Overview
Title
Idaho Power Company; Notice of Meeting
Agencies
ELI5 AI
The people who help with the country's energy will talk on a phone call with a special group of Native Americans about a project involving a big river dam. Some people can listen in, but only a few can talk, and if they talk about secret places, the others won't be allowed to listen to that part.
Summary AI
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) staff will meet with members of the Burns Paiute Tribe to discuss the proposed Hells Canyon Hydroelectric Project. This meeting, occurring on January 28, 2020, will be a teleconference. While the public, certain agencies, and Idaho Power Company can attend the meeting, only tribal representatives and Commission staff are allowed to participate. If sensitive information regarding Native American cultural sites is shared, the public will be excused during those portions. Interested attendees should contact Michael Davis by January 25, 2020, to receive the necessary teleconference details.
Keywords AI
Sources
AnalysisAI
The document is a notice about a meeting to be held by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) with the Burns Paiute Tribe regarding the proposed Hells Canyon Hydroelectric Project. Scheduled for January 28, 2020, the meeting mentioned in the notice is actually intended to take place in 2021, given the document's publication date of January 11, 2021; this suggests a typographical error. The meeting will be conducted via teleconference and is primarily structured as a forum for tribal representatives and Commission staff to discuss pertinent issues related to the project.
Significant Issues and Concerns
One of the notable concerns is the incorrect date mentioned for the meeting. The document's text states a meeting date in 2020, which precedes the publication date of January 11, 2021. This discrepancy indicates a mistake, and stakeholders should be aware that the year is likely intended to be 2021. Such errors could lead to confusion among those wishing to attend.
Another point of ambiguity arises where the notice indicates that members of the public, intervenors, and agencies may attend the meeting but clarifies that participation is restricted to tribal representatives and Commission staff. This could lead to misunderstandings about the level of engagement attendees can expect.
Furthermore, there is a statement regarding the potential disclosure of sensitive information that may pertain to risks or harm to archeological sites or Native American cultural resources. If such information is revealed during the meeting, the document uses passive voice to state that "the public will be excused," which could be more clearly articulated to specify who will enforce this action.
Public Impact
For the general public, the document serves both as an informative notice and an invitation to attend as observers to the discussions about the Hells Canyon Hydroelectric Project. The involvement of FERC and tribal representatives underscores the collaborative efforts to address environmental and cultural concerns associated with the project. However, due to potential confidentiality about cultural sites, public participation might be limited during specific parts of the meeting, highlighting the sensitivity and importance of protecting cultural resources.
Impact on Specific Stakeholders
For the Burns Paiute Tribe, the meeting presents a critical opportunity to voice concerns and insights regarding the proposed project, particularly related to cultural and archeological interests. Adequate measures need to be taken to ensure that these concerns are heard and properly addressed to protect the cultural heritage of the tribe.
Idaho Power Company, as a stakeholder in this project, might leverage the information exchanged during the meeting to better align its project specifications with environmental regulations and cultural considerations. This engagement could potentially streamline future proceedings by preemptively addressing tribal concerns.
In summary, while the document primarily provides notice of an upcoming meeting with the Burns Paiute Tribe, it contains certain errors and ambiguities that need clarification. These issues notwithstanding, the meeting itself is an essential step in ensuring that the proposed hydroelectric project proceeds with due regard for both environmental impact and cultural significance.
Issues
• The meeting date mentioned in the document text (January 28, 2020) appears to be incorrect given that the document is dated January 11, 2021. It is likely a typographical error and the intended meeting year should be 2021, not 2020.
• The document states that members of the public, intervenors, and agencies may attend the meeting but then limits participation to tribal representatives and Commission staff, causing a potential contradiction or ambiguity regarding who can actually participate.
• The phrase 'If the Burns Paiute Tribe decides to disclose information about a specific location which could create a risk or harm to an archeological site or Native American cultural resource, the public will be excused for that portion of the meeting' uses passive voice and could be rephrased for clarity and active voice usage.