Final Environmental Impact Statement for the Proposed Leasing of Lands at Fort Bliss, TX for the Proposed Siting, Construction, and Operation by the City of El Paso of a Brackish Water Desalination Plant and Support Facilities, 4095-4096 [05-689]
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Federal Register / Vol. 70, No. 18 / Friday, January 28, 2005 / Notices
Agency Number: None.
Affected Public: State government and
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Total Respondents: 52.
Frequency: Annually.
Average Time Per Response: 20 hours.
Estimated Total Burden Hours: 1,040
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information collection request; they will
also become a matter of public record.
Dated: January 14, 2005.
Robert Grimm,
Director, Department of Research and Policy
Development.
[FR Doc. 05–1563 Filed 1–27–05; 8:45 am]
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Katherine_T._Astrich@omb.eop.gov.
VerDate jul<14>2003
15:43 Jan 27, 2005
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SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
PO 00000
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4095
Dated: January 19, 2005.
Amy Mack,
Chief of Staff, Office of Chief Executive
Officer.
[FR Doc. 05–1653 Filed 1–27–05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6050–$$–P
DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Department of the Army
Final Environmental Impact Statement
for the Proposed Leasing of Lands at
Fort Bliss, TX for the Proposed Siting,
Construction, and Operation by the
City of El Paso of a Brackish Water
Desalination Plant and Support
Facilities
Department of the Army, DoD.
Notice of availability.
AGENCY:
ACTION:
SUMMARY: The Department of the Army
announces the availability of the Final
Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS)
evaluating the potential environmental
impacts that could result from granting
an easement to the City of El Paso, El
Paso Water Utilities (EPWU), to use land
in the South Training Areas of Fort Bliss
for construction and operation of a
desalination plant and support facilities,
including wells, pipelines, and disposal
sites for the residual brine resulting
from the desalination process. The
purpose of the proposed plant is to treat
brackish (salty) water pumped from the
Hueco Bolson Aquifer to provide an
additional reliable source of potable
water for use by the City of El Paso and
Fort Bliss. Pumping of fresh water by
´
EPWU, Fort Bliss, Ciudad Juarez, and
others has resulted in declining
groundwater levels in the aquifer. In
addition, brackish water is intruding
into the aquifer’s freshwater layer and
has the potential to affect water wells on
Fort Bliss and in other areas of El Paso.
A sizable volume of brackish water
exists adjacent to the freshwater zone of
the Hueco Bolson Aquifer. Desalination
of the brackish water offers a way to
extend the life of the freshwater aquifer
as a source of potable water that is to the
mutual benefit of Fort Bliss and the City
of El Paso. The proposed desalination
plant would reduce withdrawals of
fresh water from the aquifer, extending
its useful life and intercepting the flow
of brackish water to wells that are
operated by Fort Bliss. Both Fort Bliss
and the City of El Paso have considered
constructing desalination facilities to
tap into this potential water source. The
Army and EPWU believe that building
a single desalination plant to provide
potable water for both the installation
and the city would be more efficient and
E:\FR\FM\28JAN1.SGM
28JAN1
4096
Federal Register / Vol. 70, No. 18 / Friday, January 28, 2005 / Notices
cost effective than constructing separate
desalination plants.
ADDRESSES: To obtain copies of the
FEIS, contact John F. Barrera (915) 568–
3908 or write to: Fort Bliss Directorate
of the Environment, ATTN: AZC–DOE–
C, Building 624, Pleasanton Road, Fort
Bliss, TX 79916–6812.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: John
F. Barrera, (915) 568–3908.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The
proposed desalination plant would treat
brackish water drawn from the Hueco
Bolson Aquifer using a technology
called reverse osmosis (RO). RO uses
semipermeable membranes to remove
dissolved solids (primarily salts) from
brackish water, producing fresh water.
Water for the desalination process
would be drawn from existing EPWU
wells on the east side of El Paso
International Airport and from proposed
new wells to be installed on Fort Bliss
land north of Biggs Army Airfield. The
plant is being designed to produce
approximately 27.5 million gallons per
day (MGD) of drinking water and 3.0
MGD of a brine called concentrate. To
implement the proposed desalination
project, EPWU is applying for an
easement for land in the South Training
Areas of Fort Bliss for a desalination
plant site, 16 new water wells,
concentrate disposal sites, and various
connecting pipelines.
