[Federal Register Volume 90, Number 104 (Monday, June 2, 2025)]
[Notices]
[Pages 23325-23327]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2025-09924]
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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
[Project No. 420-115]
City of Ketchikan, Alaska; 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.: 420-115.
c. Dated Filed: March 31, 2025.
[[Page 23326]]
d. Submitted By: Ketchikan Public Utilities (KPU), on behalf of the
City of Ketchikan, Alaska.
e. Name of Project: Ketchikan Lakes Hydroelectric Project
(Ketchikan Lakes Project or project).
f. Location: The project is located on Ketchikan Creek and Granite
Basin Creek, in the Ketchikan Gateway Borough, Alaska.
g. Filed Pursuant to: 18 CFR part 5 of the Commission's
regulations.
h. Applicant Contact: Jennifer Holstrom, Regulatory Compliance
Manager, Ketchikan Public Utilities, 1065 Fair Street, Ketchikan, AK
99901; phone: (907) 228-4733; email at [email protected].
i. FERC Contact: Amy Chang, (202) 502-6150 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 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 Alaska 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. With this notice, we are designating KPU 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. KPU 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 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 of the sub-docket 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,
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].
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 Commission staff related to the merits
of the potential application must be filed with the Commission.
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,
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, 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: Ketchikan Lakes Hydroelectric Project (P-420-115).
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 5:00 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time, July 28, 2025.
p. 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 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. 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 scoping meetings are listed below.
Daytime Scoping Meeting
Date: Wednesday, June 25, 2025.
Time: 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. Alaska Daylight Time (AKDT).
Location: Ted Ferry Civic Center, 888 Venetia Avenue, Ketchikan, AK
99901.
Evening Scoping Meeting
Date: Wednesday, June 25, 2025.
Time: 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. AKDT.
Location: Ted Ferry Civic Center, 888 Venetia Avenue, Ketchikan, AK
99901.
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 KPU's PAD distribution list. Copies
of SD1 may be viewed on the web at http://
[[Page 23327]]
www.ferc.gov, using the ``eLibrary'' link. Follow the directions for
accessing information in paragraph n. 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
KPU and Commission staff will conduct an environmental site visit
of the Ketchikan Lakes Project on Thursday, June 26, 2025, from 9:00
a.m. to 11:00 a.m. AKDT.
The site review will begin at KPU's office, 1065 Fair Street,
Ketchikan, AK 99901 and will visit several locations to view the
project.
All interested individuals, agencies, Tribes, and NGOs are invited
to attend. Participants should meet at 9:00 a.m. at KPU's office
located at 1065 Fair Street, Ketchikan, AK. Please contact Cory Warnock
at (360) 739-0187 or via email at [email protected] or Jeanette
Ayala at [email protected] on or before June 10, 2025, if you plan to
attend the site review.
Meeting Procedures
Agencies, Tribes, NGOs, and individuals with environmental
expertise and concerns are encouraged to attend the meetings and to
assist the staff in defining and clarifying the issues to be addressed
in the NEPA document. At the start of each meeting, Commission staff
will provide a brief overview of the meeting format and objectives.
Individual oral comments will be taken on a one-on-one basis with a
court reporter (with Commission staff present). This format is designed
to receive the maximum number of oral comments in a convenient way
during the timeframe allotted. If you wish to speak, Commission staff
will hand out numbers in the order of your arrival. If all individuals
who wish to provide comments have had an opportunity to do so,
Commission staff may conclude the meeting a half hour earlier than the
scheduled time. Please see appendix C of the SD1 for additional
information on the session format and conduct.\1\
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\1\ The appendix referenced in this notice will not appear in
the Federal Register. Copies of the appendix were sent to all those
receiving this notice in the mail and are available at www.ferc.gov
using the ``eLibrary'' link. For assistance, contact FERC at
[email protected], or (866) 208-3676 (toll free) or (202)
502-8659 (TTY).
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Scoping comments will be recorded by the court reporter and become
part of the public record for this proceeding. Transcripts will be
publicly available on FERC's eLibrary system. If a significant number
of people are interested in providing oral comments in the one-on-one
settings, a time limit may be implemented for each commentor.
It is important to note that the Commission provides equal
consideration to all comments received, whether filed in writing or
provided orally at a scoping session. Although there will not be a
formal presentation, Commission staff will be available throughout the
scoping meeting(s) to answer your questions about the environmental
review process. Representatives from KPU will also be present to answer
project-specific questions.
Dated: May 27, 2025.
Carlos D. Clay,
Deputy Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2025-09924 Filed 5-30-25; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P