[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 111 (Tuesday, June 10, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 33186-33188]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-13487]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[New York Power Authority; Project No. 2685-026]


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

    Type of Filing: Notice of Intent to File License Application for a 
New License and Commencing Pre-filing Process.
    Project No.: 2685-026.
    Dated Filed: April 10, 2014.
    Submitted By: New York Power Authority (NYPA).
    Name of Project: Blenheim-Gilboa Pumped Storage Project.
    Location: On Schoharie Creek, in the Towns of Blenheim and Gilboa 
in Schoharie County, New York. The project does not occupy any federal 
lands.
    Filed Pursuant to: 18 CFR part 5 of the Commission's Regulations.
    Potential Applicant Contact: Mr. Mark Slade, NYPA-Licensing 
Director, 123 Main Street, White Plains, New York 10601. Telephone: 
(914) 681-6659, Email: [email protected].
    FERC Contact: Andy Bernick at (202) 502-8660 or email at 
[email protected].
    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).
    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 New York

[[Page 33187]]

State Historic Preservation Officer, as required by section 106, 
National Historic Preservation Act, and the implementing regulations of 
the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation at 36 CFR 800.2.
    With this notice, we are designating NYPA as the Commission's non-
federal representative for carrying out informal consultation, pursuant 
to section 7 of the Endangered Species Act and section 106 of the 
National Historic Preservation Act.
    NYPA 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.
    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], (866) 208-3676 (toll free), or (202) 502-
8659 (TTY). 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 email of new filing 
and issuances related to this or other pending projects. For 
assistance, contact FERC Online Support.
    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.
    The Commission strongly encourages electronic filing. Please file 
all documents using the Commission's eFiling system at 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 at 
[email protected]. In lieu of electronic filing, please send a 
paper copy to: Secretary, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 
First Street NE., Washington, DC 20426. The first page of any filing 
should include docket number P-2685-026.
    All filings with the Commission must 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 August 8, 2014.
    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 time and place noted below. The evening meeting is 
primarily for receiving input from the public, while the daytime 
meeting will focus on resource agency, Indian tribes, and non-
governmental organization concerns. 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:

Evening Scoping Meeting

Date: Monday, July 7, 2014.
Time: 6:00 p.m.
Location: Gilboa-Conesville Central School, 132 Wyckoff Road, Gilboa, 
New York 12076.
Phone: (607) 588-7541.

Daytime Scoping Meeting

Date: Wednesday, July 9, 2014.
Time: 9:00 a.m.
Location: Best Western Inn, 121 Burgin Drive, Cobleskill, New York 
12043.
Phone: (518) 234-4321.

    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 and NYPA's PAD 
distribution 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, July 8, 2014, 
starting at 9:00 a.m. and lasting approximately 3 hours. All 
participants should meet at the Blenheim-Gilboa Visitors Center parking 
lot, located at 1378 State Route 30, North Blenheim, NY, 12131. All 
participants are responsible for their own transportation to the 
Visitors Center. Thereafter, NYPA will provide shuttles to visit 
locations within the project boundary.
    Please notify Mr. Rob Daly at (914) 681-6564 or [email protected] 
on or before Monday, June 30, 2014, if you plan to attend the 
environmental site review. Persons not providing an RSVP by June 30, 
2014, will not be allowed on the environmental site review. Also, 
persons attending the environmental site review must adhere to the 
following requirements: (1) Persons must be 16 years or older; (2) 
persons must have a current, valid, government-issued or school photo 
identification (i.e., driver's license, etc.); (3) persons with open-
toed shoes/sandals/flip flops/high heels, etc. will not be allowed on 
the environmental site review; (4) no photography will be allowed on-
site; (5) small bags containing personal items for the site visit 
(i.e., notebooks, maps, water, etc.) will be allowed, but are subject 
to search; (6) no weapons are allowed on-site; (7) no alcohol/drugs are 
allowed on-site (or persons exhibiting the effects thereof); (8) all 
persons coming on-site are subject to search; and (9) no animals 
(except for service animals) are allowed on the environmental site 
review.

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

[[Page 33188]]

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 records of the project.

    Dated: June 4, 2014.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2014-13487 Filed 6-9-14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P