[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 173 (Thursday, September 5, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Pages 46799-46800]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-22567]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
[Project Nos. 1932-004, 1933-010, and 1934-010]


Southern California Edison Company; Notice of Intent to Prepare a 
Multiple Project Environmental Assessment and Conduct Public Scoping 
Meetings

August 29, 1996.
    The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) has received 
applications for new licenses (relicenses) for the existing Lytle Creek 
Project No. 1932, Santa Ana River 1 and 2 Project No. 1933, and Mill 
Creek 2/3 Project No. 1934. The Lytle Creek Project is located on Lytle 
Creek, the Santa Ana River 1 and 2 Project is located on the Santa Ana 
River, and the Mill Creek 2/3 Project is located on Mill Creek. All 
three projects are located in San Bernardino County, California.
    The FERC staff intends to prepare a Multiple Project Environmental 
Assessment (EA) on the three hydroelectric projects in accordance with 
the National Environmental Policy Act.
    The staff's EA 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 EA will be issued and circulated for review to all the 
interested parties. All comments filed on the draft EA will be analyzed 
by the staff and considered in a final EA. The staff's conclusions and 
recommendations will then be presented for the consideration of the 
Commission in reaching its final licensing decision.

Site Visit and Scoping Meetings

    The FERC will visit the project sites and conduct two scoping 
meetings. Staff will visit the project sites on September 25, 1996, and 
will meet at the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers 7 Oaks Dam construction 
office parking lot, adjacent to the guard office at 8:30 a.m. The 
parking lot is located on Santa Ana Canyon Road, northeast of Mentone, 
CA.
    Both scoping meetings will be held at the Council Chambers, City 
Hall of San Bernardino, 300 North D Street, San Bernardino, California, 
92418. The first meeting will be held on September 26, 1996, from 9:00 
a.m. to 12:00 p.m. and will focus primarily on issues of concern to the 
resource agencies. The second meeting will also be held on September 
26, 1996, from 7:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. and will focus primarily on 
issues of concern to the general public. All interested individuals, 
organizations, and agencies are invited to attend either or both 
scoping meetings and assist the staff in identifying the scope of 
environmental issues that should be analyzed by the EA.
    Prior to the site visit and meetings, a scoping document will be 
mailed to the list of interested parties. The scoping document 
identifies resource issues to be addressed in the EA. Copies of the 
scoping document will also be available at the scoping meetings.

Objectives

    At the scoping meetings the staff will: (1) Summarize the 
environmental issues tentatively identified for analysis in the EA; (2) 
determine the relative depth of analysis for issues to be addressed in 
the EA; (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 EA, 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

[[Page 46800]]

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 the issues to be addressed in the 
EA.
    Participants at the meetings are asked to keep oral comments brief 
and concise to allow everyone the opportunity to speak.
    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, 888 First Street, NE, Washington, D.C. 20426, 
until October 10, 1996.
    All written correspondence should clearly show the following 
caption on the first page: Lytle Creek Project No. 1932, Santa Ana 
Project No. 1933, or Mill Creek 2/3 Project No. 1934.
    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 
project outside of any announced meeting.
    Further, 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.
    For further information, please contact Thomas Dean at (202) 219-
2778.
Lois D. Cashell,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 96-22567 Filed 9-4-96; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-M