Snohomish County Public Utility District No. 1 and City of Everett; Notice of Intent To File License Application, Filing of Pre-Application Document, Commencement of Licensing Proceeding, Scoping Meetings, Solicitation of Comments on the PAD and Scoping Document, and Identification of Issues and Associated Study Requests, 6469-6470 [E6-1657]

Agencies

• DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
• Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 26 (Wednesday, February 8, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 6469-6470]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-1657]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Project No. 2157-167]


Snohomish County Public Utility District No. 1 and City of 
Everett; Notice of Intent To File License Application, Filing of Pre-
Application Document, Commencement of Licensing Proceeding, Scoping 
Meetings, Solicitation of Comments on the PAD and Scoping Document, and 
Identification of Issues and Associated Study Requests

January 30, 2006.
    a. Type of Filing: Notice of Intent to File License Application for 
a New License and Pre-Application Document; Commencing Licensing 
Proceeding.
    b. Project No.: 2157-167.
    c. Dated Filed: December 1, 2005.
    d. Submitted By: Snohomish County Public Utility District (PUD) No. 
1 and City of Everett (co-licensees).
    e. Name of Project: Henry M. Jackson Hydroelectric Project.
    f. Location: The Henry M. Jackson Hydroelectric Project is located 
on the Sultan River in Snohomish County, Washington. The project 
occupies lands of the Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest.
    g. Filed Pursuant to: 18 CFR Part 5 of the Commission's 
Regulations.
    h. Potential Applicant Contact: Glen Mixdorf, Relicensing Team 
Lead, Snohomish County PUD No. 1, 2320 California St, Everett, WA, 
98201, (425) 783-8607 or via e-mail at grmixdorf@snopud.com.
    i. FERC Contact: Linda Lehman Stewart (202) 502-6680 or via e-mail 
at linda.stewart@ferc.gov.
    j. The Snohomish County PUD No. 1 and City of Everett filed a Pre-
Application Document (PAD), including a proposed process plan and 
schedule, with the Commission pursuant to 18 CFR 5.6 of the 
Commission's regulations.
    k. With this notice, we are initiating informal consultation with: 
(a) the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and NOAA Fisheries under section 
7 of the Endangered Species Act and the joint agency regulations at 50 
CFR, Part 402; (b) NOAA Fisheries under section 305(b) of the Magnuson-
Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act and implementing 
regulations at 50 CFR 600.920; and (c) the State Historic Preservation 
Officer, as required by section 106, National Historical Preservation 
Act, and the implementing regulations of the Advisory Council on 
Historic Preservation at 36 CFR 800.2.
    l. With this notice, we are designating the Snohomish County PUD 
No. 1 and City of Everett as the Commission's non-federal 
representative for carrying out informal consultation, pursuant to 
section 7 of the Endangered Species Act, section 305 of the Magnuson-
Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, and section 106 of the 
National Historic Preservation Act.
    m. Copies of the PAD and Scoping Document 1 (SD1) are available for 
review at the Commission in the Public Reference Room or may be viewed 
on the Commission's Web site (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, of for TTY, (202) 502-8659. A copy is 
also available for inspection and reproduction at the address in 
paragraph h.
    Register online at https://ferc.gov/esubscribenow.htm to be notified 
via e-mail of new filing and issuances related to this or other pending 
projects. For assistance, contact FERC Online Support.
    n. With this notice, we are soliciting comments on the PAD and SD1 
as well as study requests. All comments on the PAD and SD1, and study 
requests should be sent to the address above in paragraph h. In 
addition, all comments on the PAD and SD1, study requests, requests for 
cooperating agency status, and all communications to Commission staff 
related to the merits of the potential application (original and eight 
copies) must be filed with the Commission at the following address: 
Magalie R. Salas, Secretary, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 
First Street, NE., Washington, DC 20426. All filings with the 
Commission must include on the first page, the project name (Henry M. 
Jackson Hydroelectric Project) and number (P-2157-167), and bear the 
appropriate descriptive heading ``Comments on Pre-Application 
Document,'' ``Study Requests,'' ``Comments on Scoping Document 1,'' 
``Request for Cooperating Agency Status,'' or ``Communications to and 
from Commission Staff.'' Any

[[Page 6470]]

individual or entity interested in submitting study requests, 
commenting on the PAD or SD1, and any agency requesting cooperating 
status must do so by March 31, 2006.
    Comments on the PAD and SD1, study requests, requests for 
cooperating agency status, and other permissible forms of 
communications with the Commission 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) under the ``e-
filing'' link.
    o. At this time, Commission staff intends to prepare an 
Environmental Assessment (EA) for the project, in accordance with the 
National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA).

