Notice of Intent To Prepare a Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) for the Construction of a Subregional Long-Term Wastewater Project by the City of Santa Rosa in Sonoma County, California

DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Notice of Intent To Prepare a Draft Environmental Impact

Statement (DEIS) for the Construction of a Subregional Long-Term

Wastewater Project by the City of Santa Rosa in Sonoma County,

California

AGENCY: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, San Francisco District, DOD.

ACTION: Notice of intent.

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SUMMARY: The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will prepare a Draft

Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the proposed Santa Rosa

Subregional Long-Term Wastewater Project (Project). The purpose of the

Project is to provide for effluent disposal from the Subregional

Sewerage System wastewater treatment facilities operated by the City of

Santa Rosa. The Project would implement a program to dispose of

tertiary treated wastewater from system members and customers through

the year 2010. The City of Santa Rosa has applied for a Department of

Army (DA) permit for authorization to discharge dredged and fill

material, and to work in navigable waters of the United States in

association with construction of the Project. The DA permit application

process, scoping process, and preparation of the Draft EIS will be

conducted by the Regulatory Branch of the San Francisco District.

ADDRESSES: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, San Francisco District,

Regulatory Branch, 211 Main Street, San Francisco, California 94105-

1905.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Questions about the proposed action and Draft EIS can be answered by

Wade Eakle at the Corps of Engineers (Telephone 415-744-3325, ext.

222).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

1. Proposed Action

The Corps of Engineers has received an application for a Department

of the Army permit from the City of Santa Rosa to discharge dredged and

fill material, and to work in navigable waters of the United States in

association with construction of a Subregional Long-Term Wastewater

Project. Project implementation could include construction of

embankments to create a wastewater storage reservoir; construction of a

groundwater infiltration basin; construction of pipelines to distribute

reclaimed water; construction of irrigation drainage facilities; and

construction of berms of create or restore wetlands.

The Laguna Wastewater Treatment Plant operated by the City of Santa

Rosa provides tertiary treatment for approximately 16 million gallons

of wastewater per day (mgd) average dry weather flow (ADWF) from the

Subregional Sewerage System. This results in an average annual flow of

7,000 million gallons (mg). Wastewater flows are projected to increase

to approximately 22.5 mgd ADWF by the year 2010, including

consideration for lower flows due to water conservation. This results

in an average annual flow of 9,800 mg.

Disposal of treated wastewater from the Laguna plant is through

agricultural irrigation, created wetlands, urban irrigation, and

discharge to the Russian River through the Laguna de Santa Rosa.

Ordinarily, discharge to the Russian River is limited to a maximum of 1

percent of river flow (5 percent with the permission of the California

Regional Water Quality Control Board), and storage is provided to hold

treated wastewater so that maximum legal discharge is not exceeded.

However, due to a combination of conditions which may occur during the

October 1-May 14 discharge season, discharge to the Russian River may

exceed the legal maximum.

These conditions can occur during winters characterized by periodic

light rain but overall drier-than-normal conditions. As a result, the

current Subregional System is weather-dependent, leaving it without a

reliable, legally sanctioned wastewater disposal option. By 1999 the

City of Santa Rosa must put in place a disposal solution to meet future

capacity needs, no matter what weather conditions occur. The purpose of

the Santa Rosa Subregional Long-Term Wastewater Project is to provide

this solution.

The DA permit application will be processed by the Regulatory

Branch of the San Francisco District, Corps of Engineers, pursuant to

the provisions of Section 10 of the Rivers and Harbors Act of 1899 (33

U.S.C. 403) and Section 404 of the Clean Water Act (33 U.S.C. 1344).

In accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969,

as amended (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.) the Corps of Engineers has

determined that the proposed action may have a significant impact on

the quality of the human environment and therefore requires the

preparation of an Environmental Impact Statement. A combined EIS/EIR

(Environmental Impact Report) will be prepared with the Corps of

Engineers as the Federal lead agency and the City of Santa Rosa as the

lead agency for the EIR.

