[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 162 (Wednesday, August 23, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Page 57446]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-18127]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Project No. 5596-020]


Town of Bedford, Virginia; Notice of Intent To Prepare an 
Environmental Assessment

    On April 30, 2021, the Town of Bedford, Virginia filed an 
application for a new major license for the 5.0-megawatt Bedford 
Hydroelectric Project (Bedford Project or project; FERC No. 5596). The 
Bedford Project is located on the James River, near the Town of 
Bedford, in Bedford and Amherst counties, Virginia.
    In accordance with the Commission's regulations, on May 31, 2023, 
Commission staff issued a notice that the project was ready for 
environmental analysis (REA notice). Based on the information in the 
record, including comments filed on the REA notice, staff does not 
anticipate that licensing the project would constitute a major federal 
action significantly affecting the quality of the human environment. 
Therefore, staff intends to prepare an Environmental Assessment (EA) on 
the application to license the Bedford Project.
    The EA will be issued and circulated for review by all interested 
parties. All comments filed on the EA will be analyzed by staff and 
considered in the Commission's final licensing decision.
    The application will be processed according to the following 
schedule. Revisions to the schedule may be made as appropriate.
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    \1\ The Council on Environmental Quality's (CEQ) regulations 
under 40 CFR 1501.10(b)(1) (2022) require that EAs be completed 
within 1 year of the federal action agency's decision to prepare an 
EA. See National Environmental Policy Act, 42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq., 
as amended by section 107(g)(1)(B)(iii) of the Fiscal Responsibility 
Act of 2023, Public Law 118-5, section 4336a, 137 Stat. 42.

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                 Milestone                           Target date
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Commission issues EA......................  January 2024.\1\
Comments on EA............................  February 2024.
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    Any questions regarding this notice may be directed to Andy Bernick 
at (202) 502-8660 or [email protected].

    Dated: August 17, 2023.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2023-18127 Filed 8-22-23; 8:45 am]
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