Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement, White Mountain Apache Tribe Rural Water System Project, Apache County, Arizona, 20406-20408 [2021-07974]
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20406
Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 73 / Monday, April 19, 2021 / Notices
data and statistics that are
representative of the target populations.
Title of Collection: DOI Programmatic
Clearance for Customer Satisfaction
Surveys.
OMB Control Number: 1040–0001.
Form Number: DI–4010.
Type of Review: Extension of a
currently approved collection.
Respondents/Affected Public: DOI
customers. We define customers as
anyone who uses DOI resources,
products, or services. This includes
internal customers (anyone within DOI)
as well as external customers (e.g., the
American public, representatives of the
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interactions, citizens and DOI
stakeholders and partners may also be
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individuals who have an expressed
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the present and future state of DOI’s
resources, products, and services.
Partners are those groups, individuals,
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Total Estimated Number of Annual
Respondents: 65,000.
Total Estimated Number of Annual
Responses: 65,000.
Average Completion Time per
Response: 10 minutes.
Total Estimated Number of Annual
Burden Hours: 10,833.
Respondent’s Obligation: Voluntary.
Frequency of Collection: On occasion.
Total Estimated Annual Nonhour
Burden Cost: None.
An agency may not conduct or
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respond to a collection of information
unless it displays a currently valid OMB
control number.
The authority for this action is the
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Jeffrey Parrillo,
Departmental Information Collection
Clearance Officer.
[FR Doc. 2021–08006 Filed 4–16–21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4334–63–P
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Land Management
jbell on DSKJLSW7X2PROD with NOTICES
[212.LLAZA01000.L11700000.PH000]
Notice of Temporary Closure on Public
Lands in Mohave County, AZ
Bureau of Land Management,
Interior.
ACTION: Notice of temporary closure.
AGENCY:
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Notice is hereby given of a
temporary closure of certain public
lands administered by the Arizona Strip
Field Office, Bureau of Land
Management (BLM).
DATES: This temporary closure will be in
effect from June 16 through July 3 in
2021 and 2022.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Lorraine Christian, BLM Arizona Strip
Field Manager, telephone 435–688–
3200; address—BLM, Arizona Strip
Field Office, 345 East Riverside Drive,
St. George, Utah 84790–6714; email—
lmchrist@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 the above individual during
normal business hours. The FRS is
available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week,
to leave a message or question with the
above individual. You will receive a
reply during normal business hours.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Pursuant
to 43 CFR 8364.1, the BLM is
temporarily closing the Virgin River
corridor, including roads and trails
which provide access to the river and
the Virgin River Canyon Recreation
Area, from June 16 to July 3 in 2021 and
2022 to ensure public safety while the
Arizona Game and Fish Department
(AGFD) conducts a rotenone treatment
on the Virgin River to eliminate red
shiner, a highly invasive fish. AGFD
requested a temporary closure of the
affected public lands to provide for the
safety of Virgin River users and other
public land users by preventing
exposure to rotenone and potassium
permanganate during the treatment
effort.
The closure area is approximately 15
miles long, extending from two miles
downstream of the Virgin River Gorge
fish barrier up to the Utah/Arizona
border. Closure signs will be posted at
main entry points to this area. A map of
the temporary closure area will be made
available on the project website at:
https://eplanning.blm.gov/public_
projects/1504321/200362749/20033212/
250039411/MAP_FRN_Virgin_River_
Rotenone_Closure_20210114.pdf. The
temporary closure order will be posted
in the Arizona Strip District Office at
345 East Riverside Drive, St. George,
Utah 84790–6714. Other documents
associated with this temporary closure
are also available upon request and by
appointment at the Arizona Strip
District Office.
Under the authority of Section 303(a)
of the Federal Land Policy and
Management Act of 1976 (43 U.S.C.
1733(a), 43 CFR 8360.0–7, and 43 CFR
8364.1), the BLM will enforce the
SUMMARY:
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following closure within the are
described above: all public, whether
motorized, on foot, or otherwise, is
prohibited.
