Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation; Notice of Scoping Meetings and Environmental Site Review and Soliciting Scoping Comments, 71611-71612 [2022-25560]

Download as PDF lotter on DSK11XQN23PROD with NOTICES1 Federal Register / Vol. 87, No. 225 / Wednesday, November 23, 2022 / Notices headpond level sensor and two sensors behind the project trash racks to maintain the reservoir elevation at about 350 feet. Normal operation occurs up to 358.5 feet, at which point project operation ceases and all inflow is spilled.3 The minimum and maximum hydraulic capacities of the project are 400 cfs and 840 cfs, respectively. A continuous minimum flow of 25 cfs or inflow, whichever is less, is released over the spillway flashboards to Alice Falls year-round. An additional 125-cfs aesthetic flow (for a total flow of 150 cfs over Alice Falls), or inflow, whichever is less, is released daily from 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, from May 20 to September 8 when public recreation access is provided. A seasonal conveyance flow of 20 cfs or inflow, whichever is less, is continuously passed through the fish bypass facility from April 1 through November 30. When inflow to the reservoir is less than the scheduled combined minimum flow, Alice Falls Hydro releases 20 cfs from the fish bypass facility and any remaining flow is released over the spillway to Alice Falls. m. 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., scoping document) via the internet through the Commission’s Home Page (https:// 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 (P–5867). For assistance, contact FERC at FERCOnlineSupport@ferc.gov or call toll-free, (866) 208–3676 or TYY, (202) 502–8659. n. You may also register online at https://www.ferc.gov/docs-filing/ esubscription.asp to be notified via email of new filings and issuances related to this or other pending projects. For assistance, contact FERC Online Support. o. Scoping Process: Commission staff will prepare either an environmental assessment (EA) or an environmental impact statement (EIS) that describes and evaluates the probable effects, if any, of the licensee’s proposed action and alternatives. The EA or EIS will consider environmental impacts and reasonable alternatives to the proposed action. The Commission’s 3 Reservoir elevations greater than 358.5 feet present a risk of damage to project structures due to an inability to safely remove debris, thus requiring project shutdown. VerDate Sep<11>2014 16:45 Nov 22, 2022 Jkt 259001 scoping process will help determine the required level of analysis and satisfy the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) scoping requirements, irrespective of whether the Commission prepares an EA or an EIS. At this time, we do not anticipate holding on-site scoping meetings. Instead, we are soliciting written comments and suggestions on the preliminary list of issues and alternatives to be addressed in the NEPA document, as described in scoping document 1 (SD1), issued November 17, 2022. Copies of SD1 outlining the subject areas to be addressed in the NEPA document were distributed to the parties on the Commission’s mailing list and the applicant’s distribution list. Copies of SD1 may be viewed on the web at https://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, call 1–866– 208–3676 or for TTY, (202) 502–8659. Dated: November 17, 2022. Debbie-Anne A. Reese, Deputy Secretary. [FR Doc. 2022–25590 Filed 11–22–22; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 6717–01–P DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY Federal Energy Regulatory Commission [Project No. 2853–073] Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation; Notice of Scoping Meetings and Environmental Site Review and Soliciting Scoping Comments Take notice that the following hydroelectric application has been filed with the Commission and is available for public inspection. a. Type of Application: New Major License. b. Project No.: 2853–073. c. Date Filed: June 30, 2022. d. Applicant: Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation (Montana DNRC). e. Name of Project: Broadwater Hydroelectric Project (Broadwater Project or project). f. Location: On the Missouri River near the town of Toston in Broadwater County, Montana. The project occupies approximately two acres of federal lands administered by the Bureau of Land Management. g. Filed Pursuant to: Federal Power Act 16 