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[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 37 (Friday, February 24, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 11084-11085]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-4313]

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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Department of the Army, Corps of Engineers

Intent To Prepare a Draft Environmental Impact Statement/
Environmental Impact Report for the Proposed Cambria Water Supply 
Project, San Luis Obispo County, CA

AGENCY: Department of the Army, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, DoD.

ACTION: Notice of Intent.

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SUMMARY: The Los Angeles District of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers 
(Corps) and Cambria Community Services District (CCSD), the non-Federal 
sponsor under a Project Cooperation Agreement dated March 27, 2006, 
intend to jointly prepare an Environmental Impact Statement/
Environmental Impact Report (EIS/EIR) to study, plan, and implement a 
project to provide for a reliable water supply for the community of 
Cambria in San Luis Obispo County. The relatively remote location of 
Cambria has resulted in the area relying solely upon local groundwater 
for its current water supply. The groundwater supplies from the Santa 
Rosa and San Simeon groundwater basins no longer are adequate to meet 
existing demand under extreme drought conditions or to meet projected 
future demand in most years.

DATES: Submit comments on or before March 24, 2012.

ADDRESSES: Kathleen Anderson, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Los Angeles 
District, P.O. Box 532711, Los Angeles, CA 90053-2325.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Kathleen Anderson, (818) 776-9049 Ext. 
2106; or Email at kathleen.s.anderson@usace.army.mil.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Corps intends to prepare a joint EIS/EIR 
to assess the environmental effects associated with the proposed 
project. CCSD is the state lead agency for the EIR pursuant to the 
California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA).
    1. Authorization. The proposed project would be conducted in 
accordance with Section 219 of the Water Resources Development Act 
(WRDA) of 1992 (Pub. L. 102-580), as amended, which states in part:

    * * * (a) IN GENERAL--The Secretary is authorized to provide 
assistance to non-Federal interests for carrying out water-related 
environmental infrastructure and resource protection and development 
projects described in subsection (c), including waste water 
treatment and related facilities and water supply, storage, 
treatment, and distribution facilities. Such assistance may be in 
the form of technical and planning and design assistance. If the 
Secretary is to provide any design or engineering assistance to 
carry out a project under this section, the Secretary shall obtain 
by procurement from private sources all services necessary for the 
Secretary to provide such assistance, unless the Secretary finds 
that (1) the service would require the use of a new technology 
unavailable in the private sector, or (2) a solicitation or request 
for proposal has failed to attract 2 or more bids or proposals.
    (f) ADDITIONAL ASSISTANCE--The Secretary may provide assistance 
under subsection (a) and assistance for construction for the 
following:
    (48) CAMBRIA, CALIFORNIA--$10,300,000 for desalination 
infrastructure, Cambria, California.

    2. Background: Cambria, an unincorporated community, is located in 
the coastal region of central California, in the northwestern portion 
of San Luis Obispo County. Cambria lies within the Santa Rosa Creek 
Valley. Located along Highway 1, Cambria is approximately 35 miles 
north of San Luis Obispo and approximately four miles south of San 
Simeon. The primary transportation corridor that bisects Cambria is 
Highway 1, which traverses the community in a north-south

[[Page 11085]]

orientation. Currently, Cambria has a population of approximately 6,400 
permanent residents with a substantial tourist and second home 
population.
    The CCSD provides water supply, wastewater collection and 
treatment, fire protection, garbage collection, and a limited amount of 
street lighting and recreation. The CCSD currently serves a population 
of about 6,400 as well as a large number of visitors to the Central 
Coast and covers approximately four square miles. The relatively remote 
location of Cambria has resulted in the area relying solely upon local 
groundwater for its water supply.
    3. Proposed Project. To study, plan, and implement a project to 
provide for a reliable water supply for the community of Cambria in San 
Luis Obispo County, CA.
    4. Alternatives. Potential water supply alternatives were compiled 
from studies conducted by the CCSD over a period of more than ten years 
identifying and evaluating potential sources of additional potable 
water for CCSD. The alternatives initially being considered for the 
proposed project include seawater desalination, local and imported 
surface water, groundwater, hard rock drilling, and seasonal reservoir 
storage.
    5. Scoping Process.
    a. Potential impacts associated with the proposed project will be 
fully evaluated. Resource categories that will be analyzed include: 
Physical environment, geology, biological resources, air quality, water 
quality, recreational usage, aesthetics, cultural resources, 
transportation, noise, hazardous waste, socioeconomics and safety.
    b. The Corps intends to hold a public scoping meeting(s) for the 
EIS/EIR to aid in the determination of significant environmental issues 
associated with the proposed project. Affected federal, state and local 
resource agencies, Native American groups and concerned interest 
groups/individuals are encouraged to participate in the scoping 
process. Public participation is critical in defining the scope of 
analysis in the Draft EIS/EIR, identifying significant environmental 
issues in the Draft EIS/EIR, providing useful information such as 
published and unpublished data, and knowledge of relevant issues and 
recommending mitigation measures to offset potential impacts from 
proposed actions. The time and location of the public scoping meeting 
will be advertised in letters, public announcements and news releases.
    c. Individuals and agencies may offer information or data relevant 
to the environmental or socioeconomic impacts of the proposed project 
by submitting comments, suggestions, and requests to be placed on the 
mailing list for announcements to (see ADDRESSES) or the following 
email address: kathleen.s.anderson@usace.army.mil.
    d. The project will require concurrence by the California Coastal 
Commission with the federal Coastal Consistency Determination in 
accordance with the Coastal Zone Management Act, as well as 
certification under Section 401 of the Clean Water Act from the 
Regional Water Quality Control Board. Depending upon the recommended 
alternative, the project may also require additional real property 
rights for construction and operation of a facility, and compliance 
with the Endangered Species Act.
    6. Scoping Meeting Date, Time, and Location. The Public Scoping 
Meeting will take place on March 15, 2012, 7 p.m. to 9 p.m., Veterans 
Hall, 1000 Main Street, Cambria, CA 93428.
    7. Availability of the Draft EIS/EIR. The Draft EIS/EIR is 
scheduled to be published and circulated in September 2012. Pursuant to 
CEQA, a public hearing on the EIS/EIR will be held by the CCSD 
following its publication.

    Dated: February 15, 2012.
R. Mark Toy,
Colonel, U.S. Army, Commander and District Engineer, Los Angeles 
District.
[FR Doc. 2012-4313 Filed 2-23-12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3720-58-P
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