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<br />001355
<br />
<br />l'
<br />
<br />68466
<br />
<br />Federal Register / Vol. 62, No, 250 / Wednesday, December 31, 1997 / Notices
<br />
<br />DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
<br />
<br />Bureau of Reclamation
<br />
<br />Proposed Rule Making for Offstream
<br />Storage of Colorado River Water and
<br />Interstate Redemption of Storage
<br />Credits in the Lower Division States
<br />
<br />AGENCY: Bureau of Reclamation,
<br />Interior.
<br />ACTION: NDtice of availability of draft
<br />programmatic environmental
<br />assessment (DPEA) ,
<br />
<br />SUMMARY: Pursuant to the National
<br />Enviwnmental Policy Act of 19
<br />amended), the Bureau or R
<br />(Reclamation) has pre par
<br />proposed rule making for 0
<br />storage of Colorado River water and
<br />interstate redemption or use of storage
<br />credits in the lower Division States. The
<br />proposed rule is intended to encourage
<br />further cooperation among the Lower
<br />Division States in resolving common
<br />water resource problems and demands.
<br />The proposed rule would establish a
<br />procedural framework under which
<br />authorized entities in the Lower
<br />Division States could store offstream
<br />certain Colorado River water, develop
<br />storage credits associated with that
<br />water, and use those credits within the
<br />Lower Division.
<br />ADDRESSES: FDr copies ofthe DPEA,
<br />write to either (I) Mr. James Green, LC-
<br />
<br />
<br />2506, Environmental Compliance and
<br />Realty Group, Resource Management
<br />Office (Mead Bldg), Lower ColoradD
<br />Regional Office, Bureau of Reclamation.
<br />P,O, Box 61470, BDulder City, NV
<br />89006-147D; or (2) Bureau of
<br />Reclamation, Lower Colorado Regional
<br />Liaison, 1849 CSt, NW, Washington, DC
<br />20240, telephone (202) 208-6269,
<br />FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
<br />Mr, James Green at (702) 293-8519,
<br />SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The DPEA
<br />describes the present status of river
<br />operations in the Lower Colorado River
<br />Basin and analyzes potential impacts
<br />associated with t . erne . n of
<br />the proposed rul, ro ram
<br />approach has bee D ted e
<br />many of the details of specific interstate
<br />agreements under the proposed rule
<br />cannot be ascertained at this time. Such
<br />agreements would be subject to
<br />approval by the Secretary of the Interior
<br />(Secretary), Appropriate environmental
<br />compliance documentation will be
<br />prepared on a case-by-case basis prior to
<br />the Secretary's approval of an interstate
<br />agreement. The public comment period
<br />for the proposed rule and t DPEA will
<br />run concurrentl mm wi!
<br />accepted thr g Mar 998, If
<br />wish to com ,ma your
<br />comments by anyone 0 several
<br />methods. You may mail or hand-deliver
<br />comments to Mr. James Green at the
<br />address noted in ADDRESSES above, You
<br />
<br />may also comment via the Internet at
<br />bjohnson@lc.usbr.gov. If you comment
<br />via the Internet at this address please
<br />submit comments as an ASCII file
<br />avoiding the use of special characters
<br />and any form of encryption. Please also
<br />include "alln: ACI006-AA40" and your
<br />name and return address in your
<br />Internet message, If you do not receive
<br />a confirmation from the system that we
<br />have received your Internet message,
<br />CDntact us directly at (702) 293-8411.
<br />Upon request, Reclamation will hold
<br />informational meetings on the DPEA in
<br />January or February 1998. Reclamation
<br />will accept requests for informational
<br />meetings until 4:00 p,m. Pacific time on
<br />January 30, 1998, If ReclamatiDn
<br />receives a request to hold an
<br />informational meeting(s), Reclamation
<br />will notify interested parties of the time
<br />and location of the meeting(s),
<br />
<br />The DPEA has been prepared in
<br />accmdance with: (I) The National
<br />Environmental Policy Act of 1969
<br />(NEP A) as amended, and (2) regulations
<br />of the Council on Environmental
<br />Quality for implementing the
<br />procedural provisiDns DfNEPA (40 CFR
<br />parts 1500-1508),
<br />
<br />Dated: December 22. 1997,
<br />R. Steven Richardson,
<br />Director, Policy and External Affairs,
<br />[FR Doc, 97-33989 Filed 12-30-97; 8:45 am]
<br />BILLING CODE 4310-94-M
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