Notice2024-12461
Agency Information Collection Activities; The Alternatives Process in Hydropower Licensing
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
June 7, 2024
Issuing agencies
Interior Department
Abstract
In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the Office of the Secretary, Office of Environmental Policy and Compliance, Department of the Interior, is requesting comments on the proposed renewal of an information collection request related to the alternatives process in hydropower licensing. This notice is being issued in coordination with the Department of Commerce and the Department of Agriculture.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 89 Issue 111 (Friday, June 7, 2024)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 111 (Friday, June 7, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 48673-48674]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2024-12461]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Office of the Secretary
[245D0102DM DS61100000 DLSN00000.000000 DX61101]; OMB Control Number
1094-0001]
Agency Information Collection Activities; The Alternatives
Process in Hydropower Licensing
AGENCY: Department of the Interior.
ACTION: Notice of information collection; request for comment.
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SUMMARY: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the
Office of the Secretary, Office of Environmental Policy and Compliance,
Department of the Interior, is requesting comments on the proposed
renewal of an information collection request related to the
alternatives process in hydropower licensing. This notice is being
issued in coordination with the Department of Commerce and the
Department of Agriculture.
DATES: Interested persons are invited to submit comments on or before
August 6, 2024.
ADDRESSES: Send your comments on this information collection request
(ICR) by mail to: National Environmental Policy Act and Environmental
Coordination Division, Office of Environmental Policy and Compliance,
U.S. Department of the Interior, MS 2629-MIB, 1849 C Street NW,
Washington, DC 20240; or by email to <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#92d7fce4fbe0fdfcfff7fce6f3fecdc0f7e4fbf7e5d2fbfde1bcf6fdfbbcf5fde4"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="e9ac879f809b8687848c879d8885b6bb8c9f808c9ea980869ac78d8680c78e869f">[email protected]</span></a>.
Please reference OMB Control Number 1094-0001 in the subject line of
your comments.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: To request additional information
about this ICR, contact Shawn Alam, National Environmental Policy Act
and Environmental Coordination Division by email at
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#c88da6bea1baa7a6a5ada6bca9a4979aadbea1adbf88a1a7bbe6aca7a1e6afa7be"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="43062d352a312c2d2e262d37222f1c1126352a2634032a2c306d272c2a6d242c35">[email protected]</span></a>, or by telephone at 771-216-5846.
Individuals in the United States who are deaf, deafblind, hard of
hearing, or have a speech disability may dial 711 (TTY, TDD, or
TeleBraille) to access telecommunications relay services. Individuals
outside the United States should use the relay services offered within
their country to make international calls to the point-of-contact in
the United States.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction
Act of 1995 (PRA, 44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.) and 5 CFR 1320.8(d)(1), all
information collections require approval under the PRA. We may not
conduct or sponsor, and you are not required to respond to, a
collection of information unless it displays a currently valid OMB
control number.
As part of our continuing effort to reduce paperwork and respondent
burdens, we invite the public and other Federal agencies to comment on
new, proposed, revised, and continuing collections of information. This
helps us assess the impact of our information collection requirements
and minimize the public's reporting burden. It also helps the public
understand our information collection requirements and provide the
requested data in the desired format.
We are especially interested in public comment addressing the
following:
(1) Whether or not the collection of information is necessary for
the proper performance of the functions of the agency, including
whether or not the information will have practical utility;
(2) The accuracy of our estimate of the burden for this collection
of information, including the validity of the methodology and
assumptions used;
(3) Ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the
information to be collected; and
(4) How might the agency minimize the burden of the collection of
information on those who are to respond, including using appropriate
automated, electronic, mechanical, or other technological collection
techniques or other forms of information technology, e.g., permitting
electronic submission of response.
