

[Federal Register: February 8, 2006 (Volume 71, Number 26)]
[Notices]
[Page 6469-6470]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr08fe06-81]

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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 (http://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 http://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 (http://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 http://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
