Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement, New Mexico Unit of the Central Arizona Project; Catron, Grant, and Hidalgo Counties, New Mexico, 27347-27349 [2018-12575]
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Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 113 / Tuesday, June 12, 2018 / Notices
reporting functions; (ii) regarding a
testing laboratory’s suitability
determination based upon standards no
less stringent than those set out in 25
CFR 533.6(b)(1)(ii) through (v) and
based upon no less information than
that required by 25 CFR 537.1; and/or
(iii) the TGRA’s acceptance of a testing
laboratory’s suitability determination
made by any other gaming regulatory
authority in the United States. The
TGRA must maintain said records for a
minimum of three years and must make
the records available to the Commission
upon request. Section 547.17 requires a
TGRA to submit a detailed report for
each enumerated standard for which the
TGRA approves an alternate standard,
and the report must include: (i) An
explanation of how the alternate
standard achieves a level of security and
integrity sufficient to accomplish the
purpose of the standard it is to replace;
and (ii) the alternate standard as
approved and the record on which the
approval is based. This collection is
mandatory and allows the NIGC to
confirm tribal compliance with NIGC
regulations on ‘‘electronic, computer, or
other technologic aids’’ to conduct class
II gaming activities.
Respondents: Tribal governing bodies.
Estimated Number of Respondents:
492.
Estimated Annual Responses: 500.
Estimated Time per Response:
Depending on the type of submission,
the range of time can vary from 2.0
burden hours to 6.0 burden hours for
one item.
Frequency of Response: Annually.
Estimated Total Annual Hourly
Burden to Respondents: 2,456.
Estimated Total Non-Hour Cost
Burden: $0.
Dated: May 31, 2018.
Christinia Thomas,
Chief of Staff (A).
BILLING CODE 7565–01–P
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
sradovich on DSK3GMQ082PROD with NOTICES
[NPS–NERO–GATE–25299; PPNEGATEB0,
PPMVSCS1Z.Y00000]
Gateway National Recreation Area Fort
Hancock 21st Century Advisory
Committee
National Park Service, Interior.
Notice of renewal.
AGENCY:
The Secretary of the Interior
is giving notice of renewal of the
Gateway National Recreation Area Fort
Hancock 21st Century Advisory
VerDate Sep<11>2014
16:21 Jun 11, 2018
Jkt 244001
Ryan K. Zinke,
Secretary of the Interior.
[FR Doc. 2018–12559 Filed 6–11–18; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4312–52–P
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Reclamation
[RR03510000, XXXR0680R1,
RR171260120019400]
Bureau of Reclamation,
Interior.
ACTION: Notice of intent; request for
comments.
AGENCY:
National Park Service
SUMMARY:
Authority: 54 U.S.C. 100906; 54 U.S.C.
100101(a) et seq.
Notice of Intent To Prepare an
Environmental Impact Statement, New
Mexico Unit of the Central Arizona
Project; Catron, Grant, and Hidalgo
Counties, New Mexico
[FR Doc. 2018–12498 Filed 6–11–18; 8:45 am]
ACTION:
Committee. The Committee provides
advice on the development of a specific
reuse plan and on matters relating to the
future uses of the Fort Hancock Historic
Landmark District within the Sandy
Hook Unit of Gateway National
Recreation Area.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Daphne Yun, Acting Public Affairs
Officer, Gateway National Recreation
Area, 210 New York Avenue, Staten
Island, New York 10305, or by
telephone (718) 354–4602, or by email
daphne_yun@nps.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This
notice is published in accordance with
Section 9(a)(2) of the Federal Advisory
Committee Act of 1972 (Pub. L. 92–463,
as amended). The certification of
renewal is published below.
Certification Statement: I hereby
certify that the renewal of the Gateway
National Recreation Area Fort Hancock
21st Century Advisory Committee is
necessary and in the public interest in
connection with the performance of
duties imposed on the Department of
the Interior by the National Park Service
Organic Act (54 U.S.C. 100101(a) et
seq.), and other statutes relating to the
administration of the National Park
Service.
