[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 240 (Wednesday, December 15, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 70009-70010]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-32434]
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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
[Project No. 2233]
Willamette Falls Hydroelectric Project, Portland General Electric
Company, and Smurfit Newsprint Corporation; Notice of Scoping Meetings
Pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 for an
Applicant Prepared Environmental Assessment
December 9, 1999.
The Commission's regulations at Section 4.34 allow applicants the
option of preparing their own Environmental Assessment (EA) for
hydropower projects, and filing the EA with their application as part
of an alternative licensing procedure. On December 10, 1999, the
Commission approved the use of an alternative licensing procedure in
the preparation of a new license application for the Willamette Falls
Hydroelectric Project, No. 2233.
The alternative procedures include provisions for the distribution
of an initial information package (IIP), and for the cooperative
scoping of environmental issues and needed studies. On December 31,
1998, Portland General Electric (PGE) distributed the Willamette Falls
Project IIP. Public meetings were held on the IIP on February 17 and
February 18, 1999. Several tours of project facilities were conducted
during 1999.
PGE intends to distribute Scoping Document 1 (SD1) the week of
December 13, 1999. Copies of SD1 can be obtained by calling the PGE
hydro licensing department at 503-464-8683 or via the PGE hydro
licensing web site located at http://www.pge-hl.com. Two public
meetings will be held to discuss SD1.
Scoping Meetings
PGE will hold public scoping meetings on January 20, 2000, pursuant
to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969. At the scoping
meetings, PGE will: (1) Summarize the environmental issues tentatively
identified for analysis in the EA, (2) outline any resources they
believe would not require a detailed analysis; (3) identify reasonable
alternatives to be addressed in the EA; (4) solicit from the meeting
participants all available information, especially quantitative data,
on the resources at issue; and (5) encourage statements from experts
and the public on issues that should be analyzed in the EA.
Although PGE's intent is to prepare an EA, there is the possibility
that an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) will be required.
Nevertheless, this meeting will satisfy the NEPA scoping requirements,
irrespective of whether an EA or EIS is issued by the Commission.
The times and locations of the scoping meeting are:
Morning Scoping Meeting
January 20, 2000
9 am to 12 pm Two World Trade Center--Rooms A&B, 121 SW Salmon Street,
Portland, OR 97204
Evening Scoping Meeting
January 20, 2000
7 pm to 9 pm Oregon City High School Cafeteria, 1306 12th Street,
Oregon City, OR 97045
All interested individuals, organizations, and agencies are invited
and encouraged to attend any or all of the meetings to assist in
identifying and clarifying the scope of environmental issues that
should be analyzed in the EA.
Scoping Meeting Procedures
The meetings will be conducted according to the procedures used at
Commission scoping meetings. Both scoping meetings will be recorded,
and the transcripts will become part of the formal record of the
proceedings for this project. Those who choose not to speak during the
scoping meetings may instead submit written comments on the project.
Because this meeting will be a NEPA scoping meeting under the APEA
process, the Commission does not intend to conduct a NEPA scoping
meeting after PGE's application and EA are filed with the Commission.
Instead, Commission staff will attend the meetings on January 20, 2000.
[[Page 70010]]
Commenting Deadline
Written comments should be mailed or e-mailed to: Mr. David
Heintzman, Portland General Electric (3WTC-BRHL), 121 SW Salmon Street,
Portland, OR 97204; David__Heintzman@pgn.com
All correspondence should be postmarked no later than March 21,
2000. Comments should show the following caption on the first page:
Scoping Comments, Willamette Falls Hydroelectric Project, Project No.
2233. Any comments sent to the Commission must include an original and
eight copies and be addressed to: David P. Boergers, Secretary, Federal
Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 First Street, NE, Washington, DC
20426. Please put the docket number, P-2233, on the first page.
For further information please contact Julie Keil PGE at (503) 464-
8864 or John Blair of the Commission at (202) 219-2845.
Linwood A. Watson, Jr.,
Acting Secretary.
[FR Doc. 99-32434 Filed 12-14-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-M
