[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 34 (Thursday, February 20, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Pages 8292-8293]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-4118]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission


Notice of Application Tendered for Filing with the Commission, 
Soliciting Additional Studies Requests, Establishing Procedural 
Schedule for Licensing, and a Deadline for Submission of Final 
Amendments

February 13, 2003.
    Take notice that the following hydroelectric application has been 
filed with the Commission and is available for public inspection.
    a. Type of Application: Original Major License, constructed 
project.
    b. Project No.: 11810-004.
    c. Date Filed: January 30, 2003.
    d. Applicant: City of Augusta.
    e. Name of Project: Augusta Canal Project.
    f. Location: Adjacent to the Savannah River, in Richmond County, 
Georgia, near the town of Augusta, Georgia. The project does not occupy 
Federal lands.
    g. Filed Pursuant to: Federal Power Act 16 U.S.C. 791 (a)-825(r).
    h. Applicant: Max Hicks, Director, Utilities Department, 360 Bay 
Street, Suite 180, Augusta, Georgia 30901, (706) 312-4121.
    i. FERC Contact: Monte TerHaar, (202)-502-6035 or 
[email protected].
    j. Cooperating agencies: We are asking Federal, state, local, and 
tribal agencies with jurisdiction and/or special expertise with respect 
to environmental issues to cooperate with us in the preparation of the 
environmental document. Agencies who would like to request cooperation 
status should follow the instruction for filing comments described in 
item l below.
    k. Pursuant to Section 4.32(b)(7) of 18 CFR of the Commission's 
regulations, if any resource agency, Indian Tribe, or person believes 
that an additional scientific study should be conducted in order to 
form an adequate factual basis for a complete analysis of the 
application on its merit, the resource agency, Indian Tribe, or person 
must file a request for a study with the Commission not later than 60 
days from the date of filing of the application, and serve a copy of 
the request on the applicant. Parties who would like to request 
additional scientific studies should follow the instruction for filing 
comments described in item l below.
    l. Deadline for filing comments on the application: 60 days from 
date of this notice.
    All documents (original and eight copies) should be filed with: 
Magalie R. Salas, 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.
    Additional study requests may be filed electronically via the 
Internet in lieu of paper. The Commission strongly encourages 
electronic filing.See 18 CFR 385.2001(a)(1)(iii) and the instructions 
on the Commission's Web site ( http://www.ferc.gov ) under the ``e-
Filing'' link. After logging into the e-Filing system, select ``Comment 
on Filing'' from the Filing Type Selection screen and continue with the 
filing process.''
    m. This application is not ready for environmental analysis at this 
time.
    n. The proposed project description: The City of Augusta does not 
propose to construct hydroelectric generation facilities and the 
project would produce no power. Augusta is proposing to license parts 
of the Augusta Canal system which pass flows for use by three existing 
hydroelectric projects located in the Augusta Canal. These projects are 
the 1.2 megawatt (MW) Enterprise Project (No. 2935), the 2.475 MW 
Sibley Mill Project (No. 5044), and the 2.05 MW King Mill Project (No. 
9988). The proposed project would consist of the following: (1) The 
1,666-foot-long stone-masonry Augusta Diversion Dam; (2) the 2,250-
foot-long Savannah River impoundment between Steven's Creek Dam and the 
Augusta Diversion Dam; and (3) the first level of the Augusta Canal, 
which extends about 7 miles between the Augusta Diversion Dam and the 
Thirteenth Street gates.
    o. 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 ``FERRIS'' link. 
Enter the docket number excluding

[[Page 8293]]

the last three digits in the docket number field to access the 
document. For assistance, contact FERC Online Support at 
[email protected] or toll-free at 1-866-208-3676, or for TTY, 
(202) 502-8659. A copy is also available for inspection and 
reproduction at the address in item h above.
    p. With this notice, we are initiating consultation with the 
Georgia State Historic Preservation Officer as required by Sec.  106, 
National Historic Preservation Act, and the regulations of the Advisory 
Council on Historic Preservation, 36 CFR, part 800.
    q. Procedural schedule: At this time we do not anticipate the need 
for preparing a draft EA. We intend to prepare one, multi-project 
environmental document which will include the Augusta Canal Project (P-
11810), the Enterprise Project (P-2935), and the Sibley Mill Project 
(P-5044). The EA will include our recommendations for operating 
procedures and environmental enhancement measures that should be part 
of any license issued by the Commission. Recipients will have 60 days 
to provide the Commission with any written comments on the EA. All 
comments filed with the Commission will be considered in the Order 
taking final action on the license applications. However, should 
substantive comments requiring re-analysis be received on the NEPA 
document, we would consider preparing a subsequent NEPA document.
    The application will be processed according to the following Hydro 
Licensing Schedule. Revisions to the schedule may be made as 
appropriate.

Scoping Document 1--March 2003.

    Comments on Scoping Document 1--May 2003.
    Issue acceptance letter/request additional information--May 2003.
    Additional Information Due--July 2003.
    Notice of ready for environmental analysis/Notice soliciting final 
terms and conditions--July 2003.
    Deadline for Agency Recommendations--September 2003.
    Notice of the availability of the EA--November 2003.
    Public Comments on EA due--January 2003.
    Ready for Commission's decision on the application--March 2004
    r. Final amendments to the application must be filed with the 
Commission no later than 30 days from the issuance date of the notice 
of ready for environmental analysis.

Magalie R Salas,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 03-4118 Filed 2-19-03; 8:45 am]
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