Two Scoping Sessions for the San Juan Micro-Fuel Handling Facility Project (CP21-496-000, CP23-518-000)

There are four methods you can use to submit your comments to the Commission. The Commission encourages electronic filing of comments and has staff available to assist you at (866) 208-3676 or  FercOnlineSupport@ferc.gov.  Please carefully follow these instructions so that your comments are properly recorded.

1. You can file your comments electronically using the eComment feature, which is located on the Commission’s website (www.ferc.gov) under the link to FERC Online.  Using eComment is an easy method for submitting brief, text-only comments on a project;
2. You can file your comments electronically by using the eFiling feature, which is also located on the Commission’s website (www.ferc.gov) under the link to FERC Online.  With eFiling, you can provide comments in a variety of formats by attaching them as a file with your submission.  New eFiling users must first create an account by clicking on “eRegister.”  You will be asked to select the type of filing you are making; a comment on a particular project is considered a “Comment on a Filing”;  
3. You can file a paper copy of your comments by mailing them to the Commission.  Be sure to reference the Project docket numbers (CP21-496-000 and/or CP23-518-000) on your letter.  Submissions sent via the U.S. Postal Service must be addressed to:  Debbie-Anne A. Reese, 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, Secretary, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 12225 Wilkins Avenue, Rockville, Maryland 20852; or
4. In lieu of sending written comments, the Commission invites you to attend one of two public scoping sessions its staff will conduct in the Project area, scheduled as follows:

The primary goal of these scoping sessions is to have you identify the specific environmental issues and concerns that should be considered in the environmental document.  There will not be a formal presentation by Commission staff when the session opens.  Individual oral comments will be taken on a one-on-one basis with a court reporter.  This format is designed to receive the maximum amount of oral comments in a convenient way during the timeframe allotted.

The scoping sessions are scheduled from 11:00 am to 1:00 pm and 4:30 pm to 7:30 pm Eastern Standard Time.  You may arrive at any time after 11:00 am for the midday session and after 4:30 pm for the evening session.  If you wish to provide a comment, the Commission staff will hand out numbers in the order of your arrival.  Comments will be taken until 1:00 pm for the midday session and 7:30 pm for the evening session.  Please see appendix 1 for additional information on the session format and conduct.[1]

Your oral comments will be recorded by a court reporter (with FERC staff or representative present) and become part of the public record for this proceeding.  Transcripts will be publicly available on FERC’s eLibrary system (see the last page of this notice for instructions on using eLibrary).  If a significant number of people are interested in providing oral comments in the one-on-one settings, a time limit of 3 minutes may be implemented for each commentor.  Although there will not be a formal presentation, Commission staff will be available throughout the scoping session to answer your questions about the environmental review process.

FERC will have Spanish interpreters on site at the public scoping sessions.

It is important to note that the Commission provides equal consideration to all comments received, whether filed in written form or provided orally at a scoping session.

On September 29, 2021, the Commission issued its Notice of Application for the Project.  Among other things, that notice alerted other agencies issuing federal authorizations of the requirement to complete all necessary reviews and to reach a final decision on the request for a federal authorization within 90 days of the date of issuance of the Commission staff’s final EIS for the Project.  This notice identifies the Commission staff’s planned schedule for completion of the final EIS for the Project, which is based on an issuance of the draft EIS in May 2025, opening a 45-day comment period.

Issuance of Notice of Availability of the final EIS                                November 7, 2025

90-day Federal Authorization Decision Deadline[1]                                February 5, 2026

In accordance with the Council on Environmental Quality’s regulations, for EISs, agencies are to make schedules for completing the NEPA process publicly available.[2]  This notice identifies the Commission’s anticipated schedule for issuance of the final order for the Project, which serves as the Commission’s record of decision.  We currently anticipate issuing a final order for the Project no later than:

Issuance of Final Order                                                                      February 19, 2026

If a schedule change becomes necessary, an additional notice will be provided so that the relevant agencies are kept informed of the Project’s progress.