Federal Register / Vol. 60, No. 118 / Tuesday, June 20, 1995 / Notices 32149

Public Service Corporation (WPSC) for

the following six existing hydropower

projects owned and operated by WPSC

on the Peshtigo River in Marinette

County, Wisconsin: the Caldron Falls

Project, FERC No. 2525; the High Falls

Project, FERC No. 2595; the Johnson

Falls Project, FERC No. 2522; the

Sandstone Rapids Project, FERC No.

2546; the Potato Rapids Project, FERC

No. 2560; and the Peshtigo Project,

FERC No. 2581.

After reviewing the applications,

supplemental filings, and intervenor

submittals, the Commission staff has

concluded that relicensing these six

projects would constitute a major

federal action significantly affecting the

quality of the human environment.

Moreover, given the location and

interaction of the six projects, staff will

prepare one multiple-project

Environmental Impact Statement (EIS)

that describes and evaluates the

probable impacts of the applicant’s

proposed and alternative operating

procedures, environmental

enhancement measures, and additional

river access facilities for all six projects.

The staff’s EIS will consider both site

specific and cumulative environmental

impacts of relicensing the six projects

and will include economic and financial

analyses.

A draft EIS will be issued and

circulated for review by all interested

parties. All comments filed on the draft

EIS will be analyzed by the FERC staff

and considered in a final EIS.

One element of the EIS process is

scoping and a site visit. These activities

are initiated early to:

• Identify reasonable alternative

operational procedures and

environmental enhancement measures

that should be evaluated in the EIS;

• Identify significant environmental

issues related to the operation of the

existing projects;

• Determine the depth of analysis for

issues that will be discussed in the EIS;

and

• Identify resource issues that are of

lessor importance and, consequently, do

not require detailed analysis in the EIS.

Site Visits

A site visit to each of the six projects

will be held over a two-day period:

Tuesday, July 11, 1995, and Wednesday,

July 12, 1995. The purpose of these

visits is for interested persons to observe

existing area resources and site

conditions, learn the locations of

proposed new facilities, and discuss

project operational procedures with

representatives of WPSC and the

Commission.

For details concerning the site visits,

please contact Greg Egtvedt of WPSC in

Greenbay, Wisconsin at (414) 433–5713.

Scoping Meetings

The FERC staff will conduct two

scoping meetings: the evening meeting

is designed to obtain input from the

general public, while the morning

meeting will focus on resource agency

concerns. All interested individuals,

organizations, agencies, and Indian

Tribes are invited to attend either or

both meetings in order to assist staff in

identifying the scope of environmental

issues that should be analyzed in the

multiple-project EIS.

To help focus discussions, a

preliminary EIS scoping document

outlining subject areas to be addressed

at the meeting will be distributed by

mail to persons and entities on the

FERC mailing lists for the six Peshtigo

River projects. Copies of the preliminary

scoping document also will be made

available at the scoping meetings.

The evening meeting for the general

public will be held from 7:00 P.M. until

10:00 P.M. on Wednesday, July 12,

1995, in the Best Western Riverfront

Inn, located at 1821 Riverside Avenue

in Marinette, Wisconsin.

The agency meeting will be held at

the same location from 9:00 A.M. until

12:00 Noon on Thursday, July 13, 1995.

Scoping Meeting Procedures

Both meetings, which will be

recorded by a stenographer, will become

part of the formal record of the

Commission’s proceeding on the

Peshtigo River projects. Individuals

presenting statements at the meetings

will be asked to sign in before the

meetings start and identify themselves

for the record.

Concerned parties are encouraged to

offer us verbal guidance during the

public meetings. Speaking time allowed

for individuals at the evening public

meetings will be determined before that

meeting, based on the number of

persons wishing to speak and the

approximate amount of time available

for the session, but all speakers will be

provided at least five minutes to present

their views.

Scoping Meeting Objectives

At the scoping meetings, the staff will:

• Summarize the environmental

issues tentatively identified for analysis

in the multiple-project EIS;

• Identify resource issues that are of

lesser importance and, therefore, do not

require detailed analysis;

• Solicit from the meeting

participants all available information,

especially quantifiable data, concerning

significant local resources; and

• Encourage statement from experts

and the public on issues that should be

analyzed in the EIS.

Information Requested

Federal and state resource agencies,

Indian tribes, local government officials,

interested groups, area residents, and

concerned individuals are requested to

provide any information they believe

will assist the Commission staff to

evaluate the environmental impacts

associated with relicensing the six

projects. The types of information

sought included the following:

• Data, reports, and resource plans

that characterize the physical, biological

or social environments in the vicinity of

the projects; and

• Information and data that helps

staff identify or evaluate significant

environmental issues.

Scoping information and associated

comments should be submitted to the

Commission no later than July 31, 1995.

Written comments should be provided

at the scoping meetings or mailed to the

Commission, as follows: Lois D. Cashell,

Secretary, Federal Energy Regulatory

Commission, 825 North Capitol St., NE.,

Washington, DC 20426.

All filings sent to the Secretary of the

Commission should contain an original

and 8 copies. Failure to file an original

and 8 copies may result in appropriate

staff not receiving the benefit of your

comments in a timely manner. See 18

CFR 4.34(h).

All correspondence should show the

following caption on the first page:

Project No. 2525–004: Caldron Falls

Project

Project No. 2595–005: High Falls Project

Project No. 2522–002 Johnson Falls

Project

Project No. 2546–001: Sandstone Rapids

Project

Project No. 2560–001: Potato Rapids

Project

Project No. 2581–002: Peshtigo Project

Intervenors and interceders (as

defined in 18 CFR 385.2010) who file

documents with the Commission are

reminded of the Commission’s Rules or

Practice and Procedure requiring them

to serve a copy of all documents filed

with the Commission on each person

whose name is listed on the official

service list for this proceeding. See 18

CFR 4.34(b)

For further information, please

contact Jim Haimes in Washington, DC

at (202) 219–2780.

Lois D. Cashell,

Secretary.

[FR Doc. 95–14970 Filed 6–19–95; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6717–01–M