[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 216 (Monday, November 9, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 60331-60332]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-29885]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission


Notice of Competing Application Ready for Environmental Analysis

November 3, 1998.
    a. Type of Application: Major New License.
    b. Project No.: P-11607-000.
    c. Date Filed: August 29, 1997, as amended on January 30, 1998.
    d. Competing Applicant(s): Holyoke Gas & Electric Department, 
Ashburnham Municipal Light Plant, and Massachusetts Municipal Wholesale 
Electric Company.
    e. Name of Project: Holyoke Hydroelectric Project.
    f. Location: On the Connecticut River in Hampden, Hampshire, and 
Franklin Counties, Massachusetts.
    g. Filed Pursuant to: Federal Power Act, 16 U.S.C. Secs. 791(a)-
825(r).
    h. Competing Applicant(s) Contact:

George E. Leary, Manager, Holyoke Gas & Electric Department, 99 Suffolk 
Street, Holyoke, MA 01040 (413) 536-9311.
Roger W. Bacon, Director, Power Services Division, Mass. Municipal 
Wholesale Elec. Company, Randall Road, P.O. Box 426, Ludlow, MA 01056, 
(413) 589-1041
Stanley Herriott, General Manager, Ashburnham Municipal Light Plant, 78 
Central Street, P.O. Box 823, Ashburnham, MA 01430, (508) 827-4423.

    i. FERC Contact: Allan Creamer (202) 219-0365.
    j. Comment Date: See attached paragraph D10.
    k. Status of Environmental Analysis: This application, as amended, 
has been accepted, and, pursuant to Sec. 4.30(b)(25), is ready for 
environmental at this time--see attached paragraph D10. The Commission 
acknowledges that information related to water quality studies in the 
project's bypassed reach has not been filed. However, the study itself 
has been completed, and is currently being reviewed by various resource 
agencies. This information, including agency comments, is expected to 
be filed by November 15, 1998. The results of the water quality study, 
as well as any other information asked for

[[Page 60332]]

during the environmental analysis, will be considered during the 
preparation of the environmental impact statement once it's been filed 
with the Commission. The application and additional information is 
substantially complete, and the environmental analysis will proceed on 
the issues as set forth in Scoping Document 2 and in the application 
materials.
    l. Description of Project: The proposed run-of-river project would 
consist of the following features: (1) an approximately 1,000-foot-long 
masonry dam to elevation 97.47 feet National Geodetic Vertical datum, 
topped with a 3.1-foot-high rubber dam; (2) upstream and downstream 
fish passage facilities; (3) the Fish Lift Park adjoining the dam; (4) 
a 2,290-acre reservoir that extends approximately 25 miles upstream; 
(5) a three-level canal system adjacent to the river with headgates at 
the dam; (6) six separate hydroelectric facilities, named Hadley Falls 
Station, Riverside Station, Boatlock Station, Beebe-Holbrook Units, 
Skinner Unit and Chemical Units, and except for the Hadley Falls 
Station which has its intake structure adjacent to the canal headgate 
structure, the facilities withdraw water from the canal system; (7) a 
total nameplate capacity of 58,756 kilowatts (kW), consisting of the 
existing 43,756 kW project plus a 15,000 kW expansion at the Hadley 
Falls Station; (8) transmission line connections; and (9) appurtenant 
facilities. The estimated average annual generation is about 212,000 
megawatt-hours (MWh), which would increase to about 262,750 MWh after 
completing the expansion in 2006.
    m. Purpose of Project: The power generated by the project would be 
used within the Holyoke Gas & Electric Department's distribution 
system, with a portion sold to the Massachusetts Municipal Wholesale 
Electric Company.
    n. This notice also consists of the following standard paragraphs: 
D10.
    o. Available Locations of Application: A copy of the application, 
as amended and supplemented, is available for inspection and 
reproduction at the Commission's Public Reference and Files and 
Maintenance Branch, located at 888 First Street, N.E., Room 2A-1, 
Washington, D.C. 20426, or by calling (202) 208-2326. Copies are also 
available for inspection and reproduction at the Holyoke Gas & Electric 
Department, 99 Suffolk Street, Holyoke, Massachusetts, 01040.
    D10. Filing and Service of Responsive Documents--The application is 
ready for environmental analysis at this time, and the Commission is 
requesting comments, reply comments, recommendations, terms and 
conditions, and prescriptions.
    The Commission directs, pursuant to Section 4.34(b) of the 
Regulations (see Order No. 533 issued May 8, 1991, 56 FR 23108, May 20, 
1991) that all comments, recommendations, terms and conditions and 
prescriptions concerning the application be filed with the Commission 
within 60 days from the issuance date of this notice. All reply 
comments must be filed with the Commission within 105 days from the 
date of this notice.
    Anyone may obtain an extension of time for these deadlines from the 
Commission only upon a showing of good cause or extraordinary 
circumstances in accordance with 18 CFR 385.2008.
    All filings must (1) bear in all capital letters the title 
``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 submitting the filing; 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. Any of these documents must be 
filed by providing the original and the number of copies required by 
the Commission's regulations to: The Secretary, Federal Energy 
Regulatory Commission, 888 First Street, N.E., Washington, D.C. 20426. 
An additional copy must be sent to Director, Division of Project 
Review, Office of Hydropower Licensing, Federal Energy Regulatory 
Commission, at the above address. Each filing must be accompanied by 
proof of service on all persons listed on the service list prepared by 
the Commission in this proceeding, in accordance with 18 CFR 4.34(b), 
and 385.2010.
David P. Boergers,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 98-29885 Filed 11-6-98; 8:45 am]
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