Proposed Monterey Peninsula Water Supply Project; Notice of Availability of a Draft Environmental Impact Report/Environmental Impact Statement, 4302-4303 [2017-00505]
Download as PDF
<![CDATA[
4302
Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 9 / Friday, January 13, 2017 / Notices
CFMC meeting is available at
www.caribbeanfmc.com.
Finalize Action 2: Establish Stock or
Stock Complexes for each Puerto
Rico, St. Thomas/St. John and St.
Croix Fishery Management Plan
(FMP)
—Review Consolidated List of Stocks
and Stock Complexes/Species
Complexes—NMFS Southeast
Regional Office (SERO) Update
—SSC final recommendations to the
CFMC on species/stock complexes
groupings, and recommendations
on the use of indicator species in
Action 2 of the IBFMPs
Review/Finalize Action 3: Management
Reference Points for Stocks/Stock
for each Puerto Rico, St. Thomas/St.
John and St. Croix Fishery
Management Plan (FMP)
Action 3(a): Time Series: Select a time
series of landings data to establish
management reference points for a
stock/stock complex, as applicable.
Action 3(b): Maximum Sustainable
Yield (MSY) Proxy for a Stock/
Stock Complex for each Puerto
Rico, St. Thomas/St. John and St.
Croix FMP
Action 3(c): Overfishing Limit (OFL) for
Stocks/Stocks Complexes for each
Puerto Rico, St. Thomas/St. John
and St. Croix FMP
Action 3(d): Acceptable Biological Catch
(ABC) Control Rule for Stocks/
Stocks Complexes for each Puerto
Rico, St. Thomas/St. John and St.
Croix FMP.
Action 3(e): Optimum Yield (OY) and
Annual Catch Limit (ACL) for
Stocks/Stocks Complexes for each
Puerto Rico, St. Thomas/St. John
and St. Croix FMP.
—SSC final recommendations to the
Council on Action 3 of the IBFMPs:
Process for setting Reference Points,
MSY proxies, OFL, ABC for
species/species complexes/
groupings
—Other Business
—Next Meeting
asabaliauskas on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
Special Accommodations
These meetings are physically
accessible to people with disabilities.
For more information or request for sign
language interpretation and other
auxiliary aids, please contact Mr.
´
Miguel A. Rolon, Executive Director,
Caribbean Fishery Management Council,
˜
270 Munoz Rivera Avenue, Suite 401,
San Juan, Puerto Rico, 00918–1903,
telephone (787) 766–5926, at least 5
days prior to the meeting date.
VerDate Sep<11>2014
19:06 Jan 12, 2017
Jkt 241001
Dated: January 10, 2017.
Jeffrey N. Lonergan,
Acting Deputy Director, Office of Sustainable
Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2017–00738 Filed 1–12–17; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510–22–P
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration
Proposed Monterey Peninsula Water
Supply Project; Notice of Availability of
a Draft Environmental Impact Report/
Environmental Impact Statement
Office of National Marine
Sanctuaries (ONMS), National Ocean
Service (NOS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
ACTION: Notice of availability of a draft
environmental impact report/
environmental impact statement;
request for public comments;
announcement of public meetings.
AGENCY:
A permit application has been
submitted by California American Water
Company (CalAm) to NOAA’s Monterey
Bay National Marine Sanctuary
(MBNMS) to construct and operate a
reverse osmosis (RO) desalination
facility project (Project) in Monterey
County, California. The permit review
process is being conducted concurrently
with a public process conducted
pursuant to the National Environmental
Policy Act (NEPA; 42 U.S.C. 4321 et
seq.) and California Environmental
Quality Act (CEQA, Cal. Pub. Res. Code
§ 21000 et seq.). NOAA has prepared, in
cooperation with the California Public
Utilities Commission (CPUC), a joint
draft environmental impact review/
environmental impact statement (EIR/
EIS) that analyzes the potential effects
on the physical and human
environment related to the Project
proposed within MBNMS boundaries.
NOAA is soliciting public comment on
the draft EIR/EIS.
