Applications, hearings, determinations, etc.: Holyoke Water Power Co. et al.,

[Federal Register: January 14, 1998 (Volume 63, Number 9)]

[Notices]

[Page 2225]

From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

[DOCID:fr14ja98-60]

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Project Nos. 2004-073 and 11607-000]

Holyoke Water Power Company, Ashburnham Municipal Light Plant and Massachusetts Municipal Wholesale Electric Company; Notice of Intent to Conduct Public Scoping Meetings for the Holyoke Project on the Connecticut River

January 8, 1998.

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (Commission) is reviewing the Holyoke Water Power Company's application for a new license for the continued operation of the Holyoke Project on the Connecticut River, Massachusetts. The Commission is similarly reviewing a competing application for the Holyoke Project by Ashburnham Municipal Light Plant and the Massachusetts Municipal Wholesale Electric Company. The Commission will hold scoping meetings on January 28 and 29, 1998, in preparation for completing an Environmental Assessment (EA), under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), for relicensing the Holyoke Project.

Commission staff will hold the scoping meetings in the vicinity of the Holyoke Project: One evening meeting and one morning meeting. The evening meeting will focus on receiving input from the public, whereas the morning meeting will focus on resource agency concerns. We invite all interested agencies, NGOs, and individuals to attend one or both of the meetings, and to assist staff in identifying the scope of environmental issues that should be analyzed in the EA. The times and locations of these meetings are shown below. Evening Scoping Meeting

Date: Wednesday, January 28, 1998.

Time: 7:00 p.m. until 10:00 p.m.

Place: Holiday Inn, 245 Whiting Farms Road, Holyoke, MA 01040. Morning Scoping Meeting

Date: Thursday, January 29, 1998.

Time: 9:00 a.m. until 12:00 noon.

Place: Holiday Inn, 245 Whiting Farms Road, Holyoke, MA 01040.

To help focus discussions, we will distribute a Scoping Document (SDI) outlining the areas to the addressed at the meetings to the parties on the Commission's mailing list. Copies of the SDI also will be available at the scoping meetings.

At the scoping meetings, the staff will: (1) Summarize the environmental issues tentatively identified for analysis in the EA; (2) solicit from the meeting participants all available information, especially quantifiable data, on the resources at issue; (3) encourage statements on environmental issues that should be analyzed in the EA, including opinions in favor of, or in opposition to, the staff's preliminary list of issues; (4) determine the depth of analysis for issues addressed in the EA; and (5) identify resource issues that will not require detailed analysis in the EA.

The scoping meetings will be recorded by a court reporter, and all statements (oral and written) will become part of the Commission's public record for the project. Before each meeting starts, all individuals who attend, especially those individuals that intend to make statements during the meeting, will be asked to sign in and clearly identify themselves for the record prior to speaking. Time allotted for representations will be determined by staff based on the length of the meetings and the number of people wanting to speak. All speakers will be provided at least five minutes to present their views.

Interested parties who choose not to speak, or are unable to attend the scoping meetings, may provide written comments and information to the Commission until February 13, 1998. Written comments and information should be submitted to the Secretary, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 First Street, N.E., Washington, D.C. 20426.

The first page of all filings should indicate ``Holyoke Project, FERC No. 2004-073 and/or Holyoke Project, FERC No. 11607-000'' at the top of the page. All filings sent to the Secretary of the Commission should contain an original and eight copies. Failure to file an original and eight copies may result in appropriate staff not receiving the benefit of your comments in a timely manner. Furthermore, participants in this proceeding are reminded that if they file comments with the Commission, they must serve a copy of their filing to the parties on the Commission's service list.

For further information, please contact Allan Creamer at (202) 219- 0365. David P. Boergers, Acting Secretary.

[FR Doc. 98-834Filed1-13-98; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6717-01-M