Notice of Site Visit, Scoping Meetings, and Soliciting Scoping Comments, 29302-29303 [E5-2532]

Agencies

• DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
• Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 97 (Friday, May 20, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Pages 29302-29303]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E5-2532]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission


Notice of Site Visit, Scoping Meetings, and Soliciting Scoping 
Comments

May 12, 2005.
    Take notice that the following hydroelectric exemption application 
has been filed with the Commission and is available for public 
inspection.
    a. Type of Application: Exemption of a Major Hydropower Project 5 
MW or Less.
    b. Project: West Valley A&B Hydro Project No. 12053-001.
    c. Date Filed: July 18, 2003.
    d. Applicant: Mr. Nicholas Josten.
    e. Location: On the South Fork of the Pit River in Modoc County, 
California. The project would be located on approximated 31 acres of 
federal lands, managed by Forest Service (FS) and Bureau of Land 
Management (BLM).
    f. Filed Pursuant to: Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act of 
1978, 16 U.S.C. Sec. Sec.  2705, 2708.
    g. Applicant Contact: Mr. Nicholas Josten, (208) 528-6152, 
gsense@cableone.net, 2742 St Charles Ave, Idaho Falls, ID 83404.
    h. FERC Contact: Susan O'Brien, (202) 502-8449 or 
susan.obrien@ferc.gov.
    i. FS Contact: Jayne Biggerstaff, (530) 283-7768 or 
jbiggerstaff@fs.fed.us.
    j. BLM Contact: Phil Rhinehart, (530) 233-7907 or phil_
rhinehart@ca.blm.gov.
    k. Deadline for filing scoping comments: July 11, 2005.
    All documents (original and eight copies) should be filed with: 
Magalie R. Salas, Secretary, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 
First Street, NE., Washington, DC 20426.
    Scoping comments may be filed electronically via the Internet in 
lieu of paper. The Commission strongly encourages electronic filings. 
See 18 CFR 385.2001(a)(1)(iii) and the instructions on the Commission's 
Web site (https://www.ferc.gov) through the Commission's eLibrary using 
the ``Documents & Filing'' link.
    The Commission's Rules of Practice require all intervenors filing 
documents with the Commission to serve a copy of that document on each 
person on the official service list for the project. Further, if an 
intervenor 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.
    l. This application has been accepted for filing, but is not ready 
for environmental analysis at this time.
    m. The proposed project would consist of two developments, West 
Valley A and West Valley Alternative B-1. Alternative B-2 has been 
deleted from the proposed project (applicant's response to 
deficiencies, filed October 25, 2004).
    West Valley A run-of river development would have a capacity of 1.0 
MW and consists of: (1) An existing concrete diversion structure; (2) 
an existing intake structure; (3) 11,600 feet of open canal; (4) a 
proposed concrete overflow structure; (5) a proposed 2,800 feet of new 
canal; (6) a proposed penstock; (7) a proposed powerhouse; (8) a 
proposed tailrace pipe; (9) a proposed transmission line; and (10) 
appurtenant facilities. The applicant estimates that the total average 
annual generation would be 3,300,000 kWh.
    West Valley Alternative B-1 run-of-river development would have a 
capacity of 1.36 MW and consists of: (1) The existing West Valley Dam 
and outlet works; (2) a new bypass valve attached to the existing dam 
outlet pipe; (3) a proposed penstock; (4) a proposed powerhouse; (5) a 
proposed tailrace canal; (6) a proposed transmission line; and (7) 
appurtenant facilities. The applicant estimates that the total average 
annual generation would be 4,730,000 kWh.
    n. A copy of the application is available for review at the 
Commission in the Public Reference Room or may be viewed on the 
Commission's Web site at https://www.ferc.gov using the ``eLibrary'' 
link. Enter the docket number excluding the last three digits in the 
docket number field to access the document. For assistance, contact 
FERC Online Support at FERCOnlineSupport@ferc.gov or toll-free at 1-
866-208-3676, or for TTY, (202) 502-8659. A copy is also available for 
inspection and reproduction at the address in item g. above.
    You may also register online at https://www.ferc.gov/docs-filing/
esubscription.asp to be notified via e-mail of new filings and 
issuances related to this or other pending projects. For assistance, 
contact FERC Online Support.
    o. By Letter of Understanding executed on April 18, 2005, the 
Forest Service (FS) and Bureau of Land Management (BLM) will be 
cooperating agencies regarding the Commission's actions on the West 
Valley Project,

