Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the Proposed Cabazon Section 6 General Plan, Cabazon Indian Reservation, Indio, California

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Indian Affairs

Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the Proposed Cabazon

Section 6 General Plan, Cabazon Indian Reservation, Indio, California

AGENCY: Bureau of Indian Affairs, Interior.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: This notice advises the public that the Draft Environmental

Impact Statement (DEIS) for a proposed general plan and master lease of

approximately 590 acres held in trust by the federal government for the

Cabazon Band of Mission Indians in Riverside County, California, is now

available for public review and comment. The DEIS, prepared by the

Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) in cooperation with the Cabazon Band of

Mission Indians, describes a proposed resource recovery park and

industrial area for the recycling, reuse and transformation of various

types of waste. A description of the proposed project location and of

the environmental issues addressed in the DEIS follow as supplementary

information. This notice also announces a public hearing, to be co-

hosted by the BIA and the Cabazon Band, to receive public comments on

the DEIS.

DATES: Comments must be received on or before August 27, 1999. Please

put the following caption on the first page of all correspondence:

``DEIS Comments, Cabazon Section 6 General Plan, Cabazon Indian

Reservation, Indio, California.'' The public hearing will be on July

21, 1999, from 6 to 8 p.m.

ADDRESSES: Send comments to Ronald M. Jaeger, Area Director, Sacramento

Area Office, Bureau of Indian Affairs, 2800 Cottage Way, Sacramento,

California 95825-1846. The public hearing will be held at the Cabazon

Band Council Chambers, 84245 Indio Springs Drive, Indio, California.

The DEIS is available for review at the Cabazon Band of Mission

Indians' Administrative Offices, 84245 Indio Springs Drive, Indio,

California 92203. To obtain a copy of the DEIS, please write or call

William Allan, Environmental Protection Specialist, Sacramento Area

Office, Bureau of Indian Affairs, 2800 Cottage Way, Sacramento,

California 95825-1846, telephone (916) 979-2575, extension 254.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: William Allan (916) 979-2575,

extension 254.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The proposed action is to approve (1) a

general plan of development, called the Cabazon Resource Recovery Park

(CRRP), for the majority of Section 6, and (2) a master lease of the

land from the Cabazon Band of Mission Indians to a tribally-owned

corporation. Section 6 is located in the Coachella Valley, California,

approximately one mile northwest of the unincorporated town of Mecca.

It is characterized by smooth topography, ranging in elevation from 180

feet below to 146 feet below mean sea level. Section 6 is adjacent on

its west and south sides to the Coachella Valley Enterprise Zone, a

27,000 acre area established by the California State Legislature to

create jobs and economic development.

The industrial and commercial facilities planned for the CRRP will

be environmentally responsible industries which individually and

collectively implement practical solutions to a variety of

environmental and waste management problems. The various types of

facilities will be integrated such that the output of some would

provide input to others, thus enhancing the overall efficiency and

effectiveness both of waste management and manufacturing projects.

Existing facilities and those in development or proposed are as

follows: (1) biomass power plant, (2) bio-solids recycling plant, (3)

contaminated soil recycling plant, (4) tire recycling and re-

manufacturing plant, (5) nickel wire recycling and manufacturing plant,

(6) waste food and green waste recycling facility, (7) aquaculture

facility, (8) materials recovery facility, (9) metals reclamation

facility, (10) gasification facility, (11) catalytic converter,

platinum recovery facility, (12) construction and demolition materials

recovery facility, (13) fuels and chemicals storage and distribution

facility, (14) used oil recovery refinery, (15) plant making speciality

glass products from reclaimed glass, (16) hazardous waste and hazardous

commodity processing and transfer facility, and (17) associated

supporting infrastructure (rail yards, sewage treatment, etc.). The

CRRP project will meet all applicable environmental standards and

regulations.

The DEIS addresses the issues identified during scoping. An earlier

version of the DEIS was issued on June 12, 1998 (63 FR 32238), but

withdrawn on January 15, 1999 (64 FR 2657). Comments received on the

earlier version were treated as comments on scoping. Alternatives to

the proposed project that are considered in the DEIS include the no

action alternative and a reduced project, which is the preferred

alternative. The environmental issues addressed in the DEIS include

land and water resources, air quality, living resources, cultural and

socioeconomic resources, land use, traffic, noise, public safety and

health, and visual resources.

This notice is published in accordance with section 1503.1 of the

Council on Environmental Quality Regulations (40 CFR Parts 1500 through

1508), implementing the procedural requirements of the National

Environmental Policy Act of 1969, as amended (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.),

and the Department of the Interior Manual (516 DM 1-6), and is in the

exercise of authority delegated to the Assistant Secretary--Indian

Affairs by 209 DM 8.

Dated: June 21, 1999.

Kevin Gover,

Assistant Secretary--Indian Affairs.

[FR Doc. 99-16257 Filed 6-24-99; 8:45 am]

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