[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 27 (Wednesday, February 9, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 7185-7186]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-2809]



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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[P-2280-013 ; P-13889-000]


 FirstEnergy Generation Corporation; Seneca Nation of Indians; 
Notice of Intent To File Competing License Applications, Filing of Pre-
Application Documents (PADS), Commencement of Pre-Filing Process, and 
Scoping; Request for Comments on the PADS and Scoping Document, and 
Identification of Issues and Associated Study Requests

January 28, 2011.
    a. Type of Filing: Notices of Intent to File Competing License 
Applications for a New License and Commencing Pre-Filing Process.
    b. Project Nos.: 2280-013 & 13889-000.
    c. Dated Filed: November 30, 2010.
    d. Submitted By: Existing licensee--FirstEnergy Generation 
Corporation (FirstEnergy); and Competitor--Seneca Nation of Indians 
(Seneca Nation).
    e. Name of Project: Existing Project--Kinzua Pumped Storage 
Project; Competing Project--Seneca Pumped Storage Project.
    f. Location: On the United States Army Corps of Engineers Kinzua 
Dam, and the United States Forest Service Allegheny National Forest, 
adjacent to the Allegheny River and the Allegheny Reservoir near the 
City of Warren, in Warren County, Pennsylvania. The project occupies 
221.59 acres of federal lands.
    g. Filed Pursuant to: 18 CFR part 5 of the Commission's 
Regulations.
    h. Potential Applicants' Contacts: For Project No. 2280-013: Morgan 
Parke, Federal Regulatory Attorney, FirstEnergy Corporation, 76 South 
Main Street, Akron, Ohio 44308. For Project No. 13889-000: Wendy Huff, 
Executive Director Kinzua Dam Relicensing Commission, Seneca Nation of 
Indians, P.O. Box 231, 90 Ohio Way, Salamanca, NY 14779.
    i. FERC Contact: Gaylord Hoisington at (202) 502-6032 or e-mail at 
[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 document cannot also intervene. See 94 FERC ] 
61,076 (2001).
    k. With this notice, we are initiating informal consultation with: 
(a) The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and/or NOAA Fisheries 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. With this notice, we are designating FirstEnergy and the Seneca 
Nation as the Commission's non-federal representatives for carrying out 
informal consultation pursuant to section 7 of the Endangered Species 
Act and section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act.
    m. FirstEnergy and the Seneca Nation filed Pre-Application 
Documents (PADs; including a proposed process plan and schedule), 
pursuant to 18 CFR 5.6 of the Commission's regulations.
    n. Copies of both PADs are 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 documents. 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 addresses 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.
    o. With this notice, we are soliciting comments on the PADs, the 
Commission staff's scoping document (SD) issued January 28, 2011, as 
well as study requests. All comments on the PADs, SD, and study 
requests should be sent to the addresses above in paragraph h. In 
addition, all comments on the PADs, SD, study requests, requests for 
cooperating agency status, and all communications to and from 
Commission staff-related to the merits of the potential applications 
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 (Kinzua Pumped Storage Project) and number (P-2280-
013), for FirstEnergy and/or (Seneca Pumped Storage Project) and number 
(P-13889-000), for the Seneca Nation, and bear the heading: ``Comments 
on Pre-Application Document,'' ``Study Requests,'' ``Comments on 
Scoping Document,'' ``Request for Cooperating Agency Status,'' or 
``Communications to and from Commission Staff.'' Any individual or 
entity interested in submitting study requests, commenting on the PADs 
or SD, and any agency requesting cooperating status must do so by March 
30, 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, 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 three scoping meetings in the vicinity 
of the project at the time and place noted below. The morning and 
afternoon meetings 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 one or all three 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:

Morning Scoping Meeting

    Date: Wednesday, February 23, 2011.
    Time: 9 a.m. to 12 p.m.
    Location: Holiday Inn, 210 Ludlow Street, Warren, Pa. 16365.
    Phone: (814) 726-3000.

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Evening Scoping Meeting

    Date: Wednesday, February 23, 2011.
    Time: 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.
    Location: Holiday Inn, 210 Ludlow Street, Warren, Pa 16365.

Afternoon Scoping Meeting

    Date: Thursday, February 24, 2011.
    Time: 3 p.m. to 6 p.m.
    Location: Salamanca City Central School District, 50 Iroquois 
Drive, Salamanca, NY 14779.
    Phone: (716) 945-1790 ext. 3184.
    The SD, which outlines the subject areas to be addressed in the 
environmental document, was mailed to the individuals and entities on 
the Commission's mailing lists and the distribution lists for 
FirstEnergy's and the Seneca Nation's PADs. Copies of the SD 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 Revised Scoping Document (RSD) may be issued. An RSD may 
include any revised process plan and schedule, as well as a list of 
issues, identified through the scoping process.

Site Visit

    The potential applicants and Commission staff will conduct a site 
visit of the project facilities on Wednesday afternoon, February 23, 
2011, starting at 1:30 p.m. All participants should meet at the Kinzua 
Project powerhouse. All participants will be responsible for providing 
their own method of transportation. The time and location of the site 
visit is as follows:
    Date: Wednesday, February 23, 2011.
    Time: 1:30 p.m. to 4 p.m.
    Location: Kinzua Project Powerhouse, Warren, PA 16365.
    Name: Laura Cowan.
    Phone: (717) 983-4056.

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 activity 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 PADs in preparation for the scoping 
meetings. Instructions on how to obtain copies of the PADs and SD are 
included in item n. of this document.

Meeting Procedures

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

Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2011-2809 Filed 2-8-11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P