[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 195 (Tuesday, October 8, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Pages 62699-62700]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-25440]


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DELAWARE RIVER BASIN COMMISSION


Notice of Proposed Rulemaking; Proposed Amendments to the 
Comprehensive Plan and Water Code Relating to Operation of Lake 
Wallenpaupack During Drought Watch, Drought Warning and Drought 
Conditions

AGENCY: Delaware River Basin Commission.

ACTION: Notice of proposed rulemaking.

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SUMMARY: The Commission will hold a public hearing to receive comments 
on proposed amendments to the agency's Comprehensive Plan and Water 
Code to incorporate a revised drought operating plan for the Lake 
Wallenpaupack Reservoir and Hydroelectric Facility, located in Pike 
County, Pennsylvania in the Lackawaxen Watershed. The reservoir and 
facility currently are owned and operated by PPL Holtwood, LLC 
(``PPL''). The proposed rulemaking would increase by 12,500 acre-feet 
or 4.1 billion gallons the amount of Lake Wallenpaupack water available 
to the Commission for flow augmentation in the main stem Delaware River 
during drought watch, drought warning and drought conditions, as 
defined in Section 2.5.3 of the Water Code and Docket D-77-20 CP 
(Revision 4), dated April 28, 1999. The minimum lake elevation to be 
maintained during drought conditions--the target elevation for December 
1--would decrease from 1170.0 feet to 1167.5 feet. The right to use as 
much as 4.1 billion gallons of Lake Wallenpaupack water to augment 
Delaware River flows during drought would be deemed to satisfy up to 
10,000 acre-feet of the Commission's consumptive use replacement 
requirement for the Martins Creek and Lower Mount Bethel generating 
facilities and future facilities that PPL (or its successors in 
interest) might construct. That is, under the proposed drought plan, 
the Commission would release PPL (and its successors) from the 
requirement that it provide up to 10,000 acre-feet or 3.3 billion 
gallons of dedicated storage to replace, gallon for gallon, water 
consumptively used by the entity's existing and future generating 
facilities when the basin is in drought watch, drought warning or 
drought operations.

DATES: The public hearing will be held on Wednesday, October 16, 2002 
during the Commission's regular business meeting, which will begin at 
1:30 p.m. Persons wishing to testify are asked to register in advance 
with the Commission Secretary by phoning 609-

[[Page 62700]]

883-9500 ext. 203. Written comments will be accepted through Friday, 
November 15, 2002. Comments must be received, not merely postmarked, by 
that date.

ADDRESSES: The public hearing will be held at the Commission's offices, 
25 State Police Drive, West Trenton, NJ. Written comments should be 
addressed to the Commission Secretary at DRBC, P.O. Box 7360, West 
Trenton, NJ 08628-0360.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Please contact Pamela M. Bush, at 609-
883-9500 ext. 203, with questions about the proposed rule change or the 
rulemaking process.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: A draft resolution enacting the proposed 
amendments to Sections 2.5.5 and 2.5.6 of the Water Code and the text 
of the current Water Code (which is incorporated in the Comprehensive 
Plan) may be viewed on the Commission's Web site, at http://www.drbc.net.

    Dated: October 1, 2002.
Pamela M. Bush,
Commission Secretary.
[FR Doc. 02-25440 Filed 10-7-02; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6360-01-P