[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 80 (Wednesday, April 25, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Page 20793]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-10221]


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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Department of the Navy


Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for 
the Southern Regional Tertiary Treatment System at Marine Corps Base, 
Camp Pendleton, CA

AGENCY: Department of the Navy, DOD.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: Per Section 102(2)(C) of the National Environmental Policy Act 
(NEPA) of 1969, as implemented by the Council on Environmental Quality 
Regulations (40 CFR parts 1500-1508), the Department of the Navy 
announces its intent to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) 
to evaluate the environmental effects of construction and operation of 
a consolidated tertiary treatment plant, associated conveyance systems, 
reclamation systems (i.e., reuse), and discharge systems for the 
southern portion of Marine Corps Base (MCB), Camp Pendleton, CA. This 
project would eliminate five existing secondary treatment plants and 
establish one regional tertiary treatment system plant in the Santa 
Margarita Basin.

ADDRESSES AND DATES: The Marine Corps will hold a public scoping 
meeting on June 19, 2001, beginning at 7 p.m., at the City of Oceanside 
Civic Center (Community Room) located at 300 North Coast Highway, 
Oceanside, CA.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Written statements and questions 
regarding the scoping process should be mailed to Ms. Sandra Baldwin, 
Code 5CPR.SB, Southwest Division, Naval Facilities Engineering Command, 
1220 Pacific Highway, San Diego, CA 92132-5190, phone (619) 532-4817. 
All scoping comments should be received not later than July 8, 2001.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: MCB Camp Pendleton currently exceeds 
existing wastewater quality standards for the discharge of secondary-
treated effluent to the Santa Margarita River and is under Cease and 
Desist Order (CDO) No. 99-41 for five sewage treatment plants (STPs). 
To resolve this CDO, MCB Camp Pendleton must provide a sewage treatment 
systems that meets the water quality objectives and effluent 
limitations established by the San Diego Regional treatment system that 
meets the water quality objectives and effluent limitations established 
by the San Diego Regional Water Quality Control Board (RWQCB).
    As a temporary solution, the city of Oceanside has agreed to allow 
MCB Camp Pendleton to dispose of secondary-treated effluent via the 
city's existing ocean outfall. The agreement stipulates that use of the 
outfall is for a five year period commencing on the date the base 
begins pumping effluent into the outfall (expected to begin in Summer 
2001). To reach the outfall, MCB Camp Pendleton is currently 
constructing a 2.2 mile pipeline from the base through the City, as 
considered in the Final Environmental Impact Statement/Report for P-
527B, Sewage Effluent Compliance Project, Lower Santa Margarita Basin, 
Marine Corps Base, Camp Pendleton, dated April 1997. This temporary 
agreement is intended to allow MCB Camp Pendleton to meet State of 
California discharge requirements while developing and constructing on-
Base base treatment and disposal facilities.
    As a long-term solution, the proposed action would: (1) Construct a 
consolidated, southern regional treatment plant to provide tertiary 
treatment with sufficient capacity for all wastewater currently 
undergoing secondary treatment within the Santa Margarita Basin at STPs 
1, 2, 3, 8, and 13, and STP 9 located in the Las Pulgas Basin; (2) 
Construct sewage conveyance systems (pump stations, force mains and 
gravity lines) from STPs 1, 2, 3, 8, and 13 to the new plant; (3) 
Dispose of tertiary-treated effluent by a combination of water 
reclamation and live-stream discharge to the Santa Margarita River; and 
(4) Implement a watercourse monitoring and management plan.
    Alternatives currently to be addressed in the EIS include: locating 
on-base the site and construction of the southern regional tertiary 
treatment plant within the Santa Margarita Basin, including alternative 
conveyance pipeline alignments, alternative live-stream treated 
effluent discharge locations, and alternative land application 
locations; off-base public/private venture treatment facilities; on-
base construction of new secondary treatment facilities and 
construction of an ocean outfall discharge; and no action.
    Major environmental issues that will be addressed in the EIS 
include land use, hydrology, water quality, air quality, biological 
resources including critical habitat, cultural resources, noise, 
traffic/circulation/access, public services and utilities, human health 
and safety, and hazardous materials and waste management.
    The Marine Corps will initiate a scoping process for the purpose of 
determining the extent of issues to be addressed and identifying the 
significant issues related to this action. The Marine Corps will hold a 
public scoping meeting as identified in the Dates and Addresses section 
of this notice. This meeting will also be advertised in area 
newspapers.
    Marine Corps representatives will be available at this meeting to 
receive comments from the public regarding issues of concern to the 
public. Federal, state, and local agencies and interested individuals 
are encouraged to take this opportunity to identify environmental 
concerns that should be addressed during the preparation of the EIS.
    Agencies and the public are also invited and encouraged to provide 
written comments on scoping issues in addition to, or in lieu of, oral 
comments at the public meeting. To be most helpful, scoping comments 
should clearly describe specific issues or topics that the commenterer 
believes the EIS should address.

    Dated: April 11, 2001.
Duncan Holaday,
Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Navy, (Installations and Facilities).
[FR Doc. 01-10221 Filed 4-24-01; 8:45 am]
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