[Federal Register Volume 59, Number 2 (Tuesday, January 4, 1994)]
[Notices]
[Pages 302-303]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 94-33]


[[Page Unknown]]

[Federal Register: January 4, 1994]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
[Project Nos. 2315, 2331, 2332]

 

South Carolina Electric & Gas Co. and Duke Power Co.; Notice of 
Intent to Prepare an Environmental Assessment and Conduct Public 
Scoping Meetings and Site Visit

December 28, 1993.
    The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) has received 
applications for relicensing of the existing Gaston Shoals Project, 
Project No. 2332, Ninety-nine Islands Project, Project No. 2331, and 
Neal Shoals Project, Project No. 2315. All the projects are located on 
the Broad River. Gaston Shoals and Ninety-nine Islands are located near 
Gaffney, South Carolina. Neal Shoals is located near Carlisle, South 
Carolina.
    The FERC staff intends to prepare a Multiple Environmental 
Assessment (MEA) on the hydroelectric projects in accordance with the 
National Environmental Policy Act.
    The MEA will consider both site-specific and cumulative 
environmental impacts of the projects and reasonable alternatives, and 
will include an economic and engineering analysis.
    A draft MEA will be issued and circulated for review by all 
interested parties. All comments filed on the draft MEA will be 
analyzed by the staff and considered in the final MEA. The staff's 
conclusions and recommendations will then be presented for the 
consideration of the Commission in reaching its final licensing 
decision.

Scoping Meetings

    Two scoping meetings will be conducted:

February 2, 1994, 10 a.m., U.S. Forest Service, 3557 Whitmire Highway 
Union, South Carolina
February 2, 1994, 7 p.m., the theater at Chester Park Elementary, 
School Complex Highway Number 9, Chester, South Carolina.

    Interested individuals, organizations, and agencies are invited to 
attend either or both meetings and assist the staff in identifying the 
scope of environmental issues that should be analyzed in the MEA. The 
morning meeting is oriented toward the resource agencies and the 
evening meeting toward the public.
    To help focus discussions at the meetings, a scoping document 
outlining subject areas to be addressed in the MEA will be mailed to 
agencies, organizations, and interested individuals on the FERC mailing 
list. Copies of the scoping document will also be available at the 
scoping meetings.

Objectives

    At the scoping meeting, the FERC staff will: (1) identify 
preliminary environmental issues related to the proposed projects; (2) 
identify preliminary resource issues that are not important and do not 
require detailed analysis; (3) identify reasonable alternatives to be 
addressed in the MEA; (4) solicit from the meeting participants all 
available information, especially quantified data, on the resource 
issues; and (5) encourage statements from experts and the public on 
issues that should be analyzed in the MEA, including points of view in 
opposition to, or in support of, the staff's preliminary views.

Procedures

    Individuals, organizations, and agencies with environmental 
expertise and concerns are encouraged to attend the meetings and assist 
the staff in defining and clarifying the issues to be addressed in the 
MEA.
    Persons choosing not to speak at the meetings but who have views on 
issues or information relevant to the issues may submit written 
statements for inclusion in the public record at the meeting. In 
addition, written comments may be filed with the Secretary, Federal 
Energy Regulatory Commission, 825 North Capitol Street, NE., 
Washington, DC 20426, until March 4, 1994.
    All written correspondence should clearly show the following 
caption on the first page: Gaston Shoals Project, FERC No. 2332, 
Ninety-nine Islands Project, FERC No. 2331, and Neal Shoals Project, 
FERC No. 2315.
    Intervenors--those on the Commission's service list for this 
proceeding (parties)--are reminded of the Commission's Rules of 
Practice and Procedure, requiring parties filing documents with the 
Commission to serve a copy of the document on each person whose name 
appears on the official service list. Further, if a party or interceder 
files comments or documents with the Commission relating to the merits 
of an issue that may affect the responsibilities of a particular 
resource agency, they must also serve a copy of the document on that 
resource agency.

Site Visit

    A site visit to the Gaston Shoals, Ninety-nine Islands and Neal 
Shoals Projects is planned for February 1, 1994. Those who wish to 
attend should plan to meet at the Gaston Shoals Powerhouse at 9:30 A.M. 
Any questions regarding the site visit or this notice should be 
directed to Tim Looney at the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 
Office of Hydropower Licensing, 825 North Capitol Street, NE., 
Washington, DC 20426, (202) 219-2852.
Lois D. Cashell,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 94-33 Filed 1-3-94; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P