(a) When the Commission has determined that the application meets the Commission's requirements as specified in §§5.18 and 5.19, the approved studies have been completed, any deficiencies in the application have been cured, and no other additional information is needed, it will issue public notice as required in the Federal Power Act:

(1) Accepting the application for filing and specifying the date upon which the application was accepted for filing (which will be the application filing date if the Secretary receives all of the information and documents necessary to conform to the requirements of §§5.1 through 5.21, as applicable, within the time frame prescribed in §5.20 or §5.21);

(2) Finding that the application is ready for environmental analysis;

(3) Requesting comments, protests, and interventions;

(4) Requesting recommendations, preliminary terms and conditions, and preliminary fishway prescriptions, including all supporting documentation; and

(5) Establishing the date for final amendments to applications for new or subsequent licenses; and

(6) Updating the schedule issued with the tendering notice for processing the application.

(b) If the project affects lands of the United States, the Commission will notify the appropriate Federal office of the application and the specific lands affected, pursuant to Section 24 of the Federal Power Act.

(c) For an application for a license seeking benefits under Section 210 of the Public Utility Regulatory Polices Act of 1978, as amended, for a project that would be located at a new dam or diversion, the Applicant must serve the public notice issued under paragraph (a)(1) of this Section to interested agencies at the time the applicant is notified that the application is accepted for filing.

[Order 2002, 68 FR 51121, Aug. 25, 2003; 68 FR 61743, Oct. 30, 2003]