[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 209 (Monday, October 28, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Page 55633]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-27534]



[[Page 55633]]

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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
[Project No. 1991]


City of Bonners Ferry, Idaho; Notice of Intent to Conduct Scoping 
Meetings and a Site Visit

October 22, 1996.
    The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) is reviewing a 
proposal to relicense and continue operating the Moyie River 
Hydroelectric Project (FERC Project No. 1991). The project is on the 
Moyie River a tributary to the Kootenai River. The Moyie River Project 
is located in Boundary County, Idaho near the town of Moyie Springs, 
Idaho and is partially located on federal lands managed by the Idaho 
Panhandle National Forest.
    The FERC intends to prepare an Environmental Assessment (EA) on the 
Moyie River Hydroelectric Project in accordance with the National 
Environmental Policy Act. In the EA, staff will consider both site-
specific and cumulative environmental impacts of the project and 
reasonable alternatives, and will include an economic and engineering 
analysis.
    A Draft EA will be circulated for review and comment by all 
interested parties. FERC staff will consider and respond to comments 
received on the Draft EA in the Final EA. The FERC staff's conclusions 
and recommendations will then be presented for the consideration of the 
Commission in reaching its final licensing decision.
    Scoping: FERC staff will conduct two scoping meetings as follows: 
(1) a scoping meeting oriented towards the public will begin at 7:00 
p.m. on November 19 at the City Hall, 7232 Main Street, Bonners Ferry, 
Idaho and (2) a scoping meeting oriented towards the agencies will 
begin at 2:00 p.m. on November 20 at City Hall, 7232 Main Street, 
Idaho.
    Interested citizens, non-governmental organizations, local 
government agencies, state and federal agencies, Indian tribes, and any 
other interested parties are invited to attend either or both meetings 
and assist the staff in identifying the scope of the environmental 
issues that should be analyzed in the EA.
    To help focus discussions at the scoping meeting, the FERC will 
mail a scoping document, outlining subject areas to be addressed in the 
EA, to all entities on the project's mailing lists. Copies of the 
scoping document will also be available at the scoping meetings.
    Objectives: At the scoping meetings, FERC staff will (1) identify 
preliminary environmental issues related to the proposed project; (2) 
attempt to 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 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 scoping meetings will be recorded by a court 
reporter and all statements (oral and written) will become a part of 
the official record of the Commission proceedings for the relicensing 
of the Moyie River Project. Individuals presenting statements at the 
meetings will be asked to clearly identify themselves for the record.
    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 meetings. In 
addition, written scoping comments may be filed with the Office of the 
Secretary, Dockets Room 1A, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 
First Street, NE, Washington, D.C. 20426 until December 20, 1996. All 
written correspondence should clearly show the following caption on the 
first page: Moyie River (No. 1991) Hydroelectric Project.
    Site Visit: There will also be a tour of the project on November 
20, 1996. Those who wish to attend should plan to meet at City hall in 
Bonners Ferry, Idaho at 10:00 AM on November 20, 1996 and then drive to 
the Moyie River Project for the site visit.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Tim Looney, FERC, Office of Hydropower 
Licensing, (202) 219-2852.
Lois D. Cashell,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 96-27534 Filed 10-25-96; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-M