The FEIS considers seven alternatives,
six action alternatives and the No
Action Alternative. The six action
alternatives include various
combinations of three potential sites for
the proposed desalination plant and two
methods of disposal on the concentrate.
The three alternative desalination plant
sites are located in Training Area 1B of
the South Training Areas of Fort Bliss,
adjacent to El Paso International
Airport, north of Montana Avenue, and
west of Loop 375. The two concentrate
disposal methods under consideration
include (1) injecting the concentrate
underground into a confined zone
where it would be isolated from potable
water sources, or (2) piping the
concentrate to evaporation ponds,
where the liquid would evaporate
leaving a solid salt residue that would
be trucked to a landfill for final
disposal.
Under the No Action Alternative, the
Army would not provide land on Fort
Bliss for construction and operation of
the proposed desalination plant. None
of the proposed facilities would be
constructed on Army land at Fort Bliss.
This alternative could, however, include
one or more of the following actions
without Army action or participation:
construction and operation of a
VerDate jul<14>2003
15:43 Jan 27, 2005
Jkt 205001
desalination plant on non-Army land,
increase in water conservation
measures, development of other water
sources in the El Paso region, and/or
importation of water from sources
outside El Paso. Without the proposed
desalination project, EPWU would
continue to pump from the freshwater
layer of the Hueco Bolson Aquifer until
it no longer met drinking water
standards.
The Army has selected Alternative
3—Constructing the facility north of
Montana Avenue and using deep well
injection for the disposal of
concentrate—as the Preferred
Alternative.
The FEIS analyzes the environmental
consequences each alternative could
have on geology and soils; water
resources; utilities and services;
hazardous materials, hazardous waste,
and safety; air quality; biological
resources; land use and aesthetics;
transportation; cultural resources; and
socioeconomics and environmental
justice. In addition, it includes
comments received on the Draft EIS,
published August 6, 2004, during the
public review period that ended
September 27, 2004, as well as
responses to those comments.
Copies of the FEIS are available for
review at the following libraries in El
Paso, Texas: El Paso Public Library, 501
N. Oregon Street; Richard Burgess
Branch, 9600 Dyer; Irving Schwartz
Public Library, 1865 Dean Martin Drive;
and Westside Branch Library, 125
Belvedere Street.
Hugh M. Exton, Jr.,
Director, SWRO, Installation Management
Agency.
[FR Doc. 05–689 Filed 1–27–05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3710–08–M
DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
GENERAL SERVICES
ADMINISTRATION
NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND
SPACE ADMINISTRATION
[OMB Control No. 9000–0035]
Federal Acquisition Regulation;
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PO 00000
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E:\FR\FM\28JAN1.SGM
28JAN1
]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 18 (Friday, January 28, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Pages 4095-4096]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 05-689]
=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Department of the Army
Final Environmental Impact Statement for the Proposed Leasing of
Lands at Fort Bliss, TX for the Proposed Siting, Construction, and
Operation by the City of El Paso of a Brackish Water Desalination Plant
and Support Facilities
AGENCY: Department of the Army, DoD.
ACTION: Notice of availability.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The Department of the Army announces the availability of the
Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) evaluating the potential
environmental impacts that could result from granting an easement to
the City of El Paso, El Paso Water Utilities (EPWU), to use land in the
South Training Areas of Fort Bliss for construction and operation of a
desalination plant and support facilities, including wells, pipelines,
and disposal sites for the residual brine resulting from the
desalination process. The purpose of the proposed plant is to treat
brackish (salty) water pumped from the Hueco Bolson Aquifer to provide
an additional reliable source of potable water for use by the City of
El Paso and Fort Bliss. Pumping of fresh water by EPWU, Fort Bliss,
Ciudad Ju[aacute]rez, and others has resulted in declining groundwater
levels in the aquifer. In addition, brackish water is intruding into
the aquifer's freshwater layer and has the potential to affect water
wells on Fort Bliss and in other areas of El Paso.
