Notice2023-07207
Alabama Power Company; Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement
Primary source
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Published
April 6, 2023
Issuing agencies
Energy DepartmentFederal Energy Regulatory Commission
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 88 Issue 66 (Thursday, April 6, 2023)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 66 (Thursday, April 6, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Page 20511]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2023-07207]
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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
[Project No. 2628-066]
Alabama Power Company; Notice of Intent To Prepare an
Environmental Impact Statement
On November 23, 2021, Alabama Power Company filed an application
for a new major license to operate its 137.5-megawatt (MW) \1\ R.L.
Harris Hydroelectric Project (Harris Project; FERC No. 2628). The
project is located on the Tallapoosa River near the City of Lineville
in Randolph, Clay, and Cleburne Counties, Alabama. The Harris Project
also includes land within the James D. Martin-Skyline Wildlife
Management Area located approximately 110 miles north of Harris Lake in
Jackson County, Alabama. The project occupies 4.90 acres of federal
land administered by the Bureau of Land Management.
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\1\ This capacity includes a proposed 2.5-MW increase in
generation that would be provided through a new minimum flow unit.
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On July 31, 2018, Commission staff issued Scoping Document 1,
initiating the scoping process for the project in accordance with the
National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and Commission regulations. On
November 16, 2018, Commission staff issued a revised scoping document
(Scoping Document 2). In accordance with the Commission's regulations,
on January 17, 2023, Commission staff issued a notice that the project
was ready for environmental analysis (REA Notice). Based on the
information in the record, including comments filed during scoping and
in response to the REA Notice, staff has determined that relicensing
the project may constitute a major federal action significantly
affecting the quality of the human environment. Therefore, staff
intends to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the
Harris Project.
A draft EIS will be issued and circulated for review by all
interested parties. All comments filed in response to the REA notice,
and on the draft EIS will be analyzed by staff in a final EIS. The
staff's conclusions and recommendations will be available for the
Commission's consideration in reaching its final licensing decision.
The application will be processed according to the following
schedule. Revisions to the schedule may be made as appropriate.
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Milestone Target date
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Issue draft EIS........................ September 2023.
Draft EIS Public Meeting............... October 2023.
Comments on draft EIS due.............. November 2023.
Commission issues final EIS............ April 2024.\2\
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Any questions regarding this notice may be directed to Sarah
Salazar at (202) 502-6863 or <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#5122302330397f22303d302b302311373423327f363e27"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="bac9dbc8dbd294c9dbd6dbc0dbc8fadcdfc8d994ddd5cc">[email protected]</span></a>.
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\2\ The Council on Environmental Quality's (CEQ) regulations
under 40 CFR 1501.10(b)(2) require that a Record of Decision be
completed within 2 years of the federal action agency's decision to
prepare an EIS. This notice establishes the Commission's intent to
prepare a draft and final EIS for the Harris Project. Therefore, in
accordance with CEQ's regulations, the Commission must reach a
licensing decision within 2 years of the issuance date of this
notice.
Dated: March 31, 2023.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2023-07207 Filed 4-5-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P
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