[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 73 (Monday, April 17, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Page 19723]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-5618]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Project No. 2230-034]


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

April 10, 2006.
    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.: 2230-034.
    c. Date Filed: March 28, 2006.
    d. Applicant: City and Borough of Sitka, Alaska.
    e. Name of Project: Blue Lake Hydroelectric Project.
    f. Location: On the Sawmill Creek, 5 miles southeast of the City of 
Sitka, Alaska. The project occupies land of the United States 
administered by the Forest Service.
    g. Filed Pursuant to: Federal Power Act 16 U.S.C. 791(a)-825(r).
    h. Applicant Contact: Charles Walls, Utility Director, City and 
Borough of Sitka, 105 Jarvis Street, Sitka, AK 99835, (907) 747-4000.
    i. FERC Contact: Thomas Dean, (202) 502-6041 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 cooperating 
status should follow the instructions for filing such requests 
described in item l below. Cooperating agencies should note the 
Commission's policy that agencies that cooperate in the preparation of 
the environmental document cannot also intervene. See, 94 FERC ] 61,076 
(2001).
    k. Deadline for requesting cooperating agency status: May 30, 2006.
    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.
    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 
``eFiling'' link.
    l. This application is not ready for environmental analysis at this 
time.
    m. The existing Blue Lake Project consists of one development and 
two units as follows: The Blue Lake development consists of: (1) A 211-
foot-high, 256-foot-long concrete arch dam equipped with a 140-foot-
long spillway and a release valve at the base of the dam; (2) a 1,225-
acre reservoir with a normal water surface elevation of 342 feet msl; 
(3) a 7,110-foot-long power conduit consisting of: (a) An 11.5-foot-
diameter, 1,500-foot-long penstock; (b) an 84-inch-diameter, 460-foot-
long penstock; (c) a 10-inch-diameter, 4,650-foot-long lower penstock; 
(d) an 84-inch-diameter, 500-foot-long penstock; (e) a 20-inch-diameter 
water supply tap; (f) an 84-inch-diameter butterfly valve; and (g) a 
24-inch conduit drain valve; (4) a powerhouse containing two 3,000 kW 
generating units; (5) a 150-foot-long tailrace; (6) a 5-mile-long, 69-
kV transmission line; and (7) appurtenant facilities.
    The Fish Valve Unit consists of: (1) A 36-inch-diameter wye 
penstock connected to the power conduit; (2) a powerhouse containing 
one 670 kW generating unit; (3) a 7,700-foot-long, 12.47-kV 
transmission line; and (4) appurtenant facilities.
    The Pulp Mill Feeder Unit consists of: (1) A 36-inch-diameter tee 
connected to the power conduit; (2) a 36-inch-diameter, 24-foot-long 
penstock; (3) a powerhouse containing one 870 kW generating unit; (4) a 
470-foot-long 4.16-kV transmission line; and (5) other appurtenant 
facilities.
    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 ``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.
    o. With this notice, we are initiating consultation with the Alaska 
State Historic Preservation Officer (SHPO), as required by Sec.  106, 
National Historic Preservation Act, and the regulations of the Advisory 
Council on Historic Preservation, 36 CFR 800.4.
    p. Procedural schedule and final amendments: The application will 
be processed according to the following Hydro Licensing Schedule. 
Revisions to the schedule will be made as appropriate. The Commission 
staff proposes to issue one environmental assessment rather than issue 
a draft and final EA. Comments, terms and conditions, recommendations, 
prescriptions, and reply comments, if any, will be addressed in an EA. 
Staff intends to give at least 30 days for entities to comment on the 
EA, and will take into consideration all comments received on the EA 
before final action is taken on the license application.

Issue Acceptance or Deficiency Letter.....  May 2006.
Request Additional Information, if needed.  May 2006.
Notice Soliciting Final Terms and           Aug. 2006.
 Conditions.
Notice of the availability of the EA......  Jan. 2007.
Ready for Commission's decision on the      March 2007.
 application.
 

    Final amendments to the application must be filed with the 
Commission no later than 30 days from the issuance date of the notice 
soliciting final terms and conditions.

Magalie R. Salas,
Secretary.
 [FR Doc. E6-5618 Filed 4-14-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P