Animas-La Plata Project, Colorado and New Mexico, INT-DES-00-02

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Reclamation

Animas-La Plata Project, Colorado and New Mexico, INT-DES-00-02

AGENCY: Bureau of Reclamation, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of Availability and Notice of Public Hearings for the

Draft Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement to the 1996 Final

Supplement to the Final Environmental Statement for the Animas-La Plata

Project.

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SUMMARY: Pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of

1969 (as amended), the Department of the Interior, Bureau of

Reclamation (Reclamation), has prepared a Draft Supplemental

Environmental Impact Statement (DSEIS) to the 1996 Final Supplement to

the Final Environmental Statement for the Animas-La Plata Project

(ALP). The DSEIS will evaluate the environmental impacts of various

alternatives for final implementation of the Colorado Ute Settlement

Act. One of the alternatives analyzed is the Administration Proposal,

which was announced on August 11, 1998, and is limited to a smaller dam

and reservoir designed to supply municipal and industrial water to the

Colorado Ute Tribes, Navajo Nation, and non-Indian entities in the

local area. This modified project deviates from those previously

evaluated for ALP, thus necessitating the need for supplemental

environmental review. The proposal also contains a nonstructural

element as part of the settlement implementation which has not been the

subject of any previous analysis under NEPA. Three public hearings will

be held to receive comments from interested individuals and

organizations on the environmental impacts of the proposal.

DATES: A 60-day public review period commences with the publication of

this notice. Written comments on the DSEIS are due by March 17, 2000

and should be submitted to the Four Corners Division Manager, Bureau of

Reclamation. Public hearings on the DSEIS will be held during the month

of February in Durango, Farmington, and Denver. The public hearings

schedule is as follows:

February 15, 2000, 7-9 p.m., Double Tree Hotel, Main Ballroom, 501

Camino Del Rio, Durango, Colorado

February 16, 2000, 7-9 p.m., Farmington Civic Center, Exhibition Hall

1, 200 West Arrington, Farmington, New Mexico.

February 17, 2000, 7-9 p.m., Denver Convention Center, Room A-209, 700

14th Street, Denver, Colorado.

ADDRESSES: Written comments on the DSEIS should be addressed to Pat

Schumacher, Four Corners Division Manager, Four Corners Division of the

Western Colorado Area Office, 835 East Second Avenue, Suite 300,

Durango, Colorado 81301-5475; telephone (970) 385-6590; faxogram (970)

385-6539; E-mail ALPDSEISC[email protected]. The document is

available on the Internet at http://www.uc.usbr.gov under the

Environmental Studies, Summaries & Reports heading. If requesting

copies of the DSEIS, contact Mr. Schumacher using any of the methods

noted above.

Our practice is to make comments, including names and home

addresses of respondents, available for public review. Individual

respondents may request that we withhold their home address from public

disclosure, which we will honor to the extent allowable by law. If you

wish us to withhold your name and/or address, you must state this

prominently at the beginning of your comment. We will make all

submissions from organizations or businesses, and from individuals

identifying themselves as representatives or officials of

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organizations or businesses, available for public disclosure in their

entirety.

Copies of the DSEIS are also available for public review and

inspection at the following locations:

Bureau of Reclamation, U.S. Department of the Interior,

Room 7455, 18th and C Streets, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20240.

Bureau of Reclamation, Denver Office Library, Denver

Federal Center, Building 67, Room 67, Denver, Colorado 80225.

Bureau of Reclamation, Upper Colorado Regional Office,

125 South State Street, Room 6107, Salt Lake City, Utah 84138.

Bureau of Reclamation, Four Corners Division of the

Western Colorado Area Office, 835 East Second Avenue, Suite 300,

Durango, Colorado 81301-5475.

Bureau of Reclamation, Western Colorado Area Office, 2764

Compass Drive, Suite 106, Grand Junction, Colorado 81506.

Local Affairs Department/Division of Local Government,

Attention: Charles Unseld, 1313 Sherman Street, Room 521, Denver,

Colorado 80203.

Energy, Minerals and Natural Resources Department,

Attention: Jennifer A. Salisbury, Secretary, 2040 South Pacheco Street,

Santa Fe, New Mexico 87505.

Libraries

Copies will also be available for public review and inspection at

the following public libraries:

Colorado

Colorado State University Library, Ft. Collins

Cortez City Library

Denver City Library

Durango High School Library

Durango Public Library

Ft. Lewis College Library, Durango

University of Northern Colorado Library, Greeley

University of Denver, Penrose Library, Denver

University of Colorado, Norlin Library, Boulder

New Mexico

Albuquerque Public Library

Alturian Public Library, Aztec

Bloomfield City Library

Farmington Public Library

Navajo Community College Library, Shiprock

New Mexico State Library, Santa Fe

New Mexico State University Library, Las Cruces

San Juan College Library, Farmington

University of New Mexico Library, Albuquerque

Zimmerman Library, Albuquerque

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ken Beck, Team Leader, Bureau of

Reclamation, Four Corners Division of the Western Colorado Area Office,

835 East Second Avenue, Suite 300, Durango, Colorado 81301-5475,

telephone (970) 385-6558.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: For supplementary information please see the

Federal Register notice of January 4, 1999, 64 FR 176-179.

Dated: January 10, 2000.

Eluid Martinez,

Commissioner, Bureau of Reclamation.

[FR Doc. 00-895 Filed 1-13-00; 8:45 am]

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