Department of Defense January 17, 2008 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

Wisconsin Power and Light Company (WPL) has applied to the St. Paul District, Corps of Engineers (Corps) for a permit to conduct work below the ordinary high water mark of the Mississippi River, a navigable water of the U.S., and to discharge dredged or fill material into waters of the U.S. to facilitate the construction and operation of a 300 megawatt (MW) baseload coal-fired electric generating unit, referred to as NED 3, near Cassville in Grant County, WI. Specifically, the WPL is proposing an atmospheric circulating fluidized bed boiler and steam turbine generator unit at a site adjacent to the existing Nelson Dewey Generating Station (NED) Units 1 and 2 on the Mississippi River at River Mile 607.7. In addition to the new power generating unit, the following associated facilities would be constructed and operated: A new lateral collector well to supply cooling water; additional barge unloading capacity including three additional barge moorings in the Mississippi River, a new barge unloading tower foundation, and a temporary equipment barge unloading ramp; a new storm water detention pond and pipe outfall structure; 1.7-mile-long off-site parallel industrial railroad tracks, including a sheet pile retaining wall, adjacent to the existing BNSF railroad mainline tracks; new railroad bridges over two creeks for the off-site parallel industrial railroad tracks; and two new coal pile runoff ponds to replace the existing coal pile runoff pond adjacent to the railroad tracks. The project would require the discharge of dredged or fill material into the Mississippi River and two creeks that are tributaries to the Mississippi River. The Mississippi River is a navigable water of the U.S. The discharge of dredged or fill material into waters of the U.S. requires a permit issued by the Corps under Section 404 of the Clean Water Act. Construction work conducted below the ordinary high water mark of a navigable water of the U.S. requires a permit issued by the Corps under Section 10 of the Rivers and Harbors Act. The final environmental impact statement will be used as a basis for the permit decision and to ensure compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA).

Under the provisions of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. Chapter 35), the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Secretariat will be submitting to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) a request to review and approve an extension of a currently approved information collection requirement concerning extraordinary contractual action requests. The clearance currently expires on April 30, 2008. Public comments are particularly invited on: Whether this collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of functions of the FAR, and whether it will have practical utility; whether our estimate of the public burden of this collection of information is accurate, and based on valid assumptions and methodology; ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; and ways in which we can minimize the burden of the collection of information on those who are to respond, through the use of appropriate technological collection techniques or other forms of information technology.