Daytime and Evening Scoping Sessions for the Main Canal Headworks Hydroelectric Project (P-2849-017)

Project No. 2849-017

Commission staff will hold two scoping sessions in the vicinity of the project at the time and place noted below.  All interested individuals, organizations, and agencies are invited to attend one or both of the sessions to provide oral comments.  The times and locations of these sessions are as follows:

Daytime Scoping Session
DATE:  Wednesday, September 23, 2026
TIME:  9:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. Pacific Daylight Time (PDT)
LOCATION:  Columbia Basin Hydropower
ADDRESS:  107 D Street NW,  Ephrata, Washington 98823

Evening Scoping Session
DATE:  Wednesday, September 23, 2026
TIME:  7:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. PDT
LOCATION:  Columbia Basin Hydropower 
ADDRESS:  107 D Street NW,  Ephrata, Washington 98823

September 24, 2026: Environmental Site Review of the Main Canal Headworks Hydroelectric Project (P-2849-017)

Objectives

The primary goal of these scoping sessions is to have you identify the specific environmental issues and concerns that should be considered in the environmental document.  Commission staff will prepare either an environmental assessment (EA) or an environmental impact statement (EIS) that will present Commission staff’s independent analysis of the issues.  The Commission’s scoping process will help determine the required level of analysis and satisfy the NEPA scoping requirements, irrespective of whether the Commission prepares an EA or an EIS.

Scoping session participants should come prepared to discuss their issues and/or concerns. Please review the PAD and SD1 in preparation for the scoping sessions.  Directions on how to obtain a copy of the PAD and SD1 are included in item n. of this document.

Meeting Procedures

The scoping sessions will begin promptly at their respective start times listed above.  If you wish to speak, Commission staff will hand out numbers in the order of your arrival.  If no additional numbers have been handed out and all individuals who wish to provide comments have had an opportunity to do so, staff may conclude the session a half hour earlier than the scheduled time. 

Your oral comments will be recorded by a court reporter (with FERC staff or FERC representative present) and become part of the public record for this proceeding. Transcripts will be publicly available on FERC’s eLibrary system (see paragraph (n) of this notice for instructions on using eLibrary).  If a significant number of people are interested in providing oral comments in the one-on-one settings, a time limit of 5 minutes may be implemented for each commentor.  Although there will not be a formal presentation, Commission staff will be available throughout the scoping session to answer your questions about the environmental review process. Representatives from CBH will also be present to answer project-specific questions. 

Proper conduct will help the sessions maintain a respectful atmosphere for attendees to provide comments effectively.  Loudspeakers, lighting, oversized visual aids, other visual or audible disturbances, and disruptive video and photographic equipment are not permitted. Recorded interviews are also not permitted within the session space.  FERC reserves the right to end the session if disruptions interfere with the opportunity for individuals to provide oral comments or if there is a safety or security risk. 

It is important to note that the Commission provides equal consideration to all comments received, whether filed in written form or provided orally at a scoping session. 

Contact

For public inquiries and assistance with making filings such as interventions, comments, or requests for rehearing, contact the Office of Public Participation at (202) 502-6595 or [email protected].