Siting Board - Frequently Asked Questions

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BASIC CONCEPTS

Q. What is Article 10?
A. "Article 10" was enacted in 2011 to be a portion of the New York State Public Service Law. It is a general state law that is applicable in all of New York State. Article 10 empowers the New York State Board on Electric Generation Siting and the Environment (Siting Board) to issue Certificates of Environmental Compatibility and Public Need (certificate) authorizing the construction and operation of major electric generating facilities.

Q. What is meant by the term "siting"?
Q. What is meant by the term "major"?
Q. What is meant by the term "electric generating"?
Q. What is meant by the term "facility"?
Q. What is meant by the term "certificate"?

THE SITING BOARD

Q. What is the "Siting Board"?
Q. Who are the permanent members of the Siting Board?

A. The five permanent members of the Siting Board are the Chairman of the Department of Public Service who serves as chairperson of the Siting Board; the Commissioner of the Department of Environmental Conservation; the Commissioner of the Department of Health; the Chairperson of the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority; and the Commissioner of Economic Development. The permanent members may designate an alternate to serve instead of the member with respect to all proceedings provided that such designation is in writing and filed with the chairperson.

Q. What is meant by the term "ad hoc"?
Q. Do ad hoc public members receive any compensation for their service on the Siting Board?
Q. What are the qualifications to be an ad hoc public member?
Q. How are the two ad hoc public members designated to serve on the Siting Board?
Q. How is the list of ad hoc public member candidates established?
Q. How is the list of candidates established in the City of New York?
Q. How is the list of candidates established in a town outside of any villages or in a city other than the City of New York?
Q. How is the list of candidates established in a village?
Q. How is the list of candidates established if the facility is to be built on parcels of land located in more than one municipality?

A. Candidates from each affected municipality will be nominated.

Q. What resources are available to assist the Siting Board?


TYPES OF GENERATING FACILITIES

Q. What types of electric generating facilities are likely to be proposed pursuant to the Article 10 process?
Q. Are electric generating facilities to be built by a power authority exempt from the Article 10 process?
Q. Are any electric generating facilities exempt from the Article 10 process?
Q. If a facility is exempt from the Article 10 process, can the developer of the facility opt-in to the Article 10 process?

PRE-APPLICATION PROCEDURES - PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT

Q. What is meant by the term "public involvement"?

A. "Public involvement" is the process of enabling the public to participate in decisions that may affect public health, safety and the environment.

Q. In what stages of the Article 10 process is it appropriate to conduct public involvement activities?
Q. How is public involvement conducted?
Q. Is the public required to participate in the applicant's public involvement activities?
Q. What are the purposes of a Public Involvement Program?
Q. What are the elements of a Public Involvement Program plan?
Q. When does the Public Involvement Program plan have to be prepared?
Q. What happens if the Department of Public Service (DPS) finds the Public Involvement Program plan to be inadequate?
What happens if the applicant refuses to incorporate a DPS recommendation without an adequate explanation, or has an inadequate Public Involvement Program plan?
Q. How do people who do not speak English participate in public involvement?

A. Applicants are required to identify significant non-English speaking populations and to address the need for non-English communication and participation in their Public Involvement Program plan.

Q. What is the function of the Office of Public Information Coordinator created within the Department of Public Service?

A. The Office of Public Information Coordinator assists the public and interested parties by: (a) implementing measures that assure public participation in matters before the Siting Board; (b) responding to inquiries from the public for information on how to participate; (c) assisting the public in requesting records; (d) ensuring all interested persons are provided with a reasonable opportunity to participate at public meetings; (e) ensuring that all necessary or required documents are available for public access on the Siting Board website; and (f) any other duties as may be prescribed by the Siting Board, after consultation with the Department of Public Service.

Q. What is the Department of Public Service?
Q. How can I contact the Office of Public Information Coordinator?

PRE-APPLICATION PROCEDURES - PRELIMINARY SCOPING STATEMENT

Q. What is a Preliminary Scoping Statement?
Q. When does the Preliminary Scoping Statement have to be filed?
Q. What kind of information must be included in a Preliminary Scoping Statement?
Q. What happens after the Preliminary Scoping Statement is filed?

PRE-APPLICATION PROCEDURES - Fund for Municipal & LOCAL PARTIES

Q. What is the fund for municipal and local parties?

A. Applicants are required at several stages in the Article 10 process to provide funds to be used to defray certain expenses incurred by municipal and local parties when participating in an Article 10 proceeding. These funds are known as "intervenor" funds collected by assessing an "intervenor" fee on the applicant.

Q: How does an applicant set up the fund?

A. Applicants supplying the requisite fee to set up the intervenor funding account for the preliminary scoping phase of the case must provide a check, made out to the NYS Department of Public Service, simultaneously with the filing of their Preliminary Scoping Statement. The case number must be printed on the face of the check. The check must be delivered to the Director of the DPS Office of Finance and Budget, under cover of a letter stating the amount of the check and the Article 10 case name and number. The letter must be copied to the Secretary of the Siting Board for filing in the Article 10 case.


