Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 24 / Friday, February 4, 2000 / Notices 5623

provides flood control, agricultural

water supply, groundwater protection

and conservation, waterfowl

management, and environmental

enhancement and restoration. The

Grand Prairie Region and Bayou Meto

Basin, Arkansas, flood-control project

was authorized by the Flood Control Act

of 1950 and deauthorized by the Water

Resources Development Act (WRDA) of

1986. This project was reauthorized by

the WRDA of 1996 with an expanded

scope that includes groundwater

protection and conservation,

agricultural water supply, and

waterfowl management. Language in the

Fiscal Year 1998 Appropriations Act

directed the U.S. Army Corps of

Engineers to initiate a reevaluation of

the Bayou Meto Basin from within

available funds. The appropriations acts

for fiscal year 1999 and 2000 provided

funding to continue to reevaluation.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr.

Ken Bright, telephone (901) 544–0745,

CEMVM–PM, 167 North Main Street,

Room B–202, Memphis, TN 38103–

1894. Questions regarding the DEIS may

be directed to Mr. Edward Lambert,

telephone (901) 544–0707, CEMVM–

PM–E.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

1. Proposed Action

The Eastern Arkansas Region

Comprehensive Study, completed in

1990, indicated that a feasible plan of

improvement for agricultural water

supply and conservation exists for the

Bayou Meto Basin, Arkansas. The Bayou

Meto Basin Project general reevaluation

will focus on developing a plan of

improvement that will meet the flood

control and water supply needs of the

project area while providing substantial

net environmental benefits. Preliminary

studies indicate the a combination of

measures of needed to meet the water

supply needs of the project area.

Identified water-supply components are

(1) water conservation (increased

irrigation efficiencies), (2) groundwater

protection and conservation, (3)

additional on-farm storage, and (4) a

system to import surface water from the

Arkansas River. Irrigation and floodcontrol features will be designed to

avoid or minimize adverse

environmental impacts; alternative plan

designs will include recommendations

from state and Federal natural resource

agencies. Moreover, a major emphasis

will be placed on the formulation of

environmental project features.

Measures to create and/or restore fish

and wildfish habitat (including

waterfowl habitat), improve water

quality, and protect existing surface

water and groundwater resources will

be integral components of all alternative

plans. The project area encompasses

779,109 acres between the Arkansas and

White rivers in east central Arkansas; it

includes portions of Arkansas, Jefferson,

Lonoke, and Prairie counties.

2. Alternatives

Alternatives will be developed that

provide flood control, agricultural water

supply, groundwater conservation and

protection, waterfowl management, and

environmental enhancement and

restoration. Comparisons will be made

among alternative plans, and alternative

plans will be compared to the ‘‘no

action’’ alternative.

3. Scoping Process

An intensive public involvement

program has been initiated and will be

maintained throughout the study to (1)

solicit input from individuals and

interested parties so that problems,

needs, and opportunities within the

project area can be properly identified

and addressed and (2) provide status

updates to concerned organizations and

the general public. Affected Federal,

state, and local agencies; affected Indian

tribes; and other interested private

organizations and parties are

encouraged to participate in the scoping

process. Significant issues to be

analyzed include potential impacts

(negative and positive) to groundwater

and surface water resources, fisheries,

water quality, wetlands, wildlife,

endangered species, cultural resources,

and agricultural lands. Two public

scoping meetings will be held within

the project area. The first scoping

meeting will be held on February 15,

2000, 5:30 p.m., at the England

Elementary School, 400 East DeWitt,

England, Arkansas. The second meeting

is scheduled for February 16, 2000, 5:30

p.m., at the Lonoke Primary School, 800

Lincoln Street, Lonoke, Arkansas. It is

anticipated that the DEIS will be

available for public review during the

fall of 2002. A public meeting will be

held during the review period to receive

comments and address questions

concerning the DEIS.

Dated: January 26, 2000.

Daniel W. Krueger,

Colonel, Corps of Engineers, District Engineer.

[FR Doc. 00–2545 Filed 2–3–00; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3710–KS–M

DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Department of the Army Corps of

Engineers

Intent To Prepare a Draft

Environmental Impact Statement

(DEIS) for the Proposed Mining

Activities Associated With Hobet

Mining, Inc.’s (Hobet) Spruce No. 1

Surface Mine Located Near Blair, in

Logan County, West Virginia

AGENCY: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers,

DoD.