Exemptions to Closure: The following
persons are exempt from this action:
Any Federal, State, local, and/or
military employee acting within the
scope of their official duties; members
of any medical, organized rescue, or
firefighting force in performance of an
official duty; and any person
authorized, in writing, by the BLM
authorized officer.
Enforcement: Any person who
violates the temporary closure may be
tried before a United States magistrate
and fined in accordance with 18 U.S.C.
3571, imprisoned no more than 12
months under 43 U.S.C. 1733(a) and 43
CFR 8360.0–7, or both. In accordance
with 43 CFR 8365.1–7, State or local
officials may also impose penalties for
violations of Arizona law.
Authority: 43 CFR 8364.1.
Lorraine M. Christian,
Arizona Strip Field Manager.
[FR Doc. 2021–07958 Filed 4–16–21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310–32–P
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Reclamation
[RR03250000, 21XR0680G1,
RX15232000WMENVIR]
Notice of Intent To Prepare an
Environmental Impact Statement,
White Mountain Apache Tribe Rural
Water System Project, Apache County,
Arizona
Bureau of Reclamation,
Interior.
ACTION: Notice of intent; request for
comments.
AGENCY:
The Bureau of Reclamation
(Reclamation), as the lead Federal
agency, intends to prepare an
Environmental Impact Statement (EIS)
to evaluate the effects of the
construction and operation of the
proposed White Mountain Apache Tribe
(WMAT) Rural Water System Project.
The WMAT, Bureau of Indian Affairs
(BIA), and U.S. Army Corps of
Engineers (USACE) have been identified
as cooperating agencies. Reclamation
requests comments concerning the
scope of the analysis and identification
of relevant information, studies, and
analyses.
DATES: Submit comments on or before
May 19, 2021. The draft EIS is
scheduled for December 2021 and the
final EIS is scheduled for November
SUMMARY:
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jbell on DSKJLSW7X2PROD with NOTICES
Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 73 / Monday, April 19, 2021 / Notices
2022 with a Record of Decision issued
in January 2023.
ADDRESSES: Send written comments on
the EIS to the Phoenix Area Office,
Bureau of Reclamation (Attn: WMAT
Rural Water System EIS), 6150 West
Thunderbird Road, Glendale, AZ 85306.
Comments may also be sent via email to
dgraziani@usbr.gov, or via the Project
website at: https://www.wmat-rwseis.com/.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr.
Dominic Graziani at (623) 773–6216 or
via email at dgraziani@usbr.gov.
Individuals who use telecommunication
devices for the deaf (TDD) may call the
Federal Information Relay Service
(FIRS) at 1–800–877–8339 between 8
a.m. and 8 p.m., Eastern Time, Monday
through Friday.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Pursuant
to the WMAT Water Rights
Quantification Act (Title III of the
Claims Resolution Act of 2010) (Act),
the U.S. Congress authorized the
Secretary of the Interior (Secretary),
through an Indian Self-Determination
and Education Assistance Act
agreement with the WMAT, to plan,
design, and construct a project to divert,
store, and distribute water from the
North Fork of the White River for the
use and benefit of the WMAT. The
Proposed Action would fulfill
Reclamation’s statutory mandate under
the Act and would provide a long-term,
dependable, and sustainable water
supply for residents and businesses on
the Fort Apache Indian Reservation.
This notice also opens public scoping to
identify potential issues, concerns, and
alternatives to be considered in the EIS.
Pursuant to the National Environmental
Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA), as amended,
42 U.S.C. 4321–4347; the Council on
Environmental Quality’s Regulations for
Implementing the Procedural Provisions
of NEPA, 40 CFR parts 1500–1508; and
the Department of the Interior’s
regulations, 43 CFR part 46,
Reclamation, as the lead federal agency,
intends to prepare an EIS. The proposed
Project would construct and operate a
dam, storage reservoir, pumping plant,
treatment facilities, and a distribution
system that would provide water to
communities located on the Fort
Apache Indian Reservation.
