Draft Environmental Impact Statement/Environmental Impact Report and Notice of Public Meetings for the Joint Operations Center Relocation Project, Sacramento County, CA, 55703-55704 [2011-22787]

Agencies

• DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
• Bureau of Reclamation
• Reclamation Bureau

[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 174 (Thursday, September 8, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 55703-55704]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-22787]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Reclamation


Draft Environmental Impact Statement/Environmental Impact Report 
and Notice of Public Meetings for the Joint Operations Center 
Relocation Project, Sacramento County, CA

AGENCY: Bureau of Reclamation, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of availability and public meetings.

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SUMMARY: The Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) and the California 
Department of Water Resources (DWR) have made available for public 
review and comment the joint draft environmental impact statement/
environmental impact report (Draft EIS/EIR) for the Joint Operations 
Center (JOC) Relocation Project.
    The proposed new JOC would provide the special needs, essential 
services, and requisite office space for the combined occupancy of 
Reclamation, DWR, and the National Weather Service (NWS) that are 
lacking at the existing Interim JOC on El Camino. Special needs are 
defined as two control centers, a flood operations center, backup power 
supplies, primary and backup communication systems, intense computer 
infrastructure, and physical and cyber security systems. The new JOC 
also must meet State essential service criteria, described further 
below.

DATES: Submit written comments on the Draft EIS/EIR on or before 
November 7, 2011.
    Two public meetings are scheduled with DWR and Reclamation staff. 
Oral or written comments will be received at these meetings regarding 
the project's environmental effects. The meetings will be held on 
September 22, 2011 from 2 to 4 p.m. and from 6 to 8 p.m. in Sacramento.

ADDRESSES: Submit written comments on the Draft EIS/EIR to Mr. Doug 
Kleinsmith, Division of Environmental Affairs, Bureau of Reclamation, 
2800 Cottage Way, Sacramento, CA 95825. E-mail electronic comments to 
dkleinsmith@usbr.gov.
    The public meetings will be held at the Sacramento State Aquatics 
Center, 1901 Hazel Avenue, Gold River, CA 95670.
    To request a compact disc of the Draft EIS/EIR, please contact Mr. 
Doug Kleinsmith as indicated above, or call 916-978-5034. The Draft 
EIS/EIR may be viewed at Reclamation's Web site at https://www.usbr.gov/mp/cvo/joc.html. See Supplementary Information section for locations 
where copies of the Draft EIS/EIR are available for public review.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Doug Kleinsmith, Natural Resources 
Specialist, at 916-978-5034, or e-mail at dkleinsmith@usbr.gov; or Mr. 
John Engstrom, DWR Program Manager, at 916-651-8745, or e-mail at 
engstrom@water.ca.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The new JOC would accommodate approximately 
600 employees and be approximately

[[Page 55704]]

200,000 square feet. The preliminary design concepts being considered 
in the Draft EIS/EIR are one three-story building or two two-story 
buildings. The new JOC would occupy approximately 16 acres of land, 
including access roads and parking lots.
    The criteria used by Reclamation, DWR, NWS, and the California 
Department of General Services to identify alternative JOC locations 
require that the site:
     Be along or adjacent to a major traffic thoroughfare and 
within an approximately 25-minute drive time from downtown Sacramento 
(DWR headquarters);
     Be outside of the designated 200-year floodplain;
     Maintain a secure perimeter;
     Have a lower risk of incompatible adjacent development;
     Allow line-of-sight for specialized communications systems 
and equipment, as well as redundant communication systems;
     Have availability of reliable and redundant power service;
     Have access to public transportation such as bus service 
and/or light rail.
    Copies of the Draft EIS/EIR are available for public review at the 
following locations:
     Bureau of Reclamation, Regional Library, 2800 Cottage Way, 
Sacramento, CA 95825-1898, 916-978-5593.
     California Department of Water Resources, Division of 
Management Services, 1416 Ninth Street, Room 354, Sacramento, CA 95814.
     Rancho Cordova Public Library, 9845 Folsom Boulevard, 
Sacramento, CA 95827.
     Folsom Public Library, Georgia Murray Building, 411 
Stafford Street, Folsom, CA 95630.

Special Assistance for Public Meetings

    If special assistance is required to participate in the public 
meetings, please contact Mr. Doug Kleinsmith at 916-978-5034, TDD 916-
978-5608, or via e-mail at dkleinsmith@usbr.gov. Please notify Mr. 
Kleinsmith 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: August 2, 2011.
 Pablo R. Arroyave,
Deputy Regional Director, Mid-Pacific Region.
[FR Doc. 2011-22787 Filed 9-7-11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-MN-P