[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 228 (Wednesday, November 26, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Page 63143]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-31003]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
[Project No. 2674-003, Vermont]


Green Mountain Power Company; Notice of Intent To Conduct Public 
Scoping Meetings and Site Visit

November 20, 1997.
    The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (Commission or FERC) 
received an application from the Green Mountain Power Company (Green 
Mountain or Applicant) to relicense the Vergennes Hydroelectric Project 
No. 2674-003.The 2.4-megawatt project is located on Otter Creek in the 
city of Vergennes, Addison County, Vermont. The Commission will hold 
public and agency scoping meetings on December 11, 1997, for 
preparation of an Environmental Assessment (EA) under the National 
Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) for the issuance of a major license for 
the project.

Scoping Meetings

    FERC staff will conduct one agency scoping meeting and one public 
meeting. The agency scoping meeting will focus on resource agency and 
non-governmental organization (NGO) concerns, while the public scoping 
meeting is primarily for public input. All interested individuals, 
organizations, and agencies are invited to attend one or both of the 
meetings, and to assist the staff in identifying the scope of the 
environmental issues that should be analyzed in the EA. The times and 
locations of these meetings are as follows:

Agency Scoping Meeting

    Date: Thursday, December 11, 1997.
    Time: From 9:00 a.m. until 12:00 p.m.
    Place: Vergennes Fire Station Meeting Room.
    Address: Green Street, Vergennes, Vermont.

Public Scoping Meeting

    Date: Thursday, December 11, 1997.
    Time: From 7:00 p.m. until 10:00 p.m.
    Place: Vergennes Fire Station Meeting Room.
    Address: Green Street, Vergennes, Vermont.
    To help focus discussions, we will distribute a Scoping Document 
(SD1) outlining the subject areas to be addressed at the meeting to the 
parties on the Commission's mailing list. Copies of the SD1 also will 
be available at the scoping meetings.

Site Visits

    The applicant and FERC staff will conduct a project site visit 
beginning at 1:00 p.m. on December 10, 1997. All interested 
individuals, organizations, and agencies are invited to attend. All 
participants should meet at the Green Mountain Power Service Center, 
adjacent to the #9 Power House on Mechanic Street in Vergennes, 
Vermont. All participants are responsible for their own transportation 
to the side. Anyone with questions about the site visit should contact 
Mr. Michael Scarzello of Green Mountain at 802-660-5835.

Objectives

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

Procedures

    The meetings will be recorded by a stenographer and will become 
part of the formal record of the Commission proceeding on the project. 
Individuals presenting statements at the meetings will be asked to sign 
in before the meeting starts and to clearly identify themselves for the 
record. Speaking time for attendees at the meetings will be determined 
before the meeting, based on the number of persons wishing to speak and 
the approximate amount of time available for the session. All speakers 
will be provided at least 5 minutes to present their views.
    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 EA.
    Persons choosing not to speak at the meetings, but who have views 
on the issues, may submit written statements for inclusion in the 
public record at the meeting. In addition, written scoping comments may 
be filed with the Secretary, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 
First Street, NE, Washington, DC 20426, until January 12, 1998. All 
filings should contain an original and eight copies, and must clearly 
show at the top of the first page ``Vergennes Hydroelectric Project, 
FERC No. 2674-003.''
    For further information, please contact Lee Emery at (202) 219-
2779.
Lois D. Cashell,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 97-31003 Filed 11-25-97; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-M