[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 5 (Monday, January 9, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 1426-1427]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-48]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission


Notice of Request To Use Alternative Procedures in Preparing a 
License Application

December 28, 2005.
    Take notice that the following request to use alternative 
procedures to prepare a license application has been filed with the 
Commission.
    a. Type of Application: Request to use alternative procedures to 
prepare a new license application.
    b. Project No.: 12478-000.
    c. Date Filed: December 7, 2005.
    d. Applicant: Gibson Dam Hydroelectric Company, LLC.
    e. Name of Project: Gibson Dam Hydroelectric Project.
    f. Location: On Sun River in Lewis and Clark County, Montana. The 
project would be located at the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation's Gibson 
Dam. The project would also occupy lands within the Lewis and Clark 
National Forest.
    g. Filed Pursuant to: Federal Power Act, 16 U.S.C. 791(a)-825(r).
    h. Applicant Contact: Steve C. Marmon, Project Manager, Gibson Dam 
Hydroelectric Company, LLC, 3633 Alderwood Avenue, Bellingham, WA 
98225; (360) 738,9999.
    i. FERC Contact: David Turner at (202) 502-6091; e-mail 
[email protected].
    j. Deadline for Comments: 30 days from the 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.
    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. The project would be located at the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation 
Gibson Dam on the Sun River. The project would consist of a power house 
containing one 7 MW and two 1.5 MW horizontal Francis-type turbines. 
Two powerhouse alternatives are being considered: one near the base of 
the Gibson dam, the other near the Gibson Dam outlet works. Power would 
be transmitted via a 69 kV transmission along one of two possible 
routes originating from a step-up substation near the Forest Service 
boundary: a 18 mile long route along Sun River Canyon Road to the South 
Augusta Substation near Augusta, Montana; or a seven-mile-long cross 
country route to either the Northwest Energy substation or North 
Augusta substation north of Augusta, Montana.
    l. A copy of the request to use alternative procedures 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 
``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, (202) 502-8659. A copy is 
also available for inspection and reproduction at the address in item h 
above.
    You may also register online at http://www.ferc.gov/docs-filing/esubscription.asp to be notified via e-mail of new filings and 
issuances related to this or other pending projects. For assistance, 
contact FERC Online Support.
    m. Gibson Dam Hydroelectric has demonstrated that it has made an 
effort to contact all Federal and state resources agencies, non-
governmental organizations (NGO), and others affected by the project. 
Gibson Dam Hydroelectric has also demonstrated that a consensus exists 
that the use of alternative procedures is appropriate in this case. 
Gibson Dam Hydroelectric has submitted a communications protocol that 
is supported by the stakeholders.
    The purpose of this notice is to invite any additional comments on 
Gibson Dam Hydroelectric request to use the alternative procedures, 
pursuant to Section 4.34(i) of the Commission's regulations. Additional 
notices seeking comments on the specific project proposal, 
interventions and protests, and recommended terms and conditions

[[Page 1427]]

will be issued at a later date. Gibson Dam Hydroelectric will complete 
and file a preliminary Environmental Assessment, in lieu of Exhibit E 
of the license application. This differs from the traditional process, 
in which an applicant consults with agencies, Indian tribes, NGOs, and 
other parties during preparation of the license application and before 
filing the application, but the Commission staff performs the 
environmental review after the application is filed. The alternative 
procedures are intended to simplify and expedite the licensing process 
by combining the pre-filing consultation and environmental review 
processes into a single process, to facilitate greater participation, 
and to improve communication and cooperation among the participants.
    Gibson Dam Hydroelectric issued an initial consultation document 
describing the proposed project on February 15, 2005. Agency and public 
meetings and a site visit for the project were conducted during the 
week of March 28, 2005.

Magalie R. Salas,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. E6-48 Filed 1-6-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P