[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 49 (Thursday, March 13, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Pages 12067-12068]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-6025]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission


Notice of Application Tendered for Filing With the Commission, 
Establishing Procedural Schedule for Relicensing, and a Deadline for 
Submission of Final Amendments

March 6, 2003.
    Take notice that the following hydroelectric application has been 
filed with the Commission and is available for public inspection.
    a. Type of Application: New Major License.
    b. Project No.: 2169-020.
    c. Date Filed: February 21, 2003.
    d. Applicant: Alcoa Power Generating Inc (APGI).
    e. Name of Project: Tapoco Project.
    f. Location: On the Little Tennessee and Cheoah Rivers in Graham 
and Swain Counties, North Carolina and Blount and Monroe Counties, 
Tennessee. The project affects Federal lands.
    g. Filed Pursuant to: Federal Power Act 16 U.S.C. 791(a)-825(r).
    h. Applicant Contact: Mr. Norman L. Pierson, Property and 
Relicensing Manager, Alcoa Power Generation Inc., Tapoco Division, 300 
North Hall Road, Alcoa, TN 37701-2516, (865) 977.3326.
    i. FERC Contact: Randy Yates at (770) 452-3778, or 
[email protected].
    j. Deadline for filing comments on the application: 60 days from 
the filing date.
    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.
    k. 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 the item j above. Requests for cooperating agency status 
may be filed electronically via the Internet in lieu of paper. The 
Commission strongly encourages electronic filings. 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.
    l. This application is not ready for environmental analysis at this 
time.
    m. The proposed Tapoco Project includes four developments: 
Santeetlah Development consisting of: (1)1,054-foot-high and 216-foot-
high concrete arch dam; (2) 25,176 foot long tunnel/pipeline; (3) 
2,881-acre reservoir; (4) powerhouse with two generating units, with 
the total installed capacity of 49.2 MW; and (5) 750-foot-long 161 kV 
transmission line.
    Cheoah Development consisting of: (1) 750-foot-long and 229-foot 
high curved concrete gravity dam; (2) 644-acre reservoir; (3) 
powerhouse with 4 vertical Francis turbine units directly connected to 
generators and 1-independent Francis turbine unit added in 1949; and 
(4) 118-MW total installed capacity.
    Calderwood Development consisting of: (1) 916-foot-long and 230-
foot-high concrete arch dam; (2) 570-acre reservoir; (3) 2,050-foot-
long tunnel; and (4) powerhouse with 3 Francis turbine units, which are 
being upgraded to a total installed capacity of 140.4 MW.
    Chilhowee Development consisting of: (1) 1,483-foot-long and 88.5-
foot-high concrete gravity dam; (2) 1.734-acre reservoir; and (3) 
powerhouse with 3 Kaplan turbine units with a total installed capacity 
of 52.2 MW
    APGI is planning a refurbishment/upgrade at several of the units 
during the term of the new license and proposes to modify project 
operations in connection with the environmental measures described in 
the application.
    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 ``FERRIS'' 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 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.
    o. Procedural schedule and final amendments: At this time we 
anticipate a comprehensive settlement to be submitted to the Commission 
and therefore we do not anticipate the need for preparing a draft EA. 
We intend to prepare a single environmental document. 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 reanalysis 
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.

Issue Acceptance letter--May 2003.
Notice soliciting final terms and conditions--May 2003.
Deadline for Agency Recommendations--July 2003.
Notice of the availability of the EA--November 2003.
Public Comments on EA due--January 2004.
Ready for Commission's decision on the application--July 2004.

    Final amendments to the application must be filed with the 
Commission no later than 45 days from the issuance date of the notice 
soliciting final terms and conditions.
    p. With this notice, we are initiating consultation with the 
Tennessee and North Carolina State Historic Preservation Officers as 
required by Sec.  106, National Historic Preservation Act, and the 
regulations of the Advisory

[[Page 12068]]

Council on Historic Preservation, 36 CFR, part 800.

Magalie R. Salas,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 03-6025 Filed 3-12-03; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P