[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 234 (Tuesday, December 7, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Pages 76001-76003]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-30596]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Project No. 7518-012]


Erie Boulevard Hydropower L.P.; 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

November 29, 2010.
    a. Type of Filing: Notice of Intent to File License Application for 
a New License and Commencing Pre-filing Process.
    b. Project No.: 7518-012.
    c. Date Filed: September 29, 2010.
    d. Submitted By: Erie Boulevard Hydropower L.P.
    e. Name of Project: Hogansburg Hydroelectric Project.
    f. Location: On the St. Regis River in Franklin County, New York. 
The project does not occupy any federal lands.
    g. Filed Pursuant to: 18 CFR part 5 of the Commission's 
Regulations.
    h. Potential Applicant Contact: Steven Murphy, Brookfield Renewable 
Power, 33 West 1st Street South, Fulton, New York (315) 598-6130 or e-
mail at [email protected].
    i. FERC Contact: John Mudre at (202) 502-8675 or e-mail at 
[email protected].
    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

[[Page 76002]]

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 NOAA 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 Officer, as required by section 106, National Historical 
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 Erie Boulevard Hydropower 
L.P. 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. Erie Boulevard Hydropower L.P. 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 is available for review at the Commission in 
the Public Reference Room or may be viewed on the Commission's Web site 
(http://www.ferc.gov), 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 
[email protected] or toll free at 1-866-208-3676, or for TTY, 
(202) 502-8659. A copy is also available for inspection and 
reproduction at the address in paragraph h.
    Register online at http://www.ferc.gov/docs-filing/esubscription.asp to be notified via e-mail of new filing and issuances 
related to this or other pending projects. For assistance, contact FERC 
Online Support.
    o. With this notice, we are soliciting comments on the PAD and 
Commission's staff 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. 
Documents may be filed electronically via the Internet. See 18 CFR 
385.2001(a)(1)(iii) and the instructions on the Commission's Web site 
http://www.ferc.gov/docs-filing/efiling.asp. Commenters can submit 
brief comments up to 6,000 characters, without prior registration, 
using the eComment system at http://www.ferc.gov/docs-filing/ecomment.asp. You must include your name and contact information at the 
end of your comments. For assistance, please contact FERC Online 
Support. Although the Commission strongly encourages electronic filing, 
documents may also be paper-filed. To paper-file, mail an original and 
seven copies to: Kimberly D. Bose, Secretary, Federal Energy Regulatory 
Commission, 888 First Street, NE., Washington, DC 20426.
    All filings with the Commission must include on the first page, 
Hogansburg Hydroelectric Project No. 7518-012, and 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 January 28, 2011.
    p. Although our current intent is to prepare an environmental 
assessment (EA), there is the possibility that an Environmental Impact 
Statement (EIS) will be required. Nevertheless, this meeting will 
satisfy the NEPA scoping requirements, irrespective of whether an EA or 
EIS is issued by the Commission.

Scoping Meetings

    On November 15, 2010, the Commission issued notice of two scoping 
meetings to be held in the vicinity of the project at the times and 
place noted below. The daytime meeting will focus on resource agency, 
Indian tribes, and non-governmental organization concerns, while the 
evening meeting is primarily for receiving input from the public. We 
invite all interested individuals, organizations, and agencies to 
attend one or both of the meetings, and to assist staff in identifying 
particular study needs, as well as the scope of environmental issues to 
be addressed in the environmental document.

Daytime Scoping Meeting

    Date: Tuesday, December 14, 2010.
    Time: 1 p.m.
    Location: Wolfclan 37 Hotel,
    1450 State Route 37, Hogansburg, NY 13655.
    Phone: (518) 358-9038.

Evening Scoping Meeting

    Date: Tuesday, December 14, 2010.
    Time: 7 p.m.
    Location: Wolfclan 37 Hotel, 1450 State Route 37, Hogansburg, NY 
13655.
    Phone: (518) 358-9038.
    Scoping Document 1 (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. Copies of SD1 will be 
available at the scoping meetings, or may be viewed on the web at 
http://www.ferc.gov, 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.

Site Visit

    The potential applicant and Commission staff will conduct a site 
visit of the project on Tuesday, December 14, 2010, starting at 3 p.m. 
All participants should meet at the Wolfclan 37 Hotel, 450 State Route 
37, Hogansburg, New York. Participants are responsible for their own 
transportation. Anyone with questions about the site visit should 
contact Mr. Steven Murphy of Brookfield Power at (315) 598-6130 on or 
before December 10, 2010.

Meeting Objectives

    At the scoping meetings, staff will: (1) Initiate scoping of the 
issues; (2) review and discuss existing conditions and resource 
management objectives; (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 appropriateness of any federal or state agency or 
Indian tribe acting 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 noticet.

[[Page 76003]]

Meeting Procedures

    The meetings will be recorded by a stenographer and will be placed 
in the public records of the project.

Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2010-30596 Filed 12-6-10; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P