[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 237 (Friday, December 10, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 69259-69260]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-32046]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission


Notice of Application and Applicant Prepared Environmental 
Assessment Accepted for Filing; Requesting Interventions and Protests; 
Establishing Procedural Schedule and Final Amendment Deadline; 
Requesting Comments, Final Terms and Conditions, Recommendations and 
Prescriptions; Requesting Reply Comments

December 6, 1999.
    Take notice that the following hydroelectric application has been 
filed with the Commission. An Applicant-Prepared Environmental 
Assessment (APEA) for the Upper Menominee River Basin Projects, which 
includes the project below, has been filed with the Commission. Both 
documents are available for public inspection.
    a. Type of Application: Major New License.
    b. Project No.: 1980-009.
    c. Date filed: February 27, 1999.\1\
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    \1\ Wisconsin Electric requested that the Big Quinnesec Project 
be included in the Alternative Licensing Process for the Upper 
Menominee River Basin Projects. The Commission approved the request.
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    d. Applicant: Wisconsin Electric Power Company (WE).
    e. Name of Project: Big Quinnesec Falls Hydroelectric Project.
    f. Location: The project is located on the Menominee River, near 
Niagara in Florence and Marinette Counties, Wisconsin and Dickinson 
County, Michigan. The project would not utilize any Federal lands or 
facilities.
    g. Filed Pursuant to: Federal Power Act 16 USC 791(a)-825(r).
    h. Applicant Contact: Ms. Rita L. Hayen, P.E., Wisconsin Electric 
Power Company, 231 West Michigan Street, P.O. Box 2046, Milwaukee, WI 
53201-2046.
    i. FERC Contact: Any questions on this notice should be addressed 
to Patti Leppert-Slack, E-mail address 
[email protected], or telephone (202) 219-2767.
    j. Deadline for filing motions to intervene, protests, comments, 
final terms and conditions, recommendations, and prescriptions: 60 days 
from the issuance date of this notice.
    All documents (original and eight copies) should be filed with: 
David P. Boergers, Secretary, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 
First St. N.E., Washington, DC 20426.
    The Commission's Rules of Practice and Procedure require all 
intervenors filing documents with the Commission to serve a copy of 
that document on each person whose name appears on the official service 
list for the project. Further, if an intervenor files comments or 
documents with the Commission relating to the merits of an issue that 
may affect the responsibilities of a particular resource agency, the 
intervenor must also serve a copy of the document on that resource 
agency.
    k. Status of Environmental Analysis: On March 25, 1996, the 
Director, Office of Hydropower Licensing, approved WE's use of the 
Alternative Licensing Process. Scoping, pursuant to the National 
Environmental Policy Act of 1969 as amended, for the project was 
conducted through scoping documents issued in July 1996 and January 
1997, and in public scoping meetings on September 16 and 17, 1996. The 
APEA was distributed by the applicant for comment on October 20, 1998.
    The Commission staff has reviewed the license application and APEA 
and has determined that the application is acceptable for processing 
and no additional information or studies are needed to prepare the 
Commission's environmental assessment. Comments, as indicated above, 
are being requested from interested parties. The applicant will have 45 
days following the end of this period to respond to those comments, or 
may elect to seek a waiver of this deadline.
    l. Description of Project: The project consists of the following: 
(1) An existing dam, consisting of: (a) a concrete non-overflow 
section, about 157 feet long, equipped with two control gates, (b) an 
intake section, about 96 feet long, (c) a gated spillway section, about 
229 feet long, equipped with seven 27-foot-wide by 15-foot-high Taintor 
gates, (d) a concrete non-overflow section, about 145 feet long, and 
(e) two earth dikes, with a combined length of about 200 feet; (2) an 
impoundment with a surface area of 272 acres and a 3,790 acre-feet 
storage capacity at summer pool elevation of 1,034.9 feet National 
Geodetic Vertical Datum (NGVD), and a surface area of 264 acres and a 
3,650 acre-feet storage capacity at winter pool elevation of 1,034.4 
feet NGVD; (3) a concrete forebay, about 100 feet by 245 feet; (5) two 
65-foot-long, 12-foot-diameter steel penstocks; (6) a powerhouse, 
containing two generating units, each rated at 1,875 kilowatts (kW); 
(7) two 250-foot-long, 12-foot-diameter steel penstocks; (8) a 
powerhouse, containing two generating units, each rated at 8,000 kW; 
and (9) appurtenant facilities.
    m. Locations of the application: A copy of the application is 
available for inspection and reproduction at the Commission's Public 
Reference Room, located at 888 First Street, N.E., Room 2A, Washington, 
DC 20426, or by calling (202) 208-1371. The application may be viewed 
on the web at www.ferc.fed.us. Call (202) 208-2222 for assistance. A 
copy is also available for inspection and reproduction at the address 
in item h above.
    n. Protests or Motions to Intervene--Anyone may submit a protest or 
a motion to intervene in accordance with the requirements of the Rules 
of Practice and Procedures, 18 CFR Sections 385.210, .211, .214. In 
determining the appropriate action to take, the Commission will 
consider all protests filed, but only those who file a motion to 
intervene in accordance with the Commission's Rules may become a party 
to the proceeding. Any protests or motions to intervene must be 
received on or before the specified deadline date for the particular 
application and APEA.
    o. Filing and Service of Responsive Documents--The Commission is 
requesting comments, recommendations, terms and conditions, 
prescriptions, and reply comments.
    The Commission directs, pursuant to 18 CFR section 4.34(b) of the 
regulations, that all comments, recommendations, terms and conditions, 
and prescriptions concerning the application and APEA be filed with the 
Commission within 60 days from the issuance date of this notice. All 
reply comments must be filed with the Commission within 105 days from 
the date of this notice.
    Anyone may obtain an extension of time for these deadlines from the 
Commission only upon a showing of good cause or extraordinary 
circumstances in accordance with 18 CFR 385.2008.

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    p. All filings must: (1) bear in all capital letters the title 
``PROTEST,'' ``MOTION TO INTERVENE,'' ``COMMENTS,'' 
``RECOMMENDATIONS,'' ``TERMS AND CONDITIONS,'' ``PRESCRIPTIONS,'' or 
``REPLY COMMENTS;'' (2) set forth in the heading the name of the 
applicant and the project number of the application and APEA to which 
the filings responds; (3) furnish the name, address, and telephone 
number of the person submitting the filing; and (4) otherwise comply 
with the requirements of 18 CFR 385.2001 through 385.2005. All 
comments, recommendations, terms and conditions or prescriptions must 
set forth their evidentiary basis and otherwise comply with the 
requirements of 18 CFR 4.34(b). Agencies may obtain copies of the 
application and APEA directly from the applicant. Any of these 
documents must be filed by providing the original and the number of 
copies required by the Commission's regulations to: Secretary, Federal 
Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 First Street, N.E., Washington, DC 
20426. An additional copy must be sent to: Director, Division of 
Licensing and Compliance, Office of Hydropower Licensing, Federal 
Energy Regulatory Commission, at the above address. Each filing must be 
accompanied by proof of service on all persons listed on the service 
list prepared by the Commission in this proceeding, in accordance with 
18 CFR 4.34(b) and 385.2010.
David P. Boergers,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 99-32046 Filed 12-9-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-M