[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 30 (Wednesday, February 13, 2019)]
[Notices]
[Pages 3774-3775]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-02145]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Project Nos. 2361-055; 2362-043]


Allete, Inc.; 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 Subsequent Licence for the Prairie River Hydroelectric Project and a 
New License for the Grand Rapids Hydroelectric Project, and Commencing 
Pre-filing Process.
    b. Project Nos.: 2361-055 and 2362-043.
    c. Dated Filed: December 13, 2018.
    d. Submitted By: Allete, Inc.
    e. Name of Projects: Prairie River and Grand Rapids Hydroelectric 
Projects.
    f. Location: The Prairie River Project is located on the Prairie 
River near the township of Arbo in Itasca County, Minnesota. The Grand 
Rapids Project is located on the Mississippi River near the City of 
Grand Rapids in Itasca County, Minnesota. Neither project occupies 
federal lands.
    g. Filed Pursuant to: 18 CFR part 5 of the Commission's Regulations
    h. Potential Applicant Contact: Nora Rosemore, Hydro Operations 
Superintendent, Minnesota Power; [email protected] or (218) 725-
2101.
    i. FERC Contact: Laura Washington at (202) 502-6072 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 paragraph 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 CFR, part 402, and (b) the State Historic 
Preservation Officer, as required by section 106, National Historic 
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 Allete, Inc. 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. Allete, Inc. 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 website 
(http://www.ferc.gov), using the ``eLibrary'' link. Enter the docket 
numbers, 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 these 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

[[Page 3775]]

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]. 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 numbers P-2361-055 and P-2362-043.
    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 April 12, 2019.
    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, the meetings listed 
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 in the vicinity of 
the projects at the times and places 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:

Evening Scoping Meeting for Both Projects

    Date and Time: Wednesday, March 6, 2019 at 6:00 p.m.
    Location: Timberlake Lodge, 144 SE 17th Street, Grand Rapids, MN 
55744.
    Phone: (218) 326-2600.

Daytime Scoping Meeting for Both Projects

    Date and Time: Thursday, March 7, 2019 at 9:00 a.m.
    Location: Timberlake Lodge, 144 SE 17th Street, Grand Rapids, MN 
55744.
    Phone: (218) 326-2600.
    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 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 projects on Wednesday, March 6, 2019, 
starting at 10:00 a.m. All participants should meet in the parking lot 
at Prairie River Hydro, 30301 County Highway 61, Grand Rapids, MN. If 
you plan to attend the environmental site review, please contact Nora 
Rosemore, at (218) 725-2101 or [email protected], by March 1, 2019. 
Participants must be 16 years of age or older and wear closed-toe 
shoes. Please indicate how many participants will be attending with 
you.

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 paragraph n of this document.

Meeting Procedures

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

    Dated: February 7, 2019.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2019-02145 Filed 2-12-19; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P