[[Page 29303]]

including consultation, submission of additional information requests, 
and cooperation in the preparation of scoping and environmental 
documents. The FS and BLM will make independent decisions to determine 
whether, and under what conditions, to authorize the construction, 
operation and maintenance of the hydropower project on Federal lands.
    This scoping process will also satisfy the scoping responsibilities 
of the FS and BLM, as required by National Environmental Policy Act 
(NEPA) and the agencies' regulations. The FS and BLM will conduct 
ongoing consultation with the affected and interested Indian Tribes in 
order to meet FS and BLM consultation commitments.
    p. Scoping Process: The Commission intends to prepare a single 
environmental document in accordance with NEPA. The environmental 
assessment (EA) will consider both site-specific and cumulative 
environmental effects and reasonable alternatives to the proposed 
action.
    Site Visit: Commission staff, along with FS, BLM, and the applicant 
will conduct a site visit to the proposed project area on Wednesday, 
June 15, 2005. All interested parties and individuals are invited to 
attend. Please note that the site visit may involve extensive walking. 
Participants in the site visit will need to provide their own 
transportation (carpooling will be encouraged) and bring their own 
lunch/water. Anyone planning to attend the site visit needs to contact 
Susan O'Brien at (202) 502-8449 or susan.obrien@ferc.gov by June 9, 
2005. The time and location of the site visit is as follows:

Public Site Visit

    Date: Tuesday, June 14, 2005.
    Time: 9 a.m.-3 p.m. (PDT).
    Place: Meet at Likely Fire Hall (in parking lot), Route 395, 
Likely, California.
    Scoping Meetings: Commission staff will hold two scoping meetings 
in the project area to ensure all interested parties have an 
opportunity to attend. All interested resource agencies, non-
governmental organizations, Native American tribes, and individuals are 
invited to attend one or both of the meetings. The times and locations 
of these meetings are as follows:

Daytime Public Scoping Meeting

    Date: Wednesday, June 15, 2005.
    Time: 10 a.m. (PDT).
    Place: Likely Fire Hall, Route 395, Likely California.

Evening Pubic Scoping Meeting

    Date: Wednesday, June 15, 2005.
    Time: 6:30 p.m. (PDT).
    Place: Likely Fire Hall, Route 395, Likely California.
    Copies of the Scoping Document (SD) outlining the subject areas to 
be addressed in the EA were mailed to all parties on the Commission's 
mailing list and will be available at the scoping meetings. Copies may 
also be viewed on the Commission's Web site at https://www.ferc.gov 
using the ``eLibrary'' link [see item (n.) above]. The Scoping meetings 
and site visit are posted on the Commission's calendar located on the 
Internet at https://www.ferc.gov/EventCalendar/EventsList.aspx along 
with other related information.
    Objectives: At the scoping meetings, staff will: (1) Summarize the 
environmental issues tentatively identified for analysis in the EA; (2) 
solicit from the meeting participants all available information, 
especially empirical data, on the resources at issue; (3) encourage 
statements from experts and participants on issues that should be 
analyzed in the EA, including viewpoints in opposition to, or in 
support of, the staff's preliminary view; (4) determine the resource 
issues to be addressed in the EA; and (5) identify those issues that do 
not require a detailed analysis.
    Procedures: The meetings will be recorded by a stenographer and 
become part of the formal record of the Commission proceeding on the 
project.
    Individuals, organizations, resource agencies, and Indian tribes 
with environmental expertise and concerns are encouraged to attend the 
meetings and to assist Commission staff in defining and clarifying the 
issues to be addressed in the EA.
    q. Procedural schedule: The application will be processed according 
to the following Hydro Exemption Schedule. Revisions to the schedule 
will be made as appropriate.

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          Major milestone                        Target date
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Issue Scoping Document.............  May 2005.
Site visit and Scoping Meetings....  June 14-15, 2005.
Scoping Comments due...............  July 11, 2005.
Additional Information Request       August 2005.
 (AIR).
AIR Response due from Applicant....  November 2005.
Notice that application is ready     November 2005.
 for environmental analysis.
Comments, Terms and Conditions due.  January 2006.
Reply Comments due.................  March 2006.
Environmental Assessment Issued....  April 2006.
Ready for Commission's decision on   June 2006.
 the application.
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Magalie R. Salas,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. E5-2532 Filed 5-19-05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P