94-7804. Availability  

  • [Federal Register Volume 59, Number 68 (Friday, April 8, 1994)]
    [Unknown Section]
    [Page 0]
    From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
    [FR Doc No: 94-7804]
    
    
    [[Page Unknown]]
    
    [Federal Register: April 8, 1994]
    
    
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    DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
    [CA-060-04-5440-10-B026; 2-00160]
    
     
    
    Availability
    
    AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.
    
    ACTION: Notice of availability.
    
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    SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that a joint draft Environmental Impact 
    Statement and Environmental Impact Report (EIS/EIR) has been prepared 
    by the Bureau of Land Management and the County of Imperial for the 
    proposed Mesquite Regional Class III Landfill. The proposed federal 
    action analyzes the environmental effects of a land exchange for 
    approximately 1,750 acres, rights of way for a railroad spur and a gas 
    pipeline plus an amendment to the California Desert Plan.
    
    DATES: For Public Hearings and Comments: A 90-day public review period 
    has been established for this document. Comments concerning the 
    adequacy or accuracy of this document will be considered in preparation 
    of the Final EIS/EIR. Written comments on this document will be 
    accepted through July 6, 1994. Two public hearings will be held during 
    the public comment period to receive verbal testimony on the following 
    dates: 7 p.m. PDT, Wednesday, May 25, 1994, at the El Centro Community 
    Center, 375 South First Street, El Centro, California 92243, (619-337-
    4555); 7 p.m. PDT, Thursday, May 26, 1994, at the Desert Expo Center, 
    Fine Arts Building, 46-350 Arabia Street, Indio, California 92201 (619-
    863-8247).
    
    ADDRESSES: Written comments must be filed no later than July 6, 1994, 
    reference BLM CA-29617, and should be addressed to Bureau of Land 
    Management, 1661 South 4th Street, El Centro, CA 92243.
    
    FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
    Thomas Zale, Multi-Resource Staff Chief, Bureau of Land Management, El 
    Centro Resource Area, 1661 South 4th Street, El Centro, California 
    92243.
    
    SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Gold Fields Mining Co. (Gold Fields), 
    Western Waste Industries, and S.P. Environmental Systems have formed a 
    (Partnership) that would own and develop the landfill located 
    contiguous to the site of the currently operating Mesquite Gold Mine 
    and Ore Processing Facility (Mesquite Mine) in eastern Imperial County. 
    The project would include the unloading and loading of Municipal Solid 
    Waste (MSW) residue containers, placement of MSW into the landfill, 
    rail and equipment maintenance, landfill gas recovery and destruction 
    by flaring or utilization of energy recovery techniques, leachate 
    collection and processing and waste water treatment. Temporary storage 
    of recyclable materials from originating transportation operations (in 
    accordance with AB939) will also be provided.
        The proposed project would involve 4,250 acres, of which 2,290 
    acres would be utilized for the landfill footprint and ancillary 
    facilities. The proposed landfill is designed to accommodate up to 600 
    million tons of MSW residue and would have an operational life of 100 
    years. MSW would be collected from population centers in Southern 
    California, including Imperial County, by local collection vehicles and 
    taken to existing or future transfer stations/material recovery 
    facilities (MRFs) where it would be sorted and processed to remove 
    recyclables, hazardous materials, and other unacceptable wastes in 
    accordance with AB939. From these locations, MSW residue would be 
    transferred to railroad loading intermodals where it would be loaded 
    for rail haulage to the Mesquite Regional Landfill project site. Truck 
    transfer of Imperial County MSW residue could also occur (based on 
    future decisions made by local officials) after processing at local 
    transfer stations/MRFs. The estimated rate of growth of daily MSW 
    volumes would be 4,000 tons per day (tpd) for Year 1 of operations, 
    increasing up to 20,000 tpd after Year 7. The estimated daily number of 
    trains that would be required would be one train during Year 1 (4,000 
    tpd), increasing to 5 trains after Year 7 (20,000 tpd). The proposed 
    maximum daily volume of MSW residue would be 20,000 tons per day 
    averaged over a two week, 12 day period. The actual rate of growth and 
    operational life of the landfill will depend upon market conditions for 
    MSW disposal in communities that choose to use the regional landfill.
        In addition to the No Action Alternative, four alternatives to the 
    proposed action are considered in the EIS/EIR and include: Smaller 
    Landfill Footprint (Alternative I); Reduced Daily Volumes (Alternative 
    II); Alternative Mesquite Regional Landfill Site (Alternative III); and 
    Larger Project (increased daily MSW residue volumes and larger landfill 
    footprint) (Alternative IV). The EIS/EIR analyzes the effects of the 
    proposed action and alternatives on such environmental issues including 
    but not limited to: air quality, social and economic impacts, ground 
    and surface water quality, endangered and other special status plants 
    and animals, cultural or historical and visual resources.
    
        Dated: April 1, 1994.
    G. Ben Koski,
    Area Manager.
    [FR Doc. 94-7804 Filed 4-7-94; 8:45 am]
    BILLING CODE 4310-40-M