Reclamation first issued a Notice of
Intent to prepare an EIS for this project
on September 6, 2013, but the EIS was
put on hold in August 2015 due to
project complications.
Purpose and Need for the Proposed
Action
The Proposed Action would provide a
long-term, dependable, and sustainable
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water supply for residents and
businesses on the Fort Apache Indian
Reservation, Arizona.
The Proposed Action would fulfill
Reclamation’s statutory mandate under
the WMAT Water Rights Quantification
Act (Title III of the Claims Resolution
Act of 2010) (Act) to plan, design, and
construct, as well as to operate,
maintain, and replace the WMAT Rural
Water System until the date the Project
is transferred to the WMAT as provided
in the Act.
Preliminary Proposed Action and
Alternatives
The Proposed Action consists of
construction and operation of the
Project as authorized by the Act. The
Proposed Action would include
construction and operation of a dam,
storage reservoir, water pumping plant,
water treatment facilities, and a
distribution system that would provide
water to the communities of Whiteriver,
Fort Apache, Canyon Day, Cedar Creek,
Carrizo, and Cibecue located on the Fort
Apache Indian Reservation. After
completion of construction and
operation of the new facilities for a
period of three years by Reclamation,
the WMAT would become the titled
owner and operator of the completed
water system. The proposed Miner Flat
Reservoir would hold approximately
8,350 acre-feet of water and the dam
would be 163 feet high and 407 feet in
length. Water from the Miner Flat
Reservoir would be released to the
North Fork of White River, diverted
from the stream channel upstream of the
community of Whiteriver, and
subsequently treated and conveyed via
pipeline to downstream Fort Apache
Indian Reservation communities.
Construction of the distribution system
would include 50 miles of new water
transmission pipeline. As required by
NEPA, the EIS will include and
consider a Proposed Action and a
reasonable range of alternatives,
including a No Action Alternative.
Implementation of one of the NEPA
Action Alternatives would meet current
and future water needs for the WMAT
per the Act and would fulfill
Reclamation’s statutory requirements
under the Act.
Reasonable alternatives to the
Proposed Action may include a
combination of various reservoir
operations and priorities, including: (a)
Meeting projected Rural Water System
demands; (b) accommodating
continuing water diversions for
agricultural irrigation; and, (c)
maintaining instream flow.
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20407
Summary of Expected Impacts
The EIS will identify and describe the
effects that are reasonably foreseeable
and have a reasonably close causal
relationship to the proposed action or
alternatives, including those effects that
occur at the same time and place as the
proposed action or alternatives and may
include effects that are later in time or
farther removed in distance from the
proposed action or alternatives (40 CFR
1508.1(g)). All potentially relevant
environmental resource areas were
initially considered for analysis.
Expected impacts include, but are not
limited to, positive and/or negative
impacts to water resources, soils and
geology, biological resources, cultural
resources, Indian Trust Assets,
transportation, socioeconomics, air
quality, climate change, noise, land use,
visual resources, hazardous materials
and waste, and utilities and
infrastructure. The effects of these
expected impacts will be considered in
the EIS and the range of issues and
alternatives addressed may be expanded
or reduced based on comments received
in response to this notice and at the
virtual public scoping meeting.
