[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 60 (Friday, March 28, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 17522-17523]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-06878]



[[Page 17522]]

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Project No. 2680-108]


Consumers Energy Company and DTE Electric Company; Notice of 
Intent To File License Application, Filing of Pre-Application Document 
(Pad), Commencement of Pre-Filing Process, and Scoping; Request for 
Comments on the Pad and Scoping Document, and Identification of Issues 
and Associated Study Requests

    a. Type of Filing: Notice of Intent to File License Application for 
a New License and Commencing Pre-filing Process.
    b. Project No.: 2680-108.
    c. Dated Filed: January 21, 2014.
    d. Submitted By: Consumers Energy Company and DTE Electric Company 
(Consumers Energy and DTE Companies).
    e. Name of Project: Ludington Pumped Storage Project.
    f. Location: On the east shore of Lake Michigan in the townships of 
Pere Marquette and Summit in Mason County, Michigan and in Port 
Sheldon, Ottawa County, Michigan. The Ottawa County portion is a 1.8-
acre satellite recreation site, located about 70 miles south of the 
project. The Ludington Project is not located on federal lands.
    g. Filed Pursuant to: 18 CFR Part 5 of the Commission's 
Regulations.
    h. Potential Applicant Contact: David McIntosh, Consumers Energy 
Company, Hydro and Renewable Generation, 330 Chestnut St., Cadillac, MI 
49601, phone 231 779-5506, [email protected].
    i. FERC Contact: Janet Hutzel at (202) 502-8675 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 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 C.F.R., Part 402 and (b) the Michigan 
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 Consumers Energy and DTE 
Companies 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. Consumers Energy and DTE Companies filed with the Commission a 
Pre-Application Document (PAD; including a proposed process plan and 
schedule), 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], (866) 208-3676 (toll free), or (202) 502-
8659 (TTY). A copy 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 filing and issuances 
related to this or other pending projects. For assistance, contact FERC 
Online Support.
    o. With this notice, we are soliciting comments on the PAD and 
Commission's staff Scoping Document 1 (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 PAD 
and SD1, study requests, requests for cooperating agency status, and 
all communications to and from Commission staff related to the merits 
of the potential application must be filed with the Commission.
    The Commission strongly encourages electronic filing. Please file 
all documents using the Commission's eFiling system at 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 at 
[email protected], (866) 208-3676 (toll free), or (202) 502-
8659 (TTY). In lieu of electronic filing, please send a paper copy to: 
Secretary, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 First Street NE., 
Washington, DC 20426. The first page of any filing should include 
docket number P-2680-108.
    All filings with the Commission must 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, 
commenting on the PAD or SD1, and any agency requesting cooperating 
status must do so by May 21, 2014.
    p. Although our current intent is to prepare an environmental 
assessment (EA), there is the possibility that an Environmental Impact 
Statement (EIS) will be required. Nevertheless, this meeting 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 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 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 and Time: April 17, 2014 at 1 p.m.
Location: Comfort Inn & Suites, 7576 S. Pere Marquette Hwy, Pentwater, 
MI 49449, Phone Number: (231) 869-8000

Evening Scoping Meeting

Date and Time: April 17, 2014 at 6 p.m.
Location: Comfort Inn & Suites, 7576 S. Pere Marquette Hwy, Pentwater, 
MI 49449, Phone Number: (231) 869-8000

    Scoping Document 1 (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. Copies of SD1 will be 
available at the scoping

[[Page 17523]]

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.

Environmental Site Review

    The potential applicant and Commission staff will conduct an 
environmental site review of the project on July 30, 2014, starting at 
9:00 a.m. All participants should meet at the Ludington Pumped Storage 
Project's upper reservoir parking lot located within the picnic area. 
The address is 3525 South Lakeshore Drive, Ludington, MI 49431. 
Attendees will be bused to the project for the environmental site 
review.
    Please notify Melissa Sherman at [email protected] or 
via phone (231) 843-5226 by June 30, 2014, if you plan to attend the 
environmental site review. Persons not providing an RSVP by June 30, 
2014, will not be allowed on the environmental site review. Also, 
persons attending the environmental site review must adhere to the 
following requirements: (1) Persons must be 16 years or older; (2) 
persons must have a current valid government issued or school photo id; 
(3) persons with open toe shoes/sandals/flip flops/high heels, etc. 
will not be allowed on the environmental site review; (4) no cameras or 
cell phones with cameras will be allowed on-site, if discovered they 
may be confiscated; (5) no back packs/duffle bags/shoulder bags will be 
allowed (purses are allowed, but are subject to search); (6) no weapons 
are allowed on-site; (7) no alcohol/drugs are allowed on-site (or 
persons exhibiting the effects thereof); (8) all persons coming on-site 
are subject to search; and (9) no animals (except for service animals) 
are allowed on the environmental site review.

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 PAD in preparation for the scoping 
meetings. Directions on how to obtain a copy of the PAD 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.

     Dated: March 20, 2014.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2014-06878 Filed 3-27-14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P