[Federal Register Volume 59, Number 202 (Thursday, October 20, 1994)] [Unknown Section] [Page 0] From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov] [FR Doc No: 94-25954] [[Page Unknown]] [Federal Register: October 20, 1994] ----------------------------------------------------------------------- DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY [Project Nos. 2433-004, 2357-003, 2394-006, and 2536-009] Wisconsin Public Service Corp., Wisconsin Electric Power Co., and Niagara of Wisconsin Paper Corp; Intent To Prepare an Environmental Assessment and Conduct Public Scoping Meetings October 14, 1994. The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) has received applications for license of the existing Grand Rapids Project No. 2433, the existing White Rapids Project No. 2357, and the existing Chalk Hill Project No. 2394. These projects are located on the Menominee River in Menominee County, Michigan, and Marinette County, Wisconsin. The FERC has also received an application for license for the existing Little Quinnesec Falls Project No. 2536. This project is located on the Menominee River in Marinette County, Wisconsin, and Dickinson County, Michigan. The FERC staff intends to prepare an Environmental Assessment (EA) on the hydroelectric projects in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act. The staff's EA will objectively consider both site specific and cumulative environmental impacts of the projects and reasonable alternatives, and will include economic, financial and engineering analyses. A draft EA will be issued and circulated for review by all of the interested parties. All comments filed on the draft EA will be analyzed by the staff and considered in a final EA. The staff's conclusions and recommendations will then be presented for the consideration of the Commission in reaching its final licensing decision. Scoping Meetings The FERC will conduct two public scoping meetings. An evening scoping meeting is primarily for public input while the morning meeting will focus on resource agency concerns. All interested individuals, organizations, and agencies are invited to attend and assist the staff in identifying the scope of environmental issues that should be analyzed in the EA. Staff will visit the project sites on November 7 and 8, 1994, and will meet November 7, at 8:30 a.m. (CST) at the Grand Rapids Project. Both scoping meetings will be held at the Best Western Riverfront Inn, Peshtigo and Green Rooms, 1821 Riverside Avenue, Marinette, Wisconsin, on Wednesday, November 9, 1994. The afternoon meeting will be held from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m., and the evening meeting will be conducted from 7:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. Interested individuals, organizations, and agencies are invited to attend either or both meetings and assist the staff in identifying the scope of the EA. To help focus discussions at the meetings, a scoping document outlining subject areas to be addressed in the EA will be mailed to agencies and interested individuals on the FERC mailing list. Copies of the scoping document will also be available at the scoping meetings. Objectives At the scoping meetings the staff will: (1) Identify reasonable alternatives that should be evaluated in the EA; (2) Identify significant environmental issues related to the proposed project; (3) Determine the depth of analysis for issues to be addressed in the EA; (4) Identify resource issues that are not important and do not require detailing analysis; (5) Solicit from the meeting participants all available information, especially quantified data, on the resources at issue; and (6) Encourage statements from experts and the public on issues that should be analyzed in the EA, including points of view in opposition to, or in support of, the staff's preliminary views. Procedures The meetings will be recorded by a court reporter and all statements (oral and written) thereby become a part of the formal record of the Commission proceedings for the above listed projects. Individuals presenting statements at the meetings will be asked to clearly identify themselves for the record. Individuals, organizations, and agencies with environmental expertise and concerns are encouraged to attend the meetings and assist the staff in defining and clarifying the issues to be addressed in the EA. Participants wishing to make oral comments at the public meeting are asked to keep them to five minutes to allow everyone the opportunity to speak. Persons choosing not to speak at the meetings, but who have views on the issues or information relevant to the issues, may submit written statements for inclusion in the public record at the meeting. In addition, written scoping comments may be filed with the Secretary, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 825 North Capitol Street NE., Washington, D.C. 20426, until December 9, 1994. All written correspondence should clearly show either of the following captions on the first page: Grand Rapids Project No. 2433, White Rapids Project No. 2357, Chalk Hill Project No. 2394, or Little Quinnesec Falls Project No. 2536. Intervenors--those on the Commission's service list for this proceeding (parties)--are reminded of the Commission's Rules of Practice and Procedure, requiring parties filing documents with the Commission, to serve a copy of the document on each person whose name appears on the official service list. Further, if a party or interceder files comments or documents with the Commission relating to the merits of an issue that may affect the responsibilities of a particular resource agency, they must also serve a copy of the document on that resource agency. If you have any questions please contact Thomas Camp at (202) 219- 2832. Lois D. Cashell, Secretary. [FR Doc. 94-25954 Filed 10-19-94; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 6717-01-M