[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 24 (Monday, February 5, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 7697-7698]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-02194]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Project No. 382-108]


Southern California Edison Company; Notice of Intent To Prepare 
an Environmental Assessment

    On May 1 and 2, 2023, as supplemented on May 16, 2023, Southern 
California Edison Company (SCE or licensee) filed an application to 
surrender its license and decommission the Borel Hydroelectric Project 
No. 382. The project is located on the Kern River, in the City of 
Bodfish in Kern County, California. The project occupies Federal lands 
administered by the U.S. Forest Service and the U.S. Army Corps of 
Engineers.
    SCE is requesting to surrender its license for the Borel 
Hydroelectric Project and the disposition of all Borel Project 
facilities (i.e., removal, modification, or abandonment in place). SCE 
is surrendering the Borel Project license because the U.S. Army Corps 
of Engineers (Corps) implemented a safety modification to its Lake 
Isabella Auxiliary Dam for which the Corps condemned land associated 
with the Borel Project and sealed off the existing section of conduit 
through the Auxiliary Dam by filling it with concrete and abandoning 
the conduit in place. This action rendered the Borel Project 
nonfunctional and therefore SCE is seeking to surrender the Project 
license.

[[Page 7698]]

A Notice of Application Accepted for Filing and Soliciting Comments, 
Motions to Intervene, and Protest was issued on June 13, 2023.
    This notice identifies Commission staff's intention to prepare an 
environmental assessment (EA) for the proposed action. The planned 
schedule for the completion of the EA is July 2024.\1\ Revisions to the 
schedule may be made as appropriate. The EA will be issued and made 
available for review by all interested parties. All comments filed on 
the EA will be reviewed by staff and considered in the Commission's 
final decision on the proceeding.
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    \1\ 42 U.S.C. 4336a(g)(1)(B) requires lead Federal agencies to 
complete EAs within 1 year of the agency's decision to prepare an 
EA.
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    With this notice, the Commission is inviting Federal, State, local, 
and Tribal agencies with jurisdiction and/or special expertise with 
respect to environmental issues affected by the proposal to cooperate 
in the preparation of the EA planned to be issued July 2024. Agencies 
wishing to cooperate, or further discuss the benefits, 
responsibilities, and obligations of the cooperating agency role, 
should contact staff listed at the bottom of this notice by February 
20, 2024. Cooperating agencies should note the Commission's policy that 
agencies that cooperate in the preparation of any environmental 
document cannot also intervene. See 94 FERC ] 61,076 (2001).
    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 to 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].
    Any questions regarding this notice may be directed to Rebecca 
Martin at 202-502-6012 or [email protected].

    Dated: January 30, 2024.
Debbie-Anne A. Reese,
Acting Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2024-02194 Filed 2-2-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P