Draft Environmental Impact Statement and Draft Conformity Determination for the Tejon Indian Tribe's Proposed Fee-to-Trust Acquisition and Casino Resort Project, Kern County, California, 35948-35949 [2020-12697]
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Federal Register / Vol. 85, No. 114 / Friday, June 12, 2020 / Notices
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Indian Affairs
[201A2100DD/AAKC001030/
A0A501010.999900]
Draft Environmental Impact Statement
and Draft Conformity Determination for
the Tejon Indian Tribe’s Proposed Feeto-Trust Acquisition and Casino Resort
Project, Kern County, California
Bureau of Indian Affairs,
Interior.
ACTION: Notice of availability.
AGENCY:
This notice advises the public
that the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA),
as lead agency, with the Tejon Indian
Tribe (Tribe), Kern County (County),
National Indian Gaming Commission
(NIGC), and the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA) serving as
cooperating agencies, intends to file a
Draft Environmental Impact Statement
(DEIS) with the EPA in connection with
the Tribe’s application for acquisition in
trust by the United States of
approximately 306 acres for gaming and
other purposes to be located west of the
Town of Mettler, Kern County,
California. This notice also announces
that the DEIS is now available for public
review and that a public hearing will be
held to receive comments on the DEIS.
DATES: Comments on the DEIS must
arrive no later than 45 days after
publication of this notice in the Federal
Register. The date and time of the
public hearing will be announced at
least 15 days in advance through a
notice to be published in a local
newspaper (the Bakersfield Californian)
and online at https://www.tejoneis.com.
ADDRESSES: You may submit written
comments:
• By mail or hand-delivery to: Amy
Dutschke, Regional Director, Bureau of
Indian Affairs, Pacific Region, 2800
Cottage Way, Sacramento, CA 95825.
Please include your name, return
address, and ‘‘DEIS Comments, Tejon
Indian Tribe Casino Project’’ on the first
page of your written comments.
• By email to: Chad Broussard,
Environmental Protection Specialist,
Bureau of Indian Affairs, at
chad.broussard@bia.gov, using ‘‘DEIS
Comments, Tejon Indian Tribe Casino
Project’’ as the subject of your email.
The DEIS will be available for public
review at:
• BIA Pacific Region, 2800 Cottage Way,
Sacramento, CA 95825
• Kern County Public Library, Lamont
Branch, 8304 Segrue Road, Lamont,
CA 93241
• https://www.tejoneis.com.
jbell on DSKJLSW7X2PROD with NOTICES
SUMMARY:
VerDate Sep<11>2014
17:43 Jun 11, 2020
Jkt 250001
The location of the public hearing will
be announced at least 15 days in
advance through a notice to be
published in a local newspaper (the
Bakersfield Californian) and online at
https://www.tejoneis.com.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Chad Broussard, Environmental
Protection Specialist, Bureau of Indian
Affairs, Pacific Regional Office,
telephone: (916) 978–6165; email:
chad.broussard@bia.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Public
review of the DEIS is part of the
administrative process for the
evaluation of the Tribe’s application to
the BIA for the placement of
approximately 306 acres of fee land in
trust in Kern County, California. The
Tribe proposes to construct a casino
resort on the trust property. A Notice of
Intent (NOI) to prepare an EIS was
published in the Bakersfield Californian
and Federal Register on August 13,
2015. The BIA held a public scoping
meeting for the project on September 1,
2015, at the East Bakersfield Veteran’s
Building, in Bakersfield, California.
Background
The Tribe’s proposed project consists
of the following components: (1) The
Department’s transfer of the
approximately 306-acre fee property
into trust status; (2) issuance of a
determination by the Secretary of the
Interior pursuant to the Indian Gaming
Regulatory Act, 25 U.S.C. 2701 et seq.;
(3) the approval of a management
contract by the Chairman of the
National Indian Gaming Commission
under 25 U.S.C. 2711; and (4) the
Tribe’s proposed development of the
trust parcel and the off-site
improvement areas. The proposed
casino resort would include a hotel,
convention center, multipurpose event
space, several restaurant facilities,
parking facilities, a recreational vehicle
(RV) park, fire, and sheriff stations and
associated facilities.
