[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 232 (Friday, December 4, 2009)]
[Notices]
[Pages 63747-63748]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-28921]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Project No. 1864-003]


Upper Peninsula Power Company; Notice of Intent To Prepare an 
Environmental Document and Soliciting Comments

November 25, 2009.
    Take notice that the following material addressing required dam 
safety measures has been filed with the Commission and is available for 
public inspection:
    a. Filing: Environmental report to support replacement of the 
spillway at the Bond Falls Development which is being required under 
Part 12 of the Commission's regulations.
    b. Project No: 1864-003.
    c. Date Filed: August 21, 2009, and supplemented on November 17, 
2009.
    d. Licensee: Upper Peninsula Power Company.
    e. Name of Project: Bond Falls Hydroelectric Project.
    f. Location: The Bond Falls Hydroelectric Project is located on the 
Ontonagon River in Ontonagon and Gogebic Counties, Michigan, and Vilas 
county, Wisconsin, partially on lands within the Ottawa National 
Forest. The Bond Falls Development is located on the Middle Branch of 
the Ontonagon River in Ontonagon County, Michigan, and occupies 73.5 
acres of land within the Ottawa National Forest.
    g. Filed Pursuant to: Federal Power Act, 16 U.S.C. 791a-825r.
    h. Licensee Contact: Rick Moser, Upper Peninsula Power Company, 700 
North Adams Street, P.O. Box 19001, Green Bay, WI 54307-9001, (920) 
433-2290.
    i. FERC Contact: Rachel Price, (202) 502-8907, and e-mail: 
[email protected].
    j. Deadline for filing comments: December 28, 2009.
    All documents should be filed with: Kimberly D. Bose, Secretary, 
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 First Street, NE., 
Washington, DC 20426. Comments may be filed electronically via the 
Internet, see 18 CFR 385.2001 (a)(1)(iii) and the instructions on the 
Commission's Web site under the ``e-filing'' link. The Commission 
strongly encourages electronic filings. In lieu of electronic filing, 
an original and eight copies of all documents may be mailed to the 
Secretary at the address above.
    k. Description of material: Upper Peninsula Power Company has filed 
an Environmental Report in support of its plan to replace the spillway 
at the Bond

[[Page 63748]]

Falls Development, part of the Bond Falls Hydroelectric Project (FERC 
No. 1864). The project consists of four separate developments: Bond 
Falls, Bergland, Cicso, and Victoria. The proposed work at the Bond 
Falls spillway would take place within the Bond Falls Development which 
is on the Middle Branch of the Ontonagon River. The Bond Falls 
reservoir is operated to store water and divert river flow from the 
Middle Branch to the South Branch of the Ontonagon River. A recent 
hydraulic study determined that the existing spillway capacity is 
inadequate to pass the flows associated with the calculated Probable 
Maximum Flood (PMF) for the project location. To ensure the licensee's 
compliance with FERC engineering guidelines and safety regulations, 
modifications to the spillway are necessary. The licensee plans to 
replace the existing spillway with a new spillway incorporating two 
larger tainter gates at a lower sill elevation. In addition, the 
licensee plans to replace the existing low level outlet with a new low 
level structure incorporated into the new spillway, and raise the 
embankment crest in low areas of the main, auxiliary, and control dams 
of the Bond Falls Development. In order to complete construction, the 
licensee plans to drawdown the reservoir to an elevation of 1455.8 feet 
North American Vertical Datum of 1988, and maintain the reservoir at 
that elevation during all of 2010. In addition the spillway replacement 
construction activities will result in the temporary closure of some of 
the project's recreational facilities during 2010.
    The Commission intends to prepare an environmental document under 
the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) for the planned Bond Falls 
spillway replacement. The NEPA document will be used by the Commission 
to identify environmental impacts and to identify measures that would 
help mitigate the impacts caused by the activities associated with the 
spillway replacement.
    l. Locations of the Filing: A copy of the filing is available for 
inspection and reproduction at the Commission's Public Reference Room, 
located at 888 First Street, NE., Room 2A, Washington, DC 20426. This 
filing may also be viewed on the Commission's Web site at 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. You may also register online at http://www.ferc.gov/docs-filing/esubscription.asp to be notified via e-mail of new filings and 
issuances related to this or other pending projects. For assistance, 
call 1-866-208-3676 or e-mail [email protected], for TTY, call 
(202) 502-8659.
    m. Individuals desiring to be included on the Commission's mailing 
list should so indicate by writing to the Secretary of the Commission.
    n. Comments: Anyone may submit comments on the material described 
in this notice. In completing its environmental review, the Commission 
will consider all comments filed. Any comments must be received on or 
before deadline for filing comments specified above.
    o. Any filing made with the Commission in response to this notice 
must bear in all capital letters the title ``COMMENTS'' and the Project 
Number: P-1864-003.
    p. Agency Comments: Federal, state, and local agencies are invited 
to file comments on the material described in this notice. A copy of 
the filing may be obtained by agencies directly from the licensee. If 
an agency does not file comments within the time specified for filing 
comments, it will be presumed to have no comments. One copy of an 
agency's comments must also be sent to the licensee's representatives.
    q. Comments may be filed electronically via the Internet in lieu of 
paper. See, 18 CFR 385.2001(a)(1)(iii) and the instructions on the 
Commission's Web site at http://www.ferc.gov under the ``e-Filing'' 
link.

Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. E9-28921 Filed 12-3-09; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P