U.S.C. 791(a)–825(r). h. Applicant Contact: David Lofftus, Hydro Power Program Manager, PO 00000 Frm 00043 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 71611 Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation, 1424 9th Avenue, P.O. Box 201601, Helena, Montana 59620; Phone at (406) 444– 6659; or email at dlofftus@mt.gov. i. FERC Contact: Ingrid Brofman at (202) 502–8347, or ingrid.brofman@ ferc.gov. j. Deadline for filing scoping comments: January 13, 2023. The Commission strongly encourages electronic filing. Please file scoping comments using the Commission’s eFiling system at https:// ferconline.ferc.gov/FERCOnline.aspx. Commenters can submit brief comments up to 6,000 characters, without prior registration, using the eComment system at https://ferconline.ferc.gov/ QuickComment.aspx. You must include your name and contact information at the end of your comments. For assistance, please contact FERC Online Support at FERCOnlineSupport@ ferc.gov, (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: Kimberly D. Bose, Secretary, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 First Street NE, Room 1A, Washington, DC 20426. Submissions sent via any other carrier must be addressed to: Kimberly D. Bose, 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: Broadwater Hydroelectric Project (P–2853–073). 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 intervener 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. k. This application is not ready for environmental analysis at this time. l. Project Description: The existing Broadwater Hydroelectric Project consists of: (1) a 630-foot-long, 24-foothigh concrete gravity dam with a 360foot-long spillway containing seven inflatable rubber gates capable of raising the dam’s crest elevation by 11 feet; (2) a 275-acre, 9-mile-long reservoir; (3) a 160-foot long rock jetty that extends upstream into the reservoir that serves to separate inflow to the powerhouse from the headworks of the non-project irrigation canal adjacent to the dam; (4) an intake integral with the powerhouse E:\FR\FM\23NON1.SGM 23NON1 lotter on DSK11XQN23PROD with NOTICES1 71612 Federal Register / Vol. 87, No. 225 / Wednesday, November 23, 2022 / Notices and covered by two inclined trashracks, each 20 feet wide and 40 feet high, with a clear bar spacing of 3 inches; (5) a 160foot-long, 46-foot-wide, 64-foot high powerhouse containing a single Kaplan turbine with a rated capacity of 9.66 megawatts; (6) a 100-kilovolt, 2.8-milelong transmission line; and (6) appurtenant facilities. Montana DNRC operates the project in a run-of-river mode (minus flows diverted for non-project irrigation purposes at the dam) and generates an estimated average of 40,669 megawatthours per year. Montana DNRC proposes the following modifications to existing project facilities: (1) remove the jetty that separates the hydropower intake and the non-project irrigation canal intake; (2) install a new angled screen with 6-inch spacing between the bars and install two parallel 100-foot-long, 10-foot-wide by 10-foot-high box culverts within the irrigation intake canal and a bulkhead near the current non-project irrigation headworks, and include the new angled screen and box culverts as licensed project facilities; (3) modernize the project trash rake (i.e., replace and recalibrate sensors on the rake) to minimize debris buildup on the dam intake and; (4) upgrade the Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) monitoring system (i.e., improving connectivity to the substation, protective relaying, and automation upgrades). Montana DNRC proposes to continue to operate in an automated run-of-river mode throughout the year where outflow from the project approximates inflow (minus flows diverted for irrigation) as it does under the current license but proposes to modify its procedures for responding to an unplanned unit trip by maintaining higher flows downstream and more slowly returning reservoir levels to normal elevation to reduce the potential for fish stranding downstream of the dam. m. A copy of the application can be viewed on the Commission’s website at https://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. You may also register at https:// ferconline.ferc.gov/FERCOnline.aspx to be notified via email of new filings and issuances related to this or other pending projects. For assistance, please contact FERC Online Support at FERCOnlineSupport@ferc.gov. n. Scoping