Notice of Intent To Prepare a Draft Environment Impact Statement and Conduct a Public Scoping Meeting for the Proposed Thousand Palms Flood Control Project Within the Thousand Palms Area of Coachella Valley, Riverside County, California (Corps File No. SPL-2014-00238-RJV), 78794-78795 [2016-27063]

Download as PDF sradovich on DSK3GMQ082PROD with NOTICES 78794 Federal Register / Vol. 81, No. 217 / Wednesday, November 9, 2016 / Notices Type of Request: Reinstatement. Number of Respondents: 1,670. Responses per Respondent: 56. Annual Responses: 93,520. Average Burden per Response: 30 minutes. Annual Burden Hours: 46,760. Needs and Uses: The information collection requirement is necessary to comply with section 861 of Public Law 110–181 and DoD Instruction 3020.41, ‘‘Operational Contract Support’’ and other appropriate policy, Memoranda of Understanding, and regulations. The Department of Defense, the Department of State (DoS), and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) require that Government contract companies enter their employee’s data into the Synchronized Predeployment and Operational Tracker (SPOT) System before contractors are deployed outside of the United States. SPOT is also used during Homeland Defense and Defense Support of Civil Authority Operations in the United States. Any persons who choose not to have data collected will not be entitled to employment opportunities which require this data to be collected. Affected Public: Business or other forprofit. Frequency: On occasion. Respondent’s Obligation: Voluntary. OMB Desk Officer: Ms. Jasmeet Seehra. Comments and recommendations on the proposed information collection should be emailed to Ms. Jasmeet Seehra, DoD Desk Officer, at Oira_ submission@omb.eop.gov. Please identify the proposed information collection by DoD Desk Officer and the Docket ID number and title of the information collection. You may also submit comments and recommendations, identified by Docket ID number and title, by the following method: • Federal eRulemaking Portal: https:// www.regulations.gov. Follow the instructions for submitting comments. Instructions: All submissions received must include the agency name, Docket ID number and title for this Federal Register document. The general policy for comments and other submissions from members of the public is to make these submissions available for public viewing on the Internet at https:// www.regulations.gov as they are received without change, including any personal identifiers or contact information. DOD Clearance Officer: Mr. Frederick Licari. Written requests for copies of the information collection proposal should be sent to Mr. Licari at WHS/ESD VerDate Sep<11>2014 16:29 Nov 08, 2016 Jkt 241001 Directives Division, 4800 Mark Center Drive, East Tower, Suite 03F09, Alexandria, VA 22350–3100. Dated: November 3, 2016. Aaron Siegel, Alternate OSD Federal Register Liaison Officer, Department of Defense. [FR Doc. 2016–27009 Filed 11–8–16; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 5001–06–P DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE Department of the Army, Corps of Engineers Notice of Intent To Prepare a Draft Environment Impact Statement and Conduct a Public Scoping Meeting for the Proposed Thousand Palms Flood Control Project Within the Thousand Palms Area of Coachella Valley, Riverside County, California (Corps File No. SPL–2014–00238–RJV) Department of the Army, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, DoD. ACTION: Notice of intent. AGENCY: The purpose of this notice is to initiate a 45-day scoping process for preparation of a Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) for the Coachella Valley Water District’s (CVWD) proposed Thousand Palms Flood Control Project. DATES: Submit comments concerning this notice on or before December 19, 2016. A public scoping meeting will be held on December 6, 2016 at 6:00 p.m. (PST). ADDRESSES: The scoping meeting location is: Thousand Palms Community Center, 31–189 Roberts Road, Thousand Palms, CA 92276. Mail written comments concerning this notice to: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Los Angeles District, Regulatory Division, Carlsbad Field Office, ATIN: SPL–2014–00238–RJV, 5900 La Place Court, Suite 100, Carlsbad, CA 92008. Comment letters should include the commenter’s physical mailing address, the project title and the Corps file number in the subject line. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Michelle Lynch, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Los Angeles District, Regulatory Division, Carlsbad Field Office, ATTN: SPL–2014–00238–RJV, 5900 La Place Court, Suite 100, Carlsbad, CA 92008, (760) 602–4850, michelle.r.lynch@usace.army.mil. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), the Corps is preparing an Environmental SUMMARY: PO 00000 Frm 00023 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 Impact Statement (EIS) prior to any permit action. The Corps may ultimately make a determination to permit or deny the proposed project or a modified version of the proposed project. The primary Federal concerns are the discharge of fill material into waters of the United States. Authority: 33 U.S.C. 1344. 1. Project Description. CVWD is proposing to construct a flood control project that is linear in nature, consists of four reaches, and is generally located on the northern and eastern margins of the community of Thousand Palms. Components of the project include levees, channels, culverts, and a sediment basin. The levees and channels would be comprised of compacted native soil with a layer of soil cement to protect the structures from erosion. Reach 1 is comprised of a 2.4 mile long levee with varying height from 5 to 14 feet, a minimum 12-foot access (patrol) road on the top of the levee, as well as an unpaved embankment access road on the downstream (west side) of the levee for operations and maintenance (O&M) purposes. Reach 2 is comprised of a 0.33 mile long levee with a height of approximately 5 feet, a minimum 12foot access (patrol) road on the top of the levee, as well as an unpaved embankment access road on the downstream (west side) of the levee for O&M purposes and would be positioned in the mid-alluvial fan area just northeast of an existing electrical substation, to protect the substation and adjacent development. Reach 3 is comprised of a 1.23 mile long levee, an access road, and a 1.01 mile channel. The levee height would vary from 5 to 14 feet and would initiate approximately 2,000 feet southwest of the downstream end of Reach 2, roughly 1,000 feet south of Ramon Road. The channel would divert flows from Levee 3 towards the existing stormwater conveyance system at the Classic Club Golf Course. Reach 4 is comprised of an approximately two-mile long channel that would divert stormwater flows from the southeast end of the Classic Club Golf Course and continue south then east, adjacent to the re-aligned Avenue 38, and would terminate at Washington Street with construction of a conveyance system to direct stormwater flows into existing stormwater conveyance facilities in the Del Webb/ Sun City development. 2. Issues. Potentially significant impacts associated with the proposed project may include: Aesthetics/visual impacts, air quality emissions, biological resource impacts, noise, traffic and transportation, and E:\FR\FM\09NON1.SGM 09NON1 Federal Register / Vol. 81, No. 217 / Wednesday, November 9, 2016 / Notices cumulative impacts from past, present and reasonably foreseeable future projects. 3. Alternatives. The Draft EIS will include a co-equal analysis of several alternatives. Project alternatives will be further developed during this scoping process. Additional alternatives that may be developed during scoping will also be considered in the Draft EIS. 4. Scoping. The Corps and CVWD will jointly conduct a public scoping meeting to receive public comment regarding the appropriate scope and preparation of the Draft EIS. Participation by Federal, state, and local agencies and other interested organizations and persons is encouraged. 5. The Draft EIS is expected to be available for public review and comment 6 to 12 months after the scoping meeting, and a public meeting may be held after its publication. Dated: October 25, 2016. David Castanon, Chief, Regulatory Division. Table of Contents I. Background II. Purpose III. Request for Information Categories and Questions IV. Guidance for Submitting Documents [FR Doc. 2016–27063 Filed 11–8–16; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 3720–58–P DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Challenges and Opportunities for Sustainable Development of Hydropower in Undeveloped Stream Reaches of the United States; Request for Information Water Power Technologies Office, Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, Department of Energy (DOE). ACTION: Request for information (RFI). AGENCY: The Water Power Technologies Office (WPTO), within the Department of Energy (DOE) is issuing this request for information (RFI) to invite input from the public regarding challenges and opportunities associated with hydropower development in undeveloped stream-reaches. Through this RFI, the WPTO is also seeking input on the focus and structure of a potential funding opportunity to support research and development of advanced and/or non-traditional transformative hydropower technologies and project designs capable