The Bureau of Reclamation
(Reclamation), as the lead Federal
agency, and the New Mexico Interstate
Stream Commission (ISC), as joint lead
agency, intend to gather information
necessary for preparing an
Environmental Impact Statement (EIS)
to evaluate the effects of the
construction and operation of a New
Mexico Unit (NM Unit) of the Central
Arizona Project (CAP). Reclamation and
SUMMARY:
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27347
the ISC will work with land owners that
may be impacted by construction and
operation of the NM Unit. Reclamation
and the ISC will evaluate and disclose
the potential environmental effects on
these lands to determine consistency
with any applicable land use plans or
other guiding documents. This notice
also opens public scoping to identify
potential issues, concerns, and
alternatives to be considered in the EIS.
DATES: Comments on the scope of the
EIS are due 30 days after publication of
this notice in the Federal Register.
Eight public scoping meetings will be
held to solicit comments on the scope
of the EIS and the issues and
alternatives that should be analyzed.
The dates and locations of the scoping
meetings will be announced at least 15
days in advance through local media,
newspapers, and the project website at:
https://www.nmuniteis.com. At the time
of this publication, the dates and
locations of the scoping meetings will
be on the project website.
ADDRESSES: Send written comments on
the scope of the EIS to the Phoenix Area
Office, Bureau of Reclamation (ATTN:
NM Unit EIS), 6150 West Thunderbird
Road, Glendale, Arizona 85306, or by
email to NMUnitEIS@empsi.com. If
emailing comments, please use ‘‘NM
Unit EIS’’ as the subject of your email.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr.
Sean Heath at (623) 773–6250, or by
email at NMUnitEIS@empsi.com.
Additional information is available
online at https://www.nmuniteis.com.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Pursuant
to the National Environmental Policy
Act of 1969, as amended (NEPA), 42
U.S.C. 4231–4347; the Council on
Environmental Quality’s Regulations for
Implementing the Procedural Provisions
of NEPA, 40 CFR parts 1500 through
1508; and the Department of the
Interior’s regulations, 43 CFR part 46,
Reclamation and the ISC, as joint lead
agencies, intend to prepare an EIS on
the NM Unit of the CAP. The Proposed
Action would develop a NM Unit of the
CAP to permit the consumptive use of
Gila River water, diverted in accordance
with the Consumptive Use and
Forbearance Agreement (CUFA), and
pursuant to the terms of the Arizona
Water Settlements Act, Public Law 108–
451 (AWSA).
Background
The Colorado River Basin Project Act
of 1968, Public Law 90–537, 43 U.S.C.
Ch. 32, as amended by the AWSA,
authorizes the Secretary of the Interior
(Secretary) to contract with water users
in New Mexico for water from the Gila
River, its tributaries and underground
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Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 113 / Tuesday, June 12, 2018 / Notices
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water sources. New Mexico may divert,
in any period of 10 consecutive years,
up to an annual average of 14,000 acrefeet, including a maximum of 4,000
acre-feet per year that may be diverted
from the San Francisco River pursuant
to the CUFA and the NM Unit
Agreement. Use of this water under the
AWSA is conditioned on satisfying a
variety of laws and agreements related
to its use in New Mexico and Arizona.
These laws and agreements generally
require that additional CAP water be
delivered to the downstream users in
Arizona to replace diversions in New
Mexico under the AWSA and the CUFA.
A NM Unit is the infrastructure that
would divert Gila River water in New
Mexico for this purpose. The AWSA
contains specific requirements for the
Secretary regarding the possible
construction, operation, and
maintenance of a NM Unit on the Gila
River.
The Secretary is authorized to design,
build, operate, and maintain a NM Unit.
A NM Unit is defined in the New
Mexico Unit Agreement, which the
Secretary executed on November 23,
2015. The Secretary is directed to carry
out all necessary environmental
compliance required by Federal law in
implementing the CUFA and the New
Mexico Unit Agreement. Reclamation
and the ISC are the joint lead agencies
for environmental compliance regarding
the Unit pursuant to Section 212(h) of
the AWSA.
Purpose and Need for Action
The purpose of the Proposed Action
is to develop a NM Unit of the CAP to
allow for consumptive use of water from
the Gila River, its tributaries or
underground water sources in
southwestern New Mexico, diverted in
accordance with the CUFA, and
pursuant to the terms of the AWSA. The
water developed via a NM Unit
pursuant to the AWSA and the CUFA is
for the benefit of the New Mexico CAP
Entity.
