80 FR 35336 - Idaho Irrigation District, New Sweden Irrigation District; 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

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

Federal Register Volume 80, Issue 118 (June 19, 2015)

[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 118 (Friday, June 19, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 35336-35337]
From the Federal Register Online  [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2015-15109]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Project No. 14513-001]


Idaho Irrigation District, New Sweden Irrigation District; 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

    a. Type of Filing: Notice of Intent to File License Application for 
an Original License and Commencing Pre-filing Process.
    b. Project No.: 14513-001.
    c. Date Filed: April 20, 2015.
    d. Submitted By: Idaho Irrigation District, New Sweden Irrigation 
District (the Districts).
    e. Name of Project: County Line Road Hydroelectric Project.
    f. Location: On the Snake River, in Jefferson and Bonneville 
Counties, Idaho. The project would occupy 0.1 acre of United States 
lands under the jurisdiction of the U.S. Bureau of Land Management.
    g. Filed Pursuant to: 18 CFR part 5 of the Commission's 
Regulations.
    h. Applicant Contact: Nicholas Josten, 2742 Saint Charles Ave, 
Idaho Falls, Idaho 83404; (208) 528-6152 or email at 
[email protected].
    i. FERC Contact: Matt Cutlip at (503) 552-2762 or email 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 n. 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/or National Marine Fisheries 
Service 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. The Districts filed with the Commission a Pre-Application 
Document (PAD), pursuant to 18 CFR 5.6 of the Commission's regulations.
    m. A copy of the PAD is available for review at the Commission in 
the Public

[[Page 35337]]

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], (866) 208-3676 (toll free), or (202) 502-
8659 (TTY).
    Register online at http://www.ferc.gov/docs-filing/esubscription.asp to be notified via email of new filing and issuances 
related to this or other pending projects. For assistance, contact FERC 
Online Support.
    n. 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.
    The Commission strongly encourages electronic filing. Please file 
all documents using the Commission's eFiling system at 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 at 
[email protected] In lieu of electronic filing, please send a 
paper copy to: Secretary, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 
First Street NE., Washington, DC 20426. The first page of any filing 
should include docket number P-14513-001.
    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 August 18, 2015.
    o. 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

    Commission staff will hold two scoping meetings in the vicinity of 
the project at the time 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. The times and locations of these meetings are as follows:

Evening Scoping Meeting

    Date and Time: Wednesday, July 8, 2015, 7:00 p.m. (MDT).
    Location: Shilo Inn Suites Hotel, 780 Lindsay Blvd., Idaho Falls, 
ID.
    Phone Number: (208) 523-0088.

Daytime Scoping Meeting

    Date and Time: Thursday, July 9, 2015, 9:30 a.m. (MDT).
    Location: Shilo Inn Suites Hotel, 780 Lindsay Blvd., Idaho Falls, 
ID.
    Phone Number: (208) 523-0088.
    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.

Environmental Site Review

    The Districts and Commission staff will conduct an Environmental 
Site Review of the project on Wednesday, July 8, starting at 1:00 p.m. 
(MDT). All participants should meet at the West River Road Boat Ramp, 
located at 9924 North River Road, Idaho Falls, Idaho 83402. All 
participants are responsible for their own transportation. Please 
contact Mr. Nick Josten at [email protected] by July 2, 2015, if you 
plan to attend the environmental site review.
    Directions: From the junction of Highway 20 and Lindsay Boulevard 
in Idaho Falls, go north on Lindsay Boulevard for 2 miles, continue 
onto North River Road for 3.5 miles to the public boat launch and 
picnic area on the west side of the Snake River.

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 m. of this document.

Meeting Procedures

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

    Dated: June 12, 2015.
Kimberly D. Bose,
 Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2015-15109 Filed 6-18-15; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 6717-01-P