[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 57 (Monday, March 24, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 15513-15515]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-5830]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Project No. 12707-001]


Hook Canyon Energy, LLC; Notice of Intent to File License 
Application, Filing of Pre-Application Document (PAD), Commencement of 
Licensing Proceeding, Scoping, Solicitation of Comments on the PAD and 
Scoping Document, and Identification of Issues and Associated Study 
Requests

March 14, 2008.
    a. Type of Filing: Notice of Intent to File License Application for 
a New License and Commencing Licensing Proceeding.
    b. Project No.: 12707-001.
    c. Dated Filed: September 10, 2007.
    d. Submitted by: Hook Canyon Energy, LLC.
    e. Name of Project: Hook Canyon Pump Storage Project.
    f. Location: The project would be located in Rich County, Utah and 
Bear Lake County, Idaho. The project's upper reservoir would be 
constructed in Hook Canyon on the eastern side of Bear Lake. Bear Lake 
would be the project's lower reservoir. The proposed project would not 
occupy any federal lands.
    g. Filed Pursuant to: 18 CFR Part 5 of the Commission's 
Regulations.
    h. Potential Applicant Contact: Brent Smith, Symbiotics LLC, P.O. 
Box 535, Rigby, ID 83442; (208) 745-0834.
    i. FERC Contact: Steve Hocking at [email protected] or (202) 
502-8753.
    j. We are asking federal, state, local, and tribal agencies with 
jurisdiction and/or special expertise with respect to environmental 
issues to cooperate with us in the preparation of the environmental 
document. Agencies who would like to request cooperating status should 
follow the instructions for filing comments described in paragraph o 
below. Cooperating agencies should note the Commission's policy that 
agencies that cooperate in the preparation of an environmental document 
cannot also intervene in that same proceeding. See, 94 FERC ] 61,076 
(2001).
    k. With this notice, we are initiating informal consultation with: 
(a) The U.S.

[[Page 15514]]

Fish and Wildlife Service and/or NOAA Fisheries under section 7 of the 
Endangered Species Act and the joint agency regulations thereunder at 
50 CFR, Part 402 and, (b) the State Historic Preservation Officer, as 
required by section 106, National Historic Preservation Act, and the 
implementing regulations of the Advisory Council on Historic 
Preservation at 36 CFR 800.2.
    l. By letters dated February 13 and 14, 2008, we designated Hook 
Canyon Energy, LLC to be the Commission's non-federal representative 
for consultation pursuant to section 7 of the Endangered Species Act 
and section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act, 
respectively.
    m. Hook Canyon Energy, LLC filed a Pre-Application Document (PAD; 
including a proposed process plan and schedule) with the Commission, 
pursuant to 18 CFR 5.6 of the Commission's regulations.
    n. A copy of the PAD is available for review at the Commission in 
the Public Reference Room or may be viewed on the Commission's Web site 
(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 (866) 208-3676, or for TTY, 
(202) 502-8659. A copy is also available for inspection and 
reproduction using the contact information in paragraph h.
    Register online at http://ferc.gov/esubscribenow.htm to be notified 
via e-mail of new filings and issuances related to this or other 
pending projects at the Commission. For assistance, contact FERC Online 
Support.
    o. With this notice, we are soliciting comments on the PAD and 
Scoping Document 1 (SD1), as well as study requests. All comments on 
the PAD and SD1, and study requests should be sent to the address above 
in paragraph h. In addition, all comments on the PAD and SD1, study 
requests, requests for cooperating agency status, and all 
communications to and from Commission staff related to the merits of 
the potential application (an original and eight copies) must be filed 
with the Commission at: Kimberly D. Bose, Secretary, Federal Energy 
Regulatory Commission, 888 First Street, NE., Washington, DC 20426. All 
filings with the Commission must include on the first page, the project 
name (Hook Canyon Pump Storage Project) and project number (P-12707-
001), and include the heading ``Comments on Pre-Application Document,'' 
``Study Requests,'' ``Comments on Scoping Document 1,'' ``Request for 
Cooperating Agency Status,'' or ``Communications to and from Commission 
Staff.'' Any individual or entity interested in submitting study 
requests, commenting on the PAD or SD1, and any agency requesting 
cooperating status must do so by May 13, 2008.
    Comments on the PAD and SD1, study requests, requests for 
cooperating agency status, and other permissible forms of 
communications with the Commission 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.
    p. As of this time, Commission staff intend to prepare an 
Environmental Impact Statement for this project.

