[Federal Register Volume 59, Number 64 (Monday, April 4, 1994)]
[Unknown Section]
[Page 0]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 94-7893]
[[Page Unknown]]
[Federal Register: April 4, 1994]
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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
[Project No 1999-WI]
Wisconsin Public Service Corp.; Environmental Impact Statement
Scoping
March 29, 1994.
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (Commission) has received
an application for a new license for the Wausau Project No. 1999 on the
Wisconsin River in Marathon County, Wisconsin. The Commission has
determined that due to the Wausau Project's proximity to nine other
Wisconsin River hydroelectric projects, and the similar filing time of
their license applications, Wausau will be incorporated in the
Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) currently being prepared for those
nine projects. This multiproject EIS was noticed in the Federal
Register on May 6, 1993, and includes; Wisconsin Valley Project No.
2113, Rothschild Project No. 2212, Kings Dam Project No. 2239,
Centralia Project No. 2255, Wisconsin Rapids Project No. 2256, Port
Edwards Project No. 2291, Nekoosa Project No. 2292, Jersey Project No.
2476, and Wisconsin River Division Project No. 2590.
The Commission is conducting scoping for the Wausau Project to
identify any significant issues related to the continued operation of
this project. You are invited to send your written scoping comments on
the Wausau Project to the Commission (see below). Staff will review all
issues raised in the scoping process. Comments for the Wausau Project
will be integrated with those received for the ongoing Wisconsin River
Basin EIS. A public scoping meeting will not be held for the Wausau
project, and a separate scoping document (beyond this notice) will not
be prepared for Wausau.
The Commission previously conducted 3 public scoping meetings (the
week of July 12, 1993) and issued scoping documents (Scoping Document 1
in June 1993, Scoping Document 2 in September 1993, and Supplement to
Scoping Document 2 in October 1993) for the ongoing Wisconsin River
Basin nine-project EIS.
Proposed Action
The Applicant proposes no new construction or increases in
hydroelectric capacity for the Wausau Project. The Applicant proposes
only a minor change in project operations. A 25 cubic feet per second
(cfs) minimum flow through a kayak channel is proposed to enhance
recreation and aesthetics. The project would continue to be operated in
a run-of-river mode and maintain headpond levels on a daily basis
within +/- 0.3 feet of normal headpond elevation. The Applicant would
continue a 0.5 feet drawdown during the winter to prevent water from
splashing over the Taintor gates and forming ice on the braces. The
Applicant would provide a new barrier-free fishing area for the public.
Project Alternatives
The Commission Staff (Staff) will consider alternatives, including
enhancement measures not proposed by the Applicant. The Staff will
review and consider alternative recommendations for additional resource
protection, or enhancement measures that may be appropriate to include
in a new license. Modifications could include recommendations by the
agencies, the general public, and the Staff.
In addition to these alternatives, Staff will evaluate the no-
action alternative, which maintains the existing environment or status
quo at the projects. Under this alternative the projects would continue
to operate as required by the original license on an annual license
basis, and no enhancement measures would be provided. We use this
alternative to set baseline environmental conditions for comparison
with other alternatives.
Scope of the Environmental Impact Statement
The geographic scope of analysis defines the physical limits or
boundaries of the proposed actions' effects on the resources. Since the
proposed actions affect each resource differently, the geographic scope
for each resource varies. For fishery resources, flow analysis, water
quality, flood control, and power, the geographic scope of analysis
will encompass the main stem Wisconsin River.
The temporal scope includes a discussion of the past, present, and
future actions and their effects on the resources. Based on the license
term, the temporal scope will look 30 to 50 years into the future,
concentrating on the effect on the resource from reasonably foreseeable
future actions (e.g., the effect on water quality from potential future
water withdrawals within the basin). The historical discussion will, by
necessity, be limited to the amount of available information for each
resource.
Environmental Issues
A preliminary list of environmental issues identified by the Staff
for coverage in the EIS is presented in this section. The list is not
intended to be exhaustive or final, but is an initial listing of issues
that have been raised and appear to be important. The staff will review
all issues raised during the scoping process and make decisions as to
the level of analysis needed. If preliminary analysis indicates that
any issues presented in this scoping document have little potential for
causing significant impacts, the issue or issues will be identified and
the reasons for not providing a more detailed analysis will be given.
