Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 50 / Friday, March 14, 1997 / Notices 12161

property would occur because no

facilities or habitation exist within the

area.

Impacts from construction activities

on visual resources, employment and

economic opportunities, air quality, and

public health and safety would be minor

and of short duration. After project

construction, the reservoir would attract

additional wildlife and diversify the

viewing opportunities in the valley.

The location of the Project borrow site

was not identified in the EA because it

is not known at this time. However,

impacts to vegetation, wildlife, and

cultural resources would not be

significant because preconstruction

surveys would be conducted if an

undeveloped borrow site is selected for

use. If the surveys determine the

presence of sensitive resources such as

endangered species or historic

properties, then the borrow site would

either be relocated or appropriate

mitigation measures would be applied

to ensure any impacts are at a level

below significant.

As stated in Chapter IV—Permit

Requirements and Contacts of the EA,

the Project is subject to certain

regulatory requirements. A permit to fill

in wetlands under Section 404 of the

Clean Water Act would be required. The

Nevada Division of Environmental

Protection may require a letter of water

quality certification or a rolling stock

water pollution control permit. The

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers would

require an Impoundment Permit for the

emplacement of the reservoir. In

accordance with the National Historic

Preservation Act, a Class III cultural

resources survey was conducted and

found no significant resources. The

Nevada State Historic Preservation

Officer concurred in a letter dated June

17, 1996 that the Project site was not

eligible for the National Register of

Historic Places. In accordance with the

requirements of the Fish and Wildlife

Coordination Act, the U.S. Fish and

Wildlife Service (USFWS) was

consulted about this Project. The Project

is consistent with the Endangered

Species Act because the EA confirmed

that no plant or animal species federally

listed as threatened or endangered

would be adversely affected by the

Project.

Floodplain Statement of Findings

This is a Floodplain Statement of

Findings prepared in accordance with

10 CFR Part 1022. A Notice of

Floodplain and Wetlands Involvement

was published in the Federal Register

on May 17, 1996 and a floodplain and

wetlands assessment was incorporated

in the EA. BPA proposes to fund the

construction of an earth dam and

reservoir in the Billy Shaw Slough of

the Duck Valley Reservation near

Owyhee, Nevada. The Proposed Action

would be located in the floodplain

because that area offers the

topographical qualities needed to fill

and maintain a permanent reservoir.

The alternative to the Proposed Action,

the No Action Alternative, would not

satisfy BPA’s need to provide off-site

mitigation on the Duck Valley

Reservation for the loss of salmon and

steelhead. The Proposed Action

conforms to applicable State or local

floodplain protection standards.

Preliminary designs for the spillway

and outlet works of the dam included

the small dam criteria available from the

U.S. Department of Agriculture Natural

Resources Conservation Services

(NRCS). The inflow design floods were

computed based upon NRCS, Idaho

Department of Water Resources, and

Nevada Division of Water Resources

criteria for structures of this size and

hazard classification. Although studies

indicated that a probable maximum

flood event could be stored without the

use of the spillway, an emergency

spillway would be included in the plan.

These design considerations would

minimize any potential harm to the

floodplain should a significant flood

event occur. Also, the downstream

hazard classification for the reservoir

site is considered low because no

permanent or temporary human

habitation or permanent property

development lies in the floodplain

downstream from the proposed damsite.

BPA will endeavor to allow 15 days

of public review after publication of this

statement of findings before

implementing the Proposed Action.

Determination

Based on the information in the EA,

as summarized here, BPA determines

that the Proposed Action is not a major

Federal action significantly affecting the

quality of the human environment

within the meaning of NEPA, 42 U.S.C.

4321 et seq. Therefore, an EIS will not

be prepared and BPA is issuing this

FONSI.

Issued in Portland, Oregon, on March 3,

1997.

Alexandra B. Smith,

Vice President, Environment, Fish, & Wildlife.

[FR Doc. 97–6464 Filed 3–13–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6450–01–P

Federal Energy Regulatory

Commission

[Docket No. CP94–161–006]

Avoca Natural Gas Storage; Notice of

Site Visit

March 10, 1997.

On March 25 and 26, 1997, the Office

of Pipeline Regulation (OPR) staff will

inspect on the ground, along with Avoca

Natural Gas Storage (Avoca) personnel,

locations related to the facilities

proposed by Avoca in New York for the

Avoca Gas Storage Project Supplement.

All interested parties may attend.

Those planning to attend the March 25

and 26, 1997, site inspection must

provide their own transportation.

For further information, call Paul

McKee, Office of External Affairs, at

(202) 208–1088.

Lois D. Cashell,

Secretary.

[FR Doc. 97–6439 Filed 3–13–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6717–01–M

[Docket No. CP97–275–000]

Columbia Gas Transmission

Corporation; Notice of Request Under

Blanket Authorization

March 10, 1997.

Take notice that on March 4, 1997,

Columbia Gas Transmission Corporation

(Columbia Gas), 1700 MacCorkle

Avenue S.E., Charleston, West Virginia

25314–1599, filed in Docket No. CP97–

275–000 a request pursuant to Sections

157.205 and 157.211 of the

Commission’s Regulations under the

Natural Gas Act (18 CFR 157.205 and

157.211) for authorization to construct

and operate a new point of delivery in

McKean County, Pennsylvania, so that

interruptible volumes can be delivered

to Minard Run Oil Company (MRO).

Columbia Gas makes such request under

its blanket certificate issued in Docket

No. CP83–76–000 pursuant to Section 7

of the Natural Gas Act, all as more fully

set forth in the request on file with the

Commission and open to public

inspection.

Specifically, Columbia Gas indicates

its intent to render the interconnecting

delivery facility operational by making

use of an existing 4-inch tap, installing

a 4-inch turbo meter setting and an 8-

inch filter separator. It is averred that

the delivery facility will be used to

provide up to 950 Mcf of natural daily

to MRO for industrial use, and up to

346,750 Mcf annually. Columbia Gas

states that the interruptible

transportation service will be provided

to MRO pursuant to Columbia Gas’