[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 90 (Wednesday, May 8, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Pages 20813-20814]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-11423]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
[Project No. 2000-010]
Power Authority of the State of New York; Notice of Memorandum of
Understanding, Formation of Cooperative Consultation Process Team, and
Initiation of Scoping Process Associated With Relicensing the St.
Lawrence-FDR Power Project
May 2, 1996.
Memorandum of Understanding (MOU)
On February 15, 1996, the New York Power Authority (NYPA), New York
State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC), and the
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), entered into an MOU. Under
the MOU, the NYSDEC and the FERC will cooperate and use the services of
a Third Party Contractor to prepare a single Environmental Impact
Statement (EIS) to more efficiently meet the requirements for water
quality certification and relicensing of the 912-megawatt St. Lawrence-
FDR Power Project. The hydroelectric project was originally licensed in
1953 and the license will expire in 2003. NYPA has elected to use a
Third Party Contractor under the provisions of the Energy Policy Act of
1992.
The project, which includes the Long Sault Dam and the portions of
the Iroquois Dam and the Robert Moses-Robert H. Saunders Power Dam
within the U.S., located on the St. Lawrence River near Massena, New
York. While the project is licensed by the FERC, its operation as well
as Ontario's Hydro's portion of the international project, is governed
by the International Joint Commission (IJC) and the International St.
Lawrence River Board of Control (ISLRBC), who direct NYPA and Ontario
Hydro to release flows to maintain water levels in Lake Ontario and
downstream flows in accordance with criteria set forth. The IJC was
established by the 1909 Boundary Water Treaty between the U.S. and
Canada.
Cooperative Consultation Process (CCP) Team
NYPA has contacted and invited members of numerous federal, state,
and local governmental organizations, non-governmental organizations,
the St. Regis Mohawk Tribe, and the general public the U.S. The FERC
has also invited federal and provincial agencies in Canada, as well as
the IJC and ISLRBC to participate and discuss the cooperative process
for relicensing the project. As a result of a series of three meetings
conducted in February, March and April 1996, the participants (see list
below) along with NYSDEC and FERC have agreed to form a Cooperative
Consultation Process (CCP) Team. The CCP Team will assist in
identifying areas of interests, issues, required studies and also
prepare for NYSDEC and FERC a Scoping Document (See Scoping Process).
The CCP Team is still in the process of identifying potential
members and active participants. As of April 16, 1996, the following 39
organizations attended meetings of the CCP Team and have indicated an
interest in participating in the Team and relicensing process. Those
persons interested in joining the CCP Team or learning more about the
CCP Team and process, as well as the relicensing process should call
any one of the following three individuals:
Mr. Thomas R. Tatham, New York Power Authority, 212-468-6747, 212-468-
6272 (fax)
Mr. Keith Silliman, New York Dept. of Environmental Conservation, 518-
457-0986, 518-457-3978 (fax)
Mr. Thomas Russo, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 202-219-2792,
202-219-0125 (fax)
The following organizations have sent representatives to the CCP
Team meetings: the St. Regis Mohawk Tribe, Environment Canada, St.
Lawrence Seaway Development Corp., Ontario Hydro, Alcoa, NY State
Assembly, St. Lawrence Development Commission, Massena Electric, St.
Lawrence County, Town of Louisville, Development Authority of N.
County, Empire State Dept. of Economic Development, GM Power Train,
I.B.E.W. Local 2032, Vincent Kirsch, LCE Environ. Mgmt. Council, League
of Women Voters, Massena Industrial Dev. Corp., Village of Massena,
Village Potsdam, Mass. Municipal Wholesale Electric Co., Municipal
Electricity Assoc. of NY, New York Power Authority, New York Rivers
United, Audubon Society of NY State, NYS Dept. of Parks Rec. & Historic
Preservation, NYS Dept. of Environmental Conservation, NYS Dept. of
State (Coastal Resources), St. Lawrence Aquarium & Ecological Center,
Public Power Assoc. of NJ, Reynolds Metals, Robert Moses State Park,
St. Lawrence County Chamber of Commerce, St. Lawrence Gas, United Auto
Workers/GM Power Train, US Fish and Wildlife Service, Waddington Town
Planning Board, IBEW 450 ABGWIU, and WYBG Radio.
