[Federal Register: July 19, 2005 (Volume 70, Number 137)]
[Notices]
[Page 41397-41398]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr19jy05-46]
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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
[Project Nos. 400-043 and 12589-000-Colorado]
Public Service Company of Colorado; Notice of Scoping Meetings
and Site Visits
July 13, 2005.
a. Type of Filings: Notice of Intent to File License Applications
for New Licenses; Pre-Application Documents; Commencement of Licensing
Proceedings.
b. Project Nos.: 400-043 and 12589-000.
c. Dated Filed: May 20, 2005.
d. Submitted By: Public Service Company of Colorado (PSCo)
e. Name of Projects: Tacoma Hydroelectric Project No. 12589 and
Ames Hydroelectric Project No. 400.
f. Locations: The Tacoma Hydroelectric Project is located on
Cascade Creek, Little Cascade Creek, Elbert Creek, and the Animas River
in La Plata and San Juan Counties, Colorado. The Tacoma Project
occupies lands of the San Juan National Forest.
The Ames Hydroelectric Project is located on the Lake Fork, Howards
Fork, and South Fork of the San Miguel River, in San Miguel County,
Colorado. The Ames Project occupies lands of the Uncompahgre National
Forest.
g. Filed Pursuant to: 18 CFR part 5 of the Commission's
Regulations.
h. Potential Applicant Contact: Alfred Hughes, Supervisor, Hydro
West, Xcel Energy, P.O. Box 8098, Durango, Colorado 81301 (970) 247-
8363.
i. FERC Contact: David Turner (202) 502-6091 or via e-mail at
david.turner@ferc.gov.
j. PSCo filed Pre-Application Documents (PADs) for the Tacoma and
Ames Projects, including proposed process plans and schedules, with the
Commission pursuant to 18 CFR 5.6 of the Commission's regulations. PSCo
is seeking a separate license for each development; both are currently
licensed under the Tacoma-Ames Project No. 400.
k. Copies of the PADs and Scoping Document 1 (SD1) are available
for review at the Commission in the Public Reference Room or may be
viewed on the Commission's Web site (http://www.ferc.gov), using the
``eLibrary'' link. Enter the docket number, excluding the last three
digits, in the docket number field to access the document. For
assistance, contact FERC Online Support at FERCONlineSupport@ferc.gov
or toll free at 1-866-208-3676, or for TTY, (202) 502-8659. A copy is
also available for inspection and reproduction at the address in
paragraph h.
Register online at http://ferc.gov/esubscribenow.htm to be notified
via e-mail of new filings and issuances related to these or other
pending projects. For assistance, contact FERC Online Support.
l. With this notice, we are soliciting comments on SD1. All
comments on SD1 should be sent to the address above in paragraph h. In
addition, all comments on the PADs and SD1, study requests, requests
for cooperating agency status, and all communications to Commission
staff related to the merits of the potential applications (original and
eight copies) must be filed with the Commission at the following
address: Magalie R. Salas, Secretary, Federal Energy Regulatory
Commission, 888 First Street, NE., Washington, DC 20426. All filings
with the Commission relevant to the Tacoma Hydroelectric Project must
include on the first page, the project name, (Tacoma Hydroelectric
Project) and number (P-12589-000), and bear the heading, as
appropriate, ``Comments on Scoping Document 1.'' All filings with the
Commission relevant to the Ames Project must include on the first page,
the project name (Ames Hydroelectric Project) and number (P-400-043) on
the first page, and the appropriate heading as noted above. Any
individual or entity interested in commenting on SD1 must do so by
September 20, 2005.
Comments on SD1 and other permissible forms of communications with
the Commission may be filed electronically via the Internet in lieu of
paper. The Commission strongly encourages electronic filings. See 18
CFR 385.2001(a)(1)(iii) and the instructions on the Commission's Web
site (http://www.ferc.gov) under the ``e-filing'' link.
m. At this time, Commission staff intends to prepare a single
Environmental Assessment for the project, in accordance with the
National Environmental Policy Act.