The following alternatives are
considered in the DEIS: (1) Proposed
Project; (2) Reduced Intensity Hotel and
Casino; (3) Organic Farm; (4) Alternate
Site for the Proposed Project; and (5) No
Action Alternative. Environmental
issues addressed in the DEIS include
geology and soils, water resources, air
quality, biological resources, cultural
and paleontological resources,
socioeconomic conditions (including
environmental justice), transportation
and circulation, land use, public
services, noise, hazardous materials,
aesthetics, cumulative effects, and
indirect and growth inducing effects. In
accordance with Section 176 of the
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Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
Clean Air Act, 42 U.S.C. 7506, and the
EPA general conformity regulations 40
CFR part 93, subpart B, a Draft
Conformity Determination (DCD) has
been prepared for the proposed project.
The Clean Air Act requires Federal
agencies to ensure that their actions
conform to applicable implementation
plans for achieving and maintaining the
National Ambient Air Quality Standards
for criteria air pollutants. The BIA has
prepared a DCD for the proposed action/
project described above. The DCD is
included in Appendix N of the DEIS.
Locations Where the DEIS Is Available
for Review: The DEIS is available for
review during regular business hours at
the BIA Pacific Regional Office at the
address noted above in the ADDRESSES
section of this notice. To obtain a
compact disc copy of the DEIS, please
provide your name and address in
writing or by phone to Chad Broussard,
Bureau of Indian Affairs, Pacific
Regional Office. Contact information is
listed in the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION
CONTACT section of this notice.
Individual paper copies of the DEIS will
be provided upon payment of applicable
printing expenses by the requestor for
the number of copies requested.
Public Comment Availability:
Comments, including names and
addresses of respondents, will be
available for public review at the BIA
address shown in the ADDRESSES
section, during regular business hours, 8
a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through
Friday, except holidays. Before
including your address, telephone
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 in your comment that
your personal identifying information
be withheld from public review, the BIA
cannot guarantee that this will occur.
Authority: This notice is published
pursuant to Sec. 1503.1 of the Council
of Environmental Quality Regulations
(40 CFR parts 1500 through 1508) and
Sec. 46.305 of the Department of the
Interior Regulations (43 CFR part 46),
implementing the procedural
requirements of the National
Environmental Policy Act of l969, as
amended (42 U.S.C. 4371, et seq.), and
is in the exercise of authority delegated
to the Assistant Secretary—Indian
Affairs by 209 DM 8. This notice is also
published in accordance with 40 CFR
93.155, which provides reporting
E:\FR\FM\12JNN1.SGM
12JNN1
Federal Register / Vol. 85, No. 114 / Friday, June 12, 2020 / Notices
requirements for conformity
determinations.
Tara Sweeney,
Assistant Secretary—Indian Affairs.
[FR Doc. 2020–12697 Filed 6–11–20; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4337–15–P
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Land Management
[LLCOF02000 L51100000.GL0000
LVEMC2000600 20X]
Notice of Availability of the Final
Environmental Impact Statement for
the Proposed Competitive Mineral
Materials Sale (COC–078119) at
Parkdale, Fremont County, CO
Bureau of Land Management,
Interior.
ACTION: Notice of availability.
AGENCY:
In accordance with the
National Environmental Policy Act of
1969, as amended, and the Federal Land
Policy and Management Act of 1976
(FLPMA), as amended, the Bureau of
Land Management (BLM) Royal Gorge
Field Office, Canon City, Colorado, has
prepared a Final Environmental Impact
Statement (EIS) for a proposed
competitive mineral materials sale at
Parkdale, Freemont County, Colorado,
and by this notice is announcing its
availability.
