83 FR 55882 - City of River Falls; 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

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

Federal Register Volume 83, Issue 217 (November 8, 2018)

[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 217 (Thursday, November 8, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 55882-55883]
From the Federal Register Online  [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2018-24453]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Project No. 10489-016]


City of River Falls; 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 for Junction Falls Development and Decommission of Powell 
Falls Development, and Commencing Pre-filing Process.
    b. Project No.: 10489-016.
    c. Dated Filed: August 30, 2018.
    d. Submitted By: City of River Falls, Municipal Utilities.
    e. Name of Project: River Falls Hydroelectric Project.
    f. Location: On the Kinnickinnic River in the City of River Falls 
in Pierce County, Wisconsin. The project does not occupy federal lands.
    g. Filed Pursuant to: 18 CFR part 5 of the Commission's 
Regulations.
    h. Potential Applicant Contact: Kevin Westhuis, Utility Director of 
the City of River Falls Municipal Utilities; [email protected] 
(preferred contact) or (715) 426-3442.
    i. FERC Contact: Shana Wiseman at (202) 502-8736 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 the City of River Falls 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. The City of River Falls 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 
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]. 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-10489-016.
    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 December 28, 
2018.
    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 project 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

[[Page 55883]]

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

    Date and Time: Thursday, November 15, 2018 at 6:30 p.m.
    Location: River Falls City Hall Training Room, 222 Lewis Street, 
River Falls, WI 54022, (715) 425-0900.

Daytime Scoping Meeting

    Date and Time: Friday, November 16, 2018 at 9:00 a.m.
    Location: River Falls City Hall Council Chambers, 222 Lewis Street, 
River Falls, WI 54022, (715) 425-0900.
    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 project on Thursday, November 15, 
2018, starting at 1:00 p.m. All participants should meet at the Old 
Power Plant at Junction Falls dam, 401 S. Winter Street, River Falls, 
WI 54022. If you plan to attend the environmental site review, please 
contact Mr. Kevin Westhuis, Utility Director of the City of River Falls 
Municipal Utilities, at [email protected] (preferred contact) or 
(715) 426-3442 on or before Friday, November 9, 2018, and indicate how 
many participants will be attending with you. The City of River Falls' 
safety policies require that all environmental site review participants 
wear sturdy footwear; no open toe, sandals, high heels, etc.

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 project.

    Dated: October 25, 2018.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2018-24453 Filed 11-7-18; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 6717-01-P