of avoiding or minimizing environmental and social effects of new cost-competitive hydropower development in undeveloped stream-reaches of the United States. sradovich on DSK3GMQ082PROD with NOTICES SUMMARY: VerDate Sep<11>2014 16:29 Nov 08, 2016 Responses must be received no later than 5:00 p.m. (ET) on Friday, December 16, 2016. ADDRESSES: Responses to this RFI must be submitted electronically to HydroNextFOA@ee.doe.gov as Microsoft Word (.docx) attachments to an email, and no more than 6 pages in length, 12 point font, 1 inch margins. It is recommended that attachments with file sizes exceeding 25 MB be compressed (i.e., zipped) to ensure message delivery. Please include in the subject line ‘‘Comments for RFI’’. Only electronic responses will be accepted. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Questions may be directed to: Rajesh Dham, Water Power Technologies Office, U.S. Department of Energy, 1000 Independence Avenue SW., Washington, DC 20585, Phone: (202) 287–6675, Email: Rajesh.Dham@ee.doe.gov. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: DATES: Jkt 241001 I. Background Through its HydroNEXT initiative, WPTO’s Hydropower Program (the Program) invests in the development of innovative technologies that lower cost, improve performance, and promote environmental stewardship of hydropower development across three resource classes: • Existing non-powered dams (NPD) • Pumped storage hydropower (PSH) • New stream-reach development (NSD) Under a Fiscal Year (FY) 2016 Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) DE–FOA–0001455 titled, ‘‘Innovative Technologies to Advance Non-Powered Dam and Pumped Storage Hydropower Development,’’ the Program made federal funding available to research and develop innovative solutions for NPD and PSH development. In FY 2017, the Program seeks to overcome challenges associated with furthering the development of hydropower in new stream-reaches. Development of hydropower in new stream-reaches refers to new projects in stream segments and waterways that do not currently have hydroelectric facilities. New stream-reach development projects are subject to more scrutiny than projects for other hydropower resources (i.e. NPDs, refurbishments) because such development can have more extensive environmental and social effects, PO 00000 Frm 00024 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 78795 particularly if construction of a dam or diversion is required. Construction of barriers in a natural waterway can affect fish migration, channel geomorphology, sediment transport, habitat connectivity, water quality, and flow regimes. The unique nature of new stream-reach development can also add cost, time, and uncertainty to the development process. These factors have hindered the development of this resource in recent decades. To realize sustainable and responsible hydropower development and to protect the integrity of existing streams, the Program is seeking information regarding transformative and/or innovative hydropower technologies that reduce or eliminate environmental concerns and are financially viable. II. Purpose The purpose of this RFI is to solicit feedback from industry, academia, research laboratories, government agencies, and other stakeholders on issues related to development of hydropower in new stream-reaches. EERE is specifically interested in information on the costs/benefits and environmental effects associated with such development, and possible solutions to address the related challenges. EERE is also seeking input on the focus and structure of a potential funding opportunity to support research and development of advanced and/or non-traditional transformative hydropower technologies and project designs capable of avoiding or minimizing environmental and social effects of new cost-competitive hydropower development in undeveloped stream-reaches of the United States. This is solely a request for information and not a Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA); EERE is not accepting applications. III. Request for Information Categories and Questions A. Category 1: New Stream-Reach Development (NSD) Challenges and Opportunities To accelerate the deployment of sustainable and responsible hydropower in new stream-reaches while protecting their social and environmental value, EERE is seeking input on the main challenges and potential opportunities for developing this resource. Specifically, we welcome feedback on the following questions: (1) How can advances in technology more readily address environmental challenges associated with hydropower development in undeveloped streams? (2) What are the technical challenges associated with new stream-reach E:\FR\FM\09NON1.SGM 09NON1

