

[Federal Register: February 19, 2008 (Volume 73, Number 33)]
[Notices]               
[Page 9113-9114]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr19fe08-43]                         

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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Project No. 2079-061]

 
Placer County Water Agency; Notice of Intent To File License 
Application, Filing of Pre-Application Document, Commencement of 
Licensing Proceeding, Scoping, Solicitation of Comments on the Pad and 
Scoping Document, and Identification Issues and Associated Study 
Requests

February 11, 2008.
    a. Type of Filing: Notice of Intent to File License Application for 
a New License and Commencing Licensing Proceeding.
    b. Project No.: 2079-061.
    c. Dated Filed: December 13, 2007.
    d. Submitted By: Placer County Water Agency.
    e. Name of Project: Middle Fork American River Project.
    f. Location: The Middle Fork American River Project is located in 
Placer and El Dorado counties, almost entirely within the Tahoe and El 
Dorado National Forests. The project occupies 3811 acres of United 
States lands under the jurisdiction of the Forest Service.
    g. Filed Pursuant to: 18 CFR Part 5 of the Commission's 
Regulations.
    h. Applicant Contact: David A. Breninger, General Manager, Placer 
County Water Agency, P.O. Box 6570, Auburn, CA 95604.
    i. FERC Contact: Jim Fargo at 202-502-6095 or e-mail 
james.fargo@ferc.gov.

    j. We are asking Federal, State, local, and tribal agencies with 
jurisdiction and/or special expertise with respect to environmental 
issues to cooperate with us in the preparation of the environmental 
document. Agencies who would like to request cooperating status should 
follow the instructions for filing comments 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 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 Placer County Water Agency 
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. Placer County Water Agency filed a Pre-Application Document 
(PAD; including a proposed process plan and schedule) with the 
Commission, 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 
FERCOnlineSupport@ferc.gov or toll free at 1-866-208-3676, of for TTY, 

(202) 502-8659. A copy is also available for inspection and 
reproduction at the address in paragraph h.
    Register online at http://ferc.gov/esubscribenow.htm to be notified 

via e-mail 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 
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 (original and eight copies) must be filed 
with the Commission at the following address: Kimberly D. Bose, 
Secretary, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 First Street, NE., 
Washington, DC 20426. All filings with the Commission must include on 
the first page, the project name (Middle Fork American River Project) 
and number (P-2079-061), and bear the 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 11, 2008.
    Comments on the PAD and SD1, study requests, requests for 
cooperating agency status, and other permissible forms of 
communications with the Commission may be filed electronically via the 
Internet in lieu of paper. The Commission strongly encourages 
electronic filings. See 18 CFR 385.2001(a)(1)(iii) and the instructions 
on the Commission's Web site (http://www.ferc.gov) under the ``e-

filing'' link.
    p. Our intent is to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) 
for which the planned meetings will satisfy the NEPA scoping 
requirements.

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: Tuesday, March 4, 2008, 9 a.m.
    Location: Auburn Recreation District-Canyon View Community Center.

[[Page 9114]]

Evening Scoping Meeting

    Date and Time: Tuesday, March 4, 2008, 6:30 p.m.
    Location: Auburn Recreation District-Canyon View Community Center.
    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 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.

Site Visit

    Typically, a site visit is held together with the scoping meeting. 
However, because most of the project sites will not be accessible in 
March, the licensees and Commission staff will visit the project sites 
on Wednesday, June 25, 2008, starting at 8 AM. All participants should 
meet at Auburn Recreation District Canyon View Community Center, 
located at 471 Maidu Drive, Auburn, California. Placer County Water 
Agency will provide transportation for participants. Anyone interested 
in attending the site visit should contact Mr. Mal Toy of Placer County 
Water Agency at (530) 823-4889 by June 11, 2008.

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 become 
part of the formal record of the Commission proceeding on the project.

Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. E8-2989 Filed 2-15-08; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6717-01-P
