[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 151 (Monday, August 7, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 44682-44683]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-12717]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Project No. 1971-079]


Idaho Power Company; Notice of Availability of the Draft 
Environmental Impact Statement for the Hells Canyon Hydroelectric 
Project

July 28, 2006.
    In accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 
and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission's (Commission) 
regulations, 18 CFR part 380 (Order No. 486, 52 FR 47897), the Office 
of Energy Projects has reviewed the application for license for the 
Hells Canyon Project (FERC No. 1971), located on the Snake River in 
Washington and Adams, Counties, Idaho, and Wallowa and Baker Counties, 
Oregon, and has prepared a Draft Environmental Impact Statement (draft 
EIS) for the project. About 5,270 acres of Federal lands administered 
by the Forest Service (Payette and Wallowa-Whitman National Forests and 
Hells Canyon National Recreational Area) and the Bureau of Land 
Management are included within the project boundary.
    The draft EIS contains staff evaluations of the Idaho Power 
Company's proposal and the alternatives for relicensing the Hells 
Canyon Project. The draft EIS documents the views of governmental 
agencies, non-governmental organizations, affected Indian tribes, the 
public, the license applicant, and Commission staff.
    A copy of the draft EIS is available for review in the Commission's 
Public Reference Branch, Room 2A, located at 888 First Street, NE., 
Washington, DC 20426, 1-866-208-3676,

[[Page 44683]]

[email protected]. The draft EIS also may be viewed on the 
Commission's Web site at http://www.ferc.gov under 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.
    CD versions of the draft EIS have been mailed to everone on the 
mailing list for the project. Copies of the CD, as well as a limited 
number of paper copies, are available from the Public Reference Room 
identified above.
    You may also register online at http://www.ferc.gov/docs-filing/esubscription.asp to be notified via e-mail of new filings and 
issuances related to this or other pending projects. For assistance, 
contact FERC Online Support.
    Comments should be filed with Magalie R. Salas, Secretary, Federal 
Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 First Street, NE., Washington, DC 
20426. All comments must be filed by October 3, 2006, and should 
reference Project No. 1971-079. 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 instructions on 
the Commission's Web site at http://www.ferc.gov under the eLibrary 
link.
    Anyone may intervene in this proceeding based on this draft EIS (18 
CFR 380.10). You must file your request to intervene as specified 
above.\1\ You do not need intervenor status to have your comments 
considered.
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    \1\ Interventions may also be filed electronically via the 
Internet in lieu of paper. See the previous discussion on filing 
comments electronically.
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    In addition to or in lieu of sending written comments, you are 
invited to attend public meetings that will be held to receive comments 
on the draft EIS. Two meetings have been scheduled for Thursday night, 
September 7, and Friday morning, September 8, 2006, in Boise, Idaho. 
Details of these public meetings, and other meetings yet to be 
scheduled, will be included in a separate notice, as well as posted on 
the Commission's Web site (www.ferc.gov).
    For further information, contact Alan Mitchnick at (202) 502-6074, 
alan.mitchnick @ferc.gov; or Emily Carter at (202) 502-6512, 
[email protected].

Magalie R. Salas,
Secretary.
 [FR Doc. E6-12717 Filed 8-4-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6450-01-P