Grand Canyon National Park Seeks Public Comment On Environmental Assessment For Construction, Rehabilitation And Repair Of Restrooms Parkwide

Grand Canyon, AZ - Grand Canyon National Park Superintendent Joseph F. Alston today announced the release of an Environmental Assessment (EA) for the construction, rehabilitation and repair of restrooms parkwide. The National Park Service (NPS) proposes to rehabilitate five existing restrooms, replace existing chemical toilets at ten sites with prefabricated vault toilets, and construct new restrooms at three sites that currently do not have toilets. Proposed restroom locations are located at the South Rim, Desert View, North Rim, and in the inner canyon along the Bright Angel Trail and Phantom Ranch. The purpose of the proposal is to address needed repairs. Many restrooms throughout the park are old, are inadequate for the number of visitors, or are portable chemical toilets that have been added to meet increasing need. The NPS is soliciting comments from the public on the proposal.

The EA evaluates three alternatives for addressing the purpose and need for action, including a no action alternative and two action alternatives. The primary difference between the action alternatives is in the size of the composting toilet proposed near the Three Mile rest house along the Bright Angel Trail. Alternative B proposes a three-stall composting unit while Alternative C proposes a somewhat smaller two-stall composting unit.

Copies of the EA can be obtained by writing to the Superintendent, Grand Canyon National Park, P.O. Box 129, Grand Canyon, Arizona 86023, Attn: Sara White, Environmental Compliance Officer, or on-line at www.nps.gov/grca/compliance. Comments will be accepted through October 8, 2004 and should be sent to Sara White at the above address. For questions or additional information, please contact Debbie Lutch, Project Compliance Lead, at 928-774-0095.