Scoping Process
The Scoping Process will satisfy the requirements of the National
Environmental Policy Act. The objective of the Scoping Process is to
assist the FERC and NYSDEC in identifying resource issues and
reasonable alternatives that should be addressed in the EIS analysis
and the level to which they should be addressed. The Scoping Process
will also identify the geographic and temporal range of the EIS
analysis, those resources requiring a cumulative impact analysis and
the level of analysis as well. The CCP Team will prepare a Draft
Scoping Document I (SDI) for FERC's and NYSDEC's use.
The Scoping Process will entail a series of public workshops/
meetings within the CCP Team over the next seven months. During this
time period, the CCP Team will use NYPA's Initial Consultation Document
distributed on April 16, 1996 to initiate scoping the issues. Members
of the Team and the general public will be given the
[[Page 20814]]
opportunity to identify their: (1) expectations on relicensing, (2)
environmental and development issues, (3) reasonable alternatives to
NYPA's relicensing proposal, and (4) a list of necessary studies. Most
of the work regarding necessary studies will be done through resource
subcommittees of the CCP Team beginning in September 1996. At this
time, there are four resource subcommittees: Ecological Resources, Land
& Recreation, Socio-Economics, and Engineering & Operations.
The following is a list of the presently scheduled major meetings/
workshops of the Scoping Process along with tentative dates of the CCP
Team's activities. All meetings are in Massena, NY, unless noted. Major
meetings are in bold face.
1. CCP Team members develop and send to May 16, 1996.
NYPA initial Expectations for the Project
Relicensing as well as known and
potential resource management goals
including relative significance of
resources, if possible.
2. CCP Team members develop individual May 16, 1996.
lists describing potential resource
issues and send to NYPA.
3. Initial Consultation Package workshop, May 21-22, 1996.
site inspection, and break out session
for the general public.
4. NYPA compiles a combined preliminary
list of resource issues from all team
members and distributes to CCP Team.
5. CCP Team meets to discuss Initial June 5-6, 1996.
Expectations for the Project Relicensing
and the preliminary combined list
describing resource issues. The CCP Team
jointly edits the list to eliminate
duplication, misunderstandings, etc.
Initiate discussion on level of
information needs, if possible.
6. NYPA distributes revised combined list
of issues to the CCP Team. For each
resource issue, NYPA prepares draft of
information needed to determine the
magnitude of the issue and the potential
effects of the project on the resource.
NYPA distributes this draft to the CCP
Team.
7. CCP Team Meeting to edit information July 15-16, 1996.
needed and potential effects of project
operation. The CCP Team will initiate
discussions regarding general level of
effort for resource analysis. The
combined list describing resource issues
will be edited as appropriate.
8. NYPA will distribute the initial July 31, 1996.
complete draft of Issue Identification
Section of SDI to the CCP Team based on
input received from July 15-16, 1996
meeting. This distribution will include
minority reports and a concise statement
of issues in dispute as appropriate.
9. The CCP Team will meet to finalize the
Draft Issue Identification Section of SDI
(including minority reports and
statements of disputes), and to make
initial assignment of issues to
subcommittees. CCP Team members volunteer
for subcommittees.
10. The CCP Team will submit statements of August 21, 1996.
disputes to FERC/NYS DEC, if necessary.
11. The CCP Team presents FERC/DEC with August 30, 1996.
the Draft SD I.
12. Subcommittees have initial meetings... Sept. 10-11, 1996.
13. FERC/DEC issue SDI and resolution of Sept. 30, 1996.
disputes, as appropriate.
Linwood A. Watson, Jr.,
Acting Secretary.
[FR Doc. 96-11423 Filed 5-7-96; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-M