[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 186 (Wednesday, September 27, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 66438-66439]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-21048]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Project No. 2853-073]


Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation; Notice 
of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Assessment

    On June 30, 2022, the Montana Department of Natural Resources and 
Conservation (Montana DNRC) filed an application for a new major 
license for the 9.66-megawatt Broadwater Hydroelectric Project 
(Broadwater Project; FERC No. 2853). The Broadwater Project is located 
on the Missouri River near the town of Toston in Broadwater County, 
Montana. The project includes Federal lands administered by the Bureau 
of Land Management.
    In accordance with the Commission's regulations, on July 7, 2023, 
Commission staff issued a notice that the project was ready for 
environmental analysis (REA Notice). Based on the information in the 
record, including comments filed on the REA Notice, staff does not 
anticipate that licensing the project would constitute a major Federal 
action significantly affecting the quality of the human environment. 
Therefore, staff intends to prepare a draft and final Environmental 
Assessment (EA) on the application to relicense the Broadwater Project.
    The EA will be issued and circulated for review by all interested 
parties. All comments filed on the EA will be analyzed by staff and 
considered in the Commission's final licensing decision.
    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, 
environmental justice communities, 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

[[Page 66439]]

contact OPP at (202) 502-6595 or <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#a3ecf3f3e3c5c6d1c08dc4ccd5"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="ca859a9a8aacafb8a9e4ada5bc">[email protected]</span></a>.
    The application will be processed according to the following 
schedule. Revisions to the schedule may be made as appropriate.

------------------------------------------------------------------------
                 Milestone                           Target date
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Commission issues draft EA................  March 2024.
Comments on draft EA......................  April 2024.
Commission issues final EA................  July 2024.\1\
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\1\ The Council on Environmental Quality's (CEQ) regulations under 40
  CFR 1501.10(b)(1) (2022) require that EAs be completed within 1 year
  of the Federal action agency's decision to prepare an EA. See National
  Environmental Policy Act, 42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq., as amended by
  section 107(g)(1)(B)(iii) of the Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023,
  Public Law 118-5, 4336a, 137 Stat. 42.

    Any questions regarding this notice may be directed to Ingrid 
Brofman at (202) 502-8347, or <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#eba2858c99828fc58999848d868a85ab8d8e9988c58c849d"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="2e6740495c474a004c5c4148434f406e484b5c4d00494158">[email protected]</span></a>.

    Dated: September 20, 2023.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2023-21048 Filed 9-26-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P


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