DATES: Comments must be received on
or before February 27, 2017. Public
meetings will be on the following dates:
(1) Wednesday, February 15, 11:00 a.m.
to 1:00 p.m., Marina, CA
(2) Wednesday, February 15, 6:00 p.m.
to 8:00 p.m., Seaside, CA
(3) Thursday, February 16, 4:00 p.m. to
8:00 p.m., Carmel, CA
ADDRESSES: Comments may be
submitted by either of the following
methods:
• Electronic Submissions: Submit all
electronic public comments via the
Federal e-Rulemaking Portal. Go to
www.regulations.gov/
SUMMARY:
PO 00000
Frm 00024
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
#!docketDetail;D=NOAA-NOS-20160156, click the ‘‘Comment Now!’’ icon,
complete the required fields and enter
or attach your comments.
• Mail: MBNMS Project Lead for
CalAm Desalination Project, 99 Pacific
Ave, BLDG 455a, Monterey, CA 93940.
Instructions: Comments sent by any
other method, to any other address or
individual, or received after the end of
the comment period, may not be
considered by NOAA. All comments
received are a part of the public record
and will generally be posted for public
viewing on www.regulations.gov
without change. All personal identifying
information (e.g., name, address, etc.),
confidential business information, or
otherwise sensitive information
submitted voluntarily by the sender will
be publicly accessible. ONMS will
accept anonymous comments (enter ‘‘N/
A’’ in the required fields if you wish to
remain anonymous).
Copies of the DEIR/EIS can be
downloaded or viewed on the internet
at www.regulations.gov (search for
docket # NOAA–NOS–2016–0156), or at
www.regulations.gov/
#!docketDetail;D=NOAA-NOS-20160156. Copies can also be obtained by
contacting the person identified under
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT.
The public meeting locations are:
(1) Marina, CA: Marina Public Library,
Community Meeting Room, 188
Seaside Ave., Marina, CA 93933
(February 15, 2017)
(2) Seaside, CA: Oldemeyer Center,
Seaside Room, 986 Hilby Ave.,
Seaside, CA 93955 (February 15,
2017)
(3) Carmel, CA: Sunset Center,
Carpenter Hall, San Carlos Street,
Carmel, CA 93921 (February 16, 2017)
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Karen Grimmer at 99 Pacific Ave, BLDG
455a, Monterey, CA 93940 or
mbnms.comments@noaa.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background Information
I. Background
A permit application has been
submitted by CalAm for construction
and operation of its proposed Monterey
Peninsula Water Supply Project
(MPWSP or Project). The purpose of the
MPWSP is to supplement existing water
supplies for CalAm’s Monterey District
service area.
The MPWSP comprises various
facilities and improvements, including:
A sub-surface seawater intake system; a
9.6-million-gallons-per-day (mgd)
reverse osmosis (RO) desalination plant;
desalinated water storage and
conveyance facilities; and expanded
E:\FR\FM\13JAN1.SGM
13JAN1
Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 9 / Friday, January 13, 2017 / Notices
asabaliauskas on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
Aquifer Storage and Recovery (ASR)
facilities.
The desalination facility would be
capable of producing 9.6 million gallons
per day (MGD) of potable water on a 46acre site located north of the City of
Marina on unincorporated Monterey
County property. The MPWSP proposes
ten subsurface slant wells (nine new
wells and conversion of an existing test
well) to draw seawater from beneath the
ocean floor in Monterey Bay to produce
the source water for the desalination
plant. The subsurface slant wells would
be located primarily within the City of
Marina, in the active mining area of the
CEMEX sand mining facility. The slant
wells would be approximately 700 to
1000 feet in length and extend beneath
the coastal dunes, sandy beach, and the
surf zone, terminating approximately
161 to 356 feet seaward of the Mean
High Water line and at a depth of 190
to 210 feet below the seafloor. Up to
24.1 mgd of source water would be
needed to produce 9.6 mgd of
desalinated product water.
Under the proposed project, the
desalination plant would generate
approximately 13.98 mgd of brine,
including 0.4 mgd of decanted
backwash water. The brine would be
discharged into Monterey Bay via a 36inch diameter pipeline to a new
connection with the existing Monterey
Regional Water Pollution Control
Agency’s (MRWPCA) outfall and
diffuser located offshore.
II. NOAA Proposed Action
NOAA is releasing for public
comment a draft EIR/EIS that was
prepared in accordance with: Section
102(2)(C) of the National Environmental
Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969, as amended;
and the White House Council on
Environmental Quality Regulations for
Implementing the Procedural Provisions
of NEPA (CEQ NEPA Regulations).
NOAA’s proposed action would be
whether to approve the installation of a
subsurface seawater intake system, the
discharge of brine into MBNMS via an
existing outfall pipe, and the continued
presence of pipelines in MBNMS to
transport seawater to a desalination
facility.
