[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 107 (Monday, June 3, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Page 27935]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-13887]



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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
[CA-930-06-2700 WARD]


Change of Dates and Locations for Ward Valley Public Scoping 
Workshops

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.

ACTION: Change to May 17, 1996; notice of intent.

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SUMMARY: The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) in California announces a 
change of dates and locations for the Ward Valley public scoping 
workshops. The new dates and times will change those identified in 
BLM's May 17, 1996 Notice of Intent to prepare a Supplemental 
Environmental Impact Statement (SEIS) for a proposed land transfer to 
the State of California for the purpose of developing a low-level 
radioactive waste disposal facility at Ward Valley. The site of the 
proposed federal land transfer is located in San Bernardino County, 
California, approximately 20 miles west of the city of Needles.

DATES: Three public scoping workshops will be held, and each will be 
open to the public at the following dates and locations:

June in Sacramento 2-5 pm and 7-9 pm at the Red Lion Hotel, 2001 Point 
West Way, Sierra Room;
June 15 in San Bernardino from 2-5 pm and 7-9 pm at the National Orange 
Show Grounds, Arrowhead Avenue, Gate 9, Renaissance Room:
June 26 in Needles from 2-5 and 7-9 pm at Elks Lodge No. 1608, 1000 
Lily Hill Drive.

    The purpose of the workshops is to provide interested parties the 
opportunity to give us their views on the scope of issues to be 
addressed in the SEIS. The workshops will be conducted in an open house 
format, and participants may work individually with a BLM employee to 
record their comments on the range of issues to be considered in the 
SEIS. Written comments will also be accepted at the workshops.
    No formal presentations or oral testimony before the public will be 
received during the scoping workshops; however, BLM is committed to 
having formal public hearings, with recorded oral public testimony, 
during the public comment period in the Draft SEIS.

ADDRESS: Any written comments or requests to be placed on the mailing 
list should be sent to Ward Valley Land Transfer Coordinator (CA-930), 
Bureau of Land Management, 2800 Cottage Way, Sacramento, CA 95825.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Richard F. Johnson or John S. Mills at 
(916) 979-2820.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The SEIS will focus on new information and 
circumstances, including the May 1995 National Academy of Sciences 
Report; the results of tritium and related testing to be conducted at 
the site; recent U.S. Geological Survey information concerning tritium 
and other radioactive materials detected in proximity to a closed LLRW 
facility at Beatty, Nevada, and other evidence of migration of 
radioactive and other wastes from the Beatty facility; the results of 
consultation with Native American Tribes; the possible effect of the 
proposed transfer, construction, and operation of the LLRW facility on 
areas of cultural importance to nearby Native American Tribes and any 
Tribal rights recognized by federal law; the designation of Ward Valley 
by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service as critical habitat for the 
desert tortoise and a 1995 FWS Biological Opinion evaluating the 
potential impacts of the land transfer and facility on the tortoise and 
its critical habitat; a report prepared by the U.S. Environmental 
Protection Agency concerning release of radionuclides into the 
atmosphere and effects on desert tortoise habitat; a hydrogeologic 
report on the proposed facility site commissioned by the Metropolitan 
Water District of Southern California; and other information submitted 
by the public. Issues that were fully analyzed in the 1991 EIS/EIR and 
the 1993 SEIS (which was limited to the changed land transfer method 
from indemnity selection to direct sale), and are not the subject of 
new information or circumstances, will not be addressed in this SEIS.
    A separate public notice will be issued in the near future 
regarding procedures for tritium and related testing to be done at the 
site.

    Dated: May 29, 1996.
Ed Hastey,
State Director.
[FR Doc. 96-13887 Filed 5-31-96; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-40-M