# Petersburg Municipal Power and Light; Notice of Scoping Meetings and Project Facilities Tour Pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 for an Applicant Prepared Environmental Assessment > Briefs, arguments, decisions, and more. URL: https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/documents/fr%3A99-29273 ## Record - **Collection:** Federal Register - **Document type:** Notice - **Published:** November 9, 1999 - **Citation:** 64 FR 61108 ## Text DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY Federal Energy Regulatory Commission [Project No. 201] Petersburg Municipal Power and Light; Notice of Scoping Meetings and Project Facilities Tour Pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 for an Applicant Prepared Environmental Assessment November 3, 1999. The Commission's regulations allow applicants the option of preparing their own Environmental Assessment (EA) for hydropower projects, and filing the EA with their application as part of an alternative licensing procedure.\1\ On September 8, 1999, the Commission approved the use of an alternative licensing procedure in the preparation of a new license application for Petersburg Municipal Power and Light's (Petersburg), Blind Slough Project, No. 201. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- \1\ 81 FERC para. 61,103 (1997) --------------------------------------------------------------------------- The alternative procedures include provisions for the distribution of an initial information package, and for the cooperative scoping of environmental issues and needed studies. During the week of November 1, 1999, Petersburg will distribute a Scoping Document (SD1) and initial information package.\2\ Two public meetings will be held to discuss these documents. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- \2\ Copies of these documents can be obtained by calling Nan Nalder at 206-281-7079 or e-mail [email protected] --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Combined Scoping and Initial Information Meetings Petersburg will hold public scoping meetings on December 13, 1999, pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969. At the scoping meetings, Petersburg will: (1) Summarize the material presented in the initial information package and the environmental issues tentatively identified in the scoping document for analysis in the EA; (2) outline any resources they believe would not require a detailed analysis; (3) identify reasonable alternatives to be addressed in the EA; (4) solicit from the meeting participants all available information, especially quantitative data, on the resources at issue; and (5) encourage statements from experts and the public on issues that should be analyzed in the EA. Although Petersburg's intent is to prepare an EA, there is the possibility that an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) will be required. Nevertheless, this [[Page 61109]] meeting will satisfy the NEPA scoping requirements, irrespective of whether an EA or EIS is issued by the Commission. The times and locations of the scoping meetings are: Agency Scoping Meeting December 13, 1999, 9:00 am to 11:30 pm, Alaska division of Governmental Coordination, 240 Main Street, 3rd Floor conference Room, Juneau, AK 99811 Public Scoping Meeting December 13, 1999, 7:00 pm to 8:30 pm, City Council Chambers, 12 South Nordic, Petersburg, AK 00883 All interested individuals, organizations, and agencies are invited and encouraged to attend any or all of the meetings to assist in identifying and clarifying the scope of environmental issues that should be analyzed in the EA. Project Tour A visit to the project facilities (powerhouse, tailrace area, lower penstock) is tentatively scheduled for December 14, 1999, weather permitting. Access to the project dam requires air transport which will very likely be unavailable due to low visibility, but can be arranged for a later date. Those interested in visiting the project on December 14, should contact Dennis Lewis of Petersburg at 907-772-4203. Scoping Meeting Procedures The meetings will be conducted according to the procedures used at Commission scoping meetings. Because this meeting will be a NEPA scoping meeting under the APEA process, the Commission does not intend to conduct a NEPA scoping meeting after Petersburg's application and EA are filed with the Commission. Instead, Commission staff will attend the meetings on December 13, 1999. Both scoping meetings will be recorded by a court reporter, and the transcripts will become part of the formal record for this project. Those who choose not to speak during the scoping meetings may instead submit written comments on the project. Written comments should be mailed or e-mailed to: Nan A. Nalder, Relicensing Manager, Acres International, 3254-11th Avenue West, Seattle, WA 98119, [email protected]. Commenting Deadline All correspondence should be postmarked no later than February 15, 2000. Comments should show the following caption on the first page: Scoping Comments, Blind Slough Hydroelectric Project, Project No. 201. For further information please contact Vince Yearick of the Commission at (202) 219-3073. David P. Boergers, Secretary. [FR Doc. 99-29273 Filed 11-8-99; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 6717-01-M --- Source: Frix Law Library, https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/documents/fr%3A99-29273. Public record. Not legal advice.