Scoping Meetings

    We will hold two scoping meetings at the times and places noted 
below. The daytime meeting will focus on resource agency, Indian 
tribes, and non-governmental organization concerns, while the evening 
meeting is primarily for receiving input from the public. We invite all 
interested individuals, organizations, and agencies to attend one or 
both of the meetings, and to assist staff in identifying particular 
study needs, as well as the scope of environmental issues to be 
addressed in the environmental document. The times and locations of 
these meetings are as follows:

Evening Scoping Meeting

    Date and Time: Monday, February 27, 2006, 7 p.m. (p.s.t.).
    Location: PUD Electric Building Headquarters, 2320 California 
Street, Everett, Washington.
    Directions: Arriving from Interstate 5, southbound: Take Exit 194, 
follow City Center signs onto Everett Avenue, westbound (right). Turn 
left at Virginia Avenue. Turn right at California Street.
    Arriving from Interstate 5, northbound: Take Exit 193, turn left 
onto Pacific Avenue. Turn right at Cedar, and then left onto Hewitt 
Avenue. Turn right at Virginia Avenue.
    For additional information: Please contact Ms. Dawn Presler, 
Relicensing Information Coordinator, Snohomish County PUD No. 1, (425) 
783-1709 or DJPresler@SNOPUD.com.

Daytime Scoping Meeting

    Date and Time: Tuesday, February 28, 2006, 10 a.m. (p.s.t.).
    Location: Washington State Department of Ecology, Headquarters/
Southwest Regional Office, 300 Desmond Drive, Lacey, Washington.
    Directions: Arriving from Interstate 5, southbound: Take Martin Way 
Exit 109, turn left onto Martin Way. At the third traffic light turn 
right onto Desmond Drive. Head uphill and at the intersection turn left 
and proceed along the front of the Headquarters building. Proceed past 
a stop sign at the main entrance and find the visitors parking lot on 
the left.
    Arriving from Interstate 5, northbound: Take Martin Way Exit 109, 
turn right onto Martin Way. At the second traffic light turn right onto 
Desmond Drive. Head uphill and at the intersection turn left and 
proceed along the front of the Headquarters building. Proceed past a 
stop sign at the main entrance and find the visitors parking lot on the 
left.
    Please note that parking is limited and carpools are encouraged. If 
the visitors parking lots are full, retrace your route to Desmond Drive 
and take a left at the stop sign onto Desmond Drive. Continue around 
and park at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service building (510 Desmond 
Drive) and walk across the field to the Washington State Department of 
Ecology building.
    Please check in at the front desk upon arriving at the Washington 
State Department of Ecology office building.
    SD1, which outlines the subject areas to be addressed in the 
environmental document, has been mailed to the individuals and entities 
on the Commission's mailing list. Copies of SD1 will be available at 
the scoping meetings, or may be viewed on the web at https://
www.ferc.gov, using the ``eLibrary'' link. Follow the directions for 
accessing information in paragraph m. Depending on the extent of 
comments received, a Scoping Document 2 (SD2) may or may not be issued.

Site Visit

    A site visit is typically held in conjunction with the scoping 
meeting. However, anticipating that access to some project facilities 
would be limited by winter weather, the co-licensees hosted a project 
site visit on October 17, 2005. The site visit was noticed by the 
Commission on September 20, 2005 and attended by Commission staff on 
October 17, 2005. For these reasons, the Commission will not host its 
own site visit in conjunction with its NEPA scoping meeting.

Scoping Meeting Objectives

    At the scoping meetings, staff will: (1) Present the proposed list 
of issues to be addressed in the EA; (2) review and discuss existing 
conditions and resource agency management objectives; (3) review and 
discuss existing information and identify preliminary information and 
study needs; (4) review and discuss the process plan and schedule for 
pre-filing activity that incorporates the time frames provided for in 
Part 5 of the Commission's regulations and, to the extent possible, 
maximizes coordination of federal, state, and tribal permitting and 
certification processes; and (5) discuss requests by any Federal or 
state agency or Indian tribe acting as a cooperating agency for 
development of an environmental document.
    Meeting participants should come prepared to discuss their issues 
and/or concerns. Please review the Pre-Application Document in 
preparation for the scoping meetings. Directions on how to obtain a 
copy of the PAD and SD1 are included in paragraph m of this document.

Scoping Meeting Procedures

    The scoping meetings will be recorded by a stenographer and will 
become part of the formal Commission record on the project.

Magalie R. Salas,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. E6-1657 Filed 2-7-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P