2. Alternatives

The Project alternatives under consideration are:

a. No Project/No Action

b. South County Reclamation

c. Community Separator/South County Reclamation

d. West County Reclamation

e. Geysers Recharge

f. 20% Maximum Russian River Discharge

g. Other project proposals that are identified as feasible during the

public scoping process

Components of the alternatives to be analyzed for the Project may

include: water conservation through compliance with state regulations

and an expanded subregional retrofit program; expanded agricultural

irrigation; flow augmentation of existing streams during periods of low

flow; increased storage capacity, including new reservoir sites or use

of below ground aquifers; expanded urban irrigation reuse; injection

and reuse of treated wastewater at the Sonoma Geysers; and increased

discharge to the Russian River (up to a maximum of 20 percent of river

flow) either directly, through rapid infiltration in the river plain,

or through the Laguna de Santa Rosa.

3. Scoping Process

Pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act, as amended,

agency planning for Federal or Federally permitted projects must

include a ``scoping'' process. Scoping primarily involves determining

the scope of issues to be addressed, and identifying the significant

issues for in-depth analysis in the Draft EIS. The scoping process

includes public participation to integrate information regarding public

needs and concerns into the environmental document.

The Corps of Engineers and the City of Santa Rosa will hold public

scoping meetings on November 17, 1994 at 3 pm and 7 pm at the Steele

Lane Recreation Center, 415 Steele Lane, Santa Rosa, California 95403.

A formal presentation will precede the request for public comment.

Representatives from the Corps of Engineers, the City of Santa Rosa,

and Harland Bartholomew & Associates (the consultant preparing the EIS/

EIR) will be available at these meetings to receive comments from the

public regarding issues of concern that should be addressed in the

environmental document. Further public participation is planned, but

not currently scheduled.

Agencies and the public are also invited and encouraged to provide

written comments in addition to, or in lieu of, oral comments at the

scoping meetings. To be most helpful, the scoping comments should

clearly describe specific environmental issues or topics which the

commentator believes the document should address. Written comments

should be mailed no later than December 1, 1994 to the District

Engineer, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, San Francisco District, 211

Main Street, San Francisco, California, 94105 ATTN: Wade Eakle.

a. Significant Issues

The following issues have been identified as potentially

significant and will be evaluated in the Draft EIS/EIR. However, the

scope of analysis is not limited to these issues.

(1) Geologic conditions

(2) Hydrology, water quality and supply

(3) Traffic and transportation

(4) Air quality

(5) Noise conditions

(6) Biological resources, including endangered species, and fish and

wildlife habitat

(7) Visual resources

(8) Cultural and historic resources

(9) Land use, including agricultural activity

(10) Public services and utilities

(11) Public health and safety hazards

(12) Recreational opportunities

(13) Socioeconomics

(14) Energy

b. Environmental requirements

Environmental review and other consultation requirements applicable

to the proposed action include:

(1) National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, 42 U.S.C. 4371 et

seq., 40 CFR Parts 1500-1508, and all implementing regulations.

(2) Clean Water Act, as amended, 33 U.S.C. 1344.

(3) Rivers and Harbors Act of 1899, 33 U.S.C. 403.

(4) Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended, 16 U.S.C. 1536, 50

CFR 402.

(5) National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, as amended, 16

U.S.C. 470.

(6) Fish and Wildlife Coordination Act, 16 U.S.C. 661-667.

(7) Coastal Zone Management Act of 1972, 16 U.S.C. 1456.

(8) Final Rule for Regulatory Programs of the Corps of Engineers,

33 CFR Parts 320-330.

(9) Environmental Protection Agency's Guidelines for Specification

of Disposal Sites for Dredged or Fill Material, 40 CFR Part 230.

(10) California Environmental Quality Act of 1970, Public Resources

Code, Section 21000 et seq., and all subsequent implementing

regulations.

(11) Chapter 1600 of the Fish and Game Code.

4. Availability of EIS

The Draft EIS should be available for public review in October

1995.

Michael J. Walsh,

Lieutenant Colonel, Corps of Engineers, District Engineer.

[FR Doc. 94-97421 Filed 11-4-94; 8:45 am]

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