[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 24 (Thursday, February 5, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Pages 5537-5539]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E4-192]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Project Nos. 2601-007, 2602-005, 2603-012, and 2619-012]


Duke Power; Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental 
Assessment and Notice of Scoping Meetings and Site Visits and 
Soliciting Scoping Comments

January 29, 2004.
    Take notice that the following hydroelectric applications have been 
filed with the Commission and are available for public inspection:
    a. Type of Applications: 3 Subsequent Minor Licenses and 1 New 
Major License.
    b. Project Nos.: 2601-007, 2602-005, 2603-012, and 2619-012.
    c. Date filed: July 22, 2003.
    d. Applicant: Duke Power.
    e. Names of Projects: Bryson Hydroelectric Project No. 2601-007 
(Minor); Dillsboro Hydroelectric Project No. 2602-005 (Minor); Franklin 
Hydroelectric Project No. 2603-012 (Minor); and Mission Hydroelectric 
Project No. 2619-012 (Major).
    f. Location: On the Oconaluftee River, Swain County, NC; on the 
Tuckasegee River, Jackson County, NC; on the Little Tennessee River, 
Macon County, NC; and on the Hiwassee River, Clay County, NC, 
respectively. The projects do not occupy any Federal lands.
    g. Filed Pursuant to: Federal Power Act, 16 U.S.C. 791(a)-825(r).
    h. Applicant Contact: Mr. Jeffrey G. Lineberger; Manager, Hydro 
Licensing. Duke Power. 526 South Church Street, PO Box 1006, Charlotte, 
NC 28201-1006.
    i. FERC Contact: Lee Emery, (202) 502-9379 or [email protected] 
and Carolyn Holsopple, (202) 502-6407 or [email protected].
    j. Deadline for filing scoping comments: March 12, 2004.
    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 and procedure require all 
interveners 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 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, they must also serve 
a copy of the document on that resource agency.
    Scoping comments 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.
    k. These applications are not ready for environmental analysis at 
this time.
    l. The proposed Bryson Hydroelectric Project would operate in a 
run-of-river (ROR) mode, within 6 inches of full pond elevation. 
Project operation is dependent on available flow in the Oconaluftee 
River. The project consists of the following features: (1) A 341-foot-
long, 36-foot-high concrete multiple arch dam, consisting of, from left 
to right facing downstream, (a) a concrete, non-overflow section, (b) 
two gravity spillway sections, each surmounted by a 16.5-foot-wide by 
16-foot-high Taintor gate, and (c) an uncontrolled multiple-arch 
spillway with four bays; (2) a 1.5-mile-long, 38-acre impoundment at 
surface elevation 1828.41 feet (ft.) msl (mean sea level); (3) two 
intake bays, each consisting of an 8.5-foot-diameter steel intake pipe 
with a grated trashrack having a clear bar spacing of between 2.25 to 
2.5 inches; (4) a powerhouse containing two turbine/generating units, 
having a total installed capacity of 980 kilowatts (kW); (5) a 
switchyard, with three single-phased transformers; and (6) appurtenant 
facilities. There is no bypassed stream reach.
    Duke Power estimates that the average annual generation is 
5,534,230 kilowatt hours (kWh). Duke Power uses the Bryson Project 
facilities to generate electricity for use by retail customers living 
in the Duke Power-Nantahala Area.
    The proposed Dillsboro Hydroelectric Project would operate in a ROR 
mode, within 6 inches of full pond elevation. Project operation is 
dependent on flows in the Tuckasegee River, which are affected by Duke 
Power's East Fork and West ForkTuckasegee River projects which release 
flows upstream from the Dillsboro Project. TheDillsboro Project 
consists of the following features: (1) A 310-foot-long, 12-foot-high 
concrete masonry dam, consisting of, from left to right facing 
downstream, (a) a concrete, non-overflow section, (b) a 14-foot-long 
uncontrolled spillway section, (c) a 20-foot-long spillway section with 
two 6-foot-wide spill gates, (d) a 197-foot-long uncontrolled spillway 
section; (e) an 80-foot-long intake section, and (f) a concrete, non-
overflow section; (2) a 0.8-mile-long,15-acre impoundment at elevation 
1972.00 ft. msl; (3) two intake bays, each consisting of a reinforced 
concrete flume and grated trashracks having a clear bar spacing varying 
from 2.0 to 3.38 inches; (4) a powerhouse

