[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 91 (Thursday, May 9, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Pages 21177-21178]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-11592]



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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
[Project No. 1927-008]


PacifiCorp; Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact 
Statement (EIS), Conduct Public Scoping Meetings and a Site Visit

April 30, 1996.
    The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) is reviewing an 
application to relicense and continue operating the North Umpqua 
Hydroelectric Project, FERC Project No. 1927-008. The project is on the 
North Umpqua River in Douglas County, Oregon. This project would 
primarily involve federal lands managed by the Umpqua National Forest, 
but also involves some lands managed by the Bureau of Land Management 
(BLM).
    Relicensing this project could constitute a major federal action 
significantly affecting the quality of the human environment. 
Therefore, the FERC intends to prepare an Environmental Impact 
Statement (EIS) on the project in accordance with the National 
Environmental Policy Act of 1969, and the Commission's regulations. The 
EIS will objectively consider both site-specific and cumulative 
environmental impacts of the project and responsible alternatives, and 
will include an economic, financial, and engineering analysis. The 
Umpqua National Forest will be a cooperating agency on the EIS.
    A Draft EIS (DEIS) will be circulated for review and comment by all 
interested parties, and FERC will hold a public meeting on the DEIS. 
FERC staff will consider and respond to comments received on the DEIS 
in the Final EIS. The FERC staff's conclusions and recommendations will 
then be presented for the consideration of the Commission in reaching 
its final licensing decision. The Umpqua National Forest will use the 
information in the EIS to make its decision on issuing mandatory 
section 4(e) conditions for the project under the Federal Power Act and 
their section 7(a) determination under the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act.
    Scoping: Concerned citizens, special interest groups, local 
governments, state and federal agencies, and any other interested 
parties are invited to comment on the scope of the environmental issues 
that should be analyzed in the EIS. Scoping will help ensure that all 
significant issues related to this proposal are addressed in the EIS.
    The FERC will conduct two scoping meetings on June 6, 1996. A 
scoping meeting oriented towards the agencies will begin at 9:00 am on 
June 6th at the Umpqua National Forest office located at 2900 NW 
Stewart Parkway, Roseburg, Oregon. Those wishing to attend this meeting 
should contact Jim Wieman, District Ranger at (503) 942-5591 by May 
31st.
    A scoping meeting oriented towards the public will begin at 7:00 pm 
on June 6th at the Douglas County Fairground Complex Community Building 
located at 2110 S.W. Frear Street, Roseburg, Oregon. (The public and 
the agencies may attend either or both meetings, however.)
    Objectives: At the scoping meetings, FERC staff will (1) identify 
preliminary environmental issues related to the proposed project; (2) 
attempt to identify preliminary resource issues that are not important 
and do not require detailed analysis; (3) identify reasonable 
alternatives to be addressed in the EIS; (4) solicit from the meeting 
participants all available information, especially quantified data, on 
the resource issues; and (5) encourage statements from experts and the 
public on issues that should be analyzed in the EIS, including points 
of views in opposition to, or in support of, the staff's preliminary 
views.
    Procedures: The meetings will be recorded by a court reporter and 
all statements (oral and written) will become a part of the official 
record of the Commission proceedings for the North Umpqua Project 
relicense. Individuals presenting statements at the meetings will be 
asked to clearly identify themselves for the record.
    To help focus discussions at the scoping meeting, the FERC will 
mail a Scoping Document, outlining subject areas to be addressed in the 
EIS, to agencies and interested individuals on the project mailing 
list. Copies of the scoping document will also be available at the 
scoping meetings.
    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 meetings. In 
addition, written scoping comments may be filed with the Office of the 
Secretary, Dockets Room 1A, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 
First Street, NE, Washington, D.C. 20426 until July 12, 1996. All 
written correspondence should clearly show the following caption on the 
first page: North Umpqua Hydroelectric Project, FERC No. 1927-008.
    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

[[Page 21178]]

person whose name appears on the official service list. Further, if a 
party or intercedar 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 project tour is planned for June 4th and 5th. Those 
who wish to attend contact David Schwall of PacifiCorp at (503) 464-
5345 by May 31st to sign up and receive further information and 
directions. Attendees will meet at the North Umpqua Forest Office 
located at 2900 Stewart Parkway at 8:00 am.
    For Further Information Contact: Vince Yearick, FERC-OHL (202) 219-
3073.
Linwood A. Watson, Jr.,
Acting Secretary.
[FR Doc. 96-11592 Filed 5-8-96; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-M