Notice2023-14262
Southern California Edison Company; Notice of Intent To File License Application, Filing of Pre-Application Document (Pad), Commencement of Pre-Filing Process, and Scoping; Request for Comments on the Pad and Scoping Document, and Identification of Issues and Associated Study Requests
Primary source
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Published
July 6, 2023
Issuing agencies
Energy DepartmentFederal Energy Regulatory Commission
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 88 Issue 128 (Thursday, July 6, 2023)</title>
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<body><pre>[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 128 (Thursday, July 6, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 43111-43112]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2023-14262]
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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
[Project No. 1930-090]
Southern California Edison Company; Notice of Intent To File
License Application, Filing of Pre-Application Document (Pad),
Commencement of 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 Process.
b. Project No.: 1930-090.
c. Dated Filed: May 5, 2023.
d. Submitted By: Southern California Edison Company (SCE).
e. Name of Project: Kern River No. 1 Hydroelectric Project (Kern 1
Project).
f. Location: The Kern 1 Project is located on the lower Kern River
on the western slope of the Sierra Nevada, approximately 15 miles east
of the City of Bakersfield in Kern County, California. The existing
FERC project boundary occupies federal lands within the Sequoia
National Forest which is under the jurisdiction of the U.S. Forest
Service.
g. Filed Pursuant to: 18 CFR part 5 of the Commission's
Regulations.
h. Applicant Contact: David Moore, Kern River No. 1 Relicensing
Project Manager, Southern California Edison Company, 1515 Walnut Grove
Avenue, Rosemead, CA 91770; (626) 302-9741; <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#a6c2c7d0cfc288cbc9c9d4c3e6d5c5c388c5c9cb"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="335752455a571d5e5c5c4156734050561d505c5e">[email protected]</span></a>.
i. FERC Contact: Jessica Fefer at (202) 502-6631 or email at
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#751f1006061c16145b131013100735131007165b121a03"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="bed4dbcdcdd7dddf90d8dbd8dbccfed8dbccdd90d9d1c8">[email protected]</span></a>.
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/or the National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration Fisheries under section 7 of the Endangered
Species Act and the joint agency regulations thereunder at 50 CFR part
402 and (b) the State Historic Preservation Office, 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 SCE 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. SCE 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 may be viewed on the Commission's website
(<a href="http://www.ferc.gov">http://www.ferc.gov</a>) 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 at
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#377172657478595b5e595264424747584543775152455419505841"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="0e484b5c4d41606267606b5d7b7e7e617c7a4e686b7c6d20696178">[email protected]</span></a> or call toll-free, (866) 208-3676 or TYY,
(202) 502-8659.
You may register online at <a href="https://ferconline.ferc.gov/FERCOnline.aspx">https://ferconline.ferc.gov/FERCOnline.aspx</a> to be notified via email of new filings and issuances
related to these or other pending projects. For assistance, contact
FERC Online Support.
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 staff related to the merits of the
potential application must be filed with the Commission.
The Commission strongly encourages electronic filing. Please file
all documents using the Commission's eFiling system at <a href="https://ferconline.ferc.gov/FERCOnline.aspx">https://ferconline.ferc.gov/FERCOnline.aspx</a>. Commenters can submit brief
comments up to 6,000 characters, without prior registration, using the
eComment system at <a href="https://ferconline.gov/QuickComment.aspx">https://ferconline.gov/QuickComment.aspx</a>. You must
include your name and contact information at the end of your comments.
For assistance, please contact FERC Support at
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#23656671606c4d4f4a4d46705653534c515763454651400d444c55"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="9ddbd8cfded2f3f1f4f3f8cee8ededf2efe9ddfbf8effeb3faf2eb">[email protected]</span></a>. In lieu of electronic filing, you may
submit a paper copy. Submissions sent via the U.S. Postal Service must
be addressed to: Kimberly D. Bose, Secretary, Federal Energy Regulatory
Commission, 888 First Street NE, Room 1A, Washington, DC 20426.