[[Page 5538]]

containing two turbine/generating units, having a total installed 
capacity of 225 kW; (5) a switchyard, with three single-phased 
transformers; and (6) appurtenant facilities. There is no bypassed 
stream reach.
    Duke estimates that the average annual generation is 912,330 kWh. 
Duke uses the Dillsboro Project facilities to generate electricity for 
use by retail customers living in the Duke Power-Nantahala Area. Duke 
has determined that the Dillsboro Project is uneconomical and a 
settlement recently filed with the Commission may influence whether the 
dam and powerhouse would be removed or not. However, Duke has not filed 
a license surrender application for the project or withdrawn its 
current license application.
    The proposed Franklin Hydroelectric Project would operate in a ROR 
mode, within 6 inches of full pond elevation. Project operation is 
dependent on available flow in the Little Tennessee River. The Franklin 
Project consists of the following features: (1) A 462.5-foot-long, 
35.5-foot-high concrete masonry dam, consisting of, from left to right 
facing downstream, (a) a 15-foot-long non-overflow section, (b) a 54-
foot-long ungated Ogee spillway, (c) a 181.5-foot-long gated spillway 
section, having six gated, ogee spillway bays, (d) a 54-foot-long 
ungated Ogee spillway, (e) a 25-foot-long non-overflow section, and (f) 
a 70-foot-long non-overflow section; (2) a 4.6-mile-long, 174-acre 
impoundment at elevation 2000.22 ft. msl; (3) three intake bays, each 
consisting of a flume and grated trashracks having a clear bar spacing 
of 3 inches; (4) a powerhouse containing two turbine/generating units 
having a total installed capacity of 1,040 kW; (5) a switchyard, with a 
single three-phase transformer; and (6) appurtenant facilities. There 
is no bypasses stream reach.
    Duke Power estimates that the average annual generation is 
5,313,000 kWh. Duke Power uses the Franklin Project facilities to 
generate electricity for use by retail customers living in the Duke 
Power-Nantahala Area.
    The proposed Mission Hydroelectric Project would operate in a ROR 
mode, within 6 inches of full pond elevation. Project operation is 
dependent on available flow in the Hiwassee River, which is regulated 
by TVA's Chatuge dam located upstream from the Mission Project. The 
Mission Project consists of the following features: (1) A 397-foot-
long, 50-foot-high concrete gravity dam, consisting of, from left to 
right facing downstream, (a) three bulkhead sections, (b) seven ogee 
spillway sections, surmounted by 14-foot-high by 16-foot-wide gates, 
(c) four bulkhead sections, and (d) a powerhouse intake structure; (2) 
a 47-acre impoundment at elevation 1658.17 ft. msl; (3) three intake 
bays, each consisting of an 8-foot-diameter steel-cased penstock and a 
grated trashrack having a clear bar spacing of between 2.25 to 2.5 
inches; (4) a powerhouse containing three turbine/generating units, 
having a total installed capacity of 1,800 kW; (5) a switchyard, with a 
single three-phase transformer; and (6) appurtenant facilities. There 
is no bypassed reach.
    Duke Power estimates that the average annual generation is 
8,134,370 kWh. Duke Power uses the Mission Project facilities to 
generate electricity for use by retail customers living in the Duke 
Power-Nantahala Area.
    m. Copies of the applications are available for review at the 
Commission in the Public Reference Room or may be viewed on the 
Commission's website at http://www.ferc.gov using the ``eLibrary'' 
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, 1-202-502-8659. Copies are also available for 
inspection and reproduction at the address in item h above.
    You may also register online at http://www.ferc.gov/esuscribenow.htm to be notified via e-mail of new filings and issuances 
related to these or other pending projects. For assistance, contact 
FERC Online Support.
    n. Scoping Process: The Commission intends to prepare a single, 
combined Environmental Assessment (EA) for the proposed projects in 
accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act. The EA will 
consider both site-specific and cumulative environmental impacts and 
reasonable alternatives to the proposed action.
    Scoping Meetings: FERC staff will conduct two afternoon scoping 
meetings and two evening scoping meetings. The evening scoping meetings 
are primarily for public input, while the afternoon scoping meetings 
will focus on resource agency, tribal, and non-governmental 
organization (NG) concerns. All interested individuals, organizations, 
Indian tribes, and agencies are invited to attend one or both of the 
meetings, and to assist the staff in identifying the scope of the 
environmental issues that should be analyzed in the EA. The times and 
locations of these meetings are as follows:
    Agency Scoping Meetings:
    Date: Tuesday, February 10, 2004.
    Time: 2 p.m.-4 p.m.
    Place: Macon County Courthouse.
    Address: 5 West Main Street, Franklin, NC 28734.

