[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 36 (Tuesday, February 24, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Pages 8401-8402]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E4-354]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission


Notice of Settlement Agreement and Soliciting Comments

February 17, 2004.
    Take notice that the following settlement agreement has been filed 
with the Commission and is available for public inspection.
    a. Type of Application: Settlement agreement on resolution of 
issues related to Endangered Species Act listed snails as part of new 
hydroelectric license applications.
    b. Project Nos.: P-2778-005, P-2777-07, P-2061-004, P-1975-014, and 
P-2055-010.
    c. Date filed: February 12, 2004.
    d. Applicant: Idaho Power Company.
    e. Name of Projects: Shoshone Falls, Upper Salmon Falls, Lower 
Salmon Falls, Bliss, C.J. Strike
    f. Location: On the Snake River, East of Boise, Idaho in the 
counties of Owyhee, Elmore, Gooding, Twin Falls, Jerome.
    g. Filed Pursuant to: Rule 602 of the Commission's rules of 
practice and procedure, 18 CFR 385.602.
    h. Applicant Contact: James Tucker, Senior Counsel, Idaho Power 
Company, 1221 West Idaho Street, Boise, Idaho, 208-388-2112.
    i. FERC Contact: John Blair, 202-502-6092, [email protected].
    j. Deadline for filing comments: March 15, 2004. Reply comments: 
March 25, 2004.
    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.
    The Commission's rules of practice require all interveners filing 
documents with the Commission to serve a copy of that document on each 
person on the official service list for the project. Further, if an 
intervener files comments or documents with the Commission relating to 
the merits of an issue that

[[Page 8402]]

may affect the responsibilities of a particular resource agency, they 
must also serve a copy of the document on that resource agency.
    Comments may be filed electronically via the Internet in lieu of 
paper. The Commission strongly encourages electronic filings. 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.
    k. Idaho Power Company (IPC) filed on behalf of the Company and the 
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) a settlement agreement on the 
resolution of all issues related to the Endangered Species Act (ESA) 
listed snails in connection with the relicensing of five Snake River 
hydroelectric Projects: Shoshone Falls, P-2778 Upper Salmon Falls, P-
2777, Lower Salmon Falls, P-2061, Bliss, P-1975, C.J. Strike, P-2055. 
The five projects have a combined capacity of 252 MW. The specific 
areas of disagreement and subsequent settlement are whether and how the 
load following operations at the Lower Salmon Falls, Bliss and C.J. 
Strike projects affect the listed endangered snails. The resolution of 
this issue is important because significant loss of power and economic 
benefits would occur if the projects operated in a year-round run-of-
river (ROR) mode instead of following existing operations. IPC and FWS 
have agreed that additional studies and analyses are desirable to 
assess projects effects on the snails. IPC and FWS have agreed upon an 
operational regime for the five projects that will permit six years of 
studies and analyses of various project operations on the listed 
snails. All Parties to the settlement have agreed that the Settlement 
Agreement is fair and reasonable and in the public interest. On behalf 
of the Parties, PGE requests that the Commission approve the Settlement 
Agreement and adopt it as part of the new license without material 
modification.
    l. A copy of the settlement agreement is available for review at 
the Commission in the Public Reference Room or may be viewed on the 
Commission's Web site at http://www.ferc.gov using the ``eLibrary'' 
link. Enter the docket number excluding the last three digits in the 
docket number field to access the document. For assistance, contact 
FERC Online Support at [email protected] or toll-free at 1-
866-208-3676, or for TTY, (202) 502-8659. A copy is also available for 
inspection and reproduction at the address in item h above.
    You may also register online at http://www.ferc.gov/docs-filing/esubscription.asp to be notified via email of new filings and issuances 
related to this or other pending projects. For assistance, contact FERC 
Online Support.

Magalie R. Salas,
 Secretary.
 [FR Doc. E4-354 Filed 2-23-04; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P