01-28595. Notice of Application Ready for Environmental Analysis and Soliciting Comments, Recommendations, Terms and Conditions, and Prescriptions

November 8, 2001.

Take notice that the following hydroelectric application has been filed with the Commission and is available for public inspection:

a. Type of Application: New Major License.

b. Project No.: P-2056-016.

c. Date filed: December 21, 1998.

d. Applicant: Northern States Power Company.

e. Name of Project: St. Anthony Falls Project.

f. Location: On the Mississippi River, near Minneapolis and St. Paul, Hennepin County, Minnesota. There are no federal lands within the project boundary.

g. Filed Pursuant to: Federal Power Act, 16 U.S.C. 791(a)-825(r).

h. Applicant Contact: Mark H. Holmberg, P.E., Northern States Power Company, 414 Nicollet Mall, Minneapolis, MN 55401; [phone].

i. FERC Contact: Any questions on this notice should be addressed to Monte TerHaar, E-mail: [e-mail], or telephone [phone].

j. Deadline Date: 60 days from the date of issuance of this notice.

All documents (original and eight copies) should be filed with: David P. Boergers, Secretary, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 First Street, NE., Washington, DC 20426. Comments, protests and interventions may be filed electronically via the Internet in lieu of paper. See, 18 CFR 385.2001(a)(1)(iii) and the instructions on the Commission's web site under the “e-Filing” link.

The Commission's rules of practice and procedure require all interveners filing documents with the Commission to serve a copy of that document on each person whose name appears on the official service list for the project. Further, if an intervener 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.

k. Status of environmental analysis: This application has been accepted for filing and is ready for environmental analysis at this time. The Commission will prepare a draft and a final Environmental Assessment.

l. Description of the Project: The St. Anthony Falls Project currently consists of two developments on the Mississippi River, the Upper Development and the Lower Development.

The Upper Development consists of the following existing facilities located across from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Upper Saint Anthony Lock: (1) Horseshoe Dam, a 1,952-foot-long concrete, timber, and rock structure topped with 1.6-foot-high wooden flashboards; (2) the main spillway, a concrete, timber and rock structure 425 feet wide and 150 feet-long; (3) a 340-foot-long roll dam; (4) a 358-acre reservoir with a normal pool water surface elevation of 799.2 feet NGVD, and a total storage capacity of 967 acre-feet; (5) a concrete and masonry powerhouse, 133 feet long by 92 feet wide; (6) 5 turbines with a total installed capacity of 12,400 kilowatts, and a maximum hydraulic capacity of 4,025 cfs, producing an average of 79,518 megawatt-hours annually; and (7) four 115-kilovolt primary transmission lines; and other appurtenances.

The Lower Development consists of an upstream closure dam, a downstream closure dam, and left retaining wall which encompass approximately 3.53 acres of land owned by Northern States Power Company (NSP). There are currently no hydropower facilities at the Lower Development. In November of 1987, the St. Anthony Falls Lower Dam Hydro Plant experienced an undermining failure. On August 19, 1988, the Commission issued an order authorizing complete demolition and removal of the lower facility. Demolition of the powerhouse was completed by the end of 1988. As of August 2001, all necessary remedial work necessary to ensure dam safety at the Lower Development has been completed to the Commission's satisfaction.

As part of the application for re-license of St. Anthony Falls Project, the applicant proposes to remove the lower development from the project. The Commission will discuss this alternative in its Environmental Assessment.

m. Locations of the application: A copy of the application is available for inspection and reproduction at the Commission's Public Reference Room, located at 888 First Street, NE, Washington, DC 20246. Copies of this filing are on file with the Commission and are available for public inspection. This filing may also be viewed on the web at http://www.ferc.gov using the “RIMS” link, select “Docket#” and follow the instructions (call 202-208-2222 for assistance). A copy is also available for inspection and reproduction at the address in item “h” above.

Filing and Service of Responsive Documents—The application is ready for environmental analysis at this time, and the Commission is requesting comments, reply comments, recommendations, terms and conditions, and prescriptions.

The Commission directs, pursuant to § 4.34(b) of the regulations (see Order No. 533 issued May 8, 1991, 56 FR 23108, May 20, 1991) that all comments, recommendations, terms and conditions and prescriptions concerning the application be filed with the Commission within 60 days from the issuance date of this notice. All reply comments must be filed with the Commission within 105 days from the date of this notice.

Anyone may obtain an extension of time for these deadlines from the Commission only upon a showing of good cause or extraordinary circumstances in accordance with 18 CFR 385.2008.

All filings must (1) bear in all capital letters the title “COMMENTS,” “REPLY COMMENTS,” “RECOMMENDATIONS,” “TERMS AND CONDITIONS,” or “PRESCRIPTIONS;” (2) set forth in the heading the name of the applicant and the project number of the application to which the filing responds; (3) furnish the name, address, and telephone number of the person submitting the filing; and (4) otherwise comply with the requirements of 18 CFR 385.2001 through 385.2005. All comments, recommendations, terms and conditions or prescriptions must set forth their evidentiary basis and otherwise comply with the requirements of 18 CFR 4.34(b). Agencies may obtain copies of the application directly from the applicant. Any of these documents must be filed by providing the original and the number of copies required by the Commission's regulations to: The Secretary, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 First Street, NE., Washington, DC 20426. An additional copy must be sent to Director, Division of Environmental and Engineering Review, Office of Energy Projects, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, at the above address. Each filing must be accompanied by proof of service on all persons listed on the service list prepared by the Commission in this proceeding, in accordance with 18 CFR 4.34(b) and 385.2010.

David P. Boergers,

Secretary.