Anticipated Permits and Authorizations
The Proposed Action may require the
following permits, certifications, and/or
determinations:
• Biological Opinion from the U.S. Fish
and Wildlife Service pursuant to
Section 7 of the Endangered Species
Act
• Concurrence from the Tribal Historic
Preservation Officer pursuant to
Section 106 of the National Historic
Preservation Act
• Section 404 permit from the USACE
pursuant to Section 404 of the Clean
Water Act (CWA)
• Water quality certification pursuant to
Section 401 of the CWA
• National Pollutant Discharge
Elimination System permit for the
water treatment plant pursuant to
Section 402 of the CWA
• General permit for stormwater
discharges from construction activity
pursuant to Section 402 of the CWA,
and preparation of a Storm Water
Pollution Prevention Plan
• BIA Road Encroachment Permit for
construction work along BIA Route 61
(Alchesay Fish Hatchery Road) and
BIA Route 12
• BIA Federal easement granted to
Reclamation for construction of the
Rural Water System
• Arizona Department of Highway
Encroachment Permit for construction
work inside the right-of-way of State
Highway 73
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20408
Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 73 / Monday, April 19, 2021 / Notices
Schedule for the Decision-Making
Process
Reclamation will conduct an
environmental review to analyze the
effects of the Proposed Action, along
with other alternatives considered and
the associated impacts of each
alternative for the development of a
Draft EIS. Following completion of the
environmental review, Reclamation will
publish a notice of availability and
request for public comments on the
Draft EIS, which is expected to be made
public in December 2021. In preparing
the Final EIS, which is planned for
issuance in 2022, Reclamation will
respond to comments received on the
Draft EIS. At least 30 days after the Final
EIS is available, the Record of Decision
will be issued in accordance with
applicable timeframes established in 40
CFR 1506.11.
Public Scoping Process
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This notice of intent initiates the
scoping process, which guides the
development of the EIS. Reclamation
invites interested parties to participate
in the scoping process to help identify
the range of reasonable alternatives and
the environmental issues to be analyzed.
A virtual public scoping meeting will
be held on May 1, 2021, to solicit
comments on the scope of the EIS and
the issues and alternatives that should
be analyzed. Detailed information for
the virtual scoping meeting process will
be announced in advance through local
media, newspapers, and the project
website at: https://www.wmat-rwseis.com/. At the time of this publication,
the dates and log-in information for the
scoping meeting will be available on the
project website.
Additional opportunities to review
project materials, ask questions, and
submit comments will be provided on
the project website (https://www.wmatrws-eis.com/) or at the phone number
above. It is important that reviewers
provide their comments at such times
and in such manner that they are useful
to the agency’s preparation of the EIS.
Therefore, comments should be
provided prior to the close of the
comment period and should clearly
articulate the reviewer’s concerns and
contentions. Comments received,
including names and addresses of those
who comment, will be part of the public
record for this Proposed Action.
Public Availability of Comments
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.
Request for Identification of Potential
Alternatives, Information, and
Analyses Relevant to the Proposed
Action
Reclamation requests assistance with
identifying potential alternatives to the
Proposed Action to be considered. As
suggested alternatives should still meet
the purpose and need for the Proposed
Action, please be as descriptive as
possible with the suggested alternative.
Reclamation also requests that potential
impacts that should be analyzed be
identified. Impacts should be a result of
the action; therefore, please identify the
activity and the potential impact that
should be analyzed. Information that
reviewers have that would assist in the
development of alternatives or analysis
of resource issues is also helpful.
Lead and Cooperating Agencies
Reclamation is the lead Federal
agency and the WMAT, BIA, and
USACE are cooperating agencies in the
preparation of this EIS.
Decision Maker
The responsible official is
Reclamation’s Regional Director,
Interior Region 8: Lower Colorado
Basin, as delegated by the Secretary of
the Interior.
Nature of Decision To Be Made
In accordance with the Act, ‘‘the
Secretary shall carry out all necessary
environmental compliance activities
required by Federal law in
implementing the Agreement [WMAT
Water Rights Quantification Agreement
dated January 13, 2009].’’ Following
completion of a final EIS, the
responsible official will approve a
Record of Decision.
Karl Stock,
Acting Regional Director, Interior Region 8:
Lower Colorado Basin, Bureau of
Reclamation.
[FR Doc. 2021–07974 Filed 4–16–21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4332–90–P
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
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INTERNATIONAL TRADE
COMMISSION
[Investigation No. 337–TA–567 (Advisory
Opinion Proceeding 2)]
Certain Foam Footwear; Notice of the
Issuance of an Advisory Opinion;
Termination of the Advisory Opinion
Proceeding
U.S. International Trade
Commission.
