[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 107 (Monday, June 3, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Page 27935]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-13887]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
[CA-930-06-2700 WARD]
Change of Dates and Locations for Ward Valley Public Scoping
Workshops
AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.
ACTION: Change to May 17, 1996; notice of intent.
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SUMMARY: The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) in California announces a
change of dates and locations for the Ward Valley public scoping
workshops. The new dates and times will change those identified in
BLM's May 17, 1996 Notice of Intent to prepare a Supplemental
Environmental Impact Statement (SEIS) for a proposed land transfer to
the State of California for the purpose of developing a low-level
radioactive waste disposal facility at Ward Valley. The site of the
proposed federal land transfer is located in San Bernardino County,
California, approximately 20 miles west of the city of Needles.
DATES: Three public scoping workshops will be held, and each will be
open to the public at the following dates and locations:
June in Sacramento 2-5 pm and 7-9 pm at the Red Lion Hotel, 2001 Point
West Way, Sierra Room;
June 15 in San Bernardino from 2-5 pm and 7-9 pm at the National Orange
Show Grounds, Arrowhead Avenue, Gate 9, Renaissance Room:
June 26 in Needles from 2-5 and 7-9 pm at Elks Lodge No. 1608, 1000
Lily Hill Drive.
The purpose of the workshops is to provide interested parties the
opportunity to give us their views on the scope of issues to be
addressed in the SEIS. The workshops will be conducted in an open house
format, and participants may work individually with a BLM employee to
record their comments on the range of issues to be considered in the
SEIS. Written comments will also be accepted at the workshops.
No formal presentations or oral testimony before the public will be
received during the scoping workshops; however, BLM is committed to
having formal public hearings, with recorded oral public testimony,
during the public comment period in the Draft SEIS.
ADDRESS: Any written comments or requests to be placed on the mailing
list should be sent to Ward Valley Land Transfer Coordinator (CA-930),
Bureau of Land Management, 2800 Cottage Way, Sacramento, CA 95825.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Richard F. Johnson or John S. Mills at
(916) 979-2820.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The SEIS will focus on new information and
circumstances, including the May 1995 National Academy of Sciences
Report; the results of tritium and related testing to be conducted at
the site; recent U.S. Geological Survey information concerning tritium
and other radioactive materials detected in proximity to a closed LLRW
facility at Beatty, Nevada, and other evidence of migration of
radioactive and other wastes from the Beatty facility; the results of
consultation with Native American Tribes; the possible effect of the
proposed transfer, construction, and operation of the LLRW facility on
areas of cultural importance to nearby Native American Tribes and any
Tribal rights recognized by federal law; the designation of Ward Valley
by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service as critical habitat for the
desert tortoise and a 1995 FWS Biological Opinion evaluating the
potential impacts of the land transfer and facility on the tortoise and
its critical habitat; a report prepared by the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency concerning release of radionuclides into the
atmosphere and effects on desert tortoise habitat; a hydrogeologic
report on the proposed facility site commissioned by the Metropolitan
Water District of Southern California; and other information submitted
by the public. Issues that were fully analyzed in the 1991 EIS/EIR and
the 1993 SEIS (which was limited to the changed land transfer method
from indemnity selection to direct sale), and are not the subject of
new information or circumstances, will not be addressed in this SEIS.
A separate public notice will be issued in the near future
regarding procedures for tritium and related testing to be done at the
site.
Dated: May 29, 1996.
Ed Hastey,
State Director.
[FR Doc. 96-13887 Filed 5-31-96; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-40-M