Process: Pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act VerDate Sep<11>2014 16:45 Nov 22, 2022 Jkt 259001 (NEPA), Commission staff intends to prepare either an environmental assessment (EA) or an environmental impact statement (EIS) (collectively referred to as the ‘‘NEPA document’’) that describes and evaluates the probable effects, including an assessment of the site-specific and cumulative effects, if any, of the proposed action and alternatives. The Commission’s scoping process will help determine the required level of analysis and satisfy the NEPA scoping requirements, irrespective of whether the Commission issues an EA or an EIS. Scoping Meetings Commission staff will hold two public scoping meetings to receive input on the scope of the environmental issues that should be analyzed in the NEPA document. The daytime meeting will focus on the concerns of resource agencies, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and Native American tribes. The evening meeting will focus on receiving input from the public. All interested individuals, resource agencies, Native American tribes, and NGOs are invited to attend one or both of the meetings. The times and locations of these meetings are as follows: Evening Scoping Meeting Date: Tuesday, December 13, 2022 Time: 6:30 p.m. (MST) Place: Broadwater County Fairgrounds, 4–H Building Address: 189 U.S. Highway 12, Townsend, Montana 59644 Once at the County Fairgrounds, the 4-H Building is the largest building of three, on-site. Daytime Scoping Meeting Date: Wednesday, December 14, 2022 Time: 1:30 p.m. (MST) Place: Montana DNRC Water Resources Building, Fred Buck Conference Room Address: 1424 9th Ave., Helena, Montana 59620 Copies of the Scoping Document (SD1) outlining the subject areas to be addressed in the NEPA document were distributed to the parties on the Commission’s mailing list. Copies of the SD1 will be available at the scoping meeting or may be viewed on the web at https://www.ferc.gov using the ‘‘eLibrary’’ link (see item m above). Environmental Site Review Montana DNRC and Commission staff will conduct an environmental site review of the project beginning at 1:30 p.m. on December 13, 2022. All interested individuals, agencies, tribes, and NGOs are invited to attend. All PO 00000 Frm 00044 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 participants should meet at the project, which is located at 511 Toston Dam Road, Toston, Montana 59643. All participants are responsible for their own transportation to the site and during the site visit. Anyone with questions about the environmental site review should contact David Lofftus at (406) 444–6659 or DLofftus@mt.gov. Those individuals planning to participate in the site review should notify Mr. Lofftus of their intent, no later than December 7, 2022. Objectives At the scoping meetings, Commission staff will: (1) summarize the environmental issues tentatively identified for analysis in the NEPA document; (2) solicit from the meeting participants all available information, especially quantifiable data, on the resources at issue; (3) encourage statements from experts and the public on issues that should be analyzed in the NEPA document, including viewpoints in opposition to, or in support of, the staff’s preliminary views; (4) determine the resource issues to be addressed in the NEPA document; and (5) identify those issues that require a detailed analysis, as well as those issues that do not require a detailed analysis. Procedures The meetings are recorded by a stenographer and become part of the formal record of the Commission proceeding on the project. Individuals, NGOs, Native American tribes, and agencies with environmental expertise and concerns are encouraged to attend the meetings and to assist the staff in defining and clarifying the issues to be addressed in the NEPA document. Dated: November 15, 2022. Debbie-Anne A. Reese, Deputy Secretary. [FR Doc. 2022–25560 Filed 11–22–22; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 6717–01–P DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY Federal Energy Regulatory Commission [Docket No. RD22–4–000] Before Commissioners: Richard Glick, Chairman; James P. Danly, Allison Clements, Mark C. Christie, and Willie L. Phillips; Registration of InverterBased Resources; Registration of Inverter-Based Resources 1. In order to address concerns regarding the reliability impacts of E:\FR\FM\23NON1.SGM 23NON1

