Notice2023-22700
South Feather Water and Power Agency; Notice of Intent To Prepare a Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement
Primary source
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Published
October 16, 2023
Issuing agencies
Energy DepartmentFederal Energy Regulatory Commission
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 88 Issue 198 (Monday, October 16, 2023)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 198 (Monday, October 16, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Page 71346]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2023-22700]
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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
[Project No. 2088-068]
South Feather Water and Power Agency; Notice of Intent To Prepare
a Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement
On March 26, 2007, South Feather Water and Power Agency (South
Feather) filed an application for a new license for the existing South
Feather Power Project FERC No. 2088. The project is located on the
South Fork Feather River, Lost Creek, and Slate Creek in Butte, Yuba,
and Plumas Counties, California and occupies 1,977.12 acres of federal
land administered by Plumas National Forest and 10.57 acres of federal
land administered by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management. The project is
a water supply and power generating project consisting of four
hydroelectric developments: Sly Creek, Woodleaf, Forbestown, and Kelly
Ridge, which combined provide 117.3-megawatts of generating capacity
and an average of 498,972 megawatt-hours of electricity annually.
On June 4, 2009, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
(Commission) issued a final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for
the project. Subsequently, South Feather entered into a Settlement
Agreement with the California Department of Water Resources and the
State Water Contractors, Incorporated, which modifies the proposed
operation of the project's Kelly Ridge Powerhouse.\1\ Additionally, the
California State Water Resources Control Board (Water Board) filed a
water quality certification for the project on November 30, 2018; \2\
South Feather filed an amendment to its license application on December
21, 2021, in which it proposes additional measures developed in
consultation with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) to protect
the federally endangered Sierra Nevada yellow-legged frog; and the
Forest Service filed revised final conditions under section 4(e) of the
FPA on October 14, 2022.
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\1\ On December 13, 2018, South Feather filed the Settlement
Agreement with the Commission.
\2\ On June 28, 2020, the Commission determined that the Water
Board waived its authority to issue a water quality certification
for the project; therefore, the certification conditions are not
considered mandatory under section 401 and the conditions are now
considered recommendations under section 10(a) of the Federal Power
Act (FPA).
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To evaluate these filings made subsequent to the issuance of the
final EIS as well as newly listed species under the Endangered Species
Act, 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. For the resource areas not affected by any new
and revised measures or new environmental information, the supplemental
EIS will either include, or incorporate by reference, analyses from the
final EIS.
With this notice, we are reinitiating informal consultation with
the FWS under section 7 of the ESA 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 South Feather
Power 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 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............. October 2023.
Comments due on Draft Supplemental EIS.... December 2023.
Final Supplemental EIS issued............. April 2024.
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This notice informs all interested individuals, organizations,
tribes, and agencies with environmental expertise and concerns, that:
(1) the Commission staff has decided to prepare a supplemental EIS
addressing the settlement and amendment application; 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 Quinn
Emmering, the Commission's coordinator for the relicensing of the
project, at (202) 502-6382 or at <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#0372766a6d6d2d666e6e66716a6d6443656671602d646c75"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="daabafb3b4b4f4bfb7b7bfa8b3b4bd9abcbfa8b9f4bdb5ac">[email protected]</span></a>.
Dated: October 3, 2023.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2023-22700 Filed 10-13-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P
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