ACTION: Notice of Intent.

SUMMARY: Pursuant to Section 404 of the

Clean Water Act, the Huntington

District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

(Corps), in cooperation with several

Federal and State cooperating agencies

will prepare (in accordance with

Section 102(2)(c) of the National

Environmental Policy Act) an

Environmental Impact Statement (EIS).

The EIS will evaluate potentially

significant impacts to the natural,

physical, and human environment as a

result of the proposed mining activities

associated with Hobet’s Spruce No. 1

Surface Mine.

ADDRESSES: Send written comments and

suggestions concerning this proposal to

Teresa Hughes, U.S. Army Corps of

Engineers, Huntington District, Attn:

Regulatory Branch–OR–FS, 502 8th

Street, Huntington, West Virginia,

25701. Telephone (304) 529–5710 or

electronic mail at

Teresa.D.Huges@Lrh01.usace.army.mil.

Requests to be placed on the mailing list

should also be sent to this address.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Michael D. Gheen, Chief of Regulatory

Branch, Attn: Regulatory Branch–OR–F,

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers,

Huntington district, 502 8th Street,

Huntington, West Virginia 25701,

Telephone (304) 529–5487 or electronic

mail at Michael.D.Gheen@

Lrh01.usace.army.mil

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Corps

invites comments and suggestions

regarding potential effects of the

proposed action, including the

regulatory issues and significant

environmental effects to be addressed in

the EIS, to promote open

communication and better decision

making. All persons and organizations

that have an interest in the proposed

project, including affected Federal, state

and local agencies, affected Indian

tribes, and other interested private

organizations and parties, are urged to

participate in this NEPA environmental

analysis process. Written comments

from the public regarding the

5624 Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 24 / Friday, February 4, 2000 / Notices

environmental and regulatory issues

and alternatives to be addressed in the

EIS will be accepted. The Corps will

hold public meetings to receive public

input, either verbal or written, on

relevant environmental and regulatory

issues that should be addressed in the

EIS. The locations and starting times of

the public meetings will be announced.

In accordance with 40 CFR 1506.5(c)

and 33 CFR Part 325, Appendix B,

(8)(f)(2), it is our understanding that

Hobet will secure the services of a

contractor for the preparation of an EIS.

Hobet solicited bids for prospective

contractors. Hobet will employ Michael

Baker, Jr., Inc. to prepare the EIS for the

proposed mining activities associated

with the Spruce No. 1 Surface Mine.

The Corps and its cooperating

agencies implement Federal and State

laws with which mining operations and

associated discharges to waters of the

United States must comply. The

cooperating agencies involved in this

NEPA process are the Office of Surface

Mining (OSM), U.S. Environmental

Protection Agency (EPA), U.S. Fish and

Wildlife Service (FWS), and the West

Virginia Division of Environmental

Protection (WVDEP). Each of the

cooperating Federal and State agencies

will provide their expertise in

compiling information and evaluating

potential impacts of the proposed

project. OSM is responsible for national

administration of the Surface Mining

Control and Reclamation Act (SMCRA);

it has delegated the authority for the

SMCRA programs for surface mining

operations in West Virginia to the State

of West Virginia DEP. Discharges of fill

material into waters of the United States

are regulated under Section 404 of the

Clean Water Act, administered by the

Corps and applicable 404 regulations

issued by the Corps and EPA. Other

discharges to waters of the United States

are subject Section 402 of the Clean

Water Act, administered nationally by

the EPA with authority for the program

delegated to the State of West Virginia

(DEP). Coordination with the FWS will

be accomplished in compliance with the

Endangered Species Act (ESA) and the

Fish and Wildlife Coordination Act

(FWCA). Coordination required by other

laws and regulations will also be

conducted.

This EIS will evaluate potentially

significant environmental impacts

associated with Hobet’s proposed

Spruce No. 1 Surface mine on water

quality, streams, aquatic and terrestrial

habitat, habitat fragmentation, the

hydrological balance, and other

individual and cumulative effects.