    Date: Wednesday, February 11, 2004.
    Time: 11 a.m.-1 p.m.
    Place: Moss Memorial Library.
    Address: 26 Anderson Street, Hayesville, NC 28904.

    Public Scoping Meetings:
    Date: Tuesday, February 10, 2004.
    Time: 7 p.m.-10 p.m.
    Place: Jackson County Administration Building.
    Address: 401 Grindstaff Cove Road, Sylva, NC 28779.

    Date: Wednesday, February 11, 2004.
    Time: 7 p.m.-10 p.m.
    Place: United Community Bank.
    Address: 95 Highway 64 West, Hayesville, NC 28904.Objectives:
    At the scoping meetings, staff will: (1) Summarize the 
environmental issues tentatively identified for analysis in the EA; (2) 
solicit from the meeting participants all available information, 
especially empirical data, on the resources at issue; (3) encourage 
statements from experts and participants on issues that should be 
analyzed in the EA, including viewpoints in opposition to, or in 
support of, the staff's preliminary views; (4) determine the resource 
issues to be addressed in the EA; and (5) identify those issues that do 
not require a detailed analysis.
    Procedures:
    The meetings will be recorded by a stenographer and become part of 
the formal record of the Commission proceeding on the project.
    Individuals, organizations, agencies, and Indian tribes with 
environmental expertise and concerns are encouraged to attend the 
meetings and to assist Commission staff in defining and clarifying the 
issues to be addressed in the EA.
    Copies of the Scoping Document (SD1) outlining the subject areas to 
be addressed in the EA are being distributed to the parties on the 
Commission's mailing list. Copies of the SD1 will be available at the 
scoping meetings or may be viewed on the Web at http://www.ferc.gov 
using the ``eLibrary'' link (see item m above). These meetings are 
posted on the Commission's calendar located on the Internet at http://www.ferc.gov/EventCalendar/EventsList.aspx along with other related 
information.
    Site Visits:
    Duke Power and the Commission staff will conduct project site 
visits in two segments on February 10 and February 11, 2004. On the 
first day we will meet at 8 a.m. at the Bryson Project. On the

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second day we will meet at 9 a.m. at the Mission Project. Site visitors 
will be responsible for their own transportation. Anyone with questions 
regarding the site visits should contact Mr. John C. Wishon of Duke 
Power at (828) 369-4604. The times and locations of these site visits 
are as follows:
    Re: Bryson, Dillsboro, and Franklin Projects.
    Date: Tuesday, February 10, 2004.
    Time: 8 a.m.-12 p.m.
    Place: Bryson Project.
    Address: 310 Dam Road, Whittier, NC 28789.
    Re: Mission Project.
    Date: Wednesday, February 11, 2004.
    Time: 9 a.m.-10 a.m.
    Place: Mission Project.
    Address: 1765 Mission Dam Road, Murphy, NC 28906.

Magalie R. Salas,
Secretary.
 [FR Doc. E4-192 Filed 2-4-04; 8:45 am]
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