5516 Federal Register / Vol. 69, No. 24 / Thursday, February 5, 2004 / Notices 

DATES: A public scoping meeting will be 

held in Jackson, MS, at the Mississippi 

Agriculture, Forestry, and Aviation 

Museum, on February 23, 2004, at 6 

p.m.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Questions about the proposed action 

and Draft Environmental Impact 

Statement (EIS) should be directed to 

Ms. Karen Dove-Jackson (telephone 

(601) 631–7136) or Vicksburg District, 

4155 Clay Street, ATTN: CEMVK–PP–

PQ, Vicksburg, MS 39183–3435.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This 

project is authorized by congressional 

resolutions adopted May 9, 1979. These 

authorizations read as follows:

‘‘Resolved by the Committee on Public 

Works and Transportation of the House of 

Representatives, United States, That the 

Board of Engineers for Rivers and Harbors is 

hereby requested to review the reports of the 

Chief of Engineers on Pearl River Basin, 

Mississippi and Louisiana, published as 

House Document Number 282, NinetySecond Congress, Second Session, and other 

pertinent reports, with a particular view 

toward determining whether any further 

improvements for flood damage prevention 

and related purposes are advisable at this 

time. The alternatives are to be reviewed 

with local interests to insure a viable, locally 

supported project. Resolved by the 

Committee on Public Works and 

Transportation of the House of 

Representatives, United States, That the 

Board of Engineers for Rivers and Harbors is 

hereby requested to review the report of the 

Chief of Engineers on the Pearl River and 

Tributaries, Mississippi, contained in House 

Document 441, 86th Congress, and other 

reports with a view to determining whether 

measures for prevention of flood damages 

and related purposes are advisable at this 

time, in Rankin County, Mississippi. 

Resolved by the Committee on Environment 

and Public Works of the United States 

Senate, That the Board of Engineers for 

Rivers and Harbors, created under section 3 

of the River and Harbor Act, approved June 

13, 1902, and is hereby requested to review 

the reports of the Chief of Engineers on Pearl 

River Basin, Mississippi and Louisiana, 

submitted in House Document Numbered 

92–282, 92nd Congress, 2nd Session, and 

other pertinent reports with a view to 

determining whether any further 

improvements for flood damage prevention 

and related purposes are warranted at this 

time.’’

1. A reconnaissance study was 

initiated in 1989 and a favorable report 

was completed in 1990 for the Pearl 

River Watershed, MS, Project. The local 

sponsor executed a Feasibility CostSharing Agreement (FCSA) with the 

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) in 

September 1991 to pursue alternative 

solutions. The resulting recommended 

plan documented in a January 1996 

draft report was a comprehensive levee 

system to provide protection from a 

flood event of 1979 magnitude. The 

1979 flood event in Jackson is the 

maximum flood of record. The 

frequency of this flood in Jackson was 

estimated at approximately a 200-year 

event. Study actions were suspended in 

July 1998, and the final feasibility report 

was never completed. Lack of local 

support for the recommended plan, 

questions over operation of the Ross 

Barnett Reservoir, and downstream 

concerns over flooding and bank caving 

were primary issues. In 1996, local 

interests proposed the LeFleur Lakes 

Flood Control Plan, consisting of upper 

and lower lakes along the Pearl River 

south of the Ross Barnett Reservoir, as 

an alternative to the comprehensive 

levee plan. The lakes would extend 

from the Ross Barnett Reservoir outlet 

downstream along the Pearl River to 

approximately 1 mile southwest of 

Interstate 20. The combined lakes would 

cover approximately 4,800 acres at 

normal operating levels, and weirs at 

both the upper and lower lakes would 

regulate flow. The plan is supported 

locally by community and business 

leaders due to its commercial 

development aspects and potential for 

cost recovery. An independent 

evaluation of the LeFleur Lakes Flood 

Control Plan was conducted from JuneDecember 2000 by an ArchitectEngineer firm. The valuation indicated 

that the LeFleur Lakes Plan could 

reduce Pearl River flooding in the 

Jackson area, as would the levee plan. 

The Feasibility Cost Sharing Agreement, 

necessary for study resumption, was 

signed with the non-Federal sponsor, 

Rankin-Hinds Pearl River Flood and 

Drainage Control District, on 15 October 

2003. Studies will include updating the 

previously proposed levee plans 

presented in the aformentioned January 

1996 draft report and an analysis of the 

LeFleur Lakes flood control plan. 

