[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 145 (Friday, July 29, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Pages 43858-43859]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E5-4033]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Project Nos. 400-043--Colorado and 12589-000--Colorado]


Public Service Company of Colorado Notice of Intent To File 
License Application, Filing of Pre-Application Document (Pad), 
Solicitation of Comments on the Pad and Scoping Document, Solicitation 
of Study Requests, and Commencement of Proceeding

July 21, 2005.
    a. Type of Filing: Notice of Intent to File License Application for 
a New License and Pre-Application Document; Commencing Licensing 
Proceeding.
    b. Project No.: 400-043 and 12589-000.
    c. Dated Filed: May 20, 2005.
    d. Submitted By: Public Service Company of Colorado.
    e. Name of Project: Tacoma Hydroelectric Project No. 12589 and Ames 
Hydroelectric Project No. 400.
    f. Location: The Tacoma Hydroelectric Project is located on Cascade 
Creek, Little Cascade Creek and Elbert Creek 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 and 
Howard Fork tributaries of the 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. 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: 
(a) The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 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

[[Page 43859]]

Historical Preservation Act, and the implementing regulations of the 
Advisory Council on Historic Preservation at 36 CFR 800.2.
    l. By this notice, we designate Public Service Company of Colorado 
as the Commission's non-federal representative for carrying out 
informal consultation, pursuant to section 7 of the Endangered Species 
Act and section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act.
    m. Public Service Company of Colorado filed a Pre-Application 
Document (Pad) for the Tacoma Project and one for the Ames Project, 
including a proposed process plan and schedule with the Commission, 
pursuant to 18 CFR 5.6 of the Commission's regulations. Public Service 
Company of Colorado is seeking a separate license for each development; 
both are currently licensed to Public Service Company of Colorado under 
the Tacoma-Ames Project No. 400.
    n. We issued Scoping Document 1 and a notice of scoping and site 
visits on July 13, 2005. The scoping meetings for the Tacoma Project 
will be held August 9, 2005 from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. and on August 10, 
2005 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Doubletree Hotel Durango, 501 Camino 
del Rio, Durango, Colorado. We will also hold a Tacoma Project site 
visit on August 9 starting at 12 p.m. from the Electra Lake Sporting 
Club parking lot. The scoping meeting for the Ames Project will held on 
August 11 from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. and on August 12 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. 
at the Telluride Conference Center, 580 Mountain Boulevard, Telluride, 
Colorado. An Ames Project site visit will occur on August 12; meet at 
the Public Service Company of Colorado recreation facilities on Trout 
Lake at 8:30 a.m. Those interested in participating in the site visit 
must notify Alfred Hughes at (970) 247-8363 by August 1, 2005.
    o. 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, of 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 filing and issuances related to this or other pending 
projects. For assistance, contact FERC Online Support.
    p. With this notice, we are soliciting comments on the Pads and 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 Pads and SD1, study requests, requests 
for cooperating agency status, and all communications to Commission 
staff related to the merits of the potential 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 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 Pre-Application Document,'' ``Study 
Requests,'' ``Comments on Scoping Document 1,'' ``Request for 
Cooperating Agency Status,'' or ``Communications to and from Commission 
Staff.'' 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 earlier. 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 September 20, 2005.
    All study requests must address the seven criteria, pursuant to 18 
CFR 5.9(b) of the Commission's regulations.
    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) under the ``e-
filing'' link.
    At this time, Commission staff intends to prepare a single 
Environmental Assessment for the project, in accordance with the 
National Environmental Policy Act.

Magalie R. Salas,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. E5-4033 Filed 7-28-05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P