[Federal Register: July 1, 1998 (Volume 63, Number 126)]
[Notices]               
[Page 35924-35925]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr01jy98-79]

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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
[Project No. 11508-001]

 
Alaska Power and Telephone Company; Notice of Intent To Prepare 
an Environmental Assessment and Conduct Public Scoping Meetings and a 
Site Visit

June 25, 1998.
    The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (Commission) has received 
an application from the Alaska Power and Telephone Company (AP&T) to 
license the Wolf Lake Hydroelectric Project, Project No. 11508-001. The 
proposed 2.2-megawatt project would be located on the east side of 
Prince of Wales Island along Twelvemile Arm, near Hollis, Alaska.
    The Commission intends to prepare an Environmental Assessment (EA) 
for the project in accordance with the National Environmental Policy 
Act. In the EA, we will objectively analyze both site-specific and 
cumulative environmental impacts of the project, and reasonable 
alternatives as proposed by AP&T, as well as, economic and engineering 
impacts.
    The draft EA will be issued and circulated to those on the mailing 
lists for this project. All comments filed on the draft EA will be 
analyzed by the staff and considered in a final EA. The staff's 
conclusions and recommendations presented in the final EA will then be 
presented to the Commission to assist in making a licensing decision.

Scoping

    At this time, we are asking agencies, native Alaskans, non-
governmental organizations, and individuals to help us identify the 
scope of environmental issues that should be analyzed in the EA, and to 
provide us with information that may be useful in preparing the EA.
    To help focus comments on the environmental issues, a scoping 
document outlining subject areas to be addressed in the EA will soon be 
mailed to those on the mailing list for the project. Those not on the 
mailing list may request a copy of the scoping document from the 
project coordinator, whose telephone number is listed below. Copies of 
the scoping document will also be available at the scoping meetings.

Scoping Meetings

    Two scoping meetings will be held to hear comments on the project 
that could assist FERC staff in identifying the

[[Page 35925]]

scope of environmental issues that should be analyzed in the EA. A 
public meeting will be held at 6:30 PM on Wednesday, July 29, 1998, at 
the Hollis Public Library, in Hollis, Alaska. The agency scoping 
meeting will be held at 1:30 PM on Thursday, July 30, 1998, at the 
State Capitol Building, Governor's Conference Room, 3rd Floor, corner 
of 4th and Main Streets, Juneau, Alaska. The public and the agencies 
may attend either or both meetings, however.

Objectives

    At the scoping meetings the staff will: (1) identify preliminary 
environmental issues related to the proposed project: (2) identify 
preliminary resource issues that are not important and do not require 
detailed analysis; (3) identify reasonable alternatives to be addressed 
in the EA; (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 EA, including points of view in opposition 
to, or in support of, the staff's preliminary views.

Procedures

    The scoping meetings will be recorded by a court reporter, and all 
statements will become part of the Commission's public record for the 
project. Individuals, organizations, and agencies with environmental 
expertise and concerns are encouraged to attend the meetings and assist 
the staff in defining and clarifying and issues to be addressed in the 
EA.
    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. All 
written correspondence should clearly show the following caption on the 
first page: Wolf Lake Hydroelectric Project, FERC Project No. 11508-
001. Comments and information are due to the Commission no later than 
August 31, 1998.
    Those with comments or information pertaining to this project 
should file it with the Commission at the following address: David P. 
Boergers, Acting Secretary, Office of the Secretary, Federal Energy 
Regulatory Commission, 888 First Street, NE, Washington, DC 20426.
    Intervenors--those on the Commission's service list for this 
proceeding (parties)--are reminded of the Commission's Rules of 
Practice and Procedure, requiring parties filing documents with the 
Commission, to serve a copy of the document on each person whose name 
appears on the official service list. Further, if a party or interceder 
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

    There will be a tour of the proposed project site on Tuesday, July 
28, 1998, to familiarize concerned individuals with the project. 
Because of the absence of road access at the proposed project site, 
transportation to the project site would be via helicopter from a 
location to be identified in Hollis. Those interested in going on the 
site visit should call the AP&T contact, Mr. Greg Mickelson at (907) 
826-3202 by July 21, 1998, for details. The trip is expected to last 
several hours. In the event of inclement weather or if we are unable to 
get to the proposed site on the scheduled date, the alternate site 
visit would be on Wednesday, July 29, 1998, at the same meeting place 
and time as the preferred scheduled visit.
    Any questions regarding this notice maybe directed to Mr. Carl 
Keller at FERC, (202) 219-2831.
David P. Boergers,
Acting Secetary.
[FR Doc. 98-17428 Filed 6-30-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-M