[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 4 (Friday, January 5, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 778-780]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-00031]
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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
[Project No. 2756-066]
Burlington Electric Department; 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
a. Type of Filing: Notice of Intent to File License Application for
a New License and Commencing Pre-filing Process.
b. Project No.: 2756-066.
c. Date Filed: October 31, 2023.
d. Submitted By: Burlington Electric Department (Burlington).
e. Name of Project: Chace Mill Hydroelectric Project (Chace Mill
Project).
f. Location: The project is located on the Winooski River in the
cities of Burlington and Winooski in Chittenden County, Vermont.
g. Filed Pursuant to: 18 CFR part 5 of the Commission's
Regulations.
h. Applicant Contact: James Gibbons, Director of Policy and
Planning, Burlington Electric Department, 585 Pine Street, Burlington,
VT 05401; Phone at (802) 658-0300, or email at
[email protected].
i. FERC Contact: Joshua Dub at (202) 502-8138 or email 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 the National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration 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 Office, 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.
[[Page 779]]
l. With this notice, we are designating Burlington 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.
m. Burlington 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.
n. A copy of the PAD may be viewed on the Commission's website
(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 call toll-free, (866) 208-3676 or TTY,
(202) 502-8659.
You may register online at https://ferconline.ferc.gov/FERCOnline.aspx to be notified via email of new filings 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 PAD and
Commission staff's 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 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 https://ferconline.ferc.gov/FERCOnline.aspx. Commenters can submit brief
comments up to 6,000 characters, without prior registration, using the
eComment system at https://ferconline.gov/QuickComment.aspx. You must
include your name and contact information at the end of your comments.
For assistance, please contact FERC Online Support at
[email protected] or call toll-free, (866) 208-3676 or TTY,
(202) 502-8659. In lieu of electronic filing, you may submit a paper
copy. Submissions sent via the U.S. Postal Service must be addressed
to: Kimberly D. Bose, Secretary, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission,
888 First Street NE, Room 1A, Washington, DC 20426. Submissions sent
via any other carrier must be addressed to: Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 12225 Wilkins Avenue,
Rockville, Maryland 20852. The first page of any filing should include
docket number P-2756-066.
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 February 27, 2024.
p. The Commission's Office of Public Participation (OPP) supports
meaningful public engagement and participation in Commission
proceedings. OPP can help members of the public, including landowners,
environmental justice communities, Tribal members and others, access
publicly available information and navigate Commission processes. For
public inquiries and assistance with making filings such as
interventions, comments, or requests for rehearing, the public is
encouraged to contact OPP at (202) 502-6595 or [email protected].
q. Pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA),
Commission staff will prepare either an environmental assessment (EA)
or an environmental impact statement (EIS) (collectively referred to as
the ``NEPA document'') that describes and evaluates the probable
effects, including an assessment of the site-specific and cumulative
effects, if any, of the proposed action and alternatives. The
Commission's scoping process will help determine the required level of
analysis and satisfy the NEPA scoping requirements, irrespective of
whether the Commission issues an EA or EIS.
Scoping Meetings
Commission staff will hold two scoping meetings for the project to
receive input on the scope of the NEPA document. A daytime meeting will
be held at 9:00 a.m. on January 29, 2024, at the Burlington Electric
Department's Spark Space, in Burlington, Vermont, and will focus on the
concerns of Indian Tribes, resource agencies, and non-governmental
organizations (NGOs). An evening meeting will be held at 6:00 p.m. on
January 29, 2024, at the Burlington Electric Department's Spark Space,
in Burlington, Vermont, and will focus on receiving input from the
public. We invite all interested agencies, Indian Tribes, non-
governmental organizations, and individuals to attend one or both
meetings. The times and locations of these meetings are as follows:
Daytime Scoping Meeting
Date: Monday, January 29, 2024.
Time: 9:00 a.m. EST.
Place: Burlington Electric Department, Spark Space.
Address: 585 Pine Street, Burlington, VT 05401.
Phone: (802) 865-0300.
Evening Scoping Meeting
Date: Monday, January 29, 2024.
Time: 6:00 p.m. EST.
Place: Burlington Electric Department, Spark Space.
Address: 585 Pine Street, Burlington, VT 05401.
Phone: (802) 865-0300.
Copies of the SD1 outlining the proposed date and subject areas to
be addressed in the NEPA document were distributed to the individuals
and entities on the Commission's mailing list and Burlington's
distribution list. Copies of SD1 may be viewed on the web at http://www.ferc.gov, using the ``eLibrary'' link. Follow the directions for
accessing information in paragraph n above. 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 Visit
The potential applicant and Commission staff will conduct an
environmental site visit of the project. All interested individuals,
agencies, Tribes, and NGOs are invited to attend. Please RSVP Mr. James
Gibbons of the Burlington Electric Department via email at
[email protected] or by phone at (802) 865-0300 on or
before January 22, 2024, if you plan to attend the environmental site
visit. The time and location of the environmental site visit is as
follows:
Chace Mill Project Site Visit
Date: Monday, January 29, 2024.
Time: 1:00 p.m. EST.
Place: Burlington Electric Department.
Address: 585 Pine Street, Burlington, VT 05401.
Participants should meet at the Burlington Electric Department's
parking lot, located at 585 Pine Street, Burlington. From there,
Burlington will provide transportation to the project via shuttle. All
participants are responsible for their own transportation to the
Burlington Electric Department's parking lot, and should wear sturdy,
closed-toe shoes or boots.
[[Page 780]]
Meeting Objectives
At the scoping meetings, Commission staff will: (1) initiate
scoping of the issues; (2) review and discuss existing conditions; (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 potential
of any federal or state agency or Indian tribe to act 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
Commission staff are moderating the scoping meetings. The meetings
are recorded by an independent stenographer and become part of the
formal record of the Commission proceeding on the project. Individuals,
NGOs, Indian Tribes, and agencies with environmental expertise and
concerns are encouraged to attend the meeting and to assist the staff
in defining and clarifying the issues to be addressed in the NEPA
document.
Dated: December 29, 2023.
Debbie-Anne A. Reese,
Deputy Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2024-00031 Filed 1-4-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P