Susitna dam scoping meetings begin Tuesday

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission will host a series of public scoping meetings on the proposed Susitna dam March 27 to 29 to identify significant environmental and socioeconomic issues, cumulative impacts, current resources and their uses and to identify alternatives to the dam.

Scoping will identify the range of issues that will be analyzed in the Environmental Impact Statement, including no action alternative/license denial, moving forward with the Alaska Energy Authority dam proposal and alternatives to the proposed dam.

FERC will take oral and written testimony locally at the following locations and times:

• March 27, 6 to 10 p.m., at the Curtis D. Menard Memorial Sports Center, 1001 S. Mack Dr., Wasilla.

• March 28, 6 to 10 p.m., at the Susitna Valley Jr.-Sr. High School, 42728 S. Parks Highway, Sunshine.

• March 28, 6 to 9 p.m., at the Caribou Café Banquet Room, Mile 187, Glenn Highway, Glennallen.

• March 29, 6 to 10 p.m., at the Cantwell Community Hall, Mile 133.1, Denali Highway, Cantwell.

FERC will accept written comments until April 27. All written comments must be clearly identified on the first page: Susitna-Watana Project (P-14241-000). FERC encourages electronic filing, but comments can be paper filed.

For paper filing, mail an original and seven copies to: Kimberly D. Bose, Secretary, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 First Street, N.E., Washington, D.C., 20426. Email comments less than 6,000 characters to ferc.gov/docs-filing/ecomment.asp. Or, send longer comments to ferc.gov/docs-filing/efiling.asp.