Submissions sent via any other carrier must be addressed to: Kimberly
D. Bose, Secretary, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 12225 Wilkins
Avenue, Rockville, Maryland 20852. The first page of any filing should
include docket number P-1930-090.
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 September 5, 2023 .\1\
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\1\ The Commission's Rules of Practice and Procedure provide
that if a filing deadline falls on a Saturday, Sunday, holiday, or
other day when the Commission is closed for business, the filing
deadline does not end until the close of business on the next
business day. 18 CFR 385.2007(a)(2) (2022). Because the filing
deadline falls on a Saturday (i.e., September 2, 2023), the filing
deadline is extended until the close of business on Tuesday,
September 5, 2023.
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[[Page 43112]]
p. 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 <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#89c6d9d9c9efecfbeaa7eee6ff"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="fbb4ababbb9d9e8998d59c948d">[email protected]</span></a>.
q. The Commission's scoping process will help determine the
required level of analysis and satisfy the National Environmental
Policy Act (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 be held at 6:00 p.m. on August 2, 2023, at the Hilton Garden Inn
in Bakersfield, California, and will focus on receiving input from the
public. A daytime meeting will be held at 9:00 a.m. on the same day, at
the same location, and will focus on the concerns of resource agencies,
non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and Indian tribes. We invite all
interested agencies, Indian Tribes, non-governmental organizations, and
individuals to attend one or both meetings. The times and locations of
these meetings are as follows:
Evening Scoping Meeting
Date: Wednesday, August 2, 2023.
Time: 6:00 p.m. (PST).
Place: Hilton Garden Inn.
Address: 3625 Marriot Drive, Bakersfield, CA 93308.
Phone: (661) 716-1000.
Daytime Scoping Meeting
Date: Wednesday, August 2, 2023.
Time: 9:00 a.m. (PST).
Place: Hilton Garden Inn.
Address: 3625 Marriot Drive, Bakersfield, CA 93308.
Phone: (661) 716-1000.
SD1, which outlines the subject areas to be addressed in the
environmental document, was mailed to the individuals and entities on
the Commission's mailing list and SCE's distribution list. Copies of
SD1 may be viewed on the web at <a href="http://www.ferc.gov">http://www.ferc.gov</a>, 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 Review
The applicant and Commission staff will conduct an environmental
site review of the project. All interested individuals, agencies,
tribes, and NGOs are invited to attend. All participants are
responsible for their own transportation to/from the project and during
the site visit. Participants must wear sturdy, closed-toe shoes, or
boots. Please RSVP via email to <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection" class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="074366716e63294a68687562477464622964686a">[email protected]</a> or notify David
Moore at (626) 302-9494 on or before July 28, 2023 if you plan to
attend the environmental site review. The time and location of the
environmental site review is as follows:
Kern River No. 1 Project
Date: Tuesday, August 1, 2023.
Time: 9:00 a.m. (PST).
Place: Kern 1 Powerhouse.
Address: 21400 CA-178, Bakersfield, CA 93306.
Participants must meet at the Kern 1 Powerhouse parking lot to
begin promptly at 9:00 a.m. with a tour of the powerhouse. After the
powerhouse, we will travel to the Democrat Dam and the Democrat put-in/
take-out recreation site.
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 Indian 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 the PAD in preparation for the scoping
meetings. Directions on how to obtain a copy of the PAD and SD1 are
included in item n of this document.
Meeting Procedures
Commission staff are moderating the scoping meetings. The meetings
are recorded by an independent stenographer and become part of the
formal record of the Commission proceeding on the project. Individuals,
NGOs, Indian tribes, and agencies with environmental expertise and
concerns are encouraged to attend the meeting and to assist the staff
in defining and clarifying the issues to be addressed in the NEPA
document.
Dated: June 29, 2023.
Debbie-Anne A. Reese,
Deputy Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2023-14262 Filed 7-5-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P
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</html>Indexed from Federal Register on July 6, 2023.
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