[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 123 (Tuesday, June 25, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Page 32795]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-16075]



-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
[Project Nos. 2058 and 2075]


Washington Water Power; Notice of Intent To Prepare an 
Environmental Impact Statement and Conduct Public Scoping Meetings and 
a Site Visit

June 19, 1996.
    The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) is reviewing a 
proposal to relicense and continue operating the Cabinet Gorge (FERC 
Project No. 2058) and Noxon Rapids (FERC Project No. 2075) in Bonner 
County, Idaho and Sanders County, Montana. The projects are partially 
located on federal lands managed by the Idaho Panhandle, Kootenai, and 
Lolo National Forest.
    Relicensing these projects 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 projects 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 projects and reasonable alternatives, and 
will include an economic and engineering analysis.
    A Draft EIS will be circulated for review and comment by all 
interested parties, and FERC staff will hold a public meeting on the 
Draft EIS. FERC staff will consider and respond to comments received on 
the Draft EIS 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.
    Scoping: Interested citizens, non-governmental organizations, local 
governments, state and federal agencies, Indian tribes, 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.
    FERC staff will conduct three scoping meetings as follows: (1) a 
scoping meeting oriented towards the public will begin at 7:00 p.m. on 
July 15 at the Sandpoint High School, 410 South Division Street, 
Sandpoint, Idaho; (2) a scoping meeting oriented towards the agencies 
will begin at 1:00 p.m. on July 16 at the Noxon Public School, 25 
Railroad Road, Noxon, Montana; and (3) a scoping meeting oriented 
towards the public will begin at 7:00 p.m. on July 16 at the Noxon 
Public School. The public and agencies may attend any meeting.
    Objectives: At the scoping meetings, FERC staff will (1) identify 
preliminary environmental issues related to the proposed projects; (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 view 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 relicensing of the Cabinet 
Gorge and Noxon Rapids Projects. 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 all entities on the projects' mailing lists. 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 August 19, 1996. All 
written correspondence should clearly show the following caption on the 
first page: Cabinet Gorge (No. 2058) and Noxon Rapids (No. 2075) 
Hydroelectric Projects.
    Site Visit: There will also be a tour of the projects on July 18, 
1996. Those who wish to attend should contact Ms. Kathy Krueger of 
Washington Water Power at (406) 847-2729 by July 9th to sign up. 
Attendees will meet at the Noxon Public School parking lot at 8:00 a.m.
    For Further Information Contact: Joe Davis, FERC, Office of 
Hydropower Licensing (202) 219-2865.
Lois D. Cashell,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 96-16075 Filed 6-24-96; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-M