[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 210 (Tuesday, October 30, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 65676-65678]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-26591]
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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
[Project No. 14447-000]
L.S. Starrett Company; Notice of Application Accepted for Filing
With the Commission, Intent To Waive Scoping, Soliciting Motions To
Intervene and Protests, Ready for Environmental Analysis, Soliciting
Comments, Terms and Conditions, and Recommendations, 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: Exemption from Licensing.
b. Project No.: P-14447-000.
[[Page 65677]]
c. Date filed: August 15, 2012.
d. Applicant: L.S. Starrett Company.
e. Name of Project: Crescent Street Dam Hydroelectric Project.
f. Location: On Millers River, in the Town of Athol, Worcester
County, Massachusetts. The project would not occupy lands of the United
States.
g. Filed Pursuant to: Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act of
1978, 16 U.S.C. 2705, 2708.
h. Applicant Contact: Steve Walsh, L.S. Starrett Company, 121
Crescent Street, Athol, MA 01331; (978) 249-3551 ext. 229.
i. FERC Contact: Tom Dean, (202) 502-6041, [email protected].
j. Deadline for filing motions to intervene and protests, comments,
terms and conditions, and recommendations: Due to the small size and
particular location of this existing project and the close coordination
with state and federal agencies during the preparation of the
application, the 60-day timeframe in 18 CFR 4.34(b) is shortened.
Instead, motions to intervene and protests, comments, terms and
conditions, and recommendations will be due 30 days from the issuance
date of this notice. All reply comments must be filed with the
Commission within 45 days from the 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 [email protected] 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. The application has been accepted for filing and is now ready
for environmental analysis.
l. The proposed Crescent Street Dam Hydroelectric Project consists
of: (1) An existing 28-foot-high, 127-foot-long concrete and masonry
dam with a 98-foot-long spillway topped with a 3-foot-high bascule
gate; (2) an existing 4.5-acre impoundment with a normal water surface
elevation of 541.3 feet National Geodetic Vertical Datum of 1929; (3)
existing generation facilities on the right side of the dam that
include: (a) an intake structure equipped with a 7-foot-high, 7-foot-
wide head gate and a 14-foot-high, 17.5-feet-wide trashrack with 1.25-
inch clear bar spacing; (b) a 25-foot-long, 7-foot-diameter penstock;
(c) a 44-foot-long, 28-foot-wide powerhouse containing a 250 kilowatt
(kW) turbine generating unit; (d) a 7-foot-diameter, 47-foot-long
bypass outlet conduit equipped with a 7-foot-high, 7-foot-wide gate;
(e) a 16-foot-wide, 4-foot-deep, 200-foot-long tailrace; and (f) three
existing 180-foot-long, 600 volt transmission lines; (4) existing
generation facilities on the left side of the dam that include: (a) an
18-foot-long weir equipped with a 6-foot-high, 6-foot-wide slide gate
and a 12-foot-high, 13.5-foot-wide trashrack with [frac34]-inch clear
bar spacing; (b) a 55-foot-long, 6-foot-diameter penstock; (c) a 37-
foot-long, 37-foot-wide powerhouse containing a 198 kW turbine
generating unit; (d) a 14-foot-wide, 9-foot-deep, 100-foot-long
tailrace; and (e) six 900-foot-long, 600 volt transmission lines; and
(5) appurtenant facilities. The project would have an estimated average
annual generation of 1,729.2 megawatt-hours. The applicant proposes to
construct downstream and upstream fish passage facilities, a plunge
pool, and upstream eel passage facility if required by fish and
wildlife agencies, and operate the project in a run-of-river mode.
m. Due to the project works already existing and the limited scope
of proposed modifications to 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
exemption process. Based on a review of the application, resource
agency consultation letters, Commission staff intends to prepare a
single environmental assessment (EA). Commission staff determined that
the issues that need to be addressed in the EA have been adequately
identified during the pre-filing period, which included a public
meeting and site visit, 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 aquatic,
terrestrial, threatened and endangered species, recreation and land
use, aesthetic, 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.
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, .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
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APPLICATION,'' ``COMMENTS,'' ``REPLY COMMENTS,'' ``RECOMMENDATIONS,''
or ``TERMS AND CONDITIONS;'' (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, or terms and conditions 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. Procedural schedule: The application will be processed according
to the following procedural schedule. Revisions to the schedule may be
made as appropriate.
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Milestone Target date
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Notice of the availability of the EA....... March 2013
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Dated: October 23, 2012.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2012-26591 Filed 10-29-12; 8:45 am]
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