Notice2024-02717
City of Portland; 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
Primary source
Metadata and text below are from the Federal Register, a public-domain U.S. government work. Always verify the official published version before relying on it for any legal matter.
Published
February 9, 2024
Issuing agencies
Energy DepartmentFederal Energy Regulatory Commission
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 89 Issue 28 (Friday, February 9, 2024)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 28 (Friday, February 9, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 9143-9144]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2024-02717]
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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
[Project No. 2821-014]
City of Portland; 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.: 2821-014.
c. Dated Filed: December 8, 2023.
d. Submitted By: City of Portland, Portland Water Bureau.
e. Name of Project: Portland Hydroelectric Project.
f. Location: The project is located on the Bull Run River in
Clackamas and Multnomah counties, Oregon, approximately 26 miles east
of the City of Portland. The project boundary does not include any
Federal lands since a land exchange with the U.S. Forest Service was
completed in 2022.\1\
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\1\ On November 8, 2023, the City filed an application to amend
the current license to revise Federal lands within the project
boundary.
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g. Filed Pursuant to: 18 CFR part 5 of the Commission's
regulations.
h. Applicant Contact: Ms. Shannon Mills, Portland Water Bureau;
1120 SW 5th Avenue, Room 405, Portland, OR 97204; phone: (971) 347-
9870.
i. FERC Contact: Golbahar Mirhosseini, (202) 502-6820
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#781f17141a1910190a5615110a10170b0b1d111611381e1d0a1b561f170e"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="fb9c9497999a939a89d5969289939488889e929592bb9d9e8998d59c948d">[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 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 Oregon 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. By letters dated January 2, 2024, and January 17, 2024, we
notified the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, NOAA Fisheries, and the
Oregon State Historic Preservation Officer that we are designating the
City of Portland as the Commission's non-federal representative for
carrying out informal consultation pursuant to section 7 of the
Endangered Species Act, section 305(b) of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery
Conservation and Management Act, and section 106 of the National
Historic Preservation Act.
m. A copy of the PAD is available for review 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 Online
Support at <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#a2e4e7f0e1edcccecbccc7f1d7d2d2cdd0d6e2c4c7d0c18cc5cdd4"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="b0f6f5e2f3ffdedcd9ded5e3c5c0c0dfc2c4f0d6d5c2d39ed7dfc6">[email protected]</span></a>, (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 <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 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,
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 at <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#c38c939383a5a6b1a0eda4acb5"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="cb849b9b8badaeb9a8e5aca4bd">[email protected]</span></a>.
n. 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.
[[Page 9144]]
The Commission strongly encourages electronic filing. Please file
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.ferc.gov/QuickComment.aspx">https://ferconline.ferc.gov/QuickComment.aspx</a>. 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,
Deputy 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, Deputy
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: Portland
Hydroelectric Project (P-2821-014).
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 April 6, 2024.
o. 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 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 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 virtual scoping meetings are listed below.
Evening meeting for the general public
Tuesday, February 27, 2024
Starting Time: 6:30 p.m. Pacific Standard Time (PST)
Location: Portland Water Bureau, Interstate Facility Auditorium,
664 N. Tillamook Street, Portland, OR 97227
Phone Number: (971) 347-9870
Daytime meeting for resource agencies, Tribes, and NGOs
Wednesday, February 28, 2024
Starting Time: 10:00 a.m. PST
Location: Portland Building, 1120 SW 5th Avenue, Room 108,
Portland, OR 97204
Phone Number: (971) 347-9870
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 City of Portland's PAD 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 m. 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
City of Portland and Commission staff will hold an environmental
site visit of the Portland Hydroelectric Project on Tuesday, February
27, 2024, 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. PST. You must register in advance if you
are interested in attending a site visit. Please contact Ms. Shannon
Mills by email at <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#5b13223f29343e373e382f2932380b2934313e382f1b2b34292f373a353f34293e3c3435753c342d"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="064e7f627469636a636572746f655674696c63657246766974726a67686269746361696828616970">[email protected]</span></a>, or by phone
at 971-347-9870 before Tuesday February 20, 2024, if you plan to attend
the environmental site review. Please note that inclement weather may
necessitate a virtual tour instead of an in-person site visit.
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 Native American 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 City of Portland's PAD in preparation for
the scoping meetings. Directions on how to obtain a copy of the PAD and
SD1 are included in item m of this document.
Meeting Procedures
The scoping meetings will be recorded by a court reporter, and all
statements will become part of the Commission's public record for the
project.
Agencies, Native American Tribes, NGOs, and individuals with
environmental expertise and concerns are encouraged to attend the
meetings and to assist Commission staff in defining and clarifying the
issues to be addressed in the NEPA document.
Dated: February 2, 2024.
Debbie-Anne A. Reese,
Acting Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2024-02717 Filed 2-8-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P
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