[Federal Register Volume 59, Number 116 (Friday, June 17, 1994)]
[Unknown Section]
[Page 0]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 94-14749]


[[Page Unknown]]

[Federal Register: June 17, 1994]


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

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
[Projects No. 2325, 2389, 2552, 2555, 2556, 2557, 2559, 2329, 2671, and 
2613; 11433]

 

Central Maine Power Co., et al; Edwards Manufacturing, Inc., and 
Town of Madison, Maine; Notice of Intent To Prepare An Environmental 
Impact Statement and Conduct Public Scoping Meetings

June 13, 1994.
    The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) has received an 
application for license of hydroelectric projects within the Kennebec 
River Basin in the State of Maine. The hydropower projects are located 
north of the City of Augusta along the Kennebec River. The projects 
are: Weston No. 2325, Ft. Halifax No. 2552, Automatic No. 2555, Union 
Gas No. 2556, Rick Rips No. 2557, Oakland No. 2559, Wyman No. 2329, 
Moosehead No. 2671, Moxie No. 2613, Edwards No. 2389 and Sandy River 
No. 11433.
    The FERC staff has determined that licensing these projects would 
constitute a major federal action significantly affecting the quality 
of the human environment. Therefore, the staff intends to prepare an 
Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) on the hydroelectric projects in 
accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act.
    The staff's EIS will objectively consider both site specific and 
cumulative environmental impacts of the projects and reasonable 
alternatives, and will include an economic, financial and engineering 
analysis.
    A draft EIS will be issued and circulated for review by all the 
interested parties. All comments filed on the draft EIS will be 
analyzed by the staff and considered in a final EIS. The staff's 
conclusions and recommendations will then be presented for the 
consideration of the Commission in reaching its final licensing 
decision.

Scoping Meetings

    The FERC staff will conduct two scoping meetings. An evening 
scoping meeting is primarily for public input while a morning meeting 
will focus on resource agency concerns. All interested individuals, 
organizations, and agencies are invited to attend and assist the staff 
in identifying the scope of environmental issues that should be 
analyzed in the EIS.
    The first scoping meeting will be held on Wednesday, July 13, 1994, 
from 7:30 p.m. until 10:30 p.m. in the Cushnoc Auditorium, Augusta 
Civic Center, Augusta, Maine. Issues of primary concern to to general 
public will be the focus of the meeting. The second scoping meeting 
will be held on Thursday, July 14, 1994, from 8:30 a.m. until 12:30 
p.m. at the Augusta Civic Center Drive, in the Washington and York 
rooms.
    The Augusta Civic Center can be reached from the Maine Turnpike by 
taking Exit 31-South onto Civic Center Drive; proceed one-half mile to 
the Civic Center entrance.
    Prior to the meetings, Scoping Document 1 Revised (SD 1-R) will be 
mailed to the list of interested parties. SD 1-R identifies resources 
issues to be address in the EIS. Copies of SD 1-R will also be 
available at the scoping meetings or can be obtained by writing: FERC-
Kennebec Projects, c/o Doug Hjorth, Stone Webster, 245 Summer Street, 
Boston, MA 02210.

Objectives

    At the scoping meetings the staff will: (1) Summarize the 
environmental issues tentatively identified for analysis in the planned 
EIS; (2) determine the relative depth of analysis for issues to be 
addressed in the EIS; (3) identify resource issues that are not 
important and do not require detailed analysis; (4) solicit from the 
meeting participants all available information, especially quantified 
data, on the resources at issue; and (5) encourage statements from 
experts and the public on issues that should be analyzed in the EIS, 
including points of view in opposition to, or in support of, the 
staff's preliminary views.

Procedures

    The meetings will be recorded by a stenographer and all statements 
(oral and written) thereby become a part of the formal record of the 
Commission proceedings. 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 to 
assist the staff in defining and clarifying the issues to be addressed 
in the EIS.
    Participants at the public meetings are asked to keep oral comments 
brief and concise.
    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. In addition, written 
scoping comments may be filed with the Secretary, Federal Energy 
Regulatory Commission, 825 North Capitol Street, NE, Washington, DC 
20426, until August 15, 1994.
    All written correspondence should clearly show the following 
caption on the first page: Kennebec River Basin EIS.
    All those that are formally recognized by the Commission as 
intervenors in the licensing proceeding are asked to refrain from 
engaging staff or its contractor in discussions of the merits of the 
projects outside of any announced meetings.
    Further, 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 is on the 
official service list.

    For further information, please contact John Blair (202) 219-
2845.
Lois D. Cashell,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 94-14749 Filed 6-16-94; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-M