SCH Number 2019059010

Project Info

Title

McCloud-Pit Hydroelectric Project

Description

The McCloud-Pit Hydroelectric Project (Project) is owned and operated by the Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E). The Project is located on the McCloud River, Iron Canyon Creek, and Pit River, in Shasta and Siskiyou counties, California. The 368-megawatt Project consists of three power-generating developments: James B. Black; Pit 6; and Pit 7. These developments collectively include two storage reservoirs (McCloud and Iron Canyon), two regulating reservoirs (Pit 6 and Pit 7), one afterbay (Pit 7), three powerhouses (James B. Black, Pit 6, and Pit 7), five dams (Pit 6, Pit 7, Pit 7 Afterbay, Iron Canyon, and McCloud), two tunnels, and associated equipment and transmission facilities. The State Water Resources Control Board (State Water Board) plans to prepare a subsequent environmental impact report (EIR) for the Project. On November 8, 2019, the State Water Board issued the Initial Study/Negative Declaration (IS/ND) and water quality certification (certification) for the Project. The Project is not changing. Instead, new information of substantial importance, which was not known and could not have been known with the exercise of reasonable diligence at the time the IS/ND was adopted, warrants preparation of a subsequent EIR to assess the Project’s effects in light of the new information. (Cal. Code Regs., tit. 14, § 15162(b).) More specifically, additional information regarding tribal cultural resources, which could not be developed prior to the adoption of the IS/ND due to the strict deadlines associated with issuing Section 401 water quality certifications, is now available to the State Water Board. The subsequent EIR will consider this new information in reviewing the potential impacts of the Project and measures for mitigation of impacts determined to be significant.

4 documents in project