The Project was subject to a Draft
Environmental Impact Report (EIR),
under the provisions of the California
Environmental Quality Act (CEQA),
published by the California Public
Utilities Commission (CPUC) in April
2015. The NEPA environmental
documentation includes an
Environmental Impact Statement (EIS),
which is issued as a joint draft CEQA/
NEPA (EIR/EIS) document with the
CPUC.
VerDate Sep<11>2014
19:06 Jan 12, 2017
Jkt 241001
The EIR/EIS identifies and assesses
potential environmental impacts
associated with the proposed Project,
and identifies 6 alternatives, plus a no
action alternative. Federal agencies
would use the EIR/EIS to consider
related permits or other approvals for
the Project as proposed. NOAA’s
preferred alternative (Alternative 5a) is
the environmentally preferred
alternative. Alternative 5a would be
implemented in conjunction with the
Pure Water Monterey Groundwater
Replenishment Project (GWR), which
would offer the same amount of
freshwater as the proposed project but
result in a larger footprint than the
proposed action alone, yet the pairing of
Alternative 5a and the GWR project
would result in reduced operational
energy use and reduced GHG emissions
compared to the proposed project. In
addition, the combination of Alternative
5a and the GWR Project result in
reduced effects on groundwater levels
influenced by fewer slant wells and less
volume of pumping, and the GWR
project would provide water to the
Castroville Seawater Intrusion Project
that would benefit the groundwater
basin. Lastly, Alternative 5a paired with
the GWR project would be consistent
with the 2016 California Action Plan
seeking integrated water supply
solutions, the Governor’s drought
proclamations, the CPUC Water Action
Plan goal of promoting water
infrastructure investment, the California
Ocean Plan, and MBNMS Desalination
Guidelines.
III. Process
This NOA is published by NOAA, the
lead federal agency. NOAA, along with
the CPUC, as CEQA lead agency, have
determined that a joint CEQA/NEPA
document is appropriate, and the two
agencies have prepared a joint draft EIR/
EIS after completion of a federal scoping
process. In accordance with Section
102(2)(C) of NEPA, NOAA published a
Notice of Intent (NOI) to prepare an EIS
for the proposed project on August 26,
2015 (80 FR 51787). During the EIS
scoping meeting held on September 10,
2015, five participants commented
publically on the proposed project.
Twelve written comments were received
throughout the public comment period.
The complete written comments are
available for review at: https://www.
regulations.gov/docket?D=NOAA-NOS2015-0105.
IV. Federal Consultations
This notice also advises the public
that NOAA is coordinating its
consultation responsibilities under
section 7 of the Endangered Species Act,
PO 00000
Frm 00025
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
4303
Essential Fish Habitat under the
Magnuson Stevens Fishery Conservation
and Management Act, section 106 of the
National Historic Preservation Act, and
Federal Consistency review under the
Coastal Zone Management Act, along
with its ongoing NEPA process
including the use of NEPA documents
and public and stakeholder meetings to
also meet the requirements of other
federal laws.
NOAA is seeking public comment on
the DEIR/DEIS, which is available at
https://montereybay.noaa.gov or may be
obtained by contacting the individual
listed under the heading FOR FURTHER
INFORMATION CONTACT.
Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1431 et seq.
Dated: January 4, 2017.
John Armor,
Director for the Office of National Marine
Sanctuaries.
[FR Doc. 2017–00505 Filed 1–12–17; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510–NK–P
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration
RIN 0648–XF129
Addition of Species to the Annexes of
the Protocol Concerning Specially
Protected Areas and Wildlife in the
Wider Caribbean Region
National Marine Fisheries
Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),
Commerce.
ACTION: Notice; request for public
comments.
AGENCY:
During a meeting of the
Scientific and Technical Advisory
Committee (STAC) under the Protocol to
the Cartagena Convention on Specially
Protected Areas and Wildlife (SPAW
Protocol), held in Miami, Florida in
November 2016, twelve species of fauna
were nominated and recommended to
be added to the Annexes of the SPAW
Protocol. The Department of State, U.S.
Fish and Wildlife Service, and National
Marine Fisheries Service solicit
comment on the recommendations to
add these twelve species to the
Annexes.
