[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 129 (Friday, July 5, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Pages 44826-44827]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-16841]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission; National Park Service, 
Department of the Interior

[Project No. 11659-002 Alask]


Gustavus Electric Company; Notice of Intent to Prepare 
Environmental Impact Statement

June 28, 2002.
    Summary: The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) and the 
National Park Service (NPS) are jointly preparing an environmental 
impact statement (EIS) in accordance with the National Environmental 
Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969, and consistent with the Council on 
Environmental Quality's guidelines, 40 CFR part 1500, on a proposal to 
construct the Falls Creek Hydroelectric Project (FERC No 11659-002). 
The Glacier Bay National Park Boundary Adjustment Act of 1998 [105 
Public Law 317; 112 Stat. 3002 (1998)] (Act) specifies the NPS shall 
participate as a joint lead agency (with FERC) in the development of 
this environmental document.
    The Act authorizes FERC to accept a hydropower license application 
from Gustavus Electric Company (GEC) for the construction, operation 
and maintenance of the proposed 800 kW Falls Creek Hydroelectric 
Project located within Glacier Bay National Park. GEC filed their 
application with FERC on October 23, 2001.
    The Act authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to exchange 
designated wilderness land located in Glacier Bay National Park to the 
State of Alaska (State), for this project. This exchange is authorized 
if the Secretary of the Interior concludes that the Falls Creek 
Hydroelectric Project can be constructed and operated without adversely 
impacting the purposes and values of the park, as constituted after the 
land exchange. The exchange is predicated upon the State conveying to 
the United States lands worthy of being included in the National Park 
System. To ensure this transaction maintains approximately the same 
amount of designated wilderness in the National Wilderness Preservation 
System as currently exists, other land in Glacier Bay National Park and 
Preserve shall be designated wilderness upon consummation of the land 
exchange. This land shall be administered according to the laws 
governing national wilderness areas in Alaska.
    The federal actions under consideration in this EIS are whether to 
issue a license for construction, operation and maintenance of the 
Falls Creek Hydroelectric Project; the exchange of federal land with 
state land; and the removal of land from wilderness designation and 
designation of other land as wilderness.
    To prepare the license application, GEC followed the FERC 
alternative licensing procedures. In accordance with the FERC 
Regulations for Licensing Hydroelectric Projects at 18 CFR 4.34 this 
included conducting a scoping process and preparing a preliminary draft 
environmental assessment (PDEA). The PDEA describes GEC's scoping 
process and includes copies of comments received by GEC.
    The information and analysis from the PDEA will be used, in 
conjunction with other information, to prepare the EIS. A copy of the 
PDEA and license application is on file with FERC and is available for 
public inspection. This filing may be viewed on the web at http://www.ferc.gov using the ``RIMS'' link--select ``Docket '' and 
follow the instructions (call 202-208-2222 for assistance). The PDEA 
and application are also available from GEC, P.O. Box 102, Gustavus, 
Alaska 99826, 907-697-2299.
    The EIS will consider a reasonable range of alternatives developed 
in response to issues raised through public involvement and comment 
from the GEC pre-application scoping process and any additional scoping 
occurring under this Notice of Intent. The potential range of 
alternatives will include the proposed action as described in the PDEA, 
a no action, a modified proposed action and alternative means of power 
generation that may be economically and environmentally viable.
    The potential alternatives will consider the issues previously 
identified through GEC's scoping and other issues identified in scoping 
for the EIS. The major issues are: (1) The impact of reduced water flow 
on the hydrologic regime, resident Dolly Varden, associated Falls Creek 
habitats, and aesthetics; (2) impacts to the Falls Creek uplands and 
wetlands from the access and penstock routes; (3) impacts of the 
proposal on surrounding Glacier Bay National Park lands and waters; (4) 
effect of the proposal on the purposes and values of Glacier Bay 
National Park; (5) impacts on resources and recreation in the project 
area and surrounding lands resulting from a change in land management 
from NPS to State administration; and (6) impacts of the land exchange, 
including the removal of wilderness lands from Glacier Bay National 
Park wilderness and designation of wilderness lands elsewhere.
    Scoping: The scoping conducted to date by GEC under the FERC 
Alternative Licensing Process and comments filed with FERC on the 
application apply and will be taken into account in the EIS. No 
additional scoping meetings will be held. FERC and NPS are soliciting 
written comments from federal and state agencies, local government, 
private organizations, recreational users, and the public. Notice of 
this comment period will be announced in local and regional newspapers, 
including Gustavus, Juneau and Anchorage.

DATES: Comments concerning the scope of this project should be filed 
within 60 days of the issuance of this notice. The draft EIS is 
projected to be available in late 2002 or early 2003.
    Filing Information: FERC's Rules of Practice require all 
intervenors filing documents with FERC to serve a copy of that document 
on each person on the official service list for the project. Further, 
if an intervenor files comments or documents with FERC relating to the 
merits of an issue that may affect the responsibilities of a particular 
resource agency, they must also serve a copy of

[[Page 44827]]

the document on that resource agency. All documents (original and eight 
copies) should be filed with Magalie R. Salas, Secretary, Federal 
Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 First Street, NE, Washington, DC 
20426.
    Comments may also 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.
    If individuals submitting comments request that their name and/or 
address be withheld from public disclosure, the request will be honored 
to the extent allowable by law. Such requests must comply with 
Commission regulations (see 18 CFR 388.112). In particular, individuals 
requesting their name and/or address be withheld from public disclosure 
must submit two versions of each filing: one with their name and/or 
address redacted from the document, and one unredacted version of the 
document that includes the information to be withheld and boldly 
indicating on the front page ``Contains Privileged Information--Do Not 
Release.'' There also may be circumstances wherein the FERC and NPS 
will withhold a respondent's identity to the extent allowable by law. 
All submissions from organizations, businesses, or persons identifying 
themselves as representatives or officials of organizations and 
businesses will be made available for public inspection. Anonymous 
comments will not be considered.
    Any questions regarding this notice may be directed to Bob Easton 
(FERC representative) at (202) 219-2782 or Bruce Greenwood (NPS 
representative) at (907) 257-2623.

Linwood A. Watson, Jr.,
Deputy Secretary.
[FR Doc. 02-16841 Filed 7-3-02; 8:45 am]
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