Notice2025-18536
Forestport Hydro, LLC; Notice of Scoping Period Requesting Comments on Environmental Issues for the Proposed Forestport Hydroelectric Project
Primary source
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Published
September 25, 2025
Issuing agencies
Energy DepartmentFederal Energy Regulatory Commission
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 90 Issue 184 (Thursday, September 25, 2025)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 90, Number 184 (Thursday, September 25, 2025)]
[Notices]
[Pages 46190-46191]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2025-18536]
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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
[Project No. 4900-090]
Forestport Hydro, LLC; Notice of Scoping Period Requesting
Comments on Environmental Issues for the Proposed Forestport
Hydroelectric Project
Take notice that the following hydroelectric application has been
filed with the Commission and is available for public inspection.
a. Type of Application: New License.
b. Project No.: 4900-090.
c. Date Filed: February 27, 2025.
d. Applicant: Forestport Hydro, LLC.
e. Name of Project: Forestport Hydroelectric Project.
f. Location: On the Black River in Oneida County, New York.
g. Filed Pursuant to: Federal Power Act, 16 U.S.C. 791(a)-825(r).
h. Applicant Contact: Antonio Zarella, Chief Operating Officer,
Forestport Hydro, LLC, 230 Park Avenue, Suite 447, New York, NY 10169;
telephone at (315) 247-0253; email at <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#a1f5fbe1d3c4cdc4d7c0d5c4d1ced6c4d38fc2cecc"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="60343a2012050c0516011405100f1705124e030f0d">[email protected]</span></a>.
i. FERC Contact: Erin Mocko, Project Coordinator, Great Lakes
Branch, Division of Hydropower Licensing; telephone at (202) 502-8107;
email at <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#db9ea9b2b5f5b6b4b8b0b49bbdbea9b8f5bcb4ad"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="185d6a71763675777b7377587e7d6a7b367f776e">[email protected]</span></a>.
j. The staff of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC or
Commission) will prepare an environmental document that will discuss
the environmental effects of relicensing the Forestport Hydroelectric
Project. The Commission will use this environmental document in its
decision-making process to determine whether to issue a new license for
the project.
k. This notice announces the opening of the scoping process the
Commission will use to gather input from the public and interested
agencies regarding the project. This notice is intended to advise all
participants as to the potential scope of the National Environmental
Policy Act (NEPA) document and to seek additional information pertinent
to this analysis. Commission staff does not intend to issue a separate
scoping document.
As part of the NEPA review process, the Commission takes into
account concerns the public may have about proposals and the
environmental effects that could result from its action whenever it
considers the issuance of a hydropower license. This gathering of
public input is referred to as ``scoping.'' The main goal of the
scoping process is to focus the analysis in the environmental document
on the important environmental issues.
l. Scoping Comments: By this notice, the Commission requests
written public comments on the scope of issues to address in the
environmental document. To ensure that your comments are timely and
properly recorded, please submit your comments so that the Commission
receives them in Washington, DC on or before 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time on
October 20, 2025.
Comments should focus on the potential environmental effects and
reasonable alternatives. Your input will help the Commission staff
determine what issues they need to evaluate in the environmental
document. Commission staff will consider all written comments during
the preparation of the environmental document.
The Commission strongly encourages electronic filing. Please file
scoping comments 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 at the end of your comments. For assistance,
please contact FERC Online Support at <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#a3e5e6f1e0eccdcfcacdc6f0d6d3d3ccd1d7e3c5c6d1c08dc4ccd5"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="3e787b6c7d71505257505b6d4b4e4e514c4a7e585b4c5d10595148">[email protected]</span></a>, (866)
208-3676 (toll free), or (202) 502-8659 (TTY). 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, 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, Secretary, Federal Energy
Regulatory Commission, 12225 Wilkins Avenue, Rockville, MD 20852. All
filings must clearly identify the project name and docket number on the
first page: Forestport Hydroelectric Project (P-4900-090).
The Commission's Rules of Practice and Procedure require all
intervenors filing documents with the Commission to serve a copy of
that document on each person on the official service list for the
project. Further, if an intervenor files comments or documents with the
Commission relating to the merits of an issue that may affect the
responsibilities of a particular resource agency, they must also serve
a copy of the document on that resource agency.
m. The application is not ready for environmental analysis at this
time.
n. Project Description: The existing project consists of a 27-foot-
high dam known as the Forestport Dam, that includes a 315-foot-long
ogee spillway. The Forestport Dam creates an impoundment that has a
surface area of 118 acres at a normal surface elevation of 1,126.55
feet National Geodetic Vertical Datum 1929 (NGVD29).
From the impoundment, water flows through gates and a canal to a
forebay known as Alder Pond. Alder Pond has a surface area of 24 acres
at a normal surface elevation of 1,124.6 feet NGVD29 and is formed by a
550-foot-long, 15-foot-high earth embankment known as Alder Pond Dam.
From Alder Pond, water flows through a power canal to an intake
structure with trashracks with 1.75-inch clear bar spacing. From the
intake structure, water flows through a penstock to a powerhouse that
includes a 3.3-megawatt (MW) S-type Kaplan turbine-generator unit. From
the powerhouse, water is released into a tailrace that discharges into
the Black River.
The project generators are connected to the regional electric grid
by generator lead lines and a 4.16/46-kV transformer.
Project recreation facilities include: (1) Alder Pond parking and
access area, adjacent to the east side of the Alder Pond Dam; (2)
Forestport impoundment parking and access area, adjacent to the
Forestport Dam on the northwest shore of the Forestport impoundment;
(3) an approximately 1,200 foot-long portage route from the Forestport
access area to the Alder Pond access area; (4) an approximately 150-
foot-long power
[[Page 46191]]
canal portage route; and (5) a powerhouse parking and access area.
