[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 85 (Wednesday, May 2, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 25998-25999]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-10532]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
[Project No. 14308-001]
Carbon Zero, LLC; Notice of Application Accepted for Filing With
the Commission, Intent To Waive Scoping, Soliciting Motions To
Intervene and Protests, Ready for Environmental Analysis, and
Soliciting Comments, Terms and Conditions, Recommendations, and
Prescriptions, and Establishing an Expedited Schedule for Processing
Take notice that the following hydroelectric application has been
filed with the Commission and is available for public inspection.
a. Type of Application: Original Minor License.
b. Project No.: 14308-001.
c. Date filed: February 17, 2011.
d. Applicant: Carbon Zero, LLC.
e. Name of Project: Vermont Tissue Mill Hydroelectric Project.
f. Location: On the Walloomsac River, in the Town of Bennington,
Bennington County, Vermont. The project would not occupy lands of the
United States.
g. Filed Pursuant to: Federal Power Act, 16 U.S.C. 791(a)-825(r).
h. Applicant Contact: William F. Scully, Carbon Zero, LLC, P.O. Box
338, North Bennington, VT 05257; (802) 442-0311; wfscully@gmail.com.
i. FERC Contact: Amy K. Chang, (202) 502-8250, or email at
amy.chang@ferc.gov.
j. Deadline for filing motions to intervene and protests, comments,
terms and conditions, recommendations, and prescriptions: 60 days from
the issuance date of this notice; reply comments are due 105 days from
the issuance date of this notice.
All documents may be filed electronically via the Internet. See 18
CFR 385.2001(a)(1)(iii) and the instructions on the Commission's Web
site 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 or toll free at 1-866-208-3676,
or for TTY, (202) 502-8659. Although the Commission strongly encourages
electronic filing, documents may also be paper-filed. To paper-file,
mail an original and seven copies to: Kimberly D. Bose, Secretary,
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 First Street NE., Washington,
DC 20426.
The Commission's Rules of Practice require all intervenors filing
documents with the Commission to serve a copy of that document on each
person on the official service list for the project. Further, if an
intervenor files comments or documents with the Commission relating to
the merits of an issue that may affect the responsibilities of a
particular resource agency, they must also serve a copy of the document
on that resource agency.
k. This application has been accepted for filing and is now ready
for environmental analysis.
l. Project Description: Vermont Tissue Mill Project would consist
of two existing dams separated by a 500-foot-wide island and include:
(1) An existing 15-foot-high, 85-foot-long primary dam with a spillway
crest elevation of 555.0 feet above mean sea level (msl) topped with
reinstalled 4-inch-high flashboards; (2) a refurbished 6-foot-high, 8-
foot-wide flood gate located on the primary dam south abutment; (3) an
existing 6-foot-high, 80-foot-long secondary dam with a spillway crest
elevation of 555.33 feet above msl with a new 2.5-foot-high, 2.5-foot-
wide minimum flow weir equipped with stop logs; (4) an existing 2,400-
foot-long, 6.4-acre impoundment with a normal water surface elevation
of 555.41 feet above msl; (5) an existing intake structure equipped
with two 12-foot-high, 16-foot-wide flume openings equipped with stop
log slots and new trashracks connected to two water conveyance
channels, one 12-foot-high, 35-foot-long and one 12-foot-high, 85-foot-
long; (6) an existing powerhouse with two new Kaplan turbine generating
units, a 215 kilowatt (kW) unit and a 145 kW unit, with a total
installed capacity of 360 kW; (7) a refurbished tailrace discharging
water from the powerhouse into the main channel downstream of the
primary dam; (8) a new 1.5-foot-diameter minimum flow valve in the
powerhouse discharging water into an existing 35-foot-wide, 50-foot-
long tailrace; (9) a reconstructed, breached 8-foot-high, 2-foot-wide,
45-foot-long retaining wall; and (10) a new buried 480-volt, 125-foot-
long transmission line connecting the powerhouse to the regional grid.
