[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 137 (Tuesday, July 19, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Pages 41397-41398]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E5-3819]


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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 
[email protected].
    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 [email protected] 
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]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P