[Federal Register Volume 59, Number 94 (Tuesday, May 17, 1994)]
[Unknown Section]
[Page 0]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 94-11887]


[[Page Unknown]]

[Federal Register: May 17, 1994]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Project No. 2705-003 Washington

 

Seattle City Light; Intent To Prepare an Environmental Assessment 
and Conduct Public Scoping Meetings and Site Visit

May 11, 1994.
    The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) has received an 
application for relicensing of the existing Newhalem Creek 
Hydroelectric Project, Project No. 2705-003. The project is located on 
Newhalem Creek in Whatcom County, Washington.
    The FERC staff intends to prepare an Environmental Assessment (EA) 
on this hydroelectric project in accordance with the National 
Environmental Policy Act.
    In the EA, we will consider both site-specific and cumulative 
environmental impacts of the project and reasonable alternatives, and 
we will include an economic, and engineering analysis.
    A draft EA will be issued and circulated for review to all 
interested parties. All timely filed comments on the draft EA will be 
analyzed by the staff and considered in the final EA. The staff's 
conclusions and recommendations will then be presented for 
consideration by the Commission in reaching its final licensing 
decision.

Scoping Meetings

    Staff will be holding two scoping meetings. A scoping meeting 
oriented towards the public will be held on June 1, 1994, at 7 pm, in 
Hearing Room ``A'', at the Skagit County Court House in Mount Vernon, 
Washington. A scoping meeting oriented towards the agencies will be 
held on June 2, 1994 at 1:30 pm in the Second Floor Conference Room of 
the 1111 Third Avenue Building, 1111 Third Avenue, Seattle, Washington.
    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 EA.
    To help focus discussions at the meetings, a scoping document 
outlining subject areas to be addressed in the EA will be mailed to 
agencies 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 meetings the FERC staff will: (1) Identify 
preliminary environmental issues related to the proposed project; (2) 
identify preliminary resource issues that are not important and do not 
require detailed analysis; (3) identify reasonable alternatives to be 
addressed in the EA; (4) solicit from the meeting participants all 
available information, especially quantified data, on the site-specific 
cumulative resource issues; and (5) encourage statements from experts 
and the public on issues that should be analyzed in the EA, including 
points of view in opposition to, or in support of, the staff's 
preliminary views.

Procedures

    The meeting will be recorded by a court reporter and all statements 
(oral and written) will become a part of the formal record of the 
Commission proceedings on the Newhalem Creek hydroelectric project. 
Individuals presenting statements at the meetings will be asked to 
clearly identify themselves for the record.
    Individuals, organizations, and agencies with environmental 
expertise and concerns are encouraged to attend the meetings and assist 
the staff in defining and clarifying issues to be addressed in the EA.
    Persons choosing not to speak at the meetings, but who have views 
on the 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 Secretary, Federal Energy 
Regulatory Commission, 825 North Capitol Street, NE., Washington, DC, 
20426 until July 5, 1994.
    All written correspondence should clearly show the following 
caption on the first page: Newhalem Creek Hydroelectric Project, FERC 
No. 2705-003.
    Intervenors--those on the Commission's service list for this 
proceeding (parties)--are reminded of the Commission's Rules of 
Practice and Procedures, 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 Newhalem Creek Hydroelectric Project is planned 
for June 1, 1994. Those who wish to attend should plan to meet at the 
Seattle City Light Skagit Administration Building in Newhalem, 
Washington at 1 pm or contact John Costello, at (202) 219-2914 for 
details.
    Any questions regarding this notice may be directed to John 
Costello, at (202) 219-2914.
Lois D. Cashell,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 94-11887 Filed 5-16-94; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P