ACTION: Notice.
AGENCY:
Notice is hereby given that
the U.S. International Trade
Commission has determined to issue an
advisory opinion in the above-captioned
investigation. The Commission also
terminates the advisory opinion
proceeding.
SUMMARY:
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Clint Gerdine, Office of the General
Counsel, U.S. International Trade
Commission, 500 E Street SW,
Washington, DC 20436, telephone (202)
708–2310. Copies of non-confidential
documents filed in connection with this
investigation may be viewed on the
Commission’s electronic docket (EDIS)
at https://edis.usitc.gov. For help
accessing EDIS, please email
EDIS3Help@usitc.gov. General
information concerning the Commission
may also be obtained by accessing its
internet server at https://www.usitc.gov.
Hearing-impaired persons are advised
that information on this matter can be
obtained by contacting the
Commission’s TDD terminal, telephone
(202) 205–1810.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The
Commission instituted the underlying
investigation on May 11, 2006, based on
a complaint, as amended, filed by Crocs,
Inc. (‘‘Crocs’’) of Niwot, Colorado. 71 FR
27514–15 (May 11, 2006). The
complaint alleged, inter alia, violations
of section 337 of the Tariff Act of 1930,
as amended (19 U.S.C. 1337), in the
importation into the United States, the
sale for importation, and the sale within
the United States after importation of
certain foam footwear, by reason of
infringement of claims 1–2 of U.S.
Patent No. 6,993,858 (‘‘the ’858 patent’’)
and U.S. Patent No. D517,789 (‘‘the ’789
patent’’). The notice of investigation
named several respondents, including
Double Diamond Distribution Ltd.
(‘‘Double Diamond’’) of Saskatoon,
Canada.
On July 25, 2008, the Commission
issued a final determination finding no
violation of section 337. 73 FR 45073–
74 (Aug. 1, 2008). On July 15, 2011, after
an appeal to the U.S. Court of Appeals
for the Federal Circuit and subsequent
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]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 73 (Monday, April 19, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 20406-20408]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-07974]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Reclamation
[RR03250000, 21XR0680G1, RX15232000WMENVIR]
Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement,
White Mountain Apache Tribe Rural Water System Project, Apache County,
Arizona
AGENCY: Bureau of Reclamation, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of intent; request for comments.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation), as the lead Federal
agency, intends to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) to
evaluate the effects of the construction and operation of the proposed
White Mountain Apache Tribe (WMAT) Rural Water System Project. The
WMAT, Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA), and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
(USACE) have been identified as cooperating agencies. Reclamation
requests comments concerning the scope of the analysis and
identification of relevant information, studies, and analyses.
DATES: Submit comments on or before May 19, 2021. The draft EIS is
scheduled for December 2021 and the final EIS is scheduled for November
[[Page 20407]]
2022 with a Record of Decision issued in January 2023.
ADDRESSES: Send written comments on the EIS to the Phoenix Area Office,
Bureau of Reclamation (Attn: WMAT Rural Water System EIS), 6150 West
Thunderbird Road, Glendale, AZ 85306. Comments may also be sent via
email to [email protected], or via the Project website at: https://www.wmat-rws-eis.com/.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Dominic Graziani at (623) 773-6216
or via email at [email protected]. Individuals who use
telecommunication devices for the deaf (TDD) may call the Federal
Information Relay Service (FIRS) at 1-800-877-8339 between 8 a.m. and 8
p.m., Eastern Time, Monday through Friday.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Pursuant to the WMAT Water Rights
Quantification Act (Title III of the Claims Resolution Act of 2010)
(Act), the U.S. Congress authorized the Secretary of the Interior
(Secretary), through an Indian Self-Determination and Education
Assistance Act agreement with the WMAT, to plan, design, and construct
a project to divert, store, and distribute water from the North Fork of
the White River for the use and benefit of the WMAT. The Proposed
Action would fulfill Reclamation's statutory mandate under the Act and
would provide a long-term, dependable, and sustainable water supply for
residents and businesses on the Fort Apache Indian Reservation. This
notice also opens public scoping to identify potential issues,
concerns, and alternatives to be considered in the EIS. Pursuant to the
National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA), as amended, 42 U.S.C.
