday, March 8, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 12755-12756]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-5153]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Reclamation
Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement
(EIS) and Hold Public Scoping Meetings for the Municipal and Industrial
(M&I) Water Shortage Policy (WSP), Central Valley Project (CVP)
AGENCY: Bureau of Reclamation, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of intent and public scoping meetings.
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SUMMARY: The U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Reclamation
Mid-Pacific Region (Reclamation) proposes to prepare an EIS to analyze
the potential effects of an update to the M&I WSP. The policy would be
implemented by Reclamation during water short years. Reclamation
previously developed, in consultation with the CVP M&I Water Service
contractors, a draft CVP M&I WSP in 2001, and in 2005 prepared an
Environmental Assessment (2005 EA). The 2005 EA was published on
October 2005 and a Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) was signed
in December 2005. The 2001 M&I WSP was modified by, and is being
implemented in accordance with, Alternative 1B in the 2005 EA.
Since the publication of the 2005 EA, Reclamation received
additional comments from several CVP water service contractors. The
contractors expressed a need for clarity on certain aspects of the 2001
M&I WSP, as modified. Other comments received by Reclamation suggested
consideration of alternatives to the 2001 M&I WSP. The comments coupled
with recent significant changes in the Bay-Delta and CVP/State Water
Project operations, has impelled Reclamation to evaluate alternatives
and provide an M&I WSP that best recognizes the needs of various
segments of the water user community and how those needs could be
addressed in times of water shortages.
DATES: Written comments on the scope of the EIS will be accepted until
May 9, 2011.
Four public scoping meetings will be held to solicit public input
on the scope of the environmental document, alternatives, concerns, and
issues to be addressed in the EIS. The scoping meeting dates are:
Monday, March 21, 2011, 2-4 p.m., Sacramento, CA.
Tuesday, March 22, 2011, 6-8 p.m., Willows, CA.
Wednesday, March 23, 2011, 6-8 p.m., Fresno, CA.
Thursday, March 24, 2011, 6-8 p.m., Oakland, CA.
ADDRESSES: Send written comments on the scope of the M&I WSP EIS to
Tamara LaFramboise, Natural Resource Specialist, Mid-Pacific Regional
Office, Bureau of Reclamation, 2800 Cottage Way, MP-410, Sacramento, CA
95825; or e-mail [email protected].
Scoping meetings will be held at:
Sacramento-- Best Western Expo Inn and Suites, 1413 Howe
Avenue, Sacramento, CA 95825.
Willows--Veteran's Memorial Hall Building of Willows, 525
W. Sycamore Street, Willows, CA 95988.
Fresno--Piccadilly Inn Express, 5115 E. McKinley Avenue,
Fresno, CA 93727.
Oakland-- Red Lion Hotel Oakland International Airport,
150 Hegenberger Road, Oakland, CA 94621.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Tim Rust, Program Manager, Bureau of
Reclamation, via e-mail at [email protected] or at (916) 978-5516; or Mike
Chotkowski, Chief, Division of Environmental Affairs, Bureau of
Reclamation, via e-mail at [email protected] or at (916) 978-5025.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The CVP is operated under Federal statutes
authorizing the CVP, and by the terms and conditions of water rights
acquired pursuant to California law. During any year, constraints may
occur on the availability of CVP water for M&I water service
contractors. The cause of the water shortage may be drought,
unavoidable causes, or restricted operations resulting from legal and
environmental obligations or mandates. Those legal and environmental
obligations include, but are not limited to, the Endangered Species
Act, the Central Valley Project Improvement Act (CVPIA), and conditions
imposed on CVP's water rights by the California State Water Resources
Control Board. The 2001 M&I WSP, as modified, establishes the terms and
conditions regarding the constraints on availability of water supply
for the CVP M&I water service contracts.
Allocation of CVP water supplies for any given water year is based
upon forecasted reservoir inflows and Central Valley hydrologic
conditions, amounts of storage in CVP reservoirs, regulatory
requirements, and management of Section 3406(b)(2) resources and refuge
water supplies in accordance with CVPIA. In some cases, M&I water
shortage allocations may differ between CVP divisions due to regional
CVP water supply availability, system capacity, or other operational
constraints.
[[Page 12756]]
The purpose of the update to the 2001 M&I WSP, as modified, is to
provide detailed, clear, and objective guidelines for the distribution
of CVP water supplies during water shortage conditions, thereby
allowing CVP water users to know when, and by how much, water
deliveries may be reduced in drought and other low water supply
conditions.
The increased level of predictability that will be provided by the
update to the 2001 M&I WSP is needed by water managers and the entities
that receive CVP water to better plan for and manage available CVP
water supplies, and to better integrate the use of CVP water with other
available Non-CVP water supplies. The update to the 2001 M&I WSP is
also needed to clarify certain terms and conditions with regard to its
applicability and implementation. The proposed action is the adoption
of an updated 2001 M&I WSP, as modified, and its respective
implementation guidelines.
The EIS will be used to develop and evaluate alternatives to the
2001 M&I WSP, as modified, and will include analysis of the adverse and
beneficial effects on the quality of the human and physical
environment.
Issues to be addressed may include, but are not limited to, CVP
water supply availability, impacts on biological resources, historic
and archaeological resources, hydrology, groundwater, water quality,
air quality, safety, hazardous materials and waste, visual resources,
socioeconomics, including real estate, agriculture and environmental
justice.
At this time, there are no known or possible Indian trust assets or
environmental justice issues associated with the Proposed Action.
Special Assistance for Public Scoping Meetings
If special assistance is required at the scoping meetings, please
contact Mr. Louis Moore at (916) 978-5106, or via e-mail at
[email protected]. Please notify Mr. Moore 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. A telephone device
for the hearing impaired (TDD) is available at (916) 978-5608.
Public Disclosure
Before including your name, address, phone number, e-mail 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 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: January 21, 2011.
Anastasia T. Leigh,
Acting Regional Environmental Officer, Mid-Pacific Region.
[FR Doc. 2011-5153 Filed 3-7-11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-MN-P