Procedures for Review of Mandatory Conditions and Prescriptions in FERC Hydropower Licenses

Zusammenfassung

The Department of the Interior (Department) proposes a public review process for conditions and prescriptions of the Department pursuant to its authority under the Federal Power Act. The Department also proposes to create an administrative appeals process for review of such measures. The Federal Power Act authorizes the Department to include in hydropower licenses issued by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission conditions and prescriptions necessary to protect Federal and tribal lands and resources and to provide fishways when navigable waterways or Federal reservations are used for hydropower generation. The public review process will enable the public and the license applicant to comment on the Department's preliminary conditions and prescriptions, and to provide information to assist the Department in its formulation of modified conditions and prescriptions. The information obtained through this process will help the Department in refining and developing its conditions and prescriptions, which an applicant may appeal using the proposed appeals process to obtain an expeditious policy level review. These proposed processes are designed to coincide with and complement the Commis