4321-4347; the Council on Environmental Quality's Regulations for
Implementing the Procedural Provisions of NEPA, 40 CFR parts 1500-1508;
and the Department of the Interior's regulations, 43 CFR part 46,
Reclamation, as the lead federal agency, intends to prepare an EIS. The
proposed Project would construct and operate a dam, storage reservoir,
pumping plant, treatment facilities, and a distribution system that
would provide water to communities located on the Fort Apache Indian
Reservation. Reclamation first issued a Notice of Intent to prepare an
EIS for this project on September 6, 2013, but the EIS was put on hold
in August 2015 due to project complications.
Purpose and Need for the Proposed Action
The Proposed Action would provide a long-term, dependable, and
sustainable water supply for residents and businesses on the Fort
Apache Indian Reservation, Arizona.
The Proposed Action would fulfill Reclamation's statutory mandate
under the WMAT Water Rights Quantification Act (Title III of the Claims
Resolution Act of 2010) (Act) to plan, design, and construct, as well
as to operate, maintain, and replace the WMAT Rural Water System until
the date the Project is transferred to the WMAT as provided in the Act.
Preliminary Proposed Action and Alternatives
The Proposed Action consists of construction and operation of the
Project as authorized by the Act. The Proposed Action would include
construction and operation of a dam, storage reservoir, water pumping
plant, water treatment facilities, and a distribution system that would
provide water to the communities of Whiteriver, Fort Apache, Canyon
Day, Cedar Creek, Carrizo, and Cibecue located on the Fort Apache
Indian Reservation. After completion of construction and operation of
the new facilities for a period of three years by Reclamation, the WMAT
would become the titled owner and operator of the completed water
system. The proposed Miner Flat Reservoir would hold approximately
8,350 acre-feet of water and the dam would be 163 feet high and 407
feet in length. Water from the Miner Flat Reservoir would be released
to the North Fork of White River, diverted from the stream channel
upstream of the community of Whiteriver, and subsequently treated and
conveyed via pipeline to downstream Fort Apache Indian Reservation
communities. Construction of the distribution system would include 50
miles of new water transmission pipeline. As required by NEPA, the EIS
will include and consider a Proposed Action and a reasonable range of
alternatives, including a No Action Alternative. Implementation of one
of the NEPA Action Alternatives would meet current and future water
needs for the WMAT per the Act and would fulfill Reclamation's
statutory requirements under the Act.
Reasonable alternatives to the Proposed Action may include a
combination of various reservoir operations and priorities, including:
(a) Meeting projected Rural Water System demands; (b) accommodating
continuing water diversions for agricultural irrigation; and, (c)
maintaining instream flow.
Summary of Expected Impacts
The EIS will identify and describe the effects that are reasonably
foreseeable and have a reasonably close causal relationship to the
proposed action or alternatives, including those effects that occur at
the same time and place as the proposed action or alternatives and may
include effects that are later in time or farther removed in distance
from the proposed action or alternatives (40 CFR 1508.1(g)). All
potentially relevant environmental resource areas were initially
considered for analysis. Expected impacts include, but are not limited
to, positive and/or negative impacts to water resources, soils and
geology, biological resources, cultural resources, Indian Trust Assets,
transportation, socioeconomics, air quality, climate change, noise,
land use, visual resources, hazardous materials and waste, and
utilities and infrastructure. The effects of these expected impacts
will be considered in the EIS and the range of issues and alternatives
addressed may be expanded or reduced based on comments received in
response to this notice and at the virtual public scoping meeting.
