[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 2 (Tuesday, January 4, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Pages 340-341]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E4-3916]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Project No. 2210-108]


Appalachian Power Company, dba American Electric Power; Notice of 
Intent to File License Application, Filing of Pre-Application Document 
(PAD), Commencement of Licensing Proceeding, Issuance of Scoping 
Document, Solicitation of Study Requests and Comments on the PAD and 
Scoping Document

December 30, 2004.
    a. Type of Filing: Notice of intent to file a license application 
for a new license under the integrated licensing process and commencing 
licensing proceeding.
    b. Project No.: 2210-108.
    c. Date Filed: October 25, 2004.
    d. Submitted By: Appalachian Power Company, d/b/a American Electric 
Power.
    e. Project Name: Smith Mountain Hydroelectric Project.
    f. Location: On the headwaters of the Roanoke River in south-
central Virginia, within the counties of Bedford, Campbell, Franklin 
and Pittsylvania, and near the city of Roanoke, Virginia. No federal 
lands are occupied by the project works or otherwise located within the 
project boundary.
    g. Filed Pursuant to: 18 CFR part 5 of the Commission's 
Regulations.
    h. Appalachian Power Contact: Frank M. Simms, Hydro Support 
Manager, Appalachian Power Company, Hydro Generation, PO Box 2021, 
Roanoke, VA 24022-2121; (540) 985-2875; [email protected].
    i. FERC Contact: Allan Creamer, Federal Energy Regulatory 
Commission, 888 First Street, NE., Washington, DC 20426; (202) 502-
8365; [email protected].
    j. We are asking federal, state, local, and tribal agencies with 
jurisdiction and/or special expertise with respect to environmental 
issues to cooperate with us in the preparation of the environmental 
document. Agencies who would like to request cooperating status should 
follow the instructions for filing comments described in paragraph p 
below.
    k. With this notice, we are initiating informal consultation with: 
(1) The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and NOAA Fisheries, as 
appropriate, under section 7 of the Endangered Species Act and the 
joint agency regulations thereunder at 50 CFR 402; and (2) the State 
Historic Preservation Officer, as required by section 106, National 
Historic Preservation Act, and the implementing regulations of the 
Advisory council on Historic Preservation at 36 CFR 800.2.
    l. With this notice, we are designating Appalachian Power Company 
as the Commission's non-federal representative for carrying out 
informal consultation, pursuant to section 7 of the Endangered Species 
Act. By letter dated November 4, 2003, we designated Appalachian Power 
Company as the Commission's non-federal representative for carrying out 
informal consultation pursuant to section 106 of the National Historic 
Preservation Act.
    m. Appalachian Power Company 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.
    n. 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 [email protected] or toll free at (866) 208-3676, 
or for TTY, (202) 502-8659. A copy is also available for inspection and 
reproduction at Appalachian Power Company, Hydro Generation, 40 
Franklin Road, Roanoke, VA 24022.
    Register online at http://ferc.gov/esubscribenow.htm to be notified 
via e-mail of new filings and issuances related to this or other 
Commission projects. For assistance, contact FERC Online Support.
    o. Concurrent with this notice, we are issuing Scoping Document 1 
(SD1), which outlines the alternatives and issues to be addressed in 
our environmental document, to the individuals and entities on the 
Commission's mailing list. Copies of SD1 will be available at the 
scoping meetings described in item r below, or 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, as described in item n above. Based on all oral and written 
comments, a Scoping Document 2 (SD2) may be issued. SD2 will include 
any revisions to the list of issues outlined in SD1 that are identified 
during the scoping process, and may include a revised process plan and 
schedule.
    p. With this notice, we are soliciting comments on the PAD and SD1, 
as well as any 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 with Commission staff 
related to the merits of the proposed application (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 must include, on the first page, the project name (Smith 
Mountain Hydroelectric Project) and number (P-2210-108), and bear the 
heading ``Comments on Pre-Application Document,'' ``Study Requests,'' 
``Comments on Scoping Document 1,'' ``Request for Cooperating Agency 
Status,'' or ``Communications with 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 
March 1, 2005.
    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. See 18 CFR 385.2001(a)(1)(iii) and the

[[Page 341]]

instructions on the Commission's Web site, http://www.ferc.gov, under 
the ``e-Filing'' link. The Commission strongly encourages electronic 
filings. For assistance, please contact FERC Online Support.
    q. At this time, the Commission intends to prepare an Environmental 
Assessment for the project, in accordance with the National 
Environmental Policy Act.
    r. 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 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 and Time: January 26, 2005 from 3 to 5 p.m. (EST), and 
continuing on January 27 at 9 a.m.
    Location: First Baptist Church, 502 South Main St., Gretna, VA 
24557.
    Phone: (434) 656-2600.

Evening Scoping Meeting

    Date and Time: January 27, 2005 at 7 p.m. (EST).
    Location: First Baptist Church, 502 South Main St., Gretna, VA 
24557.
    The scoping meetings are posted on the Commission's calendar, 
located on the Internet at http://www.ferc.gov/EventCalendar/EventsList.aspx, along with other related information.

Site Visit

    Appalachian Power Company will conduct a site visit of the project 
on January 26, 2005, beginning at 9 a.m. All participants should meet 
at the First Baptist Church, located at 502 South Main St. in Gretna, 
VA. We will tour the Smith Mountain dam and powerhouse, the Leesville 
dam and powerhouse, and view Smith Mountain and Leesville Lakes from 
the facilities. Participants should be prepared to provide their own 
transportation. Anyone with questions about the site visit should 
contact Frank Simms of Appalachian Power Company at (540) 985-2875. 
Those individuals planning to participate should notify Mr. Simms of 
their intent, on or before January 19, 2005.

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 activities 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 our 
environmental document.

Meeting Procedures

    The scoping meetings will be recorded by a court reporter and all 
statements, oral and written, will become part of the Commission's 
official public record for this project.

Magalie R. Salas,
Secretary.
 [FR Doc. E4-3916 Filed 1-3-05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P