Scoping Meetings

    Commission staff will hold two scoping meetings in the vicinity of 
the project at the time and place noted below. The daytime meeting will 
focus on resource agency, Indian tribes, and non-governmental 
organization concerns, while the evening meeting is primarily for 
receiving input from the public. We invite all interested individuals, 
organizations, and agencies to attend one or both of these meetings and 
to assist staff in identifying particular study needs, as well as the 
scope of environmental issues to be addressed in the environmental 
document. The times and locations of these meetings are as follows:

Daytime Scoping Meeting

    Date: Wednesday, April 9, 2008.
    Time: 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. (MST).
    Location: Bear Lake West Restaurant and Sports Bar, 554 Lewis Loop, 
Fish Haven, ID 83287.
    Phone: (208) 945-2222.

Evening Scoping Meeting

    Date: Wednesday, April 9, 2008.
    Time: 7 p.m.-10 p.m (MST).
    Location: Oregon Trail Center, 320 North 4th Street, Montpelier, ID 
83254.
    Phone: (208) 847-3800.
    Scoping Document 1 (SD1), which outlines the subject areas to be 
addressed in the environmental document, was mailed to the individuals 
and entities on the Commission's mailing list. Copies of SD1 will be 
available at the scoping meetings, or may be viewed on the web at 
http://www.ferc.gov, using the ``eLibrary'' link. Follow the directions 
for accessing information in paragraph n. Based on all oral and written 
comments, a Scoping Document 2 (SD2) may be issued. SD2 may include a 
revised process plan and schedule, as well as a list of issues 
identified through the scoping process.

Site Visit

    Hook Canyon Energy, LLC and Commission staff will visit the site of 
the proposed project on Tuesday, April 8, 2008, from 8 a.m. to about 12 
noon. To attend the site visit, meet at 8 a.m. at the Bear Lake State 
Park, Rainbow Cove Launch Area, which is located on the eastern side of 
Bear Lake on Cisco Beach Road just north of Cisco beach. All 
participants are responsible for their own transportation and access to 
the site is limited to four-wheel drive vehicles only. Lunch will be 
from about 12 to 1 p.m. All participants should bring their own bag or 
box lunch with them to the site visit.
    From 1 p.m. to about 5 p.m., Hook Canyon Energy, LLC and Commission 
staff will tour PacifiCorp's Lifton pump station on the north end of 
Bear Lake, associated dikes, and possibly Stewart dam. To attend the 
tour, meet at 1 p.m. at the Bear Lake State Park, North Beach Parking 
Area which is located on the eastern side of Bear Lake on Eastshore 
Road just north of the Utah/Idaho state line. Road just north of the 
Utah/Idaho state line. All participants are responsible for their own 
transportation. Access to the Lifton pump station and other PacifiCorp 
facilities is at PacifiCorp's discretion.
    The site visit and tour scheduled for April 8, 2008, is weather 
dependent. If the site visit and tour are cancelled, notice will be 
placed on the Commission's April 8, 2008, calendar, on its Web site 
(http://www.ferc.gov). Please check the Commission's April 8, 2008, 
calendar before leaving in the morning to attend the site visit and 
tour.

Meeting Objectives

    At the scoping meetings, staff will: (1) Initiate scoping of the 
issues; (2) review and discuss existing conditions and resource 
management objectives; (3) review and discuss existing information and 
identify preliminary information and study needs; (4) review and 
discuss the process plan and schedule for pre-filing activity that 
incorporates the time frames provided for in Part 5 of the Commission's 
regulations and, to the extent possible, maximizes coordination of 
federal, state, and tribal permitting and certification processes; and 
(5) discuss the appropriateness of any federal or state agency or 
Indian tribe acting as a cooperating agency for development of an 
environmental document.

[[Page 15515]]

    Meeting participants should come prepared to discuss their issues 
and/or concerns. Please review the PAD in preparation for the scoping 
meetings. Directions on how to obtain a copy of the PAD and SD1 are 
included in item n. of this document.

Meeting Procedures

    Scoping meetings will be recorded by a stenographer and will become 
part of the Commission's formal record for this proceeding.

Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
 [FR Doc. E8-5830 Filed 3-21-08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P