Studies will also include investigations 

of levees for south Jackson and Richland 

as a component of the LeFleur Lakes 

Plan. The District Engineer has decided 

to prepare a Draft EIS to investigate 

measures to alleviate flooding in the 

study area and determine the feasibility 

of continued Federal involvement in 

developing and implementing a 

solution. 

2. The feasibility study for Pearl River 

Watershed, MS, will be conducted to 

fully evaluate a range of alternatives to 

provide a comprehensive plan for flood 

control. Alternative development and 

analysis as currently planned will be 

limited to updating of previously 

proposed levee plans and an evaluation 

of the LeFleur Lakes Plan. 

3. A public scoping meeting will be 

held in Jackson, MS (see DATES). 

Significant issues identified during this 

scoping process will be analyzed in 

depth in the Draft EIS. The Natural 

Resources Conservation Service; U.S. 

Forest Service; Environmental 

Protection Agency; U.S. Fish and 

Wildlife Service; Mississippi 

Department of Environmental Quality; 

and Mississippi Department of Wildlife, 

Fisheries and Parks will be invited to 

become cooperating agencies. Federally 

recognized Indian tribes will also be 

invited to become cooperators. These 

agencies and tribes will be asked to 

participate in the review of data and the 

feasibility report and appendixes. 

4. Upon completion, the Draft EIS will 

be distributed for agency and public 

review and comment. Additionally, a 

public meeting will be held to present 

results of the Draft EIS evaluations and 

the recommended plan. 

5. The DEIS is estimated to be 

completed in October of the year 2005.

Dated: January 22, 2004. 

Douglas J. Kamien, 

Chief, Planning, Programs, and Project 

Management Division.

[FR Doc. 04–2500 Filed 2–4–04; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3710–PU–M

DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Department of the Army; Corps of 

Engineers 

Intent To Prepare a Draft 

Environmental Impact Statement for 

the Proposed Rio del Oro Project, in 

Sacramento County, CA, Corps Permit 

Application Number 199900590

AGENCY: Department of the Army, U.S. 

Army Corps of Engineers,DOD.

ACTION: Notice of intent.

SUMMARY: The U.S. Army Corps of 

Engineers (Corps), SacramentoDistrict, 

will prepare a Draft Environmental 

ImpactStatement (DEIS) for the 

proposed Rio del Oro project, a 

proposed residential and commercial 

development in RanchoCordova, 

Sacramento County, CA. Elliot Homes, 

Inc. has applied for a permit to fill 

approximately 47 acres of waters of the 

United States, including vernal pools, 

and other wetlands.

DATES: Public scoping meetings will be 

held on February 26, 2004. The first 

meeting will be held at 

RanchoCordova’s City Hall, at 1:30 p.m., 

and the second meeting will be at Mills 

Station, at 6:30 p.m.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Questions about the proposed action 

and DEIS can be answered by Mr. 

JustinCutler, (916) 557-5258, 

Federal Register / Vol. 69, No. 24 / Thursday, February 5, 2004 / Notices 5517

justin.cutler@usace.army.mil, 1325J 

Street, Room 1480, Sacramento, CA 

95814–2922.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The 

applicant has applied for a Department 

of the Army permit under section 404 of 

the Clean Water Act to construct a 

residential and commercial 

development. The proposed project 

would be developed on approximately 

3,828 acres south of Highway 50 in 

RanchoCordova, Sacramento County. 

The project site is located south of 

White Rock Road, north of Douglas 

Road, and east of Sunrise Boulevard. 

The project consists of approximately 

1200 high, medium and low density 

residential homes, 38 retail/commercial 

offices, 9 parks, 10 schools, and 2 

wetland preserves and other open space 

areas. The proposed project site has a 

past history of grazing, landfill 

activities, gold mining, and rocket fuel 

testing. Approximately one-third of the 

site is grasslands, which have been used 

for grazing and contain vernal pool 

complexes and the upper reaches of 

Morrison Creek. Past gold mining in the 

1920s and 1950s, and past landfill 

activities, have altered the remaining 

two-thirds of the site. Since mining 

ceased, the site was used to burn excess 

rocket fuel and test energetic material. 

Due to the rocket testing and propellant 

burning on the site, soil and 

groundwater at the site are known to 

contain trichloroethene (TCE) and other 

volatile organic compounds. The 

California Department of Toxic 

Substances Control has issued Imminent 

and Substantial Endangerment Orders to 

address the issue of TCE detected in a 

county well. The site has been divided 

into eleven primary study areas with 

responsibility for performing the 

required investigations divided between 

McDonnell Douglas and Aerojet General 

Corporation based upon previous usage. 

Soil and groundwater remediation 

continues to occur at the site. 

