[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