The needs for the Proposed Action are
as follows: (a) To develop water for
delivery at the times, locations, and in
quantities that will improve agricultural
use within the Cliff-Gila, Virden, and/or
San Francisco River valleys; and (b) to
provide capability for future expansion
for the beneficial purposes authorized
by the Colorado River Basin Project Act
of 1968 and the AWSA. The Proposed
Action identified in this EIS is needed
for agricultural use and does not include
or preclude the independent
development of subsequent projects to
address these future needs; however,
future projects involving water
developed pursuant to the AWSA and
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the CUFA will be subject to all
environmental compliance required by
law.
Reclamation has concluded that an
EIS is required for the proposed project,
pursuant to the statutory requirements
of the AWSA. The EIS will evaluate
direct, indirect, and cumulative effects
of the Proposed Action. In addition, the
EIS will include a No Action alternative.
For purposes of analysis and scoping,
the No Action alternative represents the
conditions that exist in the absence of
the Federal action. It will provide the
basis for comparison with the Proposed
Action that includes the construction
and operation of a NM Unit.
Proposed Action
The NM Unit would be a water
diversion, storage, conveyance, and
delivery system for agricultural use and
to provide capability for future
expansion for other beneficial purposes
as authorized by the Colorado River
Basin Project Act of 1968 and the
AWSA. The study area for the EIS
comprises portions of Catron, Grant, and
Hidalgo counties in southwest New
Mexico. The Project would divert
AWSA water from the Gila River or its
tributaries in New Mexico pursuant to
the provisions of the AWSA and the
CUFA, convey it for storage in offstream storage sites in the Upper Gila
Valley, along the San Francisco River
and in the Virden Valley, and deliver it
to the target water users. The Proposed
Action would only use a portion of the
14,000 acre-feet allowed under the
AWSA, while not precluding the future
development of the full amount. The
exact amounts of water that would be
diverted are unknown at this time and
will be determined as the Proposed
Action is refined prior to the
publication of the Draft EIS. The
Proposed Action includes diverting,
conveying, and storing other water
rights, except for Globe Equity water
rights. Possible components of the NM
Unit include the following:
• A surface water diversion structure
on the Gila River, in the Cliff-Gila
Valley;
• Storage ponds in the Gila River
floodplain and in a side drainage of the
Cliff-Gila Valley, providing
approximately 4,000 acre-feet of storage;
• Aquifer storage with recovery wells
in the Cliff-Gila Valley;
• Gravity flow and pumped delivery
of diverted water to storage facilities in
the Cliff-Gila Valley;
• Pumping facilities associated with
delivery of stored water in the Cliff-Gila
Valley;
• Ditch improvements, including
increased capacity and lining of about
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one-third of existing ditches in the CliffGila Valley;
• Surface storage ponds in the Gila
River floodplain or side channels,
providing approximately 500 acre-feet
of storage in the Virden Valley;
• Improvements to existing ditches
for water conveyance in the Virden
Valley;
• Pumping facilities associated with
delivery of stored water in the Virden
Valley;
• A surface water diversion structure
on the San Francisco River, near Alma;
• Pumping facility for delivery of
diverted water to the proposed reservoir
near Alma;
• Conveyance (i.e., open ditch, box
culvert, or pipeline) construction and
improvements to existing ditches for
water conveyance from a proposed
diversion on the San Francisco River;
• Construction of an approximately
1,900 acre-foot off-stream reservoir near
Alma, to store water diverted from the
San Francisco River;
• Construction of water conveyance
facilities from the reservoir to points of
use.
Reclamation and the ISC will use the
public scoping period, previous studies,
and stakeholder input to fully identify
the range of potentially significant
issues, actions, alternatives, and impacts
to be considered in the EIS.
Resource areas analyzed in the EIS
may include air quality; cultural
resources; geology and soils; hazardous
substances and waste; land use; noise;
socioeconomics; recreation; utilities and
infrastructure; vegetation; water;
wetlands and floodplains; fisheries and
wildlife; and special status species. The
range of issues and alternatives
addressed in the EIS may be expanded
or reduced based on comments received
in response to this notice and at the
public scoping meetings. Additional
information is available by contacting
the person listed in the FOR FURTHER
INFORMATION CONTACT section of this
notice.