The project would be operated in a run-of-river mode and would have an
annual generation of 1,447.5 megawatt-hours.
m. Due to the project works already existing and the limited scope
of proposed rehabilitation of the project site described above, the
applicant's close coordination with federal and state agencies during
the preparation of the application, and agency recommended preliminary
terms and conditions, we intend to waive scoping and expedite the
licensing process. Based on a review of the application, resource
agency consultation letters including the preliminary terms and
conditions, and comments filed to date, Commission staff intends to
prepare a single environmental assessment (EA). Commission staff
determined that the issues that need to be addressed in its EA have
been adequately identified during the pre-filing period, and no new
issues are likely to be identified through additional scoping. The EA
will consider assessing the potential effects of project construction
and operation on geology and soils, aquatic, terrestrial, threatened
and endangered species, and cultural and historic resources.
n. A copy of the application is available for review at the
Commission in the Public Reference Room or may be viewed on the
Commission's Web site at 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 Online Support. A copy is also available for inspection and
reproduction at the address in item h above.
Register online at http://www.ferc.gov/docs-filing/esubscription.asp to be notified via email of new filings and issuances
related to this or other pending projects. For assistance, contact FERC
Online Support.
o. Any qualified applicant desiring to file a competing application
must submit to the Commission, on or before the specified intervention
deadline date, a competing development application, or a notice of
intent to file such an application. Submission of a timely notice of
intent allows an interested person to file the competing development
application no later than 120 days after the specified intervention
deadline date. Applications for preliminary permits will not be
accepted in response to this notice.
[[Page 25999]]
A notice of intent must specify the exact name, business address,
and telephone number of the prospective applicant, and must include an
unequivocal statement of intent to submit a development application. A
notice of intent must be served on the applicant(s) named in this
public notice.
Anyone may submit comments, a protest, or a motion to intervene in
accordance with the requirements of Rules of Practice and Procedure, 18
CFR 385.210, .211, and .214. In determining the appropriate action to
take, the Commission will consider all protests or other comments
filed, but only those who file a motion to intervene in accordance with
the Commission's Rules may become a party to the proceeding. Any
comments, protests, or motions to intervene must be received on or
before the specified comment date for the particular application.
All filings must (1) Bear in all capital letters the title
``PROTEST,'' ``MOTION TO INTERVENE,'' ``NOTICE OF INTENT TO FILE
COMPETING APPLICATION,'' ``COMPETING APPLICATION,'' ``COMMENTS,''
``REPLY COMMENTS,'' ``RECOMMENDATIONS,'' ``TERMS AND CONDITIONS,'' or
``PRESCRIPTIONS;'' (2) set forth in the heading the name of the
applicant and the project number of the application to which the filing
responds; (3) furnish the name, address, and telephone number of the
person protesting or intervening; and (4) otherwise comply with the
requirements of 18 CFR 385.2001 through 385.2005. All comments,
recommendations, terms and conditions or prescriptions must set forth
their evidentiary basis and otherwise comply with the requirements of
18 CFR 4.34(b). Agencies may obtain copies of the application directly
from the applicant. A copy of any protest or motion to intervene must
be served upon each representative of the applicant specified in the
particular application. A copy of all other filings in reference to
this application must be accompanied by proof of service on all persons
listed in the service list prepared by the Commission in this
proceeding, in accordance with 18 CFR 4.34(b) and 385.2010.
p. A license applicant must file no later than 60 days following
the date of issuance of this notice: (1) A copy of the water quality
certification; (2) a copy of the request for certification, including
proof of the date on which the certifying agency received the request;
or (3) evidence of waiver of water quality certification.
q. Procedural schedule: The application will be processed according
to the following procedural schedule. Revisions to the schedule may be
made as appropriate.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Milestone Target date
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Notice of the availability of the EA................... October 2012.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dated: April 24, 2012.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2012-10532 Filed 5-1-12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P