Cumulative environmental impacts may

include the efficacy of stream

restoration; the viability of reclaimed

streams compared to natural waters; the

impact of valley fills on aquatic life,

wildlife and nearby residents; biological

and habitat analyses; and practicable

alternatives for in-stream placement of

excess overburden; measures to

minimize stream filling to the maximum

extent practicable; and the effectiveness

of mitigation and reclamation measures.

The activity is to remove overburden

to expose coal seams in order conduct

surface mining activities on the Spruce

No. 1 mining area. The proposed action

is to issue a 404 permit to authorize the

discharge of overburden into the

streams in the surrounding project area.

The scoping process (40 CFR 1501.7

and 33 CFR Part 325, Appendix B) will

consist of determining the extent to

which potentially significant issues

shall be analyzed. It shall define the

study area based on the resources

potentially affected, opportunities, and

geographic areas likely affected by

alternative plans. It shall identify

current and potential future planning

related activities to and not part of the

study under consideration. The process

shall identity and review consultation

requirements, so that cooperating

agencies (as defined in 40 CFR 15 CFR

1508.12) may prepare required analyses

and studies concurrently with the study

under consideration. Coordination of

such agencies will be in accordance

with Executive Order 12372 and 33 CFR

384. The process shall also indicate

tentative planning and a decision

making schedule.

Comments received in response to

this solicitation, including names and

address of those who comment, will be

considered part of the public record on

this proposed action and will be

available for public inspection.

Comments submitted anonymously will

be accepted and considered.

To assist the Corps in identifying and

considering issues and concerns on the

proposed action, comments should be as

specific as possible. These comments

will assist in early scoping and later

development of alternatives for the

DEIS.

Michael D. Gheen,

Chief, Regulatory Branch.

[FR Doc. 00–2546 Filed 2–3–00; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3710–GM–M

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Secretary of Energy Advisory Board;

Notice of Open Meeting

AGENCY: Department of Energy.

SUMMARY: This notice announces an

open meeting of the Secretary of Energy

Advisory Board. The Federal Advisory

Committee Act (Public Law 92–463, 86

Stat. 770), requires that agencies publish

these notices in the Federal Register to

allow for public participation.

DATES AND TIMES: Friday, February 11,

2000, 9:00 am–3:00 pm.

ADDRESSES: Conference Rooms A–106/

A–107, U.S. Department of Energy,

Nevada Operations Office, 232 Energy

Way, North Las Vegas, Nevada 89030–

4199. Note: Members of the public who

plan to attend this open meeting are

requested to contact Mr. Darwin

Morgan, Director of the Office of Public

Affairs, U.S. Department of Energy,

Nevada Operations Office in advance of

the meeting in order to facilitate access

to the meeting site. Mr. Morgan may be

reached at (702) 295–3521 or via e-mail

at morgan@nv.doe.gov.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Betsy Mullins, Executive Director, or

Richard Burrow, Deputy Director,

Secretary of Energy Advisory Board

(AB–1), U.S. Department of Energy,

1000 Independence Avenue, SW,

Washington, D.C. 20585, (202) 586–7092

or (202) 586–6279 (fax).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The

purpose of the Secretary of Energy

Advisory Board (The Board) is to

provide the Secretary of Energy with

essential independent advice and

recommendations on issues of national

importance. The Board and its

subcommittees provide timely,

balanced, and authoritative advice to

the Secretary of Energy on the

Department’s management reforms,

research, development and technology

activities, energy and national security

responsibilities, environmental cleanup

activities, and economic issues relating

to energy.

Tentative Agenda

Friday, February 11, 2000

9:00 am–9:15 am—Welcome & Opening

Remarks—SEAB Chairman Andrew Athy

9:15 am–9:35 am—Opening Remarks—

Energy Secretary Bill Richardson

9:35 am–9:45 am—Introduction of New

Board Members

9:45 am–10:15 am—Briefing on the DOE’s

Racial Profiling Task Force Report

10:15 am–11:00 am—Board Action on the

Laboratory Operations Board’s External

Members’ Report on Laboratory Directed

Research and Development.

11:00 am–11:45 am—Updates on SEAB

Subcommittees and Working Group

Activities:

—Russia Task Force

—Education Working Group

11:45 am–1:00 pm—Lunch

1:10 pm–1:30 pm—Updates on SEAB

Subcommittees and Working Group

Activities:

—Openness Advisory Panel