[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 245 (Thursday, December 20, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Pages 65698-65699]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-31311]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission


Notice of Application for Surrender of Exemption and Soliciting 
Comments, Motions To Intervene, and Protests

December 14, 2001.
    Take notice that the following hydroelectric application has been 
filed with the Commission and is available for public inspection:
    a. Application Type: Surrender of Exemption.
    b. Project No.: 7662-016.
    c. Date Filed: April 6, 2001.
    d. Applicant: Reading Area Water Authority (RAWA or Authority).
    e. Name and Description of Project: The existing Ontelaunee 
Hydroelectric Project consists of: (1) a 550-foot-long and 56-foot-high 
concrete gravity ogee spillway, Ontelaunee Dam, and adjoining 3,200-
foot-long earth embankment; (2) 1,350-acre Ontelaunee Lake with a 
normal water elevation of 304 feet (City of Reading Datum) and a 
storage capacity of 11,600 acre-feet; (3) a 110-foot-long and 4-foot-
diameter steel penstock , a 90-foot-long and 6-foot-diameter penstock, 
and a 7,920-foot-long and 6.75-foot-diameter concrete tunnel; (4) a 
reinforced concrete powerhouse, located at the spillway toe adjacent to 
the right abutment, with no installed capacity; (5) a 300-foot-long 
tailrace channel; (6) a generating unit with an installed capacity of 
37 kW located within the exemptee's Maidencreek filter plant; and (7) 
other appurtenances.
    The Commission's Division of Dam Safety and Inspections (D2SI) has 
determined that there are no outstanding dam safety issues or any 
outstanding compliance issues involving dam safety matters pending 
before the Commission at the subject project. Consequently, D2SI 
concludes that it does not have any dam safety related requirements. 
After the issuance of any Commission order approving the proposed 
surrender, the State of Pennsylvania Department of Environmental 
Protection, Bureau of Waterways Engineering, Division of Dam Safety 
would be responsible for regulating the project.
    RAWA proposes: (1) to decommission the 40-kilowatt unit within its 
Maidencreek Filter Plant; (2) to avoid entrainment of fish into the 
municipal water system by continuing to maintain and inspect annually 
the existing fish net at the intake; (3) to provide recreational 
opportunities by continuing to maintain the Authority's two existing 
picnic areas, which provide, in total, parking for approximately 75 
vehicles, 15 large tables, and 12 cooking grills; and (4) to maintain 
the project's current conservation releases (minimum flows) from 
Ontelaunee Dam to Maiden Creek. These releases are provided as follows: 
51 cubic feet per second (cfs) if the level of the reservoir is greater 
than 302 feet; 36 cfs if the reservoir level is between 300 and 302 
feet; and 27 cfs if the level of the reservoir is under 300 feet. To 
ensure proper maintenance of these conservation releases, the Authority 
intends to install accurate measuring and recording devices.
    f. Location: The project is located on Lake Ontelaunee and Maiden 
Creek in Berks County, Pennsylvania.
    g. Filed Pursuant to: Federal Power Act, 16 U.S.C. 791(a)-825(r).
    h. Applicant's Contact: Mr. Anthony J. Consentino, Executive 
Director, Reading Area Water Authority, 815 Washington Street, Reading, 
PA 19601; Telephone (610) 655-6253.
    i. FERC Contact: James Haimes at (202) 219-2780; or e-mail at 
[email protected] j. Deadline for filing comments and or 
motions: 30 days from the issuance date of this notice.
    The Commission's Rules of Practice and Procedure require all 
interveners filing documents with the Commission to serve a copy of 
that document on the official service list for the project. Further, if 
an intervener files comments or documents with the Commission relating 
to the merits of an issue that may affect the responsibilities of a 
particular resource agency, the intervener also must serve a copy of 
the document on that resource agency.
    All documents (original and eight copies) should be filed with: 
Linwood A. Watson, Jr., Acting Secretary, Federal Energy Regulatory 
Commission, 888 First Street, NE, Washington, DC 20426. Comments, 
protests and interventions may be filed electronically via the Internet 
in lieu of paper. See, 18 CFR 385.2001(a)(1)(iii) and the instructions 
on the Commission's web site under the ``e-Filing'' link.
    Please include the project number (P-7662-016) on any comments or 
motions filed.
    k. Description of Proposed Action: RAWA proposes to decommission 
its entire exempted project, and to cease power production at its 
Maidencreek Filter Plant, located 1.5 miles downstream from Lake 
Ontelaunee.
    l. Locations of the Application: A copy of the application is 
available for inspection and reproduction at the Commission's Public 
Reference Room, located at 888 First Street NE, Room 2A, Washington, DC 
20426, or by calling (202) 208-1371. Copies of this filing are on file 
with the Commission and are available for public inspection. This 
filing may also be viewed on the web at http://www.ferc.gov using the 
``RIMS'' link, select ``Docket'' and follow the instructions 
(call 202-208-2222 for assistance). A copy is also available for 
inspection and reproduction at the address in item h, above.
    m. Individuals desiring to be included on the Commission's mailing 
list for the Ontelaunee Hydroelectric Project, No. 7662, should so 
indicate by writing to the Secretary of the Commission.
    n. Comments, Protests, or Motions to Intervene--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 subject application.
    o. Filing and Service of Responsive Documents--Any filings must 
bear in all capital letters the title ``COMMENTS'', ``PROTEST'', OR 
``MOTION TO INTERVENE'', as applicable, and the project name and 
number, ``Ontelaunee Hydroelectric Project Surrender of Exemption, No. 
7662-016''. Any of the above-named documents must be filed by providing 
the original and the number of copies provided by the Commission's 
regulations to: The Secretary, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 
888 First Street, NE, Washington, DC 20426.

[[Page 65699]]

A copy of any motion to intervene must also be served upon the 
representative of the RAWA specified in item h, above.
    p. Agency Comments--Federal, state, and local agencies are invited 
to file comments on the subject application for surrender of exemption. 
If an agency does not file comments within the time specified for 
filing comments, it will be presumed to have no comments. One copy of 
an agency's comments must also be sent to the Applicant's 
representative listed in item h, above.

Linwood A. Watson, Jr.,
Acting Secretary.
[FR Doc. 01-31311 Filed 12-19-01; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P