Comments that you submit in response to this notice are a matter of
public record. We will include or summarize each comment in our request
to OMB to approve this ICR. Before including your address, phone
number, email address, or other personal identifying information in
your comment, you should be aware that your entire comment--including
your personal identifying information--may be made publicly available
at any time. While you can ask us in your comment
[[Page 48674]]
to withhold your personal identifying information from public review,
we cannot guarantee that we will be able to do so.
Abstract: The OMB regulations at 5 CFR part 1320, which implement
the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, 44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq., require
that interested members of the public and affected agencies have an
opportunity to comment on information collection and recordkeeping
activities (see 5 CFR 1320.8 (d)).
On November 23, 2016, the Departments of Agriculture, the Interior,
and Commerce published a final rule, at 7 CFR part 1, 43 CFR part 45,
and 50 CFR part 221, to implement section 241 of the Energy Policy Act
of 2005 (EP Act), Public Law 109-58, enacted on August 8, 2005, (81 FR
84389). Section 241 of the EP Act added a new section 33 to the Federal
Power Act (FPA), 16 U.S.C. 823d, that allows the license applicant or
any other party to the license proceeding to propose an alternative to
a condition or prescription that one or more of the Departments develop
for inclusion in a hydropower license issued by the Federal Energy
Regulatory Commission (FERC) under the FPA. The final regulations
require the Department of Agriculture, the Department of the Interior,
and the Department of Commerce to collect the information that is
covered under this ICR, 1094-0001.
Under FPA section 33, the Secretary of the Department involved must
accept the proposed alternative if the Secretary determines, based on
substantial evidence provided by a party to the license proceeding or
otherwise available to the Secretary, (a) that the alternative
condition provides for the adequate protection and utilization of the
reservation, or that the alternative prescription will be no less
protective than the fishway initially proposed by the Secretary, and
(b) that the alternative will either cost significantly less to
implement or result in improved operation of the project works for
electricity production.
In order to make this determination, the regulations require that
all of the following information be collected: (1) a description of the
alternative, in an equivalent level of detail to the Department's
preliminary condition or prescription; (2) an explanation of how the
alternative: (i) if a condition, will provide for the adequate
protection and utilization of the reservation; or (ii) if a
prescription, will be no less protective than the fishway prescribed by
the bureau; (3) an explanation of how the alternative, as compared to
the preliminary condition or prescription, will: (i) cost significantly
less to implement; or (ii) result in improved operation of the project
works for electricity production; (4) an explanation of how the
alternative or revised alternative will affect: (i) energy supply,
distribution, cost, and use; (ii) flood control; (iii) navigation; (iv)
water supply; (v) air quality; and (vi) other aspects of environmental
quality; and (5) specific citations to any scientific studies,
literature, and other documented information relied on to support the
proposal.
This notice of proposed renewal of an existing information
collection is being published by the Department of the Interior, on
behalf of all three Departments, and the data provided below covers
anticipated responses (alternative conditions/prescriptions and
associated information) for all three Departments.
Title of Collection: 7 CFR part 1; 43 CFR part 45; 50 CFR part 221;
The Alternatives Process in Hydropower Licensing.
OMB Control Number: 1094-0001.
Form Number: None.
Type of Review: Extension of a currently approved collection.
Respondents/Affected Public: Business or for-profit entities
Total Estimated Number of Annual Respondents: 5.
Total Estimated Number of Annual Responses: 5.
Estimated Completion Time per Response: 500 hours.
Total Estimated Number of Annual Burden Hours: 2,500 hours.
Respondent's Obligation: Voluntary.
Frequency of Collection: Once per alternative proposed
Total Estimated Annual Nonhour Burden Cost: None.
An agency may not conduct or sponsor and a person is not required
to respond to a collection of information unless it displays a
currently valid OMB control number.
The authority for this action is the Paperwork Reduction Act of
1995 (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.).
Stephen G. Tryon,
Director, Office of Environmental Policy and Compliance.
[FR Doc. 2024-12461 Filed 6-6-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4334-63-P
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