[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
