[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 77 (Monday, April 22, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Page 19566]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-9767]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Project No. 516]


South Carolina Electric and Gas Company; Notice of Scoping 
Meetings and Intent To Prepare an Environmental Assessment

Issued April 16, 2002.
    The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (Commission) is requiring 
the seismic remediation of the Saluda Dam, part of the Saluda 
Hydroelectric Project (FERC No. 516). The Saluda Dam impounds the 
48,000-acre Lake Murray and is located in Richland, Lexington, 
Newberry, and Saluda counties, South Carolina. Remediation of the dam 
is being required to ensure public safety, pursuant to Paragraph 12.4 
(b) (2) (iv) of the Commission's Regulations, and will necessitate a 
temporary partial drawdown of Lake Murray. The drawdown will lower the 
reservoir approximately 15 feet below its normal operating level for 
approximately 20 months.
    The Commission intends to prepare an Environmental Assessment (EA) 
for the Saluda Dam Remediation Project, which will be used by the 
Commission to identify impacts and to identify measures that may help 
mitigate the impacts caused by the project. To support and assist our 
environmental review, we are beginning the public scoping process to 
ensure that all pertinent issues are identified and analyzed, and that 
the environmental document is thorough and balanced.
    We invite the participation of governmental agencies, non-
governmental organizations, and the general public in the scoping 
process, and will be preparing Scoping Document 1 (SD1) to provide 
information on the proposed project and to solicit written and verbal 
comments and suggestions on our preliminary list of issues and 
alternatives to be addressed in the EA. The SD1 will be distributed to 
parties on the mailing list for this project, as well as other 
individuals and organizations that we have identified as having an 
interest in this project. The SD1 will be available from our Public 
Reference Room at (202) 208-1371. It will also be accessible online at 
http://www.ferc.gov using the ``RIMS'' link--select ``Docket #'' and 
follow the instructions (call (202-208-2222 for assistance).
    We will hold two scoping meetings on May 17, 2002, to receive input 
on the appropriate scope of the environmental analysis. Both meetings 
will be held at the Embassy Suites Hotel, 200 Stoneridge Drive, 
Columbia, SC. A resource agency meeting will be held from 9 a.m to 12 
noon. The public meeting will be held 7 p.m. until 9 p.m. The public 
and agencies may attend either or both meetings. The agency scoping 
meeting will focus on resource agency concerns, while the public 
scoping meeting is primarily for public input.
    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 resource 
issues to be addressed in the EA; and (5) identify those issues that 
require a detailed analysis, as well as those issues that do not 
require a detailed analysis. Staff will also be soliciting input on 
potential measures that could be implemented to minimize the impacts of 
the remediation project, including the drawdown.
    The meetings will be recorded by a stenographer and will become 
part of the formal record for this project.
    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.
    Interested parties may also file written scoping comments. All such 
comments (original and eight copies) should be filed with: Magalie R. 
Salas, Secretary, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 First 
Street, NE., Washington, DC 20426. The deadline for filing scoping 
comments is June 21, 2002.
    Scoping comments may be filed electronically via the Internet in 
lieu of paper. See 18 CFR 385.2001(a)(1)(iii) and the instructions on 
the Commission's web site (http://www.ferc.gov) under the ``e-Filing'' 
link.
    Please direct any questions about the scoping process to John M. 
Mudre at (202) 219-1208.

Linwood A. Watson, Jr.,
Deputy Secretary.
[FR Doc. 02-9767 Filed 4-19-02; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P