[Federal Register Volume 59, Number 94 (Tuesday, May 17, 1994)] [Unknown Section] [Page 0] From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov] [FR Doc No: 94-11887] [[Page Unknown]] [Federal Register: May 17, 1994] ----------------------------------------------------------------------- DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY Project No. 2705-003 Washington Seattle City Light; Intent To Prepare an Environmental Assessment and Conduct Public Scoping Meetings and Site Visit May 11, 1994. The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) has received an application for relicensing of the existing Newhalem Creek Hydroelectric Project, Project No. 2705-003. The project is located on Newhalem Creek in Whatcom County, Washington. The FERC staff intends to prepare an Environmental Assessment (EA) on this hydroelectric project in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act. In the EA, we will consider both site-specific and cumulative environmental impacts of the project and reasonable alternatives, and we will include an economic, and engineering analysis. A draft EA will be issued and circulated for review to all interested parties. All timely filed comments on the draft EA will be analyzed by the staff and considered in the final EA. The staff's conclusions and recommendations will then be presented for consideration by the Commission in reaching its final licensing decision. Scoping Meetings Staff will be holding two scoping meetings. A scoping meeting oriented towards the public will be held on June 1, 1994, at 7 pm, in Hearing Room ``A'', at the Skagit County Court House in Mount Vernon, Washington. A scoping meeting oriented towards the agencies will be held on June 2, 1994 at 1:30 pm in the Second Floor Conference Room of the 1111 Third Avenue Building, 1111 Third Avenue, Seattle, Washington. Interested individuals, organizations, and agencies are invited to attend either or both meetings and assist the staff in identifying the scope of environmental issues that should be analyzed in the EA. To help focus discussions at the meetings, a scoping document outlining subject areas to be addressed in the EA will be mailed to agencies and interested individuals on the FERC mailing list. Copies of the scoping document will also be available at the scoping meetings. Objectives At the scoping meetings the FERC staff will: (1) Identify preliminary environmental issues related to the proposed project; (2) identify preliminary resource issues that are not important and do not require detailed analysis; (3) identify reasonable alternatives to be addressed in the EA; (4) solicit from the meeting participants all available information, especially quantified data, on the site-specific cumulative resource issues; and (5) encourage statements from experts and the public on issues that should be analyzed in the EA, including points of view in opposition to, or in support of, the staff's preliminary views. Procedures The meeting will be recorded by a court reporter and all statements (oral and written) will become a part of the formal record of the Commission proceedings on the Newhalem Creek hydroelectric project. Individuals presenting statements at the meetings will be asked to clearly identify themselves for the record. Individuals, organizations, and agencies with environmental expertise and concerns are encouraged to attend the meetings and assist the staff in defining and clarifying issues to be addressed in the EA. Persons choosing not to speak at the meetings, but who have views on the issues or information relevant to the issues, may submit written statements for inclusion in the public record at the meeting. In addition, written comments may be filed with Secretary, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 825 North Capitol Street, NE., Washington, DC, 20426 until July 5, 1994. All written correspondence should clearly show the following caption on the first page: Newhalem Creek Hydroelectric Project, FERC No. 2705-003. Intervenors--those on the Commission's service list for this proceeding (parties)--are reminded of the Commission's Rules of Practice and Procedures, requiring parties filing documents with the Commission, to serve a copy of the document on each person whose name appears on the official service list. Further, if a party or interceder files comments or documents with the Commission relating to the merits of an issue that may affect the responsibilities of a particular resource agency, they must also serve a copy of the document on that resource agency. Site Visit: A site visit to the Newhalem Creek Hydroelectric Project is planned for June 1, 1994. Those who wish to attend should plan to meet at the Seattle City Light Skagit Administration Building in Newhalem, Washington at 1 pm or contact John Costello, at (202) 219-2914 for details. Any questions regarding this notice may be directed to John Costello, at (202) 219-2914. Lois D. Cashell, Secretary. [FR Doc. 94-11887 Filed 5-16-94; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 6717-01-P