[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 28 (Friday, February 9, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 9143-9144]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-02717]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Project No. 2821-014]


City of Portland; Notice of Intent To File License Application, 
Filing of Pre-Application Document (PAD), Commencement of ILP 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 Licensing Process.
    b. Project No.: 2821-014.
    c. Dated Filed: December 8, 2023.
    d. Submitted By: City of Portland, Portland Water Bureau.
    e. Name of Project: Portland Hydroelectric Project.
    f. Location: The project is located on the Bull Run River in 
Clackamas and Multnomah counties, Oregon, approximately 26 miles east 
of the City of Portland. The project boundary does not include any 
Federal lands since a land exchange with the U.S. Forest Service was 
completed in 2022.\1\
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    \1\ On November 8, 2023, the City filed an application to amend 
the current license to revise Federal lands within the project 
boundary.
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    g. Filed Pursuant to: 18 CFR part 5 of the Commission's 
regulations.
    h. Applicant Contact: Ms. Shannon Mills, Portland Water Bureau; 
1120 SW 5th Avenue, Room 405, Portland, OR 97204; phone: (971) 347-
9870.
    i. FERC Contact: Golbahar Mirhosseini, (202) 502-6820 
[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 NOAA Fisheries under section 
7 of the Endangered Species Act and the joint agency regulations 
thereunder at 50 CFR part 402; (b) NOAA Fisheries under section 305(b) 
of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act and 
implementing regulations at 50 CFR 600.920; and (c) the Oregon 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.
    l. By letters dated January 2, 2024, and January 17, 2024, we 
notified the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, NOAA Fisheries, and the 
Oregon State Historic Preservation Officer that we are designating the 
City of Portland as the Commission's non-federal representative for 
carrying out informal consultation pursuant to section 7 of the 
Endangered Species Act, section 305(b) of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery 
Conservation and Management Act, and section 106 of the National 
Historic Preservation Act.
    m. A copy of the PAD is available for review 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], (866) 208-3676 (toll free), or 
(202) 502-8659 (TTY). A copy is also available via the contact in 
paragraph h.
    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.
    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 at [email protected].
    n. 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 Commission staff related to the merits 
of the potential application must be filed with the Commission.

[[Page 9144]]

    The Commission strongly encourages electronic filing. Please file 
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.ferc.gov/QuickComment.aspx. You 
must include your name and contact information at the end of your 
comments. For assistance, please contact FERC Online. In lieu of 
electronic filing, you may submit a paper copy. Submissions sent via 
the U.S. Postal Service must be addressed to: Debbie-Anne A. Reese, 
Deputy Secretary, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 First 
Street NE, Room 1A, Washington, DC 20426. Submissions sent via any 
other carrier must be addressed to: Debbie-Anne A. Reese, Deputy 
Secretary, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 12225 Wilkins Avenue, 
Rockville, Maryland 20852. All filings must clearly identify the 
project name and docket number on the first page: Portland 
Hydroelectric Project (P-2821-014).
    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 April 6, 2024.
    o. Scoping Process:
    In accordance with 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''). The NEPA document will consider both site-
specific and cumulative environmental effects, and reasonable 
alternatives to the proposed action. The Commission's scoping process 
will help determine the required level of analysis and satisfy the NEPA 
scoping requirements, irrespective of whether the Commission prepares 
an environmental assessment or Environmental Impact Statement.

Scoping Meetings

    Commission staff will hold two scoping meetings for the project to 
receive input on the scope of the NEPA document. An evening meeting 
will focus on receiving input from the public and a daytime meeting 
will focus on concerns of resource agencies, Native American tribes, 
and non-governmental organizations (NGO). We invite all interested 
agencies, Native American tribes, NGOs, and the public to attend one or 
both meetings to assist us in identifying the scope of environmental 
issues that should be analyzed in the NEPA document. The dates and 
times of the virtual scoping meetings are listed below.

Evening meeting for the general public
    Tuesday, February 27, 2024
    Starting Time: 6:30 p.m. Pacific Standard Time (PST)
    Location: Portland Water Bureau, Interstate Facility Auditorium, 
664 N. Tillamook Street, Portland, OR 97227
    Phone Number: (971) 347-9870
Daytime meeting for resource agencies, Tribes, and NGOs
    Wednesday, February 28, 2024
    Starting Time: 10:00 a.m. PST
    Location: Portland Building, 1120 SW 5th Avenue, Room 108, 
Portland, OR 97204
    Phone Number: (971) 347-9870

    Copies of SD1, outlining the subject areas to be addressed in the 
environmental document, was mailed to the individuals and entities on 
the Commission's mailing list and City of Portland's PAD 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 m. 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

    City of Portland and Commission staff will hold an environmental 
site visit of the Portland Hydroelectric Project on Tuesday, February 
27, 2024, 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. PST. You must register in advance if you 
are interested in attending a site visit. Please contact Ms. Shannon 
Mills by email at [email protected], or by phone 
at 971-347-9870 before Tuesday February 20, 2024, if you plan to attend 
the environmental site review. Please note that inclement weather may 
necessitate a virtual tour instead of an in-person site visit.

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 Native American 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 City of Portland's PAD in preparation for 
the scoping meetings. Directions on how to obtain a copy of the PAD and 
SD1 are included in item m of this document.

Meeting Procedures

    The scoping meetings will be recorded by a court reporter, and all 
statements will become part of the Commission's public record for the 
project.
    Agencies, Native American Tribes, NGOs, and individuals with 
environmental expertise and concerns are encouraged to attend the 
meetings and to assist Commission staff in defining and clarifying the 
issues to be addressed in the NEPA document.

    Dated: February 2, 2024.
Debbie-Anne A. Reese,
Acting Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2024-02717 Filed 2-8-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P