Principles, Requirements, and
Guidelines
As part of the environmental analysis
process, the Federal Principles,
Requirements, and Guidelines for Water
and Land Related Resources
Implementation Studies (PR&Gs) will be
applied to examine the various
technical, economic, hydrologic,
recreation and ecosystem services
considerations of each alternative, as
well as a No Action alternative. The
requirements of a PR&G analysis are
unique to that process and are not
included in the Council of
Environmental Quality or Department of
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Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 113 / Tuesday, June 12, 2018 / Notices
the Interior NEPA implementing
regulations. Additional information
regarding the PR&Gs is available online
at the website provided in the FOR
FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT section of
this notice.
Cooperating Agency Status
If, based on the Proposed Action, your
agency believes it has special expertise
or jurisdiction by law, as defined in 40
CFR 1508.15 and 1508.26, please
respond within 30 days of the date of
publication of this notice to the person
listed in the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION
CONTACT section of this notice.
Special Assistance for Public Scoping
Meetings
If special assistance is required at the
scoping meetings, please contact Mr.
Sean Heath at (623) 773–6250, or email
your assistance needs to NMUnitEIS@
empsi.com, along with your name and
telephone number. Please indicate your
needs at least two weeks in advance of
the meeting to enable Reclamation to
secure the needed services. If a request
cannot be honored, the requestor will be
notified.
Public Disclosure
Before including your address, phone
number, email 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: June 7, 2018.
Terrance J. Fulp,
Regional Director, Lower Colorado Region.
[FR Doc. 2018–12575 Filed 6–11–18; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4332–90–P
INTERNATIONAL TRADE
COMMISSION
[Investigation No. 337–TA–1119]
sradovich on DSK3GMQ082PROD with NOTICES
Certain Infotainment Systems,
Components Thereof, and
Automobiles Containing the Same:
Institution of investigation
U.S. International Trade
Commission.
ACTION: Notice.
AGENCY:
Notice is hereby given that a
complaint was filed with the U.S.
International Trade Commission on May
7, 2018, under section 337 of the Tariff
SUMMARY:
VerDate Sep<11>2014
16:21 Jun 11, 2018
Jkt 244001
Act of 1930, as amended, on behalf of
Broadcom Corporation of San Jose,
California. Supplements to the
complaint were filed on May 18, 2018
and May 30, 2018. The complaint
alleges violations of section 337 based
upon the importation into the United
States, the sale for importation, and the
sale within the United States after
importation of certain infotainment
systems, component thereof, and
automobiles containing the same by
reason of infringement of U.S. Patent
No. 6,937,187 (‘‘the ’187 patent’’); U.S.
Patent No. 8,902,104 (‘‘the ’104 patent’’);
U.S. Patent No. 7,512,752 (‘‘the ’752
patent’’); U.S. Patent No. 7,530,027 (‘‘the
’027 patent’’); U.S. Patent No. 8,284,844
(‘‘the ’844 patent’’); and U.S. Patent No.
7,437,583 (‘‘the ’583 patent’’). The
complaint further alleges that an
industry in the United States exists as
required by the applicable Federal
Statute.
The complainant requests that the
Commission institute an investigation
and, after the investigation, issue a
limited exclusion order and cease and
desist orders.
ADDRESSES: The complaint, except for
any confidential information contained
therein, is available for inspection
during official business hours (8:45 a.m.
to 5:15 p.m.) in the Office of the
Secretary, U.S. International Trade
Commission, 500 E Street SW, Room
112, Washington, DC 20436, telephone
(202) 205–2000. Hearing impaired
individuals are advised that information
on this matter can be obtained by
contacting the Commission’s TDD
terminal on (202) 205–1810. Persons
with mobility impairments who will
need special assistance in gaining access
to the Commission should contact the
Office of the Secretary at (202) 205–
2000. General information concerning
the Commission may also be obtained
by accessing its internet server at
https://www.usitc.gov. The public
record for this investigation may be
viewed on the Commission’s electronic
docket (EDIS) at https://edis.usitc.gov.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Katherine Hiner, The Office of Docket
Services, U.S. International Trade
Commission, telephone (202) 205–1802.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Authority: The authority for
institution of this investigation is
contained in section 337 of the Tariff
Act of 1930, as amended, 19 U.S.C. 1337
and in section 210.10 of the
Commission’s Rules of Practice and
Procedure, 19 CFR 210.10 (2018).
