[Federal Register Volume 59, Number 59 (Monday, March 28, 1994)]
[Unknown Section]
[Page ]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 94-7266]


[Federal Register: March 28, 1994]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Western Area Power Administration


Salt Lake City Area Integrated Projects Electric Power Marketing 
Draft Environmental Impact Statement

AGENCY: Western Area Power Administration, DOE.

ACTION: Notice of availability and notice of public hearings.

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SUMMARY: In 1980, the Western Area Power Administration (Western) began 
examining its marketing criteria for long-term capacity and energy 
sales from the Salt Lake City Area Integrated Projects (SLCA/IP) due to 
the impending expiration of existing long-term contracts in 1989. 
Western proceeded to develop the Post-1989 General Power Marketing 
Criteria and Allocation Criteria for the Salt Lake City Area, and 
completed an environmental assessment (EA) in late 1985. In response to 
controversy over the potential environmental effects of the proposed 
marketing criteria, Western announced in the Federal Register on April 
4, 1990, its intent to prepare an environmental impact statement (EIS) 
on its power marketing and allocation criteria (55 FR 12550). Following 
extensive public involvement and analysis, Western's SLCA/IP Electric 
Power Marketing Draft EIS has been prepared and is now available for 
public review and comment.
    Five public hearings will be held to discuss the alternatives 
presented in the draft SLCA/IP Electric Power Marketing EIS, and allow 
the public to ask questions and provide formal comments for the record. 
A 90-day comment period will extend until June 29, 1994.
    During the public hearings, written and oral statements will be 
accepted. A court reporter will record the proceedings. Persons, 
organizations, or agencies wishing to make oral statements will be 
asked to register at the door prior to the beginning of the hearing. 
Western will respond to comments in the final EIS. There will be an 
informal public information session before each hearing where the 
public can discuss aspects of the draft EIS with Western 
representatives at several information stations.

DATES AND ADDRESSES: The dates and locations of the hearings are listed 
below. All public information sessions begin at 6 p.m. All public 
hearings will begin an hour later at 7 p.m.

April 11: Denver West Marriott, 1717 Denver West Marriott Blvd., 
Denver, Colorado
April 12: Albuquerque Convention Center, 401 2nd Street NW., 
Albuquerque, New Mexico
April 18: Quality Inn City Center, 154 West 600 South, Salt Lake City, 
Utah
April 26: Best Western Woodland Plaza, 1175 West Route 66, Flagstaff, 
Arizona
April 27: YWCA of the USA, 9440 North 25th Avenue, Phoenix, Arizona

    Copies of the draft EIS have been distributed to interested parties 
on the EIS mailing lists and to various reading rooms. Copies of the 
draft EIS, supporting documents, and referenced material are available 
for public review at the locations listed below:

Arizona

Flagstaff Public Library, Reference Desk, 300 West Aspen, Flagstaff, AZ 
86001
Phoenix Public Library, Business/Science Department, 12 East McDowell, 
Phoenix, AZ 85004
Page Public Library, Reference Desk, 697 Vista, Page, AZ 86040

Colorado

Denver Public Library, Government Publications, 1357 Broadway, Denver, 
CO 80203
Montrose Public Library, Reference Desk, 343 South 1st Street, 
Montrose, CO 81401

New Mexico

University of New Mexico, Government Publications, Albuquerque, NM 
87131-1466.

Utah

Salt Lake City Public Library, Reference Desk, 209 East 500 South, Salt 
Lake City, UT 84111
Uintah County Library, Reference Desk, 155 East Main Street, Vernal, UT 
84078
    In addition to Western's Salt Lake City Area Office, copies of the 
draft EIS and supporting documents are also available for public review 
at:

Western Area Power Administration, Loveland Area Office, 5555 East 
Crossroads Boulevard, Loveland, CO 80538-8986
Western Area Power Administration, Headquarters Office, 1627 Cole 
Boulevard, Building 19, Room 175, Golden, CO 80401
Western Area Power Administration, Phoenix Area Office, 615 South 43rd 
Avenue, Phoenix, AZ 85009-5313
U.S. Department of Energy, Forrestal Building, Reading Room 1E-190, 
1000 Independence Avenue SW., Washington, DC 20585

    Copies of the draft EIS and supporting documents are available upon 
request from the address listed below.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Western maintains a mailing list of 
parties and persons interested in the SLCA/IP Electric Power Marketing 
EIS. If you are interested in being included on the mailing list, seek 
further information, wish to submit written comments, or want to 
request a copy of the draft EIS, please call or write: Mr. David Sabo, 
Manager, Environmental and Public Affairs, Salt Lake City Area Office, 
Western Area Power Administration, P.O. Box 11606, Salt Lake City, UT 
84147-0606, (801) 524-5493.
    For general information on DOE's NEPA review procedures or status 
of a NEPA review, contact: Carol M. Borgstrom, Director, Office of NEPA 
Oversight, EH-25, U.S. Department of Energy, 1000 Independence Avenue 
SW., Washington, DC 20585, (202) 586-4600 or (800) 472-2756.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In 1980, Western began examining its 
marketing criteria for long-term capacity and energy sales from the 
SLCA/IP. Existing long-term contracts were due to expire in 1989, and 
sufficient time was needed for customers to make other contractual 
arrangements based on their final allocations of SLCA/IP power. Western 
proceeded to develop the Post-1989 General Power Marketing Criteria and 
Allocation Criteria for the Salt Lake City Area, and completed an EA in 
late 1985. DOE approved a finding of no significant impact on January 
8, 1986. In response to controversy over the potential environmental 
effects of the proposed marketing criteria, Western announced its 
intent to prepare an EIS on its power marketing and allocation criteria 
in the April 4, 1990, Federal Register (FR) (55 FR 12550).
    Western's Salt Lake City Area Office markets electricity produced 
at hydroelectric facilities operated by the Bureau of Reclamation 
largely on the Upper Colorado River. The facilities are known 
collectively as the SLCA/IP and include dams equipped for power 
generation on the Green, Gunnison, Rio Grande, and Colorado Rivers. 
These facilities are located in the States of Arizona, Colorado, New 
Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming. Of these facilities, only the Glen Canyon 
Unit, the Flaming Gorge Unit, and the Aspinall Unit (which includes 
Blue Mesa, Morrow Point, and Crystal Dams) are currently influenced by 
Western power marketing and transmission decisions. The operation of 
these facilities and their potential environmental impacts are analyzed 
in the draft EIS. Up to nine hydropower operational scenarios were 
developed for each generation facility to assess the range of possible 
operational impacts.
    Western developed seven EIS alternatives, called commitment level 
alternatives, which reflect the range of combinations of capacity and 
energy which would feasibly and reasonably fulfill Western's firm power 
marketing responsibilities, needs, and statutory obligations. 
Operational scenarios at each facility were combined to form various 
SLCA/IP supply options, which were in turn paired with the commitment 
level alternatives in order to conduct air quality, economic, and 
financial analyses. The draft EIS evaluates the potential impacts of 
these alternatives, including no action, no socioeconomics, air 
resources, water resources, ecological resources, cultural resources, 
land use, recreation, and visual resources.
    Western is actively seeking public input on the draft EIS in order 
to make a decision on a preferred alternatives. No preferred 
alternative is identified in the draft EIS for this reason. A decision 
on a preferred alternative will be made after considering comments on 
the draft EIS, and that alternative will be identified in the final 
EIS.

    Issued at Washington, DC, March 23, 1994.
Joel K. Bladow,
Assistant Administrator for Washington Liaison.
[FR Doc. 94-7266 Filed 3-24-94; 11:13 am]
BILLING CODE 6450-01-P-M