City of Seattle; 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 a New License and Commencing Pre-filing Process.

b. Project No.: 2959-148.

c. Dated Filed: April 8, 2024.

d. Submitted By: City of Seattle.

e. Name of Project: South Fork Tolt River Hydroelectric Project.

f. Location: On the South Fork Tolt River, in King County, Washington. The project does not occupy federal land.

g. Filed Pursuant to:18 CFR part 5 of the Commission's Regulations.

h. Applicant Contact: Elizabeth Ablow, Project Co-Manager, Seattle City Light, 700 5th Ave #3200, Seattle, WA 98104; phone: (206) 561-4833.

i. FERC Contact: John Matkowski at (202) 502-8576 or email at john.matkowski@ferc.gov.

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 document cannot also intervene. See 94 FERC ¶ 61,076 (2001).

k. With this notice, we are initiating informal consultation with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and National Marine Fisheries Service under section 7 of the Endangered Species Act and the joint agency regulations thereunder at 50 CFR part 402; and National Marine Fisheries Service under section 305(b) of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Management and Conservation Act and implementing regulations at 50 CFR 600.920. We are also initiating consultation with the Washington State Historic Preservation Officer, as required by section 106, National Historic 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 the City of Seattle as the Commission's non-Federal representative for carrying out informal consultation, pursuant to section 7 of the Endangered Species Act, the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Management and Conservation Act, and section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act.

m. The City of Seattle 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 may be viewed on the Commission's website ( 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 at FERCOnlineSupport@ferc.gov or call toll-free, (866) 208-3676 or TYY, (202) 502-8659.

You may register online at https://ferconline.ferc.gov/FERCOnline.aspx to be notified via email of new filings and issuances related to these or other pending projects. For assistance, contact FERC Online Support.

o. With this notice, we are soliciting comments on the PAD and Commission staff's 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 FERCOnlineSupport@ferc.gov. 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, Acting 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, Acting Secretary, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 12225 Wilkins Avenue, Rockville, Maryland 20852. The first page of any filing should include docket number P-2959-148.

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 6, 2024.

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, 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 contact OPP at (202) 502-6595 or OPP@ferc.gov.

q. The Commission's 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 environmental assessment or environmental impact statement.

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: Tuesday, June 25, 2024

Time: 6:00 p.m.-8:00 p.m. (PDT)

Location: Cherry Creek Falls Event Center, 16533 Kelly Road Northeast, Duvall, WA 98019

Phone: (425) 667-4328

Daytime Scoping Meeting

Date: Wednesday, June 26, 2024

Time: 9:00 a.m.-11:00 a.m. (PDT)

Location: Cherry Creek Falls Event Center, 16533 Kelly Road Northeast, Duvall, WA 98019

Phone: (425) 667-4328

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 City of Seattle and Commission staff will conduct an environmental site review of the project on Wednesday, June 26, 2024, starting at 11:00 a.m. (PDT). You must register in advance if you are interested in attending the site review. Please contact Elizabeth Ablow with City of Seattle at (206) 561-4833 or via email at Elizabeth.Ablow@seattle.gov; or Maura Patterson with City of Seattle at (206) 450-6543, or via email at Maura.Patterson@seattle.gov, on or before June 18, 2024, if you plan to attend the site review. No personal vehicles will be allowed on the site visit; however, shuttle bus transportation will be provided during the site visit for registered participants.

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 document.

Meeting Procedures

Commission staff are moderating the scoping meetings. The meetings are recorded by an independent stenographer and become part of the formal record of the Commission proceeding on the project. Individuals, NGOs, Indian Tribes, and agencies with environmental expertise and concerns are encouraged to attend the meeting and to assist the staff in defining and clarifying the issues to be addressed in the NEPA document.