Scope of investigation: Having
considered the complaint, the U.S.
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27349
International Trade Commission, on
June 6, 2018, ordered that—
(1) Pursuant to subsection (b) of
section 337 of the Tariff Act of 1930, as
amended, an investigation be instituted
to determine whether there is a
violation of subsection (a)(1)(B) of
section 337 in the importation into the
United States, the sale for importation,
or the sale within the United States after
importation of products identified in
paragraph (2) by reason of infringement
of one or more of claims 1–10 of the
’187 patent; claims 1, 2, 5–13, 15, and
16 of the ’104 patent; claims 1–10 of the
’752 patent; claims 11–20 of the ’027
patent; claims 1–14 of the ’844 patent;
and claims 17–26 of the ’583 patent; and
whether an industry in the United
States exists as required by subsection
(a)(2) of section 337;
(2) Pursuant to section 210.10(b)(1) of
the Commission’s Rules of Practice and
Procedure, 19 CFR 210.10(b)(1), the
plain language description of the
accused products or category of accused
products, which defines the scope of the
investigation, is ‘‘head units, rear seat
entertainment units, units for displaying
information or entertainment, and
cameras, controllers, processing
components, modules, chips, GNSS
processing devices, and circuits used
therein or therewith and automobiles
that contain such infotainment systems
and components’’;
(3) For the purpose of the
investigation so instituted, the following
are hereby named as parties upon which
this notice of investigation shall be
served:
(a) The complainant is: Broadcom
Corporation, 1320 Ridder Park Drive,
San Jose, CA 95131.
(b) The respondents are the following
entities alleged to be in violation of
section 337, and are the parties upon
which the complaint is to be served:
Toyota Motor Corporation, 1 Toyotacho, Toyota City, Aichi Prefecture
471–8571, Japan
Toyota Motor North America, Inc., 6565
Headquarters Dr., Plano, TX 75024
Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc., 6565
Headquarters Dr., Plano, TX 75024
Toyota Motor Engineering &
Manufacturing North America, Inc.,
6565 Headquarters Dr., Plano, TX
75024
Toyota Motor Manufacturing, Indiana,
Inc., 4000 Tulip Tree Drive,
Princeton, IN 47670
Toyota Motor Manufacturing, Kentucky,
Inc., 25 Atlantic Avenue, Erlanger, KY
41018
Toyota Motor Manufacturing,
Mississippi, Inc., 398 E Main Street,
Tupelo, MS 38804
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]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 113 (Tuesday, June 12, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 27347-27349]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-12575]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Reclamation
[RR03510000, XXXR0680R1, RR171260120019400]
Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement,
New Mexico Unit of the Central Arizona Project; Catron, Grant, and
Hidalgo Counties, New Mexico
AGENCY: Bureau of Reclamation, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of intent; request for comments.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation), as the lead Federal
agency, and the New Mexico Interstate Stream Commission (ISC), as joint
lead agency, intend to gather information necessary for preparing an
Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) to evaluate the effects of the
construction and operation of a New Mexico Unit (NM Unit) of the
Central Arizona Project (CAP). Reclamation and the ISC will work with
land owners that may be impacted by construction and operation of the
NM Unit. Reclamation and the ISC will evaluate and disclose the
potential environmental effects on these lands to determine consistency
with any applicable land use plans or other guiding documents. This
notice also opens public scoping to identify potential issues,
concerns, and alternatives to be considered in the EIS.
DATES: Comments on the scope of the EIS are due 30 days after
publication of this notice in the Federal Register.
Eight public scoping meetings will be held to solicit comments on
the scope of the EIS and the issues and alternatives that should be
analyzed. The dates and locations of the scoping meetings will be
announced at least 15 days in advance through local media, newspapers,
and the project website at: https://www.nmuniteis.com. At the time of
this publication, the dates and locations of the scoping meetings will
be on the project website.
