[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 157 (Wednesday, August 13, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 47148-47149]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-18733]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Project No.: 2210-169]


Appalachian Power Company; Notice of Application Accepted for 
Filing, Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement, Soliciting 
Motions To Intervene and Protests, Ready for Environmental Analysis, 
and Soliciting Comments, Recommendations, Preliminary Terms and 
Conditions, and Preliminary Fishway Prescriptions

August 7, 2008.
    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.: 2210-169.
    c. Date Filed: March 27, 2008.
    d. Applicant: Appalachian Power Company, dba American Electric 
Power.
    e. Name of Project: Smith Mountain Pumped Storage Project.
    f. Location: On the headwaters of the Roanoke River in south-
central Virginia, within the counties of Bedford, Campbell, Franklin 
and Pittsylvania, and near the city of Roanoke, Virginia. No federal 
lands are occupied by the project works or otherwise located within the 
project boundary.
    g. Filed Pursuant to: Federal Power Act 16 U.S.C. 791 (a)-825(r).
    h. Applicant Contact: Teresa P. Rogers, Environmental and 
Regulatory Affairs Supervisor, Appalachian Power Company, Hydro 
Generation, P.O. Box 2021, Roanoke, VA 24022-2121; (540) 985-2441; 
[email protected].
    i. FERC Contact: Allan Creamer, Federal Energy Regulatory 
Commission, 888 First Street, NE., Washington, DC. 20426; (202) 502-
8365; [email protected].
    j. The deadline for filing motions to intervene and protests, 
comments, recommendations, preliminary terms and conditions, and 
preliminary fishway prescriptions is 60 days from the issuance date of 
this notice (October 6, 2008) and reply comments are due 105 days from 
the issuance date of this notice (November 20, 2008).
    All documents (original and eight copies) should be filed with: 
Kimberly D. Bose, 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.
    Motions to intervene, protests, comments, recommendations, 
preliminary terms and conditions, and preliminary fishway prescriptions 
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. This application has been accepted for filing and is ready for 
environmental analysis. The Commission intends to prepare an 
Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) on the project, in accordance with 
the National Environmental Policy Act. The EIS will consider both site-
specific and cumulative environmental impacts and reasonable 
alternatives to the proposed action.
    l. The Project Description: The existing Smith Mountain Project 
consists of two developments; one used for pumped storage operation and 
the other conventional operation.
    The upper, pumped storage development, known as Smith Mountain, 
consists of: (1) A 816-foot-long, 235-foot-high concrete arch dam, with 
a crest elevation of 812.0 feet National Geodetic Vertical Datum 
(NGVD); (2) two ogee-crest overflow spillways, each 100-feet-long and 
having a crest elevation of 595.0 feet NGVD [passing 25,000 cubic feet 
per second (cfs)]; (3) a reservoir with a surface area of 20,260 acres 
at a normal operating level of 795.0 feet NGVD; (4) a pump station/
powerhouse containing five generating units, with a total capacity of 
586 megawatts (MW), a total hydraulic capacity of 46,000 cfs, and an 
average annual generation of 476,640 MWh (three of the units, which 
have a pumping capacity of 15,810 cfs, are reversible for pumping water 
from the Leesville's reservoir to Smith Mountain's reservoir); (5) a 
600,000 KVA substation and a double-circuit 138-kV tie-in line to 
American Electric Power's (AEP) interconnected system; and (6) 
appurtenant facilities.
    The lower, conventional development, known as Leesville, consists 
of: (1) A 980-foot-long, 94 foot-high concrete gravity dam, with a 
crest elevation of 615.67 feet NGVD; (2) a 224-foot-long gated spillway 
section, with (a) a crest elevation of 578.0 feet NGVD, (b) four 
taintor gates, and (c) a hydraulic capacity of 175,100 cfs; (3) a 
reservoir with a surface area of 3,260 acres at an elevation of 613.0 
feet NGVD; (4) a powerhouse containing two generating units, with a 
total capacity of 50 MW, a total hydraulic capacity of 9,000 cfs, and 
an average annual generation of 59,376 MWh; (5) a 50,000 KVA substation 
and a double-circuit 138-kV tie-in line to AEP's interconnected system; 
and (6) appurtenant facilities.
    The Smith Mountain development operates as a peaking/load-following 
facility, with generation occurring during peak demand periods and 
pump-back operation occurring during off-peak periods. Under normal 
operation, Smith Mountain Lake uses a 2-foot drawdown, which equates to 
a 13-foot fluctuation in Leesville Lake. Currently, Leesville is 
operated by auto-cycling the units, to provide a minimum average daily 
flow of 650 cfs to the Roanoke River downstream. Additional flow is 
provided during the spring spawning season for striped bass.
    Appalachian Power does not propose to modify existing operations, 
except as described in its proposed Water Management Plan. Appalachian 
also proposes to implement numerous environmental enhancement measures 
that are contained in its proposed resource-specific management plans.
    m. Location of the Application: 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/esubscribenow.htm to be notified via e-mail of new filings and 
issuances related to this or other pending projects. For assistance, 
contact FERC Online Support.
    n. Anyone may submit comments, a protest, or a motion to intervene 
in accordance with the requirements of Rules of Practice and Procedure, 
18 CFR

[[Page 47149]]

385.210, .211, .214. In determining the appropriate action to take, the 
Commission will consider all protests and other comments filed, but 
only those who file a motion to intervene in accordance with the 
Commission's Rules may become a party to the proceeding. Any comments, 
protests, or motions to intervene must be received on or before the 
specified comment date for the particular application.
    All filings must (1) Bear in all capital letters the title 
``PROTEST,'' ``MOTION TO INTERVENE,'' ``COMMENTS,'' ``REPLY COMMENTS,'' 
``RECOMMENDATIONS,'' ``PRELIMINARY TERMS AND CONDITIONS,'' or 
``PRELIMINARY FISHWAY PRESCRIPTIONS''; (2) set forth in the heading the 
name of the applicant and the project number of the application to 
which the filing responds; (3) furnish the name, address, and telephone 
number of the person protesting or intervening; and (4) otherwise 
comply with the requirements of 18 CFR 385.2001 through 385.2005. 
Agencies may obtain copies of the application directly from the 
applicant. A copy of any protest or motion to intervene must be served 
upon each representative of the applicant specified in the particular 
application.
    o. Procedural Schedule:  The application will be processed 
according to the following Hydro Licensing Schedule. Revisions to the 
schedule may be made as appropriate.

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               Milestone                           Target date
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Filing of recommendations, preliminary   October 2008.
 terms and conditions, and fishway
 prescriptions.
Commission issues Draft EIS............  January 2009.
Comments on Draft EIS..................  March 2009.
Modified Terms and Conditions..........  May 2009.
Commission Issues Final EIS............  August 2009.
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    p. Final amendments to the application must be filed with the 
Commission no later than 30 days from the issuance date of this notice.

Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. E8-18733 Filed 8-12-08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P