[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 232 (Monday, December 3, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 71587-71588]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-29081]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Project Nos. 1940-027 and 1966-053]


 Wisconsin Public Service Corporation; Notices of Intent To File 
License Applications, Filing of Pre-Application Documents (PAD), 
Commencement of Pre-Filing Processes and Scoping, Request for Comments 
on the PADS and Scoping Document, and Identification of Issues and 
Associated Study Requests

    a. Type of Filing: Notices of Intent to File License Applications 
for Two New Licenses and Commencing the Pre-filing Process.
    b. Project Nos.: 1940-027 and 1966-053.
    c. Date Filed: September 28, 2012.
    d. Submitted By: Wisconsin Public Service Corporation.
    e. Name of Projects: Tomahawk Hydroelectric Project and Grandfather 
Falls Hydroelectric Project.
    f. Location: On the Wisconsin River in Lincoln County, Wisconsin. 
The Tomahawk Hydroelectric Project occupies 4.6 acres of United States 
lands under the jurisdiction of the U.S. Bureau of Land Management. The 
Grandfather Falls Hydroelectric Project occupies 3.5 acres of United 
States lands under the jurisdiction of the U.S. Bureau of Land 
Management.
    g. Filed Pursuant to: 18 CFR Part 5 of the Commission's 
Regulations.
    h. Potential Applicant Contact: Terry P. Jensky, Vice President, 
Energy Supply Operations, Wisconsin Public Service Corporation, P.O. 
Box 19001, 700 North Adams Street, Green Bay, Wisconsin 54307-9001.
    i. FERC Contact: Lee Emery at (202) 502-8379 or email at 
[email protected].
    j. Cooperating agencies: Federal, state, local, and tribal agencies 
with jurisdiction and/or special expertise with respect to 
environmental issues that wish to cooperate in the preparation of the 
environmental document should follow the instructions for filing such 
requests described in item o below. Cooperating

[[Page 71588]]

agencies should note the Commission's policy that agencies that 
cooperate in the preparation of the environmental document cannot also 
intervene. See 94 FERC ] 61,076 (2001).
    k. With this notice, we are initiating informal consultation with: 
(a) The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and/or NOAA Fisheries 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 Historical 
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 Wisconsin Public Service 
Corporation 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. Wisconsin Public Service Corporation filed with the Commission 
two Pre-Application Documents (PADs) and a proposed process plan and 
schedule for each project, pursuant to 18 CFR 5.6 of the Commission's 
regulations.
    n. Copies of the PADs 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 for each project, excluding the last three digits in the docket 
number field, to access the documents. 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 of each PAD is also available 
for inspection and reproduction at the address in paragraph h.
    Register online at http://www.ferc.gov/docs-filing/esubscription.asp to be notified via email of new filings and issuances 
related to these or other pending projects. For assistance, contact 
FERC Online Support.
    o. With this notice, we are soliciting comments on the PADs and the 
Commission staff's Scoping Document 1 (SD1) for the projects, as well 
as for study requests for each project. All comments on the PADs and 
SD1, and study requests for each project 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 and from Commission staff related to the merits of 
the potential applications must be filed with the Commission. Documents 
may be filed electronically via the Internet. See 18 CFR 
385.2001(a)(1)(iii) and the instructions on the Commission's Web site 
http://www.ferc.gov/docs-filing/efiling.asp. Commenters can submit 
brief comments up to 6,000 characters, without prior registration, 
using the eComment system at http://www.ferc.gov/docs-filing/ecomment.asp. You must include your name and contact information at the 
end of your comments. For assistance, please contact FERC Online 
Support. Although the Commission strongly encourages electronic filing, 
documents may also be paper-filed. To paper-file, mail an original and 
seven copies to: Kimberly D. Bose, 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 names (Tomahawk Hydroelectric Project and/or Grandfather Falls 
Hydroelectric Project) and project numbers (P-1940-027 and/or P-1966-
053), and bear the appropriate heading: ``Comments on Pre-Application 
Document,'' ``Study Requests,'' ``Comments on Scoping Document 1,'' 
``Request for Cooperating Agency Status,'' or ``Communications to and 
from Commission Staff.'' Any individual or entity interested in 
submitting study requests or commenting on the PADs or SD1, and any 
agency requesting cooperating status must do so by January 12, 2013.
    p. Although our current intent is to prepare a single environmental 
assessment (EA), there is the possibility that an Environmental Impact 
Statement (EIS) will be required. Nevertheless, the scoping meeting 
noted below will satisfy the NEPA scoping requirements, irrespective of 
whether an EA or EIS is issued by the Commission.

Scoping Meetings

    Commission staff will hold two scoping meetings to discuss both 
projects 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 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:

Daytime Scoping Meeting

Date: Thursday, December 13, 2012.
Time: 1:00 p.m. (CST).
Location: Tomahawk City Hall, 23 North 2nd Street, Tomahawk, Wisconsin 
54487, Phone: (920) 433-5713.

Evening Scoping Meeting

Date: Thursday, December 13, 2012.
Time: 7:00 p.m. (CST).
Location: Tomahawk City Hall, 23 North 2nd Street, Tomahawk, Wisconsin 
54487, Phone: (920) 433-5713.
    SD1, which outlines the subject areas to be addressed in the 
environmental document, was mailed to the individuals and entities on 
the Commission's mailing list for each project. 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 n. Based on all oral and written 
comments, a Scoping Document 2 (SD2) may be issued. SD2 may include a 
revised process plan and schedule, as well as a list of issues, 
identified through the scoping process.

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 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 the appropriateness of 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 PADs for both projects in 
preparation for the scoping meetings. Directions on how to obtain a 
copy of the PADs and SD1 are included in item n of this document.

Meeting Procedures

    The meetings will be recorded by a stenographer and will be placed 
in the public records of the project.

Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2012-29081 Filed 11-30-12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P