ADDRESSES: Send written comments on the scope of the EIS to the Phoenix
Area Office, Bureau of Reclamation (ATTN: NM Unit EIS), 6150 West
Thunderbird Road, Glendale, Arizona 85306, or by email to
[email protected]. If emailing comments, please use ``NM Unit EIS''
as the subject of your email.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Sean Heath at (623) 773-6250, or
by email at [email protected]. Additional information is available
online at https://www.nmuniteis.com.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Pursuant to the National Environmental
Policy Act of 1969, as amended (NEPA), 42 U.S.C. 4231-4347; the Council
on Environmental Quality's Regulations for Implementing the Procedural
Provisions of NEPA, 40 CFR parts 1500 through 1508; and the Department
of the Interior's regulations, 43 CFR part 46, Reclamation and the ISC,
as joint lead agencies, intend to prepare an EIS on the NM Unit of the
CAP. The Proposed Action would develop a NM Unit of the CAP to permit
the consumptive use of Gila River water, diverted in accordance with
the Consumptive Use and Forbearance Agreement (CUFA), and pursuant to
the terms of the Arizona Water Settlements Act, Public Law 108-451
(AWSA).
Background
The Colorado River Basin Project Act of 1968, Public Law 90-537, 43
U.S.C. Ch. 32, as amended by the AWSA, authorizes the Secretary of the
Interior (Secretary) to contract with water users in New Mexico for
water from the Gila River, its tributaries and underground
[[Page 27348]]
water sources. New Mexico may divert, in any period of 10 consecutive
years, up to an annual average of 14,000 acre-feet, including a maximum
of 4,000 acre-feet per year that may be diverted from the San Francisco
River pursuant to the CUFA and the NM Unit Agreement. Use of this water
under the AWSA is conditioned on satisfying a variety of laws and
agreements related to its use in New Mexico and Arizona. These laws and
agreements generally require that additional CAP water be delivered to
the downstream users in Arizona to replace diversions in New Mexico
under the AWSA and the CUFA.
A NM Unit is the infrastructure that would divert Gila River water
in New Mexico for this purpose. The AWSA contains specific requirements
for the Secretary regarding the possible construction, operation, and
maintenance of a NM Unit on the Gila River.
The Secretary is authorized to design, build, operate, and maintain
a NM Unit. A NM Unit is defined in the New Mexico Unit Agreement, which
the Secretary executed on November 23, 2015. The Secretary is directed
to carry out all necessary environmental compliance required by Federal
law in implementing the CUFA and the New Mexico Unit Agreement.
Reclamation and the ISC are the joint lead agencies for environmental
compliance regarding the Unit pursuant to Section 212(h) of the AWSA.
Purpose and Need for Action
The purpose of the Proposed Action is to develop a NM Unit of the
CAP to allow for consumptive use of water from the Gila River, its
tributaries or underground water sources in southwestern New Mexico,
diverted in accordance with the CUFA, and pursuant to the terms of the
AWSA. The water developed via a NM Unit pursuant to the AWSA and the
CUFA is for the benefit of the New Mexico CAP Entity.
The needs for the Proposed Action are as follows: (a) To develop
water for delivery at the times, locations, and in quantities that will
improve agricultural use within the Cliff-Gila, Virden, and/or San
Francisco River valleys; and (b) to provide capability for future
expansion for the beneficial purposes authorized by the Colorado River
Basin Project Act of 1968 and the AWSA. The Proposed Action identified
in this EIS is needed for agricultural use and does not include or
preclude the independent development of subsequent projects to address
these future needs; however, future projects involving water developed
pursuant to the AWSA and the CUFA will be subject to all environmental
compliance required by law.
Reclamation has concluded that an EIS is required for the proposed
project, pursuant to the statutory requirements of the AWSA. The EIS
will evaluate direct, indirect, and cumulative effects of the Proposed
Action. In addition, the EIS will include a No Action alternative. For
purposes of analysis and scoping, the No Action alternative represents
the conditions that exist in the absence of the Federal action. It will
provide the basis for comparison with the Proposed Action that includes
the construction and operation of a NM Unit.