SUMMARY:
Comments must be received by
February 13, 2017.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments
on the recommendations to add the
twelve species to the Annexes of the
SPAW Protocol, by including NOAA–
NMFS–2016–0166, by either of the
following methods:
DATES:
E:\FR\FM\13JAN1.SGM
13JAN1
]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 9 (Friday, January 13, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Pages 4302-4303]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2017-00505]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Proposed Monterey Peninsula Water Supply Project; Notice of
Availability of a Draft Environmental Impact Report/Environmental
Impact Statement
AGENCY: Office of National Marine Sanctuaries (ONMS), National Ocean
Service (NOS), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
ACTION: Notice of availability of a draft environmental impact report/
environmental impact statement; request for public comments;
announcement of public meetings.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: A permit application has been submitted by California American
Water Company (CalAm) to NOAA's Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary
(MBNMS) to construct and operate a reverse osmosis (RO) desalination
facility project (Project) in Monterey County, California. The permit
review process is being conducted concurrently with a public process
conducted pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA; 42
U.S.C. 4321 et seq.) and California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA,
Cal. Pub. Res. Code Sec. 21000 et seq.). NOAA has prepared, in
cooperation with the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC), a
joint draft environmental impact review/environmental impact statement
(EIR/EIS) that analyzes the potential effects on the physical and human
environment related to the Project proposed within MBNMS boundaries.
NOAA is soliciting public comment on the draft EIR/EIS.
DATES: Comments must be received on or before February 27, 2017. Public
meetings will be on the following dates:
(1) Wednesday, February 15, 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., Marina, CA
(2) Wednesday, February 15, 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., Seaside, CA
(3) Thursday, February 16, 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., Carmel, CA
ADDRESSES: Comments may be submitted by either of the following
methods:
Electronic Submissions: Submit all electronic public
comments via the Federal e-Rulemaking Portal. Go to
www.regulations.gov/#!docketDetail;D=NOAA-NOS-2016-0156, click the
``Comment Now!'' icon, complete the required fields and enter or attach
your comments.
Mail: MBNMS Project Lead for CalAm Desalination Project,
99 Pacific Ave, BLDG 455a, Monterey, CA 93940.
Instructions: Comments sent by any other method, to any other
address or individual, or received after the end of the comment period,
may not be considered by NOAA. All comments received are a part of the
public record and will generally be posted for public viewing on
www.regulations.gov without change. All personal identifying
information (e.g., name, address, etc.), confidential business
information, or otherwise sensitive information submitted voluntarily
by the sender will be publicly accessible. ONMS will accept anonymous
comments (enter ``N/A'' in the required fields if you wish to remain
anonymous).
Copies of the DEIR/EIS can be downloaded or viewed on the internet
at www.regulations.gov (search for docket # NOAA-NOS-2016-0156), or at
www.regulations.gov/#!docketDetail;D=NOAA-NOS-2016-0156. Copies can
also be obtained by contacting the person identified under FOR FURTHER
INFORMATION CONTACT.
The public meeting locations are:
(1) Marina, CA: Marina Public Library, Community Meeting Room, 188
Seaside Ave., Marina, CA 93933 (February 15, 2017)
(2) Seaside, CA: Oldemeyer Center, Seaside Room, 986 Hilby Ave.,
Seaside, CA 93955 (February 15, 2017)
(3) Carmel, CA: Sunset Center, Carpenter Hall, San Carlos Street,
Carmel, CA 93921 (February 16, 2017)
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Karen Grimmer at 99 Pacific Ave, BLDG
455a, Monterey, CA 93940 or mbnms.comments@noaa.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background Information
I. Background
A permit application has been submitted by CalAm for construction
and operation of its proposed Monterey Peninsula Water Supply Project
(MPWSP or Project). The purpose of the MPWSP is to supplement existing
water supplies for CalAm's Monterey District service area.
The MPWSP comprises various facilities and improvements, including:
A sub-surface seawater intake system; a 9.6-million-gallons-per-day
(mgd) reverse osmosis (RO) desalination plant; desalinated water
storage and conveyance facilities; and expanded
[[Page 4303]]
Aquifer Storage and Recovery (ASR) facilities.
