Intent To Prepare an Environmental Assessment and/or Environmental Impact Statement for the La Paz County Regional Landfill Expansion Project, Yuma District, AZ

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[AZ-050-05; 1790-00]

Intent To Prepare an Environmental Assessment and/or

Environmental Impact Statement for the La Paz County Regional Landfill

Expansion Project, Yuma District, AZ

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Assessment and/or

Environmental Impact Statement for the La Paz County Regional Landfill

Expansion Project.

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SUMMARY: The Yuma District's Havasu Resource Area Office is preparing

an Environmental Assessment and/or Environmental Impact Statement for

the expansion of the La Paz County Regional Landfill, and the

construction of a railroad drill track (spur) and haul road. The

landfill is located near the intersection of Arizona State Highways 72

and 95, approximately 15 miles southeast of Parker, Arizona. La Paz

County has submitted an application for 6.3 miles of right-of-way

across public lands pursuant to the Federal Land Policy Management Act

of 1976, and a request for the sale of 480 acres of public land

pursuant to the Recreation and Public Purposes Act of 1926, as amended.

The Bureau of Land Management has responsibility for the environmental

review of the right-of-way and land sale application pursuant

[[Page 14001]] to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA).

Preparation of appropriate NEPA documentation will follow Council on

Environmental Quality Regulations for implementing the procedural

provisions of NEPA, pertinent guidance contained in the Department of

Interior Manual on Environmental Quality (DM 516), and the BLM NEPA

Handbook (H-1790-1).

La Paz County proposes the expansion of an existing 160-acre

landfill, with an additional 480 acres, and the construction of 6.3

miles of drill track and/or haul road to service the facility.

Construction of the drill track will require a Clean Water Act (CWA)

Section 404 Nationwide Permit for the crossing of Bouse Wash.

Implementation of the proposed project will provide regional, long-term

waste disposal capacity.

The Environmental Assessment and/or Environmental Impact Statement

will be developed by a third party contractor who has been approved by

the Bureau of Land Management. The contractor will use an

interdisciplinary team to develop the document. The Bureau of Land

Management will retain overall responsibility for preparation and

review of the document.

Complete records of all phases of the environmental documentation

process will be available for public review at the Bureau of Land

Management, Havasu Resource Area Office, 3189 Sweetwater Avenue, Lake

Havasu City, Arizona.

The public is invited to participate in the NEPA process beginning

with scoping and the identification of issues in April 1995.

DATES: Public Scoping Meetings to identify issues will be held as

follows: Wednesday, April 5, 1995 (1-3 pm), Quartzsite Town Hall

Complex, Public Library Meeting Room, 465 North Plymouth Avenue, 465

North Plymouth Avenue, Quartzsite, Arizona; telephone (602) 927-6593;

and Wednesday, April 5, 1995 (6-8 pm), La Paz County Board of

Supervisor's Meeting Room, 1112 Joshua Avenue, Parker, Arizona;

telephone (602) 669-6138.

The comment period for this Notice of Intent ends April 14, 1995.

COMMENTS/FURTHER INFORMATION: Send comments and/or requests for further

information to: Bureau of Land Management, Havasu Resource Area,

Attention: Joe Liebhauser, 3189 Sweetwater Avenue, Lake Havasu City,

Arizona 86403. Telephone: (602) 855-9017.

Dated: March 7, 1995.

Don Applegate,

Nonrenewable Resource Advisor/Acting District Manager.

[FR Doc. 95-6331 Filed 3-14-95; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4310-32-P