[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 25 (Wednesday, February 7, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Pages 5698-5699]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E7-1912]
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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
[Project No. 2149-131]
Public Utility District No. 1 of Douglas County, WA; Notice of
Intent To File License Application, Filing of Pre-Application Document,
Commencement of Licensing Proceeding, Scoping, Solicitation of Comments
on the Pad and Scoping Document, and Identification Issues and
Associated Study Requests
January 29, 2007.
a. Type of Filing: Notice of Intent to File License Application for
a New License and Commencing Licensing Proceeding.
b. Project No.: 2149-131.
c. Dated Filed: December 1, 2006.
d. Submitted By: Public Utility District No. 1 of Douglas County,
Washington (Douglas County PUD).
e. Name of Project: Wells Hydroelectric Project.
f. Location: The project is located on the Columbia River near the
towns of Pateros and Brewster in Okanogan County, Washington. There are
232.7 acres of federal lands located within the project boundary that
are administered by the Bureau of Land Management, U.S. Army Corps of
Engineers, or the Bureau of Reclamation.
g. Filed Pursuant to: 18 CFR Part 5 of the Commission's
Regulations.
h. Potential Applicant Contact: William C. Dobbins, Manager,
Douglas County PUD, 1151 Valley Mall Parkway, East Wenatchee, WA 98802.
i. FERC Contact: Bob Easton at (202) 502-6045 or e-mail at
[email protected].
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 the environmental
document cannot also intervene. See, 94 FERC 61,076 (2001).
k. With this notice, we are initiating informal consultation with:
(a) The U.S. 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
[[Page 5699]]
section 106, National Historical Preservation Act, and the implementing
regulations of the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation at 36 CFR
800.2.
l. With this notice, we are designating Douglas County PUD as the
Commission's non-federal representative for carrying out informal
consultation, pursuant to section 7 of the Endangered Species Act and
section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act.
m. Douglas County PUD 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 1-866-208-3676, of for TTY,
(202) 502-8659. A copy is also available for inspection and
reproduction at the address in paragraph h.
Register online at http://ferc.gov/esubscribenow.htm to be notified
via e-mail of new filing and issuances related to this or other pending
projects. 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 (original and eight copies) must be filed
with the Commission at the following address: Magalie R. Salas,
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 (Wells Hydroelectric Project) and
number (P-2149-131), and bear 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 April 2, 2007.
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. Although our current intent is to prepare an environmental
assessment (EA), there is the possibility that an Environmental Impact
Statement (EIS) will be required. Nevertheless, this meeting will
satisfy the NEPA scoping requirements, irrespective of whether an EA or
EIS is issued by the Commission.
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 the 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, February 28, 2007.
Time: 9 a.m.
Location: Douglas County PUD Auditorium, 1151 Valley Mall Parkway,
East Wenatchee, Washington.
Evening Scoping Meeting:
Date: Wednesday, February 28, 2007.
Time: 7 p.m.
Location: Columbia Cove Community Center, 601 West Cliff Avenue,
Brewster, Washington.
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
The potential applicant and Commission staff will conduct a site
visit of the project on Tuesday, February 27, 2007, starting at 9 a.m.
All participants should meet at the Wells Dam Visitors Center off of
U.S. Highway 97. All participants are responsible for their own
transportation. Anyone with questions about the site visit should
contact Ms. Mary Mayo of Douglas County PUD at (509) 881-2488 on or
before February 21, 2007.
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.
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
The meetings will be recorded by a stenographer and will become
part of the formal record of the Commission proceeding on the project.
Magalie R. Salas,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. E7-1912 Filed 2-6-07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P