98-24510. Entergy Arkansas, Inc.; Notice of Scoping Meetings Pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 for an Applicant Prepared Environmental Assessment

[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 177 (Monday, September 14, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 49110-49111]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-24510]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
[Project No. 271-AR]


Entergy Arkansas, Inc.; Notice of Scoping Meetings Pursuant to 
the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 for an Applicant Prepared 
Environmental Assessment

September 8, 1998.
    Pursuant to the Energy Policy Act of 1992, and as part of the 
license application, Entergy Arkansas, Inc., (Entergy) intends to 
prepare an Applicant Prepared Environmental Assessment (APEA) to file 
along with the license application, with the Federal Energy Regulatory 
Commission (Commission) for the Carpenter-Remmel Project, Project No. 
271. The license for the project expires on February 28, 2003.
    With the filing of its Notice of Intent (NOI) on January 29, 1998, 
Entergy notified the Commission of its intent to file an application 
for a new license. On February 16, 1998, Entergy issued its Initial 
consultation Document (ICD), which outlined the Commission's 
relicensing process, described project facilities and operation, and 
environmental resources, and listed preliminary issues and potential 
studies.
    In March 1998, Entergy initiated the cooperative consultation 
process, and state and federal agencies, local interests, and 
nongovernmental organizations, (NGOs), undertook a cooperative effort 
for the relicensing of the Carpenter-Remmel Project. The process 
involved identification of environmental issues associated with the 
relicensing of the Carpenter-Remmel Project, including: a public 
information meeting on March 23, 1998, and on March 24, 1998, a project 
site visit for agencies/stakeholders, and a joint agency meeting to 
solicit comments on the ICD.
    Entergy obtained support from the parties involved in the 
cooperative process to pursue the APEA process for the Carpenter-Remmel 
Project. On May 20, 1998, Entergy requested, and on July 24, 1998, 
obtained FERC's approval to enter the APEA process.
    As part of the APEA process, Entergy with the Commission has 
prepared a Scoping Document I (SDI), which provides information on the 
scoping process, APEA schedule, background information, environmental 
issues, and proposed project alternatives. The issues contained in SDI 
are based on agency and public comments at the March 23-24 meetings as 
well as the APEA Team meetings held from April through July 1998.
    The purpose of this notice is to: (1) advise all parties as to the 
proposed scope of the environmental analysis, including cumulative 
effects, and to seek information pertinent to this analysis; and (2) 
advise all parties of their opportunity for comment.

Scoping Process

    The purpose of the scoping process is to identify issues related to 
the proposed action and to determine what issues should be addressed in 
the document prepared pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act 
of 1969 (NEPA). The SDI will be circulated to enable appropriate 
federal, state, and local resource agencies, Indian tribes, NGOs, and 
other interested parties to participate in the scoping process. SDI 
provides a brief description of the proposed action, alternatives to 
the proposed action, the geographic and temporal scope of a cumulative 
effects analysis, and a list of issues.

Scoping Meetings and Site Visit

    Entergy and FERC staff will conduct a site visit and a scoping 
meeting on September 22, 1998. All interested individuals, 
organizations, and agencies are invited to attend and assist in 
identifying the scope of environmental issues that should be analyzed.
    The site visit will take place between 1 and 3 p.m. on September 
22, 1998, at both the Carpenter and Remmel developments. The scoping 
meeting will be held on September 22, 1998, from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. at 
the Clarion Resort, Hot Springs, AR. For more details, interested 
parties should contact Mr. Henry Jones, Entergy, [phone], prior 
to the meeting date.

Objectives

    At the scoping meetings, Entergy and Commission staff will: (1) 
summarize the environmental issues identified for analysis; (2) solicit 
from the meeting participants all available information, especially 
quantified data, on the resources at issue, and (3) encourage 
statements from experts and the public on issues that should be 
analyzed. Individuals, organizations, and agencies with environmental 
expertise and concerns are encouraged to attend the meetings and to 
assist in defining and clarifying the issues to be addressed.

Meeting Procedures

    The meeting will be conducted according to the procedures used at 
Commission scoping meetings. Because this meeting will be a NEPA 
scoping

[[Page 49111]]

meeting the Commission will not conduct another scoping meeting when 
the application and APEA are filed with the Commission early in 2001.
    The meetings will be recorded by a stenographer and become a part 
of the record of the Commission proceeding on the Carpenter-Remmel 
Project. Individuals presenting statements at the meetings will be 
asked to identify themselves for the record. Speaking time allowed for 
individuals will be determined before each meeting, based on the number 
of persons wishing to speak and the approximate amount of time 
available for the session, but everyone gets at least 5 minutes. 
Persons choosing not to speak but wishing to express an opinion, as 
well as speakers unable to summarize their positions within their 
allotted time, may submit written statements for inclusion in the 
record no later than October 22, 1998.
    All filings should contain an original and 8 copies. Failure to 
file an original and 8 copies may result in appropriate staff not 
receiving the benefit of your comments in a timely manner. All comments 
should be submitted to the Office of the Secretary, Federal Energy 
Regulatory Commission, 888 First Street, N.E., Washington, D.C. 20426, 
and should clearly show the following captions on the first page: 
Carpenter-Remmel Project, FERC No. 271. A copy of each filing should 
also be sent to Mr. Henry Jones, Entergy, P.O. Box 218, Jones Mill, AR 
72105.
    Based on all written comments, a Scoping Document II (SDII) may be 
issued. SDII will include a revised list of issues, based on the 
scoping sessions.
    For further information regarding the APEA scoping process, please 
contact Mr. Chris Metcalf, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 
First Street, N.E., Washington, D.C. 20426 at [phone], or Mr. 
Henry Jones, Entergy, at [phone].
David P. Boergers,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 98-24510 Filed 9-11-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-M