SUMMARY:
The BLM will not issue a final
decision until July 13, 2020.
ADDRESSES: Copies of the Final EIS for
the Proposed Competitive Mineral
Materials Sale (COC–078119) at
Parkdale, Fremont County, Colorado are
available for review by appointment at
the BLM Royal Gorge Field Office, 3028
East Main Street, Canon City, CO 81212.
Please call (719) 269–8500 to request an
appointment. The Final EIS is also
available online at https://go.usa.gov/
xy6tn. Click the ‘‘Documents’’ link on
the left side of the screen to find the
electronic version of the document.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Stephanie Carter, Geologist; telephone:
(719) 269–8551; address: 3028 East
Main Street, Canon City, CO 81212;
email: sscarter@blm.gov. Persons who
use a telecommunications device for the
deaf (TDD) may call the Federal Relay
Service (FRS) at 1–800–877–8339 to
contact Ms. Carter during normal
business hours. The FRS is available 24
hours a day, 7 days a week, to leave a
message or question. You will receive a
reply during normal business hours.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The BLM
has prepared a Final EIS to evaluate an
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DATES:
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17:43 Jun 11, 2020
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application from Martin Marietta
Materials, Inc. for a contract to mine
400-million net tons of aggregate
reserves located on BLM managed
lands, adjacent to their existing hard
rock quarry northwest of Canon City,
Colorado. The aggregate reserves consist
of a granodiorite bedrock that will be
mined utilizing blasting, crushing, and
screening methods. The mining activity
would be conducted on up to
approximately 700 acres of BLM lands
for up to 100 years, at a production of
4-million tons annually. The aggregate
would be used in the production of
asphalt and concrete, as well as a source
of railroad ballast.
On July 31, 2019, the BLM published
a Notice of Intent to prepare an EIS,
initiating public scoping to identify
issues through public participation and
collaboration with partners (84 FR
37334). Initial scoping with internal
staff, cooperating agencies and the
public identified concerns related to air
quality, inventoried lands with
wilderness characteristics, wildlife and
plant habitat, visual resources, as well
as local and regional economies.
The purpose of this action is to
respond to the applicant’s request to
obtain a renewable competitive contract
to sell mineral materials located
immediately adjacent to the existing
Parkdale Quarry in Fremont County,
Colorado. The need for the action is
based on the BLM’s multiple-use
mission as set forth in FLPMA, which
mandates that the public land resources
be managed for a variety of uses,
including mining. Pursuant to 30 U.S.C.
1602, the project would assist in the
pursuit of measures that would assure
the availability of materials critical to
commerce, the economy and national
security, and facilitate development of
domestic resources to meet critical
materials needs.
The BLM published a Notice of
Availability on February 7, 2020,
announcing the public comment period
for the Draft EIS (85 FR 7329). The Draft
EIS included alternatives that
responded to the purpose and need,
quantified the impacts to visual
resources and air quality, and addressed
strategies to minimize impacts to
bighorn sheep populations. The Draft
EIS was available for a 45-day public
comment period. The BLM hosted a
public meeting on February 26, in
Canon City, Colorado, and received 145
comment submissions.
The Draft EIS evaluated in detail the
Proposed Action (Alternative A), the No
Action Alternative (Alternative B) and
one action alternative (Alternative C).
After the public comment period closed,
the BLM prepared a Final EIS, which
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35949
reflects changes and adjustments based
on information received during both
internal and public comment on the
Draft EIS. These changes specifically
target surface and groundwater
monitoring, design features, the
mitigation framework, a more detailed
performance-based reclamation protocol
and revocation of two federal water
reserve withdrawals.
