[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 54 (Friday, March 19, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Pages 13064-13065]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 04-6175]


=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR


Assistant Secretary--Water and Science; Central Utah Project 
Completion Act; Notice of Intent To Prepare a Draft Environmental 
Assessment for the Execution of a Lease of Power Privilege Contract and 
the Construction, Operation, and Maintenance of a Non-Federal 
Hydroelectric Generation Facility on Jordanelle Dam, Bonneville Unit, 
Central Utah Project

AGENCY: Office of the Assistant Secretary--Water and Science, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare a draft Environmental Assessment 
(EA) for the execution of a Lease of Power Privilege contract and the 
construction, operation, and maintenance of a non-federal hydroelectric 
generation facility on Jordanelle Dam, Wasatch County, Utah, pursuant 
to the lease.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

[[Page 13065]]

SUMMARY: Pursuant to section 102(2)(C) of the National Environmental 
Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969, as amended; Public Law 102-575, Central Utah 
Project Completion Act (CUPCA), as amended; and the July 2, 1999, 
Federal Register Notice (FR Doc. 99-16852) the Department of the 
Interior is initiating a NEPA process with public involvement for the 
execution of a Lease of Power Privilege contract and the construction, 
operation, and maintenance of a non-federal hydroelectric generation 
facility on Jordanelle Dam, of the Bonneville Unit, Central Utah 
Project and associated power transmission lines and facilities. Through 
a competitive selection process the joint application of the Central 
Utah Water Conservancy District (District) and Heber Light and Power 
(HL&P) was chosen as the potential lessee to develop hydropower at 
Jordanelle Dam. Construction and generation of power will be 
accomplished by the non-federal partnership of the District and HL&P 
through a Lease of Power Privilege. A lease contract will be executed 
among the District, HL&P, and the Department, which will describe the 
development, operation, and maintenance of a hydroelectric generation 
facility at Jordanelle Dam, consistent with the purposes and operations 
of the Bonneville Unit. Development of a hydroelectric facility will 
not change the operation of Jordanelle Dam and Reservoir.

DATES: Public meeting(s) will be announced in local newspapers. The 
purpose of the meeting(s) will be to provide information and request 
public input.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Additional information on matters 
related to this Federal Register notice can be obtained from Mr. Reed 
R. Murray, Deputy Program Director, CUP Completion Act Office, 
Department of the Interior, 302 East 1860 South, Provo UT 84606-6154, 
(801) 379-1237, [email protected]. Written comments may be submitted 
to this same address.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Central Utah Project's Bonneville Unit, 
located in northern Utah, was authorized for construction, including 
hydroelectric power, by the Colorado River Storage Project (CRSP) Act 
of April 11, 1956 (ch. 203, 70 Stat. 105)(CRSPA). The construction and 
operation of a hydroelectric generating facility below Jordanelle Dam 
was contemplated in the 1979 Municipal and Industrial System (M&I) 
Final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS). The 1987 Final Supplement 
to the M&I Final EIS deferred construction of a powerplant at 
Jordanelle awaiting non-Federal participation. The potential to produce 
hydropower was incorporated in the construction of Jordanelle Dam. The 
proposed Draft Environmental Assessment will rely on and update the 
1987 Final Supplement to the M&I Final EIS regarding construction of a 
powerplant at Jordanelle Dam. The operation of Jordanelle Dam and 
Reservoir will remain the same as described in the 1987 Final 
Supplement to the Final EIS.
    The Central Utah Project Completion Act (CUPCA), comprised of 
Titles II-VI of the Act of October 30, 1992 (106 Stat. 4600, Pub. L. 
102-575) authorized the construction of other features of the 
Bonneville Unit. Section 208 of the CUPCA provides that power 
generation facilities associated with the CUP be developed and operated 
in accordance with the CRSPA, which explicitly embodies all Reclamation 
law except as otherwise provided in the CRSPA. In accordance with a 
Federal Register notice published July 2, 1999 (Volume 64, Number 127, 
Pages 36030-36032), Interior, in consultation with the Western Area 
Power Administration, selected the joint proposal of the District/HL&P 
to develop non-federal hydroelectric power at Jordanelle Dam through a 
lease of power privilege. A lease of power privilege is an alternative 
to federal hydroelectric power development. A lease of power privilege 
grants a non-federal entity the right to utilize, consistent with CUP 
purposes, water power head and storage at and/or operationally in 
conjunction with the CUP, for non-federal electric power generation and 
sale by the entity. The general authority for lease of power privilege 
under Reclamation law includes, among others, the Town Sites and Power 
Development Act of 1906 (43 U.S.C. 522) and the Reclamation Project Act 
of 1939 (43 U.S.C. 485h(c)) (1939 Act). The intent to hold public 
negotiations for the lease of power privilege contract was announced in 
the Federal Register on October 25, 2000 (Volume 65, Number 207, Pages 
63879-63880). Negotiations on the lease contract began on November 12, 
2000, and are still underway. Power developed by the Jordanelle 
hydroelectric generation facility will be purchased by Heber Light and 
Power and sold to their customers.

    Dated: February 2, 2004.
Ronald Johnston,
Program Director, Department of the Interior.
[FR Doc. 04-6175 Filed 3-18-04; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-RK-P