A sizable volume of brackish water exists adjacent to the
freshwater zone of the Hueco Bolson Aquifer. Desalination of the
brackish water offers a way to extend the life of the freshwater
aquifer as a source of potable water that is to the mutual benefit of
Fort Bliss and the City of El Paso. The proposed desalination plant
would reduce withdrawals of fresh water from the aquifer, extending its
useful life and intercepting the flow of brackish water to wells that
are operated by Fort Bliss. Both Fort Bliss and the City of El Paso
have considered constructing desalination facilities to tap into this
potential water source. The Army and EPWU believe that building a
single desalination plant to provide potable water for both the
installation and the city would be more efficient and
[[Page 4096]]
cost effective than constructing separate desalination plants.
ADDRESSES: To obtain copies of the FEIS, contact John F. Barrera (915)
568-3908 or write to: Fort Bliss Directorate of the Environment, ATTN:
AZC-DOE-C, Building 624, Pleasanton Road, Fort Bliss, TX 79916-6812.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: John F. Barrera, (915) 568-3908.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The proposed desalination plant would treat
brackish water drawn from the Hueco Bolson Aquifer using a technology
called reverse osmosis (RO). RO uses semipermeable membranes to remove
dissolved solids (primarily salts) from brackish water, producing fresh
water. Water for the desalination process would be drawn from existing
EPWU wells on the east side of El Paso International Airport and from
proposed new wells to be installed on Fort Bliss land north of Biggs
Army Airfield. The plant is being designed to produce approximately
27.5 million gallons per day (MGD) of drinking water and 3.0 MGD of a
brine called concentrate. To implement the proposed desalination
project, EPWU is applying for an easement for land in the South
Training Areas of Fort Bliss for a desalination plant site, 16 new
water wells, concentrate disposal sites, and various connecting
pipelines.
The FEIS considers seven alternatives, six action alternatives and
the No Action Alternative. The six action alternatives include various
combinations of three potential sites for the proposed desalination
plant and two methods of disposal on the concentrate. The three
alternative desalination plant sites are located in Training Area 1B of
the South Training Areas of Fort Bliss, adjacent to El Paso
International Airport, north of Montana Avenue, and west of Loop 375.
The two concentrate disposal methods under consideration include (1)
injecting the concentrate underground into a confined zone where it
would be isolated from potable water sources, or (2) piping the
concentrate to evaporation ponds, where the liquid would evaporate
leaving a solid salt residue that would be trucked to a landfill for
final disposal.
Under the No Action Alternative, the Army would not provide land on
Fort Bliss for construction and operation of the proposed desalination
plant. None of the proposed facilities would be constructed on Army
land at Fort Bliss. This alternative could, however, include one or
more of the following actions without Army action or participation:
construction and operation of a desalination plant on non-Army land,
increase in water conservation measures, development of other water
sources in the El Paso region, and/or importation of water from sources
outside El Paso. Without the proposed desalination project, EPWU would
continue to pump from the freshwater layer of the Hueco Bolson Aquifer
until it no longer met drinking water standards.
The Army has selected Alternative 3--Constructing the facility
north of Montana Avenue and using deep well injection for the disposal
of concentrate--as the Preferred Alternative.
The FEIS analyzes the environmental consequences each alternative
could have on geology and soils; water resources; utilities and
services; hazardous materials, hazardous waste, and safety; air
quality; biological resources; land use and aesthetics; transportation;
cultural resources; and socioeconomics and environmental justice. In
addition, it includes comments received on the Draft EIS, published
August 6, 2004, during the public review period that ended September
27, 2004, as well as responses to those comments.
Copies of the FEIS are available for review at the following
libraries in El Paso, Texas: El Paso Public Library, 501 N. Oregon
Street; Richard Burgess Branch, 9600 Dyer; Irving Schwartz Public
Library, 1865 Dean Martin Drive; and Westside Branch Library, 125
Belvedere Street.
Hugh M. Exton, Jr.,
Director, SWRO, Installation Management Agency.
[FR Doc. 05-689 Filed 1-27-05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3710-08-M