In all alternatives, reclamation would
be ongoing, following mining activity in
an area, as soon as conditions would be
feasible. Details of Alternative A
include: Mined material would be used
for concrete, asphalt, and railroad
ballast products and would take place
on approximately 700 acres of BLMadministered public lands for up to 100
years; the southwestern boundary of the
proposed mining area would border the
Arkansas River Canyonlands Area of
Critical Environmental Concern (ACEC);
surface mining would progress in five
phases; mining direction for each phase
would be from northwest to southeast,
creating a ‘‘mine from behind’’ visual
scenario from the Highway 50 corridor.
Alternative B (no action) does not
include any Federal interests and
involves the continuation of surface
mining on the existing private aggregate
reserves, anticipated to last 15–30 years,
with aggregate produced only for
concrete and asphalt products.
Alternative B consists of three phases,
with the mining direction for phases 1
and 2 being west to east and phase 3
being north to south. Details on
Alternative C include: Mined material
would be used for concrete, asphalt, and
railroad ballast products and would take
place on approximately 633 acres of
BLM-administered public lands for up
to 100 years; the boundary of this
footprint would not border the Arkansas
River Canyonlands ACEC; surface
mining would progress in six phases;
mining direction for each phase would
vary, so a ‘‘mine from behind’’ visual
scenario from the Highway 50 corridor
may not always be achieved.
The BLM did not identify a preferred
alternative in the Draft EIS, but has
identified a preferred alternative
(Alternative A) in the Final EIS, as
required by the Council on
Environmental Quality regulations.
Alternative A includes the footprint that
appears to minimize the effects to visual
resources from key observation points,
and groundwater in areas to the south,
as it relates to the proposed mining.The
BLM considered comments on the Draft
EIS received from the public,
cooperating agencies and internal BLM
review, and made changes in the Final
EIS as appropriate. Public comments
resulted in adding clarifying text and
E:\FR\FM\12JNN1.SGM
12JNN1
]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 114 (Friday, June 12, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Pages 35948-35949]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-12697]
[[Page 35948]]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Indian Affairs
[201A2100DD/AAKC001030/A0A501010.999900]
Draft Environmental Impact Statement and Draft Conformity
Determination for the Tejon Indian Tribe's Proposed Fee-to-Trust
Acquisition and Casino Resort Project, Kern County, California
AGENCY: Bureau of Indian Affairs, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of availability.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: This notice advises the public that the Bureau of Indian
Affairs (BIA), as lead agency, with the Tejon Indian Tribe (Tribe),
Kern County (County), National Indian Gaming Commission (NIGC), and the
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) serving as cooperating
agencies, intends to file a Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS)
with the EPA in connection with the Tribe's application for acquisition
in trust by the United States of approximately 306 acres for gaming and
other purposes to be located west of the Town of Mettler, Kern County,
California. This notice also announces that the DEIS is now available
for public review and that a public hearing will be held to receive
comments on the DEIS.
DATES: Comments on the DEIS must arrive no later than 45 days after
publication of this notice in the Federal Register. The date and time
of the public hearing will be announced at least 15 days in advance
through a notice to be published in a local newspaper (the Bakersfield
Californian) and online at https://www.tejoneis.com.
ADDRESSES: You may submit written comments:
By mail or hand-delivery to: Amy Dutschke, Regional
Director, Bureau of Indian Affairs, Pacific Region, 2800 Cottage Way,
Sacramento, CA 95825. Please include your name, return address, and
``DEIS Comments, Tejon Indian Tribe Casino Project'' on the first page
of your written comments.
By email to: Chad Broussard, Environmental Protection
Specialist, Bureau of Indian Affairs, at [email protected], using
``DEIS Comments, Tejon Indian Tribe Casino Project'' as the subject of
your email.
The DEIS will be available for public review at:
BIA Pacific Region, 2800 Cottage Way, Sacramento, CA 95825
Kern County Public Library, Lamont Branch, 8304 Segrue Road,
Lamont, CA 93241
https://www.tejoneis.com.
