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[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 247 (Monday, December 27, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Pages 81264-81265]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-32359]

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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Project No. 2149-152]

Public Utility District No. 1 of Douglas County; Notice of Intent 
To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement

December 16, 2010.
    On May 27, 2010, Public Utility District No. 1 of Douglas County 
filed an application for the continued operation of the 774.3-megawatt 
Wells Hydroelectric Project No. 2149. Federal lands within the project 
boundary include 8.60 acres of U.S. Department of Interior and 6.55 
acres of U.S. Army Corps of Engineers land.
    In accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and 
the Commission's regulations, Commission staff held public scoping 
meetings for the relicensing of the Wells Project on February 28, 2007, 
in East Wenatchee and Brewster, Washington. Based on the comments 
received in response to the Commission's August 10, 2010 Notice of 
Application Accepted for Filing, Soliciting Motions to Intervene and 
Protests, Ready for Environmental Analysis, and Soliciting Comments, 
Recommendations, Preliminary Terms and Conditions, and Preliminary 
Fishway Prescriptions, and an errata to this notice issued on August 
19, 2010, Commission staff has determined that relicensing of the Wells 
Project may constitute a major federal action significantly affecting 
the quality of the human environment. Therefore, staff now intends to 
prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) that addresses the 
relicensing of the Wells Project.
    A draft EIS will be issued and circulated for review by all 
interested parties. All comments filed on the draft EIS will be 
analyzed by the staff and considered in the final EIS. The staff's 
conclusions and recommendations will be available for the Commission's 
consideration in reaching its final licensing decision.
    The application will be processed according to the following 
schedule. Revisions to the schedule may be made as appropriate.

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              Milestone                           Target date
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Issue Draft EIS.....................  April 6, 2011.
Comments on Draft EIS due...........  May 23, 2011.

[[Page 81265]]

 
Commission issues Final EIS.........  October 6, 2011.
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    This notice informs all interested individuals, organizations, and 
agencies with environmental expertise and concerns, that: (1) The 
Commission staff has decided to prepare an EIS addressing the 
relicensing of the Wells Project; and (2) the prior scoping conducted 
on this project by Commission staff and comments filed with the 
Commission on the application will be taken into account in the EIS.
    Any questions regarding this notice may be directed to Kim A. 
Nguyen at (202) 502-6105, or by e-mail at [email protected].

Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2010-32359 Filed 12-23-10; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P
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