Scoping Meetings
We will hold two scoping meetings for each project at the times and
places noted below. The daytime meetings will focus on resource agency,
Indian tribes, and non-governmental organization concerns, while the
evening meetings are primarily for receiving input from the public. We
invite all interested individuals, organizations, Indian tribes, and
agencies to attend one or all of the meetings, and to assist staff in
identifying particular study needs, as well as the scope of
environmental issues to be addressed in the environmental document. The
times and locations of these meetings are as follows:
Tacoma Scoping Meeting
Evening Scoping Meeting
Date and Time: August 9, 2005, from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. (MST).
Location: Doubletree Hotel Durango, 501 Camino del Rio, Durango,
Colorado.
Daytime Scoping Meeting
Date and Time: August 10, 2005, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. (MST).
Location: Doubletree Hotel Durango, 501 Camino del Rio, Durango,
Colorado.
[[Page 41398]]
AMES Scoping Meeting
Evening Scoping Meeting
Date and Time: August 11, 2005, from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. (MST).
Location: Telluride Conference Center, 580 Mountain Village
Boulevard, Telluride, Colorado.
Daytime Scoping Meeting
Date and Time: August 12, 2005, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. (MST).
Location: Telluride Conference Center, 580 Mountain Village
Boulevard, Telluride, Colorado.
For Directions: Contact Alfred Hughes at (970) 247-8363.
SD1, which outlines the subject areas to be addressed in the
environmental document, has been mailed to the individuals and entities
on the Commission's mailing list. Copies of SD1 will be available at
the scoping meetings, or may be viewed on the Web at http://www.ferc.gov
, using the ``eLibrary'' link. Follow the directions for
accessing information in paragraph k. Depending on the extent of
comments received, a Scoping Document 2 (SD2) may or may not be issued.
Site Visits
A site visit will be held for each project. Those interested in
participating in either the Tacoma or Ames project site visits must
notify Alfred Hughes of their intent at 970-247-8363 by August 1, 2005.
All participants attending either site visit should be prepared to
provide their own transportation. Anyone with questions about the site
visits (or for directions) should contact Alfred Hughes. Details for
each site visit are provided below.
Tacoma Site Visit
The Tacoma Project site visit will be held on August 9, 2005. All
persons interested in seeing the Tacoma Project should meet at the
Electra Sporting Club House parking lot on Electra Lake at 12 p.m. Due
to access constraints, we will not be touring the powerhouse. Contact
Alfred Hughes to inquire about separate tours of the powerhouse.
Ames Site Visit
The Ames Project site visit will be held on August 11, 2005. All
persons interested in seeing the Ames Project should meet at the
project recreation facilities on Trout Lake, immediately off of State
Highway 145 at 8:30 a.m.
Scoping Meeting Objectives
At the scoping meetings, staff will: (1) Present the proposed list
of issues to be addressed in the EA; (2) review and discuss existing
conditions and resource agency management objectives; (3) review and
discuss existing information and identify preliminary information and
study needs; (4) review and discuss the process plan and schedule for
pre-filing activity that incorporates the time frames provided for in
Part 5 of the Commission's regulations and, to the extent possible,
maximizes coordination of federal, state, and tribal permitting and
certification processes; and (5) discuss requests by any federal or
state agency or Indian tribe acting as a cooperating agency for
development of an environmental document.
Meeting participants should come prepared to discuss their issues
and/or concerns. Please review the Pre-Application Document in
preparation for the scoping meetings. Directions on how to obtain a
copy of the PAD and SD1 are included in item k of this notice.
Scoping Meeting Procedures
The scoping meetings will be recorded by a stenographer and will
become part of the formal Commission records for the projects.
n. A notice of intent to file license applications, filing PADs,
solicitation of comments on the PAD and SD1, solicitation of study
requests, and commencement of proceedings will be issued by July 20,
2005, setting the date for filing comments on the PAD and study
requests in accordance with Commission regulations and the proposed
process plan.
Magalie R. Salas,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. E5-3819 Filed 7-18-05; 8:45 am]
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