Forestport Hydro proposes to: (1) continue operating the project in
a run-of-river mode and maintaining the surface elevation of the
Forestport impoundment at 1,126.55 feet NGVD29; (2) continue to
maintain the surface elevation of Alder Pond between 1,123.6 and
1,124.6 feet NGVD29; (3) continue to release a minimum flow of 140 cfs
or inflow, whichever is less, over the Forestport Dam; (4) implement a
Bat and Bald Eagle Management Plan and an Invasive Species Management
Plan; (5) develop an operation compliance monitoring plan; (6) continue
to maintain existing project recreation facilities and update
directional and safety signage; (7) move the power canal portage take-
out site upstream of the boat barrier; and (8) to protect cultural
resources, consult with the New York State Historic Preservation
Officer before beginning any land-clearing or land-disturbing
activities.
A copy of the application, with details of the proposed project,
can be viewed on the Commission's website at <a href="https://www.ferc.gov">https://www.ferc.gov</a> using
the ``eLibrary'' link. Enter the project's docket number excluding the
last three digits in the docket number field to access the document (P-
4900). For assistance, contact FERC at <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#84c2c1d6c7cbeae8edeae1d7f1f4f4ebf6f0c4e2e1f6e7aae3ebf2"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="10565542535f7e7c797e75436560607f626450767562733e777f66">[email protected]</span></a>,
(866) 208-3676 (toll free), or (202) 502-8659 (TTY).
o. NEPA Process and the Environmental Document: Any environmental
document issued by the Commission will discuss effects that could occur
as a result of the project's relicensing under the relevant general
resource areas, such as:
<bullet> aquatic resources;
<bullet> terrestrial resources;
<bullet> threatened and endangered species;
<bullet> recreation and land use resources;
<bullet> cultural resources; and
<bullet> developmental resources.
Commission staff will also evaluate reasonable alternatives to the
proposed project or portions of the project and make recommendations on
how to lessen or avoid effects on the various resource areas. Your
comments will help Commission staff identify and focus on the issues
that might have an effect on the human environment and potentially
eliminate others from further discussion in the environmental document.
Following this scoping period, Commission staff will determine
whether to prepare an Environmental Assessment (EA) or an Environmental
Impact Statement (EIS). The EA or EIS will present Commission staff's
independent analysis of the issues. If Commission staff prepares an EA,
a Notice of Intent to Prepare an Environmental Assessment will be
issued. The EA may be issued for an allotted public comment period. The
Commission would consider timely comments on the EA before making its
decision regarding the proposed project. If Commission staff prepares
an EIS, a Notice of Intent to Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement
will be issued. Staff will then prepare a draft EIS which will be
issued for public comment. Commission staff will consider all timely
comments received during the comment period on the draft EIS and revise
the document, as necessary, before issuing a final EIS. Any EA or draft
and final EIS will be available in electronic format in the public
record through eLibrary. If eSubscribed, you will receive instant email
notification when the environmental document is issued (see paragraph
(r) of this notice for instructions on using eSubscription).
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,
community organizations, 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#77382727371112051459101801"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="105f404050767562733e777f66">[email protected]</span></a>.
q. This notice is being distributed to the Commission's official
mailing list for the project and any additional entities on the
applicant's distribution list. You can access the Commission's official
mailing list for this project at <a href="https://ferconline.ferc.gov/MailListLOR.aspx?Type=MailList&ListVar=P-4900">https://ferconline.ferc.gov/MailListLOR.aspx?Type=MailList&ListVar=P-4900</a>. If you want to receive
future mailings for the project and are not included on the
Commission's official mailing list, or if you wish to be removed from
the Commission's official mailing list, please send your request by
email to <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#c78182958488a9abaea9a294b2b7b7a8b5b387a1a2b5a4e9a0a8b1"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="abedeef9e8e4c5c7c2c5cef8dedbdbc4d9dfebcdced9c885ccc4dd">[email protected]</span></a>. In lieu of an email request, you
may submit a paper request. Submissions sent via the U.S. Postal
Service must be addressed to: Debbie-Anne A. Reese, 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, Secretary, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission,
12225 Wilkins Avenue, Rockville, MD 20852. All written or emailed
requests must specify your wish to be added to or removed from the
mailing list, and must clearly identify the following on the first
page: Forestport Hydroelectric Project No. 4900-090.
Additionally, the Commission offers a free service called
eSubscription, which makes it easy to stay informed of all issuances
and submittals regarding the dockets/projects to which you subscribe.
These instant email notifications are the fastest way to receive
notification and provide a link to the document files which can reduce
the amount of time you spend researching proceedings. Go to <a href="https://www.ferc.gov/ferc-online/overview">https://www.ferc.gov/ferc-online/overview</a> to register for eSubscription.
In addition to publishing the full text of this notice in the
Federal Register, the Commission provides all interested persons an
opportunity to view and/or print the contents of this notice, as well
as other documents in the proceeding (e.g., license application) via
the internet through the Commission's Home Page (<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 (P-
4900). For assistance, contact FERC at <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#6f292a3d2c20010306010a3c1a1f1f001d1b2f090a1d0c41080019"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="04424156474b6a686d6a61577174746b767044626176672a636b72">[email protected]</span></a>,
(866) 208-3676 (toll free), or (202) 502-8659 (TTY).
Dated: September 19, 2025.
Debbie-Anne A. Reese,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2025-18536 Filed 9-24-25; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P
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