Agencies

[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 225 (Wednesday, November 23, 2022)]
[Notices]
[Pages 71611-71612]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2022-25560]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Project No. 2853-073]


Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation; Notice 
of Scoping Meetings and Environmental Site Review and Soliciting 
Scoping Comments

    Take notice that the following hydroelectric application has been 
filed with the Commission and is available for public inspection.
    a. Type of Application: New Major License.
    b. Project No.: 2853-073.
    c. Date Filed: June 30, 2022.
    d. Applicant: Montana Department of Natural Resources and 
Conservation (Montana DNRC).
    e. Name of Project: Broadwater Hydroelectric Project (Broadwater 
Project or project).
    f. Location: On the Missouri River near the town of Toston in 
Broadwater County, Montana. The project occupies approximately two 
acres of federal lands administered by the Bureau of Land Management.
    g. Filed Pursuant to: Federal Power Act 16 U.S.C. 791(a)-825(r).
    h. Applicant Contact: David Lofftus, Hydro Power Program Manager, 
Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation, 1424 9th 
Avenue, P.O. Box 201601, Helena, Montana 59620; Phone at (406) 444-
6659; or email at [email protected].
    i. FERC Contact: Ingrid Brofman at (202) 502-8347, or 
[email protected].
    j. Deadline for filing scoping comments: January 13, 2023.
    The Commission strongly encourages electronic filing. Please file 
scoping comments using the Commission's eFiling system at https://ferconline.ferc.gov/FERCOnline.aspx. Commenters can submit brief 
comments up to 6,000 characters, without prior registration, using the 
eComment system at https://ferconline.ferc.gov/QuickComment.aspx. You 
must include your name and contact information at the end of your 
comments. For assistance, please contact FERC Online Support at 
[email protected], (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: 
Kimberly D. Bose, Secretary, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 
First Street NE, Room 1A, Washington, DC 20426. Submissions sent via 
any other carrier must be addressed to: Kimberly D. Bose, 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: Broadwater Hydroelectric Project (P-2853-
073).
    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 intervener 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.
    k. This application is not ready for environmental analysis at this 
time.
    l. Project Description: The existing Broadwater Hydroelectric 
Project consists of: (1) a 630-foot-long, 24-foot-high concrete gravity 
dam with a 360-foot-long spillway containing seven inflatable rubber 
gates capable of raising the dam's crest elevation by 11 feet; (2) a 
275-acre, 9-mile-long reservoir; (3) a 160-foot long rock jetty that 
extends upstream into the reservoir that serves to separate inflow to 
the powerhouse from the headworks of the non-project irrigation canal 
adjacent to the dam; (4) an intake integral with the powerhouse

[[Page 71612]]

and covered by two inclined trashracks, each 20 feet wide and 40 feet 
high, with a clear bar spacing of 3 inches; (5) a 160-foot-long, 46-
foot-wide, 64-foot high powerhouse containing a single Kaplan turbine 
with a rated capacity of 9.66 megawatts; (6) a 100-kilovolt, 2.8-mile-
long transmission line; and (6) appurtenant facilities.
    Montana DNRC operates the project in a run-of-river mode (minus 
flows diverted for non-project irrigation purposes at the dam) and 
generates an estimated average of 40,669 megawatt-hours per year.
    Montana DNRC proposes the following modifications to existing 
project facilities: (1) remove the jetty that separates the hydropower 
intake and the non-project irrigation canal intake; (2) install a new 
angled screen with 6-inch spacing between the bars and install two 
parallel 100-foot-long, 10-foot-wide by 10-foot-high box culverts 
within the irrigation intake canal and a bulkhead near the current non-
project irrigation headworks, and include the new angled screen and box 
culverts as licensed project facilities; (3) modernize the project 
trash rake (i.e., replace and recalibrate sensors on the rake) to 
minimize debris buildup on the dam intake and; (4) upgrade the 
Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) monitoring system 
(i.e., improving connectivity to the substation, protective relaying, 
and automation upgrades).
    Montana DNRC proposes to continue to operate in an automated run-
of-river mode throughout the year where outflow from the project 
approximates inflow (minus flows diverted for irrigation) as it does 
under the current license but proposes to modify its procedures for 
responding to an unplanned unit trip by maintaining higher flows 
downstream and more slowly returning reservoir levels to normal 
elevation to reduce the potential for fish stranding downstream of the 
dam.
    m. A copy of the application can be viewed on the Commission's 
website at https://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.
    You may also register at https://ferconline.ferc.gov/FERCOnline.aspx to be notified via email of new filings and issuances 
related to this or other pending projects. For assistance, please 
contact FERC Online Support at [email protected].
    n. Scoping Process: Pursuant to the National Environmental Policy 
Act (NEPA), Commission staff intends to prepare either an environmental 
assessment (EA) or an environmental impact statement (EIS) 
(collectively referred to as the ``NEPA document'') that describes and 
evaluates the probable effects, including an assessment of the site-
specific and cumulative effects, if any, of the proposed action and 
alternatives. The Commission's scoping process will help determine the 
required level of analysis and satisfy the NEPA scoping requirements, 
irrespective of whether the Commission issues an EA or an EIS.