Anticipated Permits and Authorizations
The Proposed Action may require the following permits,
certifications, and/or determinations:
Biological Opinion from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
pursuant to Section 7 of the Endangered Species Act
Concurrence from the Tribal Historic Preservation Officer
pursuant to Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act
Section 404 permit from the USACE pursuant to Section 404 of
the Clean Water Act (CWA)
Water quality certification pursuant to Section 401 of the CWA
National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permit for the
water treatment plant pursuant to Section 402 of the CWA
General permit for stormwater discharges from construction
activity pursuant to Section 402 of the CWA, and preparation of a Storm
Water Pollution Prevention Plan
BIA Road Encroachment Permit for construction work along BIA
Route 61 (Alchesay Fish Hatchery Road) and BIA Route 12
BIA Federal easement granted to Reclamation for construction
of the Rural Water System
Arizona Department of Highway Encroachment Permit for
construction work inside the right-of-way of State Highway 73
[[Page 20408]]
Schedule for the Decision-Making Process
Reclamation will conduct an environmental review to analyze the
effects of the Proposed Action, along with other alternatives
considered and the associated impacts of each alternative for the
development of a Draft EIS. Following completion of the environmental
review, Reclamation will publish a notice of availability and request
for public comments on the Draft EIS, which is expected to be made
public in December 2021. In preparing the Final EIS, which is planned
for issuance in 2022, Reclamation will respond to comments received on
the Draft EIS. At least 30 days after the Final EIS is available, the
Record of Decision will be issued in accordance with applicable
timeframes established in 40 CFR 1506.11.
Public Scoping Process
This notice of intent initiates the scoping process, which guides
the development of the EIS. Reclamation invites interested parties to
participate in the scoping process to help identify the range of
reasonable alternatives and the environmental issues to be analyzed.
A virtual public scoping meeting will be held on May 1, 2021, to
solicit comments on the scope of the EIS and the issues and
alternatives that should be analyzed. Detailed information for the
virtual scoping meeting process will be announced in advance through
local media, newspapers, and the project website at: https://www.wmat-rws-eis.com/. At the time of this publication, the dates and log-in
information for the scoping meeting will be available on the project
website.
Additional opportunities to review project materials, ask
questions, and submit comments will be provided on the project website
(https://www.wmat-rws-eis.com/) or at the phone number above. It is
important that reviewers provide their comments at such times and in
such manner that they are useful to the agency's preparation of the
EIS. Therefore, comments should be provided prior to the close of the
comment period and should clearly articulate the reviewer's concerns
and contentions. Comments received, including names and addresses of
those who comment, will be part of the public record for this Proposed
Action.
Public Availability of Comments
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.
Request for Identification of Potential Alternatives, Information, and
Analyses Relevant to the Proposed Action
Reclamation requests assistance with identifying potential
alternatives to the Proposed Action to be considered. As suggested
alternatives should still meet the purpose and need for the Proposed
Action, please be as descriptive as possible with the suggested
alternative. Reclamation also requests that potential impacts that
should be analyzed be identified. Impacts should be a result of the
action; therefore, please identify the activity and the potential
impact that should be analyzed. Information that reviewers have that
would assist in the development of alternatives or analysis of resource
issues is also helpful.
Lead and Cooperating Agencies
Reclamation is the lead Federal agency and the WMAT, BIA, and USACE
are cooperating agencies in the preparation of this EIS.
Decision Maker
The responsible official is Reclamation's Regional Director,
Interior Region 8: Lower Colorado Basin, as delegated by the Secretary
of the Interior.
Nature of Decision To Be Made
In accordance with the Act, ``the Secretary shall carry out all
necessary environmental compliance activities required by Federal law
in implementing the Agreement [WMAT Water Rights Quantification
Agreement dated January 13, 2009].'' Following completion of a final
EIS, the responsible official will approve a Record of Decision.
Karl Stock,
Acting Regional Director, Interior Region 8: Lower Colorado Basin,
Bureau of Reclamation.
[FR Doc. 2021-07974 Filed 4-16-21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4332-90-P
