Indiana Michigan Power Company; Notice of Intent to Prepare an Environmental Assessment and Notice of Solicitation of Written Scoping Comments

[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 226 (Tuesday, November 24, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Page 64955]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-31300]



[[Page 64955]]

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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
[Project No. 2651-000]


Indiana Michigan Power Company; Notice of Intent to Prepare an 
Environmental Assessment and Notice of Solicitation of Written Scoping 
Comments

November 18, 1998.
    The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (Commission) has received 
an application from Indiana Michigan Power Company (IMPC) to relicense 
the Elkhart Hydroelectric Project No. 2651. The 3.44-megawatt (MW) 
project is located on the St. Joseph River near Elkhart, in Elkhart 
County, Indiana.
    The application is available at the Commission's Internet Website 
at www.ferc.fed.us.
    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 consider reasonable alternatives to the project 
as proposed by IMPC, and analyze both site-specific and cumulative 
environmental impacts of the project as well as economic and 
engineering impacts.
    A draft EA will be issued and circulated to those on the mailing 
list for this project. The staff will analyze all comments filed on the 
draft EA and consider them in the 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

    We are asking agencies, Native American tribes, 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.
    Those with comments or information pertaining to this project 
should file it with the Commission at the following address: David P. 
Boergers, Secretary, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 First 
Street, NE, Washington, DC 20426.
    The comments and information are due to the Commission within 60 
days from the issuance date of the scoping document. All filings should 
clearly show the following on the first page: Elkhart Hydroelectric 
Project, FERC No. 2651.
    Intervenors are reminded of the Commission's Rules of Practice and 
Procedure that require all intervenors filing documents with the 
Commission to serve a copy of that document on each person whose name 
appears on the official service list for the project. Further, if an 
intervenor files comments or documents with the Commission relating to 
the merits of an issue that may affect the responsibilities of a 
particular resource agency, it must also serve a copy of the document 
on that resource agency.
    Questions regarding this notice may be directed to E.R. Meyer, 
Project Coordinator, at (202) 208-7998.
Linwood A. Watson, Jr.
Acting Secretary.
[FR Doc. 98-31300 Filed 11-23-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-M