[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 44 (Wednesday, March 7, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Pages 10207-10208]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E7-3996]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Project No. 12611-000]


Verdant Power, Inc.; Notice of Scoping Meetings and Site Visit 
and Soliciting Scoping Comments

March 1, 2007.
    a. Type of Application to be Filed: Original Major License.
    b. Project No.: 12611-000.
    c. Anticipated Filing Date: September 30, 2007.
    d. Submitted By: Verdant Power, Inc.
    e. Name of Project: Roosevelt Island Tidal Energy Project.
    f. Location: In the East River, in New York, New York. The project 
would not occupy federal land.
    g. Filed Pursuant to: Federal Power Act, 16 U.S.C. 791(a)-825(r).
    h. Applicant Contact: Mr. Ron F. Smith, Verdant Power, Inc., 4640 
13th Street, North Arlington, VA 22207, (703) 204-3436, 
[email protected].
    i. FERC Contact: Tom Dean, (202) 502-6041, or at 
[email protected].
    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. Currently, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the U.S. 
Environmental Protection Agency have requested cooperating agency 
status. Other agencies who would like to request cooperating status 
should follow the instructions for filing comments described in 
paragraph k 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. Deadline for requesting cooperating agency status or filing 
scoping comments: April 30, 2007.
    All documents (original and eight copies) should be filed with: 
Secretary, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 First Street, NE., 
Room 1A, Washington, DC 20426.
    Scoping comments and requests for cooperating agency status may be 
filed

[[Page 10208]]

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 ``efiling'' link.
    l. The proposed project would consist of: (1) Up to 300 5-meter-
diameter kinetic hydropower axial flow turbine generator units (about 
33 kW each) with a total installed capacity of 10 MW mounted on 
monopiles; (2) underwater power cables from each unit to a central 
control room; and (3) appurtenant facilities.
    m. A copy of the Scoping Document 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 [email protected] or toll free at 1-
866-208-3676, or for TTY, (202) 502-8659. Copies are also available for 
inspection and reproduction at the address in paragraph h.
    You may also register online at http://www.ferc.gov/docs-filing/esubscription.asp to be notified via e-mail of new filing and issuances 
related to this or other pending projects. For assistance, contact FERC 
Online Support.
    n. Although our current intent is to prepare an environmental 
assessment (EA), there is the possibility that an Environmental Impact 
Statement (EIS) will be required. Nevertheless, this meeting will 
satisfy the NEPA scoping requirements, irrespective of whether an EA or 
EIS is issued by the Commission.

Scoping Meetings

    Commission staff will hold two scoping meetings in the vicinity of 
the project at the times and places 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 these meetings, to assist staff 
in identifying particular study needs, as well as the scope of 
environmental issues to be addressed in the environmental document.
    Many environmental issues have already been identified (i.e. 
potential effects on fish population and movement, diving birds, 
recreational opportunities), studies to assess those issues have 
already been developed and some are ongoing. Commission staff are 
particularly interested in identifying any new issues (those not 
identified in the Scoping Document), or previously identified issues 
that are not being addressed. The times and locations of these meetings 
are as follows:

Evening Scoping Meeting

    Date and Time: Wednesday, March 28, 2007, 7 p.m. (EST)
    Location: Community Center Building, 8 River Road, Roosevelt 
Island, NY 10044.

Daytime Scoping Meeting

    Date and Time: Thursday, March 29, 2007, 10 a.m. (EST)
    Location: Community Center Building, 8 River Road, Roosevelt 
Island, NY 10044.
    The Community Center Building is a low rise separate building 
located west (towards Manhattan) of Gristedes supermarket set back 
behind the brick highrise buildings near the west channel.
    The Scoping Document, 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 the Scoping 
Document will be available at the scoping meetings, or may be viewed on 
the web at http://www.ferc.gov, using the ``eLibrary'' link. In the 
event substantive comments are received and revisions are necessary, 
the Commission will prepare a revised Scoping Document for 
distribution.

Site Visit

    Verdant will conduct a site visit at the project site on Wednesday, 
March 28, 2007, starting at 2 p.m. All participants should meet at 
Verdant's control room located in a large beige metal cargo container 
box along side of the east channel of the East River of the 600 block 
of Main Street on Roosevelt Island. All participants are responsible 
for their own transportation.

Scoping Meeting Objectives

    At the scoping meetings, staff will: (1) Present a proposed list of 
issues to be addressed in the EA; (2) identify the proposed studies; 
(3) solicit from the meeting participants all available information, 
especially quantifiable data, on the resources at issue; (4) encourage 
statements from experts and the public on issues that should be 
analyzed in the EA; (5) determine the resource issues to be addressed 
in the EA; and (6) identify those issues that require a detailed 
analysis, as well as those issues that do not require a detailed 
analysis.
    Meeting participants should come prepared to discuss their issues 
and/or concerns. Please review the Scoping Document in preparation for 
the scoping meetings.

Scoping Meeting Procedures

    The meetings will be recorded by a stenographer and will become 
part of the formal Commission record on the project.

Magalie R. Salas,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. E7-3996 Filed 3-6-07; 8:45 am]
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