[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 89 (Friday, May 8, 1998)] [Notices] [Pages 25464-25465] From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov] [FR Doc No: 98-12257] ----------------------------------------------------------------------- DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY Federal Energy Regulatory Commission [Project Nos. 2927-004 and 2928-004] Aquamac Corporation and Merrimac Paper Company Inc.; Notice of Intent To Conduct Public Scoping Meetings and Site Visit May 4, 1998. The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (Commission or FERC), received an application from the Aquamac Corporation (Aquamac) to relicense the Aquamac Hydroelectric Project No. 2927-004. This 250 kilowatt project is located on the Merrimack River in the City of Lawrence in Essex County, Massachusetts. The Commission also received an application from the Merrimac Paper Company, Inc. (Merrimac), to relicense the Merrimac Hydroelectric Project No. 2928-004. This 1,250 kilowatt project is also located on the Merrimack River in the City of Lawrence in Essex County, Massachusetts. The Commission will hold public and agency scoping meetings on May 18 and 19, 1998, respectively, for preparation of a Multiple Project Environmental Assessment (MPEA) under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), for the issuance of minor licenses for the projects. Scoping Meetings FERC staff will conduct one evening scoping meeting and one day scoping meeting. The day scoping meeting will focus on resource agency and non-governmental organization (NGO) concerns, while the evening scoping meeting is primarily for public input. All interested individuals, organizations, and agencies are invited to attend one or both of the meetings, and to assist the staff in identifying the scope of the environmental issues that will be analyzed in the MPEA. The times and locations of these meetings are as follows: Evening Scoping Meeting Date: Monday, May 18, 1998. Time: From 7:00 p.m. until 10:00 p.m. Place: Merrimac Paper Company Conference Room. Address: 9 South Canal Street, Lawrence, Massachusetts. Day Scoping Meeting Date: Tuesday, May 19, 1998. Time: From 10:00 a.m. until 1:00 p.m. Place: Merrimac Paper Company Conference Room. Address: 9 South Canal Street, Lawrence, Massachusetts. To help focus discussions, we will distribute a Scoping Document (SD1) outlining the subject areas to be addressed at the meeting to the parties on the Commission's mailing list. Copies of the SD1 also will be available at the scoping meetings. Site Visits The Applicant and FERC staff will conduct a project site visit beginning at 1:00 p.m. on May 18, 1998. All interested individuals, organizations, and agencies are invited to attend. All participants should meet at the Merrimac Paper Company office at 9 South Canal Street in Lawrence. All participants are responsible for their own transportation to the site. Anyone with questions about the site visit should contact Mr. Ed Roux of Merrimac Paper at (978) 683-2754. Objectives At the scoping meetings, the staff will: (1) summarize the environmental issues tentatively identified for analysis in the MPEA; (2) solicit from meeting participants all available information, especially quantifiable data, on the resources at issue; (3) encourage [[Page 25465]] statements from experts and the public on issues that should be analyzed in the MPEA, including viewpoints in opposition to, or in support of, the staff's preliminary views; (4) determine the relative depth of analysis for issues to be addressed in the MPEA; and (5) identify resource issues that are of lesser importance, and therefore, do not require detailed analysis. Procedures The meetings will be recorded by a stenographer and will become part of the formal record of the Commission proceedings on the project. Individuals presenting statements at the meetings will be asked to sign in before the meeting starts and to clearly identify themselves for the record. Speaking time for attendees at the meetings may be determined before the meeting, based on the number of persons wishing to speak and the approximate amount of time available for the session. All speakers will be provided at least 5 minutes to present their views. Individuals, organizations, and agencies with environmental expertise and concerns are encouraged to attend the meetings and to assist the staff in defining and clarifying the issues to be addressed in the MPEA. Persons choosing not to speak at the meetings, but who have views on the issues, may submit written statements for inclusion in the public record at the meeting. In addition, written scoping comments may be filed with the Secretary, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 First Street, NE, Washington, DC 20426, until June 22, 1998. All filings should contain an original and eight copies, and must clearly show at the top of the first page ``Aquamac Hydroelectric Project FERC No. 2927--004.''; ``Merrimac Hydroelectric Project FERC No. 2928-- 004''; or both. For further information, please contact Tim Berry at (202) 219-2790 or [email protected]. Linwood A. Watson, Jr., Acting Secretary. [FR Doc. 98-12257 Filed 5-7-98; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 6717-01-M