Scoping Meetings

    Commission staff will hold two public scoping meetings to receive 
input on the scope of the environmental issues that should be analyzed 
in the NEPA document. The daytime meeting will focus on the concerns of 
resource agencies, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and Native 
American tribes. The evening meeting will focus on receiving input from 
the public. All interested individuals, resource agencies, Native 
American tribes, and NGOs are invited to attend one or both of the 
meetings. The times and locations of these meetings are as follows:

Evening Scoping Meeting

Date: Tuesday, December 13, 2022
Time: 6:30 p.m. (MST)
Place: Broadwater County Fairgrounds, 4-H Building
Address: 189 U.S. Highway 12, Townsend, Montana 59644

    Once at the County Fairgrounds, the 4-H Building is the largest 
building of three, on-site.

Daytime Scoping Meeting

Date: Wednesday, December 14, 2022
Time: 1:30 p.m. (MST)
Place: Montana DNRC Water Resources Building, Fred Buck Conference Room
Address: 1424 9th Ave., Helena, Montana 59620

    Copies of the Scoping Document (SD1) outlining the subject areas to 
be addressed in the NEPA document were distributed to the parties on 
the Commission's mailing list. Copies of the SD1 will be available at 
the scoping meeting or may be viewed on the web at https://www.ferc.gov 
using the ``eLibrary'' link (see item m above).

Environmental Site Review

    Montana DNRC and Commission staff will conduct an environmental 
site review of the project beginning at 1:30 p.m. on December 13, 2022. 
All interested individuals, agencies, tribes, and NGOs are invited to 
attend. All participants should meet at the project, which is located 
at 511 Toston Dam Road, Toston, Montana 59643. All participants are 
responsible for their own transportation to the site and during the 
site visit. Anyone with questions about the environmental site review 
should contact David Lofftus at (406) 444-6659 or [email protected] 
Those individuals planning to participate in the site review should 
notify Mr. Lofftus of their intent, no later than December 7, 2022.

Objectives

    At the scoping meetings, Commission staff will: (1) summarize the 
environmental issues tentatively identified for analysis in the NEPA 
document; (2) solicit from the meeting participants all available 
information, especially quantifiable data, on the resources at issue; 
(3) encourage statements from experts and the public on issues that 
should be analyzed in the NEPA document, including viewpoints in 
opposition to, or in support of, the staff's preliminary views; (4) 
determine the resource issues to be addressed in the NEPA document; and 
(5) identify those issues that require a detailed analysis, as well as 
those issues that do not require a detailed analysis.

Procedures

    The meetings are recorded by a stenographer and become part of the 
formal record of the Commission proceeding on the project. Individuals, 
NGOs, Native American tribes, and agencies with environmental expertise 
and concerns are encouraged to attend the meetings and to assist the 
staff in defining and clarifying the issues to be addressed in the NEPA 
document.

    Dated: November 15, 2022.
Debbie-Anne A. Reese,
Deputy Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2022-25560 Filed 11-22-22; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P
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