The location of the public hearing will be announced at least 15 days
in advance through a notice to be published in a local newspaper (the
Bakersfield Californian) and online at https://www.tejoneis.com.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Chad Broussard, Environmental
Protection Specialist, Bureau of Indian Affairs, Pacific Regional
Office, telephone: (916) 978-6165; email: [email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Public review of the DEIS is part of the
administrative process for the evaluation of the Tribe's application to
the BIA for the placement of approximately 306 acres of fee land in
trust in Kern County, California. The Tribe proposes to construct a
casino resort on the trust property. A Notice of Intent (NOI) to
prepare an EIS was published in the Bakersfield Californian and Federal
Register on August 13, 2015. The BIA held a public scoping meeting for
the project on September 1, 2015, at the East Bakersfield Veteran's
Building, in Bakersfield, California.
Background
The Tribe's proposed project consists of the following components:
(1) The Department's transfer of the approximately 306-acre fee
property into trust status; (2) issuance of a determination by the
Secretary of the Interior pursuant to the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act,
25 U.S.C. 2701 et seq.; (3) the approval of a management contract by
the Chairman of the National Indian Gaming Commission under 25 U.S.C.
2711; and (4) the Tribe's proposed development of the trust parcel and
the off-site improvement areas. The proposed casino resort would
include a hotel, convention center, multipurpose event space, several
restaurant facilities, parking facilities, a recreational vehicle (RV)
park, fire, and sheriff stations and associated facilities.
The following alternatives are considered in the DEIS: (1) Proposed
Project; (2) Reduced Intensity Hotel and Casino; (3) Organic Farm; (4)
Alternate Site for the Proposed Project; and (5) No Action Alternative.
Environmental issues addressed in the DEIS include geology and soils,
water resources, air quality, biological resources, cultural and
paleontological resources, socioeconomic conditions (including
environmental justice), transportation and circulation, land use,
public services, noise, hazardous materials, aesthetics, cumulative
effects, and indirect and growth inducing effects. In accordance with
Section 176 of the Clean Air Act, 42 U.S.C. 7506, and the EPA general
conformity regulations 40 CFR part 93, subpart B, a Draft Conformity
Determination (DCD) has been prepared for the proposed project. The
Clean Air Act requires Federal agencies to ensure that their actions
conform to applicable implementation plans for achieving and
maintaining the National Ambient Air Quality Standards for criteria air
pollutants. The BIA has prepared a DCD for the proposed action/project
described above. The DCD is included in Appendix N of the DEIS.
Locations Where the DEIS Is Available for Review: The DEIS is
available for review during regular business hours at the BIA Pacific
Regional Office at the address noted above in the ADDRESSES section of
this notice. To obtain a compact disc copy of the DEIS, please provide
your name and address in writing or by phone to Chad Broussard, Bureau
of Indian Affairs, Pacific Regional Office. Contact information is
listed in the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT section of this notice.
Individual paper copies of the DEIS will be provided upon payment of
applicable printing expenses by the requestor for the number of copies
requested.
Public Comment Availability: Comments, including names and
addresses of respondents, will be available for public review at the
BIA address shown in the ADDRESSES section, during regular business
hours, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, except holidays.
Before including your address, telephone 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 in your comment that your personal identifying information be
withheld from public review, the BIA cannot guarantee that this will
occur.
Authority: This notice is published pursuant to Sec. 1503.1 of the
Council of Environmental Quality Regulations (40 CFR parts 1500 through
1508) and Sec. 46.305 of the Department of the Interior Regulations (43
CFR part 46), implementing the procedural requirements of the National
Environmental Policy Act of l969, as amended (42 U.S.C. 4371, et seq.),
and is in the exercise of authority delegated to the Assistant
Secretary--Indian Affairs by 209 DM 8. This notice is also published in
accordance with 40 CFR 93.155, which provides reporting
[[Page 35949]]
requirements for conformity determinations.
Tara Sweeney,
Assistant Secretary--Indian Affairs.
[FR Doc. 2020-12697 Filed 6-11-20; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4337-15-P
