Notice2022-13119
Idaho Power Company; Notice of Intent To Prepare a Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement
Primary source
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Published
June 17, 2022
Issuing agencies
Energy DepartmentFederal Energy Regulatory Commission
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 87 Issue 117 (Friday, June 17, 2022)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 117 (Friday, June 17, 2022)]
[Notices]
[Page 36483]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2022-13119]
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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
[Project No. 1971-079]
Idaho Power Company; Notice of Intent To Prepare a Supplemental
Environmental Impact Statement
On July 21, 2003, Idaho Power Company (Idaho Power) filed an
application for a new license for the Hells Canyon Project,\1\ FERC No.
1971. The project is located on the Snake River in Washington and Adams
Counties, Idaho, and Wallowa and Baker Counties, Oregon. The Hells
Canyon Project consists of three developments (dams, reservoirs, and
powerhouses) on the segment of the Snake River forming the border
between Idaho and Oregon.\2\ The three developments are Brownlee,
Oxbow, and Hells Canyon, which combined provide 1,167 megawatts of
power generating capacity and 6,562,244 megawatt hours of electricity
annually. The project occupies approximately 5,640 acres of federal
land, including land managed by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management and
the U.S. Forest Service.
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\1\ Referred to in Idaho Power's license application as the
Hells Canyon Complex.
\2\ The current license expired on July 31, 2005, and the
project is operating under an annual license.
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On August 31, 2007, the Commission issued a final Environmental
Impact Statement (EIS) for the Hells Canyon Project. On December 30,
2019, Idaho Power filed an Offer of Settlement (settlement) with the
Commission for the Hells Canyon Project.\3\ The settlement, which was
executed on April 22, 2019, includes, among other items, spring Chinook
salmon and summer steelhead fish passage measures. In addition, the
Oregon and Idaho Departments of Environmental Quality each issued a
water quality certification under section 401 of the Clean Water Act
for the Hells Canyon Project on May 24, 2019.
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\3\ On January 7, 2020, the Commission issued notice of the
offer of settlement's filing.
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On July 1, 2020, Idaho Power supplemented the final license
application for the project with additional information on its
proposal, including an analysis of the new and revised fish-related
protection, mitigation, and enhancement measures proposed under the
settlement, and updated information on project resources. Additionally,
Idaho Power filed on October 14, 2020, draft biological assessments for
species managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the National
Marine Fisheries Service, which included an analysis of the effects of
the new and revised measures on fish and wildlife listed under the
Endangered Species Act.
In order to assess the new and revised fish-related protection,
mitigation, and enhancement measures proposed under the settlement, the
Oregon and Idaho water quality certificates, and the draft biological
assessments, Commission staff intends to prepare a draft and final
supplemental EIS in accordance with the National Environmental Policy
Act. The supplemental EIS will describe and evaluate the effects of the
proposed action and alternatives. The focus of the supplemental EIS
will be on the new and revised measures proposed by the settlement, the
conditions contained in the Oregon and Idaho water quality
certificates, and the information provided in the draft biological
assessments. For the resource areas not affected by the new and revised
proposed measures or new environmental information, the supplemental
EIS will either include or incorporate by reference analyses from the
Commission's final EIS.
With this notice, we are reinitiating informal consultation with
the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Marine Fisheries
Service under section 7 of the Endangered Species Act and the joint
agency regulations thereunder at 50 CFR part 402.
The draft supplemental EIS will be sent to all persons and entities
on the Commission's service and mailing lists for the Hells Canyon
Project. Recipients will then have 60 days to review the draft
supplemental EIS and file written comments with the Commission. All
comments filed with the Commission on the final supplemental EIS will
be considered in the Order taking final action on the license
application. The application will be processed according to the
following Hydro Licensing Schedule. Revisions to the schedule may be
made as appropriate.
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Milestone Target date
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Draft supplemental EIS Issued.......... June 2023.
Comments Due on draft supplemental EIS. August 2023.
Final supplemental EIS Issued.......... December 2023.
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This notice informs all interested individuals, organizations, and
agencies with environmental expertise and concerns, that: (1) the
Commission staff has decided to prepare a supplemental EIS addressing
the settlement; and (2) the comments, recommendations, and terms and
conditions already on file with the Commission on the application will
be taken into account in the supplemental EIS.
Any questions regarding this notice may be directed to Nicholas
Ettema at 312-596-4447, or by email at <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#1a7473797275767b69347f6e6e7f777b5a7c7f6879347d756c"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="85ebece6edeae9e4f6abe0f1f1e0e8e4c5e3e0f7e6abe2eaf3">[email protected]</span></a>.
Dated: June 13, 2022.
Debbie-Anne A. Reese,
Deputy Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2022-13119 Filed 6-16-22; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P
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