[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 26 (Tuesday, February 9, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 6339-6340]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-3069]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
[Project No. 2017-011]


Southern California Edison, Inc., Notice of Intent to Prepare an 
Environmental Impact Statement

February 3, 1999.
    The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (Commission) received an 
application for a new license for the continued operation and 
maintenance of the existing Big Creek No. 4 Hydropower Project (BC#4) 
on February 26, 1997. BC#4 is located on the San Joaquin River, in 
Fresno, Madera, and Tulare Counties, California. The project would have 
an installed capacity of 98.8 megawatts.
    Following the public scoping process, the Commission staff 
determined that

[[Page 6340]]

licensing of BC#4 could constitute a major federal action significantly 
affecting the quality of the human environment. Therefore, the staff 
intends to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for BC#4 in 
accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA).
    The staff's EIS will objectively consider both site-specific and 
cumulative environmental impacts of the project and reasonable 
alternatives, and will include economic and engineering analyses.
    A draft EIS (DEIS) will be issued and circulated for review by all 
interested parties. All comments filed on the DEIS will be analyzed by 
the staff and considered in the final EIS (FEIS). The staff's 
conclusions and recommendations will then be presented for the 
consideration of the Commission in reaching its final licensing 
decision.
    This notice informs all interested individuals, organizations, and 
agencies with environmental expertise and concerns, that: (1) the 
Commission staff has decided to prepare an EIS; (2) the scoping 
meetings held December 15 and 16, 1997, at the offices of the Sierra 
National Forest in North Fork and Clovis, California, and comments 
filed with the Commission by February 20, 1997--still apply; and (3) 
additional comments for BC#4 that may result from the change from an EA 
to an EIS may be filed with the Secretary, Federal Energy Regulatory 
Commission, 888 First Street, N.E., Washington, D.C. 20426, within 30 
days from the date of this notice.
    All written correspondence should clearly show the following 
caption of the first page: Big Creek No. 4 Hydropower Project, (FERC 
Project No. 2017-011)
    Intervenors--those on the Commission's service list for this 
proceeding (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 
appears on the official service list.\1\ Further, if a party or 
intervenor 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.
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    \1\ The official service list can be obtained by calling the 
Office of the Secretary, Dockets Branch, at (202) 208-2020.
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    Any questions regarding this notice may be directed to John Ramer, 
Environmental Coordinator, at (202) 219-2833 or [email protected].
Linwood A. Watson, Jr.,
Acting Secretary.
[FR Doc. 99-3069 Filed 2-8-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-M