[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 17 (Wednesday, January 26, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 4649-4650]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-1564]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Project No. 2524-018]


Grand River Dam Authority; Notice of Intent To File License 
Application, Filing of Pre-Application Document (PAD), Commencement of 
Pre-Filing Process, and Scoping; Request for Comments on the PAD and 
Scoping Document, and Identification of Issues and Associated Study 
Requests

January 18, 2011.
    a. Type of Filing: Notice of Intent to File License Application for 
a New License and Commencing Pre-filing Process
    b. Project No.: 2524-018.
    c. Date Filed: November 19, 2010.
    d. Submitted By: Grand River Dam Authority.
    e. Name of Project: Salina Pumped Storage Project.
    f. Location: In Mayes County, Oklahoma on the Saline Creek arm of 
Lake Hudson, in the Grand River watershed. There are no federal lands 
to be used by the project.
    g. Filed Pursuant to: 18 CFR Part 5 of the Commission's 
Regulations.
    h. Potential Applicant Contacts: Dr. Darrell E. Townsend II, 
Director of Ecosystems Management, and Mr. Charles Atkins, 
Superintendent of Hydro Operations, Grand River Dam Authority, P.O. Box 
70, Langley, OK 74350-0070.
    i. FERC Contact: Stephen Bowler at (202) 502- 6861, 
[email protected]; or Jeanne Edwards at (202) 502-6181, 
[email protected].
    j. Cooperating agencies: Federal, state, local, and tribal agencies 
with jurisdiction and/or special expertise with respect to 
environmental issues that wish to cooperate in the preparation of the 
environmental document should follow the instructions for filing such 
requests described in item o below. Cooperating agencies should note 
the Commission's policy that agencies that cooperate in the preparation 
of the environmental

[[Page 4650]]

document cannot also intervene. 94 FERC ] 61,076 (2001).
    k. With this notice, we are initiating informal consultation with: 
(a) The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service under section 7 of the 
Endangered Species Act and the joint agency regulations thereunder at 
50 CFR, Part 402; and (b) the State Historic Preservation Officer, as 
required by section 106, National Historical Preservation Act, and the 
implementing regulations of the Advisory Council on Historic 
Preservation at 36 CFR 800.2.
    l. Grand River Dam Authority filed with the Commission a Pre-
Application Document (PAD; including a proposed process plan and 
schedule), pursuant to 18 CFR 5.6 of the Commission's regulations.
    m. A copy of the PAD 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. A copy is also available for inspection and 
reproduction at the address in paragraph h.
    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. With this notice, we are soliciting comments on the PAD and 
Commission's staff Scoping Document 1 (SD1), as well as study requests. 
All comments on the PAD and SD1, and study requests should be sent to 
the address above in paragraph h. In addition, all comments on the PAD 
and SD1, study requests, requests for cooperating agency status, and 
all communications to, and from, Commission staff related to the merits 
of the potential application must be filed with the Commission. 
Documents may be filed electronically via the Internet. See 18 CFR 
385.2001(a)(1)(iii) and the instructions on the Commission's Web site 
http://www.ferc.gov/docs-filing/efiling.asp. Commenters can submit 
brief comments up to 6,000 characters, without prior registration, 
using the eComment system at http://www.ferc.gov/docs-filing/ecomment.asp. You must include your name and contact information at the 
end of your comments. For assistance, please contact FERC Online 
Support. Although the Commission strongly encourages electronic filing, 
documents may also be paper-filed. To paper-file, mail an original and 
seven copies to: Kimberly D. Bose, Secretary, Federal Energy Regulatory 
Commission, 888 First Street, NE., Washington, DC 20426.
    All filings with the Commission must include on the first page, the 
project name (Salina Pumped Storage Project) and number (P-2524-018), 
and bear the appropriate heading: ``Comments on Pre-Application 
Document,'' ``Study Requests,'' ``Comments on Scoping Document 1,'' 
``Request for Cooperating Agency Status,'' or ``Communications to and 
from Commission Staff.'' Any individual or entity interested in 
submitting study requests, commenting on the PAD or SD1, and any agency 
requesting cooperating status must do so by March 19, 2011.
    p. 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, the meetings outlined 
below 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 time and place noted below. We invite all interested 
individuals, organizations, and agencies to attend one or both of the 
meetings, and to assist staff in identifying particular study needs, as 
well as the scope of environmental issues to be addressed in the 
environmental document. The times and locations of these meetings are 
as follows:

Afternoon Scoping Meeting

    Date: Tuesday, February 15, 2011.
    Time: 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. (CST).
    Location: Grand River Dam Authority Ecosystems and Education 
Center, 420 E. Hwy 28, Langley, Oklahoma 74350.

Evening Scoping Meeting

    Date: Tuesday, February 15, 2011.
    Time: 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. (CST).
    Location: Grand River Dam Authority Ecosystems and Education 
Center, 420 E. Hwy 28, Langley, Oklahoma 74350.
    Scoping Document 1 (SD1), 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 SD1 will be 
available at the scoping meetings, or may be viewed on the Web at 
http://www.ferc.gov, using the ``eLibrary'' link. Follow the directions 
for accessing information in paragraph n.
    Based on all oral and written comments, a Scoping Document 2 (SD2) 
may be issued. SD2 may include a revised process plan and schedule, as 
well as a list of issues, identified through the scoping process.

Environmental Site Review

    The potential applicant and Commission staff will conduct an 
environmental site review of the project on Tuesday, February 15, 2011, 
starting at 10 a.m. We invite all interested agencies, Indian tribes, 
NGOs, and individuals to attend the environmental site review. To 
participate in the environmental site review you must register with Ms. 
Jacklyn Jaggars ([email protected], or 918-256-0723) of the Grand River 
Dam Authority on, or before, Monday, February 7, 2011.

Meeting Objectives

    At the scoping meetings, staff will: (1) Initiate scoping of the 
issues; (2) review and discuss existing conditions and resource 
management objectives; (3) review and discuss existing information and 
identify preliminary information and study needs; (4) review and 
discuss the process plan and schedule for pre-filing activities that 
incorporates the time frames provided for in Part 5 of the Commission's 
regulations, and, to the extent possible, maximizes coordination of 
federal, state, and tribal permitting and certification processes; and 
(5) discuss the appropriateness of any federal or state agency or 
Indian tribe acting as a cooperating agency for development of an 
environmental document.
    Meeting participants should come prepared to discuss their issues 
and/or concerns. Please review the PAD in preparation for the scoping 
meetings. Directions on how to obtain a copy of the PAD and SD1 are 
included in item n. of this document.

Meeting Procedures

    The meetings will be recorded by a stenographer and will be placed 
in the public record of the project.

Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2011-1564 Filed 1-25-11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P