Agencies

[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 217 (Wednesday, November 9, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 78794-78795]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-27063]


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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Department of the Army, Corps of Engineers


Notice of Intent To Prepare a Draft Environment Impact Statement 
and Conduct a Public Scoping Meeting for the Proposed Thousand Palms 
Flood Control Project Within the Thousand Palms Area of Coachella 
Valley, Riverside County, California (Corps File No. SPL-2014-00238-
RJV)

AGENCY: Department of the Army, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, DoD.

ACTION: Notice of intent.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: The purpose of this notice is to initiate a 45-day scoping 
process for preparation of a Draft Environmental Impact Statement 
(DEIS) for the Coachella Valley Water District's (CVWD) proposed 
Thousand Palms Flood Control Project.

DATES: Submit comments concerning this notice on or before December 19, 
2016. A public scoping meeting will be held on December 6, 2016 at 6:00 
p.m. (PST).

ADDRESSES: The scoping meeting location is: Thousand Palms Community 
Center, 31-189 Roberts Road, Thousand Palms, CA 92276.
    Mail written comments concerning this notice to: U.S. Army Corps of 
Engineers, Los Angeles District, Regulatory Division, Carlsbad Field 
Office, ATIN: SPL-2014-00238-RJV, 5900 La Place Court, Suite 100, 
Carlsbad, CA 92008. Comment letters should include the commenter's 
physical mailing address, the project title and the Corps file number 
in the subject line.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Michelle Lynch, U.S. Army Corps of 
Engineers, Los Angeles District, Regulatory Division, Carlsbad Field 
Office, ATTN: SPL-2014-00238-RJV, 5900 La Place Court, Suite 100, 
Carlsbad, CA 92008, (760) 602-4850, michelle.r.lynch@usace.army.mil.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In accordance with the National 
Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), the Corps is preparing an 
Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) prior to any permit action. The 
Corps may ultimately make a determination to permit or deny the 
proposed project or a modified version of the proposed project. The 
primary Federal concerns are the discharge of fill material into waters 
of the United States.
    Authority: 33 U.S.C. 1344.
    1. Project Description. CVWD is proposing to construct a flood 
control project that is linear in nature, consists of four reaches, and 
is generally located on the northern and eastern margins of the 
community of Thousand Palms. Components of the project include levees, 
channels, culverts, and a sediment basin. The levees and channels would 
be comprised of compacted native soil with a layer of soil cement to 
protect the structures from erosion. Reach 1 is comprised of a 2.4 mile 
long levee with varying height from 5 to 14 feet, a minimum 12-foot 
access (patrol) road on the top of the levee, as well as an unpaved 
embankment access road on the downstream (west side) of the levee for 
operations and maintenance (O&M) purposes. Reach 2 is comprised of a 
0.33 mile long levee with a height of approximately 5 feet, a minimum 
12-foot access (patrol) road on the top of the levee, as well as an 
unpaved embankment access road on the downstream (west side) of the 
levee for O&M purposes and would be positioned in the mid-alluvial fan 
area just northeast of an existing electrical substation, to protect 
the substation and adjacent development. Reach 3 is comprised of a 1.23 
mile long levee, an access road, and a 1.01 mile channel. The levee 
height would vary from 5 to 14 feet and would initiate approximately 
2,000 feet southwest of the downstream end of Reach 2, roughly 1,000 
feet south of Ramon Road. The channel would divert flows from Levee 3 
towards the existing stormwater conveyance system at the Classic Club 
Golf Course. Reach 4 is comprised of an approximately two-mile long 
channel that would divert stormwater flows from the southeast end of 
the Classic Club Golf Course and continue south then east, adjacent to 
the re-aligned Avenue 38, and would terminate at Washington Street with 
construction of a conveyance system to direct stormwater flows into 
existing stormwater conveyance facilities in the Del Webb/Sun City 
development.
    2. Issues. Potentially significant impacts associated with the 
proposed project may include: Aesthetics/visual impacts, air quality 
emissions, biological resource impacts, noise, traffic and 
transportation, and

[[Page 78795]]

cumulative impacts from past, present and reasonably foreseeable future 
projects.
    3. Alternatives. The Draft EIS will include a co-equal analysis of 
several alternatives. Project alternatives will be further developed 
during this scoping process. Additional alternatives that may be 
developed during scoping will also be considered in the Draft EIS.
    4. Scoping. The Corps and CVWD will jointly conduct a public 
scoping meeting to receive public comment regarding the appropriate 
scope and preparation of the Draft EIS. Participation by Federal, 
state, and local agencies and other interested organizations and 
persons is encouraged.
    5. The Draft EIS is expected to be available for public review and 
comment 6 to 12 months after the scoping meeting, and a public meeting 
may be held after its publication.

    Dated: October 25, 2016.
David Castanon,
Chief, Regulatory Division.
[FR Doc. 2016-27063 Filed 11-8-16; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3720-58-P

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