[Federal Register: April 28, 2009 (Volume 74, Number 80)]
[Notices]
[Page 19214-19215]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr28ap09-46]
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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
[Project No. 2351-013]
Public Service Company of Colorado; Notice of Intent To File
License Application, Filing of Pre-Application Document, Commencement
of Licensing Proceeding, and Scoping; Request for Comments on the Pad
and Scoping Document, and Identification of Issues and Associated Study
Requests
April 21, 2009.
a. Type of Filing: Notice of Intent to File License Application for
a New License and Commencing Licensing Proceeding.
b. Project No.: 2351-013.
c. Dated Filed: February 20, 2009.
d. Submitted By: Public Service Company of Colorado.
e. Name of Project: Cabin Creek Pumped Storage Project.
f. Location: On South Clear Creek and Cabin Creek in Clear Creek
County, Colorado. The project occupies about 268 acres of land in the
Arapaho National Forest managed by the U.S. Forest Service.
g. Filed Pursuant to: 18 CFR Part 5 of the Commission's
Regulations.
h. Potential Applicant Contact: Ms. Christine Johnston, Xcel
Energy, 4653 Table Mountain Drive, Golden, CO 80403; (720) 497-2156.
i. FERC Contact: Steve Hocking (202) 502-8753 or
steve.hocking@ferc.gov.
j. Cooperating agencies: Federal, state, local, and tribal agencies
with jurisdiction and/or special expertise with respect to
environmental issues that wish to cooperate in the preparation of the
environmental document should follow the instructions for filing such
requests described in item n below. Cooperating agencies should note
the Commission's policy that agencies that cooperate in the preparation
of the environmental document cannot also intervene. See, 94 FERC ]
61,076 (2001).
k. With this notice, we are initiating informal consultation with:
(a) The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and/or NOAA Fisheries under
section 7 of the Endangered Species Act and the joint agency
regulations thereunder at 50 CFR Part 402 and (b) the State Historic
Preservation Officer, as required by section 106, National Historical
Preservation Act, and the implementing regulations of the Advisory
Council on Historic Preservation at 36 CFR 800.2.
l. Public Service Company of Colorado filed a Pre-Application
Document (PAD; including a proposed process plan and schedule) with the
Commission, pursuant to 18 CFR 5.6 of the Commission's regulations.
m. A copy of the PAD is 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 (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 this or other
pending projects. For assistance, contact FERC Online Support.
n. With this notice, we are soliciting comments on the PAD and
Scoping
[[Page 19215]]
Document 1 (SD1), as well as study requests. All comments on the PAD
and SD1, and study requests should be sent to the address above in
paragraph h. In addition, all comments on the PAD and SD1, study
requests, requests for cooperating agency status, and all
communications to and from Commission staff related to the merits of
the potential application (an original and eight copies) must be filed
with the Commission at the following address: Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 First Street, NE.,
Washington, DC 20426. All filings with the Commission must include on
the first page, the project name (Cabin Creek Pumped Storage Project)
and number (P-2351-013), and bear the heading ``Comments on Pre-
Application Document,'' ``Study Requests,'' ``Comments on Scoping
Document 1,'' ``Request for Cooperating Agency Status,'' or
``Communications to and from Commission Staff.'' Any individual or
entity interested in submitting study requests, commenting on the PAD
or SD1, and any agency requesting cooperating status must do so by June
22, 2009.
Comments on the PAD and SD1, study requests, requests for
cooperating agency status, 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/docs-filing/
ferconline.asp) under the ``e-filing'' link. For a simpler method of
submitting text only comments, click on ``Quick Comment.''
o. Although our current intent is to prepare an environmental
assessment (EA), there is the possibility that an Environmental Impact
Statement (EIS) will be required. Nevertheless, the below scoping
meetings will satisfy the NEPA scoping requirements, irrespective of
whether an EA or EIS is issued by the Commission.
Scoping Meetings
Commission staff will hold two scoping meetings in the vicinity of
the project at the time and place noted below. The daytime meeting will
focus on resource agency, Indian tribes, and non-governmental
organization concerns, while the evening meeting is primarily for
receiving input from the public. We invite all interested individuals,
organizations, and agencies to attend one or both 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:
Daytime Scoping Meeting
Date: Wednesday, May 20, 2009
Time: 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. (MST)
Location: U.S. Forest Service Regional Office (Region 2), 740 Simms
Street, Golden, CO 80401.
Phone: (303) 275-5350
Evening Scoping Meeting
Date: Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Time: 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. (MST)
Location: Georgetown Community Center, 613 6th Street, Georgetown,
CO 80444.
Phone: (303) 569-2274
Scoping Document 1 (SD1), which outlines the subject areas to be
addressed in the environmental document, was 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 m. Based on all oral and written
comments, a Scoping Document 2 (SD2) may be issued. SD2 may include a
revised process plan and schedule, as well as a list of issues,
identified through the scoping process.
Site Visit
Commission staff held an early site visit for this project on June
18, 2008. Therefore, there will be no site visit held in association
with the above scoping meetings.
Meeting Objectives
At the scoping meetings, staff will: (1) Initiate scoping of the
issues; (2) review and discuss existing conditions and resource
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 the appropriateness of 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 PAD in preparation for the scoping
meetings. Directions on how to obtain a copy of the PAD and SD1 are
included in item m of this document.
Meeting Procedures
The meetings will be recorded by a stenographer and will become
part of the formal record of the Commission proceeding on the project.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. E9-9608 Filed 4-27-09; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P