The desalination facility would be capable of producing 9.6 million
gallons per day (MGD) of potable water on a 46-acre site located north
of the City of Marina on unincorporated Monterey County property. The
MPWSP proposes ten subsurface slant wells (nine new wells and
conversion of an existing test well) to draw seawater from beneath the
ocean floor in Monterey Bay to produce the source water for the
desalination plant. The subsurface slant wells would be located
primarily within the City of Marina, in the active mining area of the
CEMEX sand mining facility. The slant wells would be approximately 700
to 1000 feet in length and extend beneath the coastal dunes, sandy
beach, and the surf zone, terminating approximately 161 to 356 feet
seaward of the Mean High Water line and at a depth of 190 to 210 feet
below the seafloor. Up to 24.1 mgd of source water would be needed to
produce 9.6 mgd of desalinated product water.
Under the proposed project, the desalination plant would generate
approximately 13.98 mgd of brine, including 0.4 mgd of decanted
backwash water. The brine would be discharged into Monterey Bay via a
36-inch diameter pipeline to a new connection with the existing
Monterey Regional Water Pollution Control Agency's (MRWPCA) outfall and
diffuser located offshore.
II. NOAA Proposed Action
NOAA is releasing for public comment a draft EIR/EIS that was
prepared in accordance with: Section 102(2)(C) of the National
Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969, as amended; and the White
House Council on Environmental Quality Regulations for Implementing the
Procedural Provisions of NEPA (CEQ NEPA Regulations). NOAA's proposed
action would be whether to approve the installation of a subsurface
seawater intake system, the discharge of brine into MBNMS via an
existing outfall pipe, and the continued presence of pipelines in MBNMS
to transport seawater to a desalination facility.
The Project was subject to a Draft Environmental Impact Report
(EIR), under the provisions of the California Environmental Quality Act
(CEQA), published by the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC)
in April 2015. The NEPA environmental documentation includes an
Environmental Impact Statement (EIS), which is issued as a joint draft
CEQA/NEPA (EIR/EIS) document with the CPUC.
The EIR/EIS identifies and assesses potential environmental impacts
associated with the proposed Project, and identifies 6 alternatives,
plus a no action alternative. Federal agencies would use the EIR/EIS to
consider related permits or other approvals for the Project as
proposed. NOAA's preferred alternative (Alternative 5a) is the
environmentally preferred alternative. Alternative 5a would be
implemented in conjunction with the Pure Water Monterey Groundwater
Replenishment Project (GWR), which would offer the same amount of
freshwater as the proposed project but result in a larger footprint
than the proposed action alone, yet the pairing of Alternative 5a and
the GWR project would result in reduced operational energy use and
reduced GHG emissions compared to the proposed project. In addition,
the combination of Alternative 5a and the GWR Project result in reduced
effects on groundwater levels influenced by fewer slant wells and less
volume of pumping, and the GWR project would provide water to the
Castroville Seawater Intrusion Project that would benefit the
groundwater basin. Lastly, Alternative 5a paired with the GWR project
would be consistent with the 2016 California Action Plan seeking
integrated water supply solutions, the Governor's drought
proclamations, the CPUC Water Action Plan goal of promoting water
infrastructure investment, the California Ocean Plan, and MBNMS
Desalination Guidelines.
III. Process
This NOA is published by NOAA, the lead federal agency. NOAA, along
with the CPUC, as CEQA lead agency, have determined that a joint CEQA/
NEPA document is appropriate, and the two agencies have prepared a
joint draft EIR/EIS after completion of a federal scoping process. In
accordance with Section 102(2)(C) of NEPA, NOAA published a Notice of
Intent (NOI) to prepare an EIS for the proposed project on August 26,
2015 (80 FR 51787). During the EIS scoping meeting held on September
10, 2015, five participants commented publically on the proposed
project. Twelve written comments were received throughout the public
comment period. The complete written comments are available for review
at: https://www.regulations.gov/docket?D=NOAA-NOS-2015-0105.
IV. Federal Consultations
This notice also advises the public that NOAA is coordinating its
consultation responsibilities under section 7 of the Endangered Species
Act, Essential Fish Habitat under the Magnuson Stevens Fishery
Conservation and Management Act, section 106 of the National Historic
Preservation Act, and Federal Consistency review under the Coastal Zone
Management Act, along with its ongoing NEPA process including the use
of NEPA documents and public and stakeholder meetings to also meet the
requirements of other federal laws.
NOAA is seeking public comment on the DEIR/DEIS, which is available
at https://montereybay.noaa.gov or may be obtained by contacting the
individual listed under the heading FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT.
Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1431 et seq.
Dated: January 4, 2017.
John Armor,
Director for the Office of National Marine Sanctuaries.
[FR Doc. 2017-00505 Filed 1-12-17; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-NK-P