A total of 74.61 acres of waters of the 

United States have been identified on 

the project site, including 37.02 acres of 

vernal pools, 20.44 acres of seasonal 

wetlands, 6.43 acres of riparian wetland, 

6.47 acres of ponds, and 4.25 acres of 

stream channels. The applicant has 

applied to fill approximately 47 acres of 

these waters to construct the project. A 

505-acre vernal pool/wetland preserve 

in the southern portion of the project, 

where the highest concentration of 

vernal pools exists on the project site, 

would be preserved. The preserve 

would contain 27.62 acres of waters of 

the United States. The applicant 

proposes to create approximately 22 

acres of additional vernal pools in the 

preserve. 

The Corps’ public involvement 

program includes several opportunities 

to provide oral and written comments 

(See DATES). Affected Federal, state, 

local agencies, Indian tribes, and other 

interested private organizations and 

parties are invited to participate. 

Currently, potentially significant issues 

to be analyzed in depth in the DEIS 

include, loss of waters of the United 

States, including wetlands, cultural 

resources, biological resources, 

hazardous materials, air quality, surface 

and groundwater, water quality, noise, 

aesthetics, and socio-economic effects. 

Except for on-site preserve 

alternatives, no specific on-site or offsite project alternatives have been 

identified. However, alternatives, 

including the no-project alternative, 

other locations and other site 

configurations, will be evaluated in the 

DEIS and in accordance with the section 

404(b)(1) guidelines. 

The Corps has initiated formal 

consultation with the U.S. Fish and 

Wildlife Service, under section 7 of the 

Endangered Species Act, for five 

Federally threatened or endangered 

species and one species proposed for 

listing that may be affected by the 

project. The Corps will also be 

consulting with the State Historic 

Preservation Officer under section 106 

of the National Historic Preservation Act 

for potential impacts to properties 

listed, or potentially eligible for listing, 

on the National Register of Historic 

Places. 

The Environmental Impact Statement 

will be prepared as a joint document 

with the City of Rancho Cordova. The 

City is the local agency responsible for 

preparing an Environmental Impact 

Report in compliance with the 

California Environmental Quality Act. 

The DEIS is expected to be released in 

March of 2005.

Luz D. Ortiz, 

Army Federal Register Liaison Officer.

[FR Doc. 04–2501 Filed 2–4–04; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3710–EH–P

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

Notice of Proposed Information 

Collection Requests

AGENCY: Department of Education.

SUMMARY: The Leader, Regulatory 

Information Management Group, Office 

of the Chief Information Officer, invites 

comments on the proposed information 

collection requests as required by the 

Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995.

DATES: Interested persons are invited to 

submit comments on or before April 5, 

2004.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Section 

3506 of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 

1995 (44 U.S.C. Chapter 35) requires 

that the Office of Management and 

Budget (OMB) provide interested 

Federal agencies and the public an early 

opportunity to comment on information 

collection requests. OMB may amend or 

waive the requirement for public 

consultation to the extent that public 

participation in the approval process 

would defeat the purpose of the 

information collection, violate State or 

Federal law, or substantially interfere 

with any agency’s ability to perform its 

statutory obligations. The Leader, 

Regulatory Information Management 

Group, Office of the Chief Information 

Officer, publishes that notice containing 

proposed information collection 

requests prior to submission of these 

requests to OMB. Each proposed 

information collection, grouped by 

office, contains the following: (1) Type 

of review requested, e.g. new, revision, 

extension, existing or reinstatement; (2) 

Title; (3) Summary of the collection; (4) 

Description of the need for, and 

proposed use of, the information; (5) 

Respondents and frequency of 

collection; and (6) Reporting and/or 

Recordkeeping burden. OMB invites 

public comment. 

The Department of Education is 

especially interested in public comment 

addressing the following issues: (1) Is 

this collection necessary to the proper 

functions of the Department; (2) will 

this information be processed and used 

in a timely manner; (3) is the estimate 

of burden accurate; (4) how might the 

Department enhance the quality, utility, 

and clarity of the information to be 

collected; and (5) how might the 

Department minimize the burden of this 

collection on the respondents, including 

through the use of information 

technology.

Dated: January 30, 2004. 

Angela C. Arrington, 

Leader, Regulatory Information Management 

Group, Office of the Chief Information Officer.

Institute of Education Sciences 

Type of Review: Revision. 

Title: 2005 National Household 

Education Surveys Program 

(NHES:2005). 

Frequency: One-time. 

Affected Public: Individuals or 

household. 

Reporting and Recordkeeping Hour 

Burden:

Responses: 2,350. 

Burden Hours: 302.