[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