Q. What is an "intervenor"?

A. "Intervenor" is the name used to refer to a party other than the applicant or the staff of the reviewing public agency that joins a case or proceeding as a third party for the protection of an interest.

Q. What is the amount of the intervenor fee assessed during the pre-application stage?
Q. What happens if after the pre-application intervenor fees have been used up, the applicant amends its preliminary scoping statement and more review is required?
Q. How does a qualified intervenor make a request for intervenor funds?
Q. When are pre-application intervenor funds awarded?

A. The presiding examiner will provide for an expedited pre-application funding disbursement schedule to assure early and meaningful public involvement. Following receipt of initial requests for pre-application funds, the presiding examiner shall expeditiously make an initial award of pre-application funds. Subject to the availability of funds, the presiding examiner may fix additional dates for submission of fund requests. Thereafter the presiding examiner may make additional awards of pre-application funds, in relation to the potential for such awards to make an effective contribution to review of the preliminary scoping statement.

Q. Who is eligible for intervenor funds?
Q. What can pre-application intervenor funds be used for?
Q. On what basis will the funds be awarded?

PRE-APPLICATION PROCEDURES - STIPULATIONS

Q. What are stipulations?
Q. How is the stipulations process initiated?
Q. Do other parties and the public get an opportunity to participate in the stipulations process?
Q. What happens if a party does not agree that a stipulation entered into between the applicant and another party is adequate?

APPLICATION PROCEDURES - SUBMISSION OF AN APPLICATION

Q. What happens when an Article 10 application is submitted?

A. Within sixty days of receipt, the Chairperson of the Siting Board determines whether the documents submitted comply with the requirements of the law, regulations and stipulations. The Department of Environmental Conservation also advises the Siting Board within the sixty day period whether the documents submitted contain sufficient information.

Q. What happens if the documents submitted are insufficient to comply with the requirements of the law, regulations and stipulations?
Q. What happens if the documents submitted are sufficient to comply with the requirements of the law, regulations and stipulations?

APPLICATION PROCEDURES - DESIGNATION OF PARTIES

Q. Who are the parties to an Article 10 proceeding?
Q. Who are the automatic statutory parties to an Article 10 proceeding?
Q. Who are the parties that have a right to be a party to an Article 10 proceeding merely by giving notice?
Q. Who are the parties that may be permitted to join?

A. Such other persons or entities as the Siting Board may at any time deem appropriate, who may participate in all subsequent stages of the proceeding.

Q. Where does a party file a notice of intent to be a party?

APPLICATION PROCEDURES - Fund for Municipal & LOCAL PARTIES

Q. What is the amount of the intervenor fee assessed when an application is filed?
Q. How does an applicant set up the fund?
A. Applicants supplying the requisite fee to set up the intervenor funding account for the application phase of the case must provide a check, made out to the NYS Department of Public Service, simultaneously with the filing of their Application.

The case number must be printed on the face of the check. The check must be delivered to the Director of the DPS Office of Finance and Budget, under cover of a letter stating the amount of the check and the Article 10 case name and number. The letter must be copied to the Secretary of the Siting Board for filing in the Article 10 case.


Q. What happens if after the application phase intervenor fees have been used up, the applicant amends its application and more review is required?
Q. How does a qualified intervenor make a request for intervenor funds?
Q. Who is eligible for intervenor funds?

A. All municipal and local parties to the proceeding are eligible for application phase intervenor funds. The presiding examiner shall reserve at least 50% of the application phase funds for potential awards to municipalities.

Q. What can application phase intervenor funds be used for?

A. The intervenor funds awarded can be used to defray expenses incurred by municipal and local parties for expert witnesses, consultants, administrative costs (document preparation and duplications costs) and legal fees. No intervenor funds may be used to pay for judicial review or litigation costs.

Q. On what basis will the funds be awarded?

HEARING PROCEDURES - CONDUCT OF THE HEARING

Q. Who conducts the hearings?
Q. What kinds of hearings will be held?
Q. What are "public statement" hearings?
Q. What is a "limited appearance"?
Q. What are "trial-type evidentiary" hearings?
Q. What is "discovery"?
Q. If the Siting Board does not personally conduct the hearings, how does it become informed of the proceedings?

SITING BOARD DECISIONS - TIMING OF THE DECISION

Q. Is there a deadline by which the Siting Board must make a final decision on an Article 10 application?
Q. What happens to the deadline if the application is amended during the Article 10 proceeding?
Q. Are there any other exceptions to the deadlines described above?

SITING BOARD DECISIONS - SUBSTANCE OF THE DECISION

Q. What options does the Siting Board have in making a decision on an Article 10 application?
Q. What substantive matters must be addressed in any Siting Board decision to grant an Article 10 certificate?
Q. What are the required statutory findings that must be made by the Siting Board?
Q. What are the required statutory determinations that must be made by the Siting Board?
Q. What are the required statutory factors that must be considered by the Siting Board in making the required determinations?

COMPLIANCE AND ENFORCEMENT

Q. Who is in charge of compliance and enforcement matters regarding a Certificate that has been issued?