Proposed Action
The NM Unit would be a water diversion, storage, conveyance, and
delivery system for agricultural use and to provide capability for
future expansion for other beneficial purposes as authorized by the
Colorado River Basin Project Act of 1968 and the AWSA. The study area
for the EIS comprises portions of Catron, Grant, and Hidalgo counties
in southwest New Mexico. The Project would divert AWSA water from the
Gila River or its tributaries in New Mexico pursuant to the provisions
of the AWSA and the CUFA, convey it for storage in off-stream storage
sites in the Upper Gila Valley, along the San Francisco River and in
the Virden Valley, and deliver it to the target water users. The
Proposed Action would only use a portion of the 14,000 acre-feet
allowed under the AWSA, while not precluding the future development of
the full amount. The exact amounts of water that would be diverted are
unknown at this time and will be determined as the Proposed Action is
refined prior to the publication of the Draft EIS. The Proposed Action
includes diverting, conveying, and storing other water rights, except
for Globe Equity water rights. Possible components of the NM Unit
include the following:
A surface water diversion structure on the Gila River, in
the Cliff-Gila Valley;
Storage ponds in the Gila River floodplain and in a side
drainage of the Cliff-Gila Valley, providing approximately 4,000 acre-
feet of storage;
Aquifer storage with recovery wells in the Cliff-Gila
Valley;
Gravity flow and pumped delivery of diverted water to
storage facilities in the Cliff-Gila Valley;
Pumping facilities associated with delivery of stored
water in the Cliff-Gila Valley;
Ditch improvements, including increased capacity and
lining of about one-third of existing ditches in the Cliff-Gila Valley;
Surface storage ponds in the Gila River floodplain or side
channels, providing approximately 500 acre-feet of storage in the
Virden Valley;
Improvements to existing ditches for water conveyance in
the Virden Valley;
Pumping facilities associated with delivery of stored
water in the Virden Valley;
A surface water diversion structure on the San Francisco
River, near Alma;
Pumping facility for delivery of diverted water to the
proposed reservoir near Alma;
Conveyance (i.e., open ditch, box culvert, or pipeline)
construction and improvements to existing ditches for water conveyance
from a proposed diversion on the San Francisco River;
Construction of an approximately 1,900 acre-foot off-
stream reservoir near Alma, to store water diverted from the San
Francisco River;
Construction of water conveyance facilities from the
reservoir to points of use.
Reclamation and the ISC will use the public scoping period,
previous studies, and stakeholder input to fully identify the range of
potentially significant issues, actions, alternatives, and impacts to
be considered in the EIS.
Resource areas analyzed in the EIS may include air quality;
cultural resources; geology and soils; hazardous substances and waste;
land use; noise; socioeconomics; recreation; utilities and
infrastructure; vegetation; water; wetlands and floodplains; fisheries
and wildlife; and special status species. The range of issues and
alternatives addressed in the EIS may be expanded or reduced based on
comments received in response to this notice and at the public scoping
meetings. Additional information is available by contacting the person
listed in the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT section of this notice.
Principles, Requirements, and Guidelines
As part of the environmental analysis process, the Federal
Principles, Requirements, and Guidelines for Water and Land Related
Resources Implementation Studies (PR&Gs) will be applied to examine the
various technical, economic, hydrologic, recreation and ecosystem
services considerations of each alternative, as well as a No Action
alternative. The requirements of a PR&G analysis are unique to that
process and are not included in the Council of Environmental Quality or
Department of
[[Page 27349]]
the Interior NEPA implementing regulations. Additional information
regarding the PR&Gs is available online at the website provided in the
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT section of this notice.
Cooperating Agency Status
If, based on the Proposed Action, your agency believes it has
special expertise or jurisdiction by law, as defined in 40 CFR 1508.15
and 1508.26, please respond within 30 days of the date of publication
of this notice to the person listed in the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION
CONTACT section of this notice.
Special Assistance for Public Scoping Meetings
If special assistance is required at the scoping meetings, please
contact Mr. Sean Heath at (623) 773-6250, or email your assistance
needs to [email protected], along with your name and telephone
number. Please indicate your needs at least two weeks in advance of the
meeting to enable Reclamation to secure the needed services. If a
request cannot be honored, the requestor will be notified.
Public Disclosure
Before including your address, phone number, email 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: June 7, 2018.
Terrance J. Fulp,
Regional Director, Lower Colorado Region.
[FR Doc. 2018-12575 Filed 6-11-18; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4332-90-P