The following issues apply to the Wausau Project:
Reservoir water level fluctuation and drawdown limitations
and their effect on fish habitat, riparian wetlands, wildlife, cultural
resources, recreation, and shoreline development.
Minimum flow needs for protection or enhancement of
recreation, water quality, and the riverine fishery.
Fish passage needs at the dam. Fishery protection and
enhancement measures related to turbine entrainment and fish mortality.
Effects of project operation on vegetation and wildlife
resources.
Impacts of project structures on visual resources and
potential for enhancements.
Opportunities for recreational facility improvements and
public access enhancements.
The EIS will assess the project-specific impacts on the above
resources and whether these impacts contribute to significant adverse
impacts. Both project-specific impacts and cumulative effects will
weigh in selecting an action to recommend for the licensing decision on
the projects.
EIS Preparation Schedule
The preliminary schedule for preparing the EIS for the Wausau
Hydroelectric Projects is:
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Milestones Target date
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Public scoping............................... Early spring 1994.
Draft EIS.................................... Late summer 1994.
Final EIS.................................... Winter 1995.
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Request for Comments
The Commission's scoping objectives are to:
Identify significant environmental issues,
Determine the depth of analysis appropriate to each issue,
Identify the resource issues not requiring detailed
analysis, and
Identify reasonable project alternatives.
Federal, state, and local resource agencies, licensees and
developers, Indian tribes, other interested groups, and the general
public are invited to forward to the Commission any information that
they believe will assist the Commission Staff in conducting an accurate
and thorough analysis of the site-specific and cumulative environmental
effects of the proposed licensing activities on the Wisconsin River.
The types of information sought include:
Information, quantified data, or professional opinion that
may contribute to defining the geographical and temporal scope of the
analysis and identifying significant environmental issues.
Identification of and information from any other
environmental assessment, environmental impact statement, or similar
document or study (previous, on-going, or planned) relevant to the
proposed licensing activities in the Wisconsin River Basin.
Existing information and any data that would aid in
describing the past and present actions and effects of the projects and
other developmental activities on the physical/chemical, biological,
and socioeconomic environments. For example, fish stocking/management
histories, historic water quality data and the reasons for improvement
or degradation of the quality, any wetland habitat losses or proposals
to develop land and water resources within the basin.
Identification of any federal, state, or local resource
plans and future project proposals that encompass the Wisconsin River
Basin with information on when they'll be implemented, if known. For
example, proposals to construct or operate water treatment facilities,
recreation areas, water diversions, or implement fishery management
programs.
Documentation that would support a conclusion that the
actions or a project(s) does or does not contribute to cumulative
adverse or beneficial effects on resources and therefore should be
excluded from further study or excluded from further consideration of
cumulative effects within the Wisconsin River Basin. Documentation
should include, but is not limited to: how the projects interact with
other projects within the river basin and other developmental
activities; results from studies; resource management policies; and
reports from federal, state, and local agencies.
To be useful in preparing the multi-project EIS, the requested
information must be received by the Commission no later than 30 days
past the date of this notice. Address all communications to: Secretary,
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 825 North Capitol Street, NE,
Washington, DC 20426.
All correspondence must clearly show at the top of the first page
``Wausau Project, FERC No. 1999''.
When filing scoping comments, you should submit an original and 8
copies; this will assure that staff receives your information quickly.
Parties to the proceedings (as identified on the official Service List
for the Wausau Project) must also send copies of their filings, and all
attachments, to the other parties listed on the official service list.
The official service list is available from the Commission Secretary at
the same address above.
The Commission is simultaneously issuing a notice (REA Notice)
indicating that staff is ready to conduct the environmental analysis
for the Wausau Project. Your comments in response to either notice will
become part of the record for these proceedings. You do not need to
comment in response to both the REA Notice and this scoping notice.
Except, comments made pursuant to Section 10(j) or Section 18 of the
Federal Power Act must be clearly identified and must be received
within the timeframe provided for in the REA notice and 18 CFR
4.34(b)(2). Likewise, the applicant's response to any comments made
under Section 10(j), must be clearly identified and filed within
prescribed timeframes as set forth in the REA Notice and 18 CFR
4.34(b).
Any questions concerning the scoping process should be directed to
Sabina Joe, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, Office of Hydropower
Licensing, 825 North Capitol Street, NE, Washington, D.C., 20426
(Telephone 202-219-1648).
Lois D. Cashell,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 94-7893 Filed 4-1-94; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P
