[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 198 (Wednesday, October 14, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 55137-55138]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-27484]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Office of the Assistant Secretary--Water and Science; Central
Utah Project Completion Act; Notice of Intent To Discontinue Planning
on the Spanish Fork Canyon--Nephi Irrigation System as Presented in the
Draft Environmental Impact Statement DES 98-13
AGENCIES: Department of the Interior (Department), Utah Reclamation
[[Page 55138]]
Mitigation and Conservation Commission (Commission), and Central Utah
Water Conservancy District (District) are the joint-lead agencies.
ACTION: Notice of intent to discontinue planning on the Spanish Fork
Canyon--Nephi Irrigation System (SFN) as presented in the Draft
Environmental Impact Statement DES 98-13 (EIS).
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SUMMARY: Pursuant to section 102(2)(C) of the National Environmental
Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA), as amended, the Department, Mitigation
Commission, and the District issued a joint Draft EIS on the SFN
System. The Department published a notice of intent to prepare an EIS
for the SFN System in the Federal Register Vol. 56 No. 166, dated
August 30, 1993. Scoping meetings were held in Salt Lake City, Orem,
and Nephi, Utah. The Draft EIS was filed with the Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA) on March 31, 1998. Public Hearings were held in
Salt Lake City, Utah, on May 11, 1998, and Santaquin, Utah, on May 12,
1998.
The SFN Draft EIS described two systems--the Diamond Fork System
and the SFN System. Comments received on the SFN Draft EIS from EPA and
the State of Utah raised serious issues regarding salinity impacts to
Utah Lake. Comments from the Strawberry Water Users Association with
regard to their participation in the SFN seriously impacted the Purpose
and Need of the SFN Main Conveyance Aqueduct. Due to these issues,
which are directly related to the SFN System and not the Diamond Fork
System, the joint-lead agencies have discontinued planning on the SFN
Draft EIS relating to the Main Conveyance Aqueduct and alternatives
thereto. However, the joint lead agencies intend to file a final
supplement to the Diamond Fork System Final EIS that will be based on
the Diamond Fork Final EIS and the ``Diamond Fork Tunnel Alternative''
which was presented in the SFN Draft EIS. A Federal Register notice
regarding the proposed Diamond Fork final supplement will be issued.
The joint-lead agencies will initiate a new planning process with
public involvement on the facilities authorized in section 202(a)(1) of
the Central Utah Project Completion Act (Utah Lake Drainage Basin Water
Delivery System). Any other additional uses of Bonneville Unit water on
the Wasatch Front (Salt Lake City to Nephi, Utah), and all remaining
environmental issues and commitments associated with the Bonneville
Unit will be addressed during this new process. When planning for the
Utah Lake Drainage Basin Water Delivery System is initiated, a Notice
of Intent regarding NEPA compliance will be published.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Additional information on matters
related to this Federal Register notice can be obtained at the address
and telephone number set forth below: Mr. Reed R. Murray, Program
Coordinator, CUP Completion Act Office, Department of the Interior, 302
East 1860 South, Provo, UT 84606-6154, Telephone: (801) 379-1237, E-
Mail address: rmurray@uc.usbr.gov
Dated: October 7, 1998.
Ronald Johnston,
CUP Program Director, Department of the Interior.
[FR Doc. 98-27484 Filed 10-13-98; 8:45 am]
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