BREAKING NEWS: Centennial Dam’s Federal Environmental Review Process Starts Now

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Just released was the “Notice of Intent” to prepare a Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the Nevada Irrigation District’s (NID) Proposed Centennial Dam Project.  This process is required by the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA).

Now the public has 45 days to comment on NID’s plans to construct Centennial – a new 275 foot-tall dam and 110,000 acre foot reservoir on the Bear River between the existing Rollins and Combie Reservoirs.

It’s up to concerned citizens to take action and tell NID and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers what they are most concerned about. Submitting letters, or speaking out at the public scoping meetings, is the official way to be heard on the record and have standing.

The Centennial Dam proposal has many potentially significant environmental impacts listed in the Notice of Intent (NOI).

The South Yuba River Citizens League (SYRCL) and our coalition members are working on a response. Soon we will contact you with more information about:

  • When to attend our Public Process Orientation meeting
  • How to write a comment letter
  • How to make a public statement

In the meantime, please note this important information and spread the word.  Please share this information with your friends and neighbors:

1. The Notice of Intent says public scoping meetings will take place:

  • Wednesday, March 1, 2017, from 4:30 pm to 7:00 pm at the Holiday Inn Auburn Hotel, 120 Grass Valley Highway, Auburn, CA 95603
  • Thursday, March 2, 2017, from 4:30pm to 7:00 pm at Gold Miners Inn/ Holiday Inn Express & Suites, 121 Bank Street, Grass Valley, CA 95945

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is the federal agency leading this process.

2. Public comment letters are due on or before Monday, April 10, 2017 to:

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
1325 J Street, Room 1350
Sacramento, CA
95814–2922
CESPKCentennialReser@usace.army.mil
For further information contact:
Ms. Kara Hellige
970–259–1604
CESPKCentennialReser@usace.army.mil

NOTE: For emailed comments, please include “NOI scoping for Proposed Centennial Reservoir Project EIS, SPK–2016–00030” in the subject line.

Thank you for your support.  Again, more information for our Dam Watchdogs will be forthcoming. But, if you missed Peter Van Zant’s op-ed in the Union on alternatives to Centennial Dam, check it out here: https://yubariver.org/2017/02/there-are-alternatives-to-the-centennial-dam-by-peter-van-zant/

For the Yuba and Bear Rivers,

Caleb Dardick
Executive Director

P.S. In March and April 2016, we turned out 400 people to public scoping meetings and recruited similar public comments for the Environmental Impact Report for California (aka CEQA – the California Environmental Quality Act).  Now we must do the same for NEPA, so if you submitted comments last year, we’ll need you to submit comments again.

P.P.S.  Please share this message with your friends.  Help us grow our team of active Dam Watchdogs! https://damwatchdog.org 

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