[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 46 (Thursday, March 8, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 14009-14010]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-5614]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Project No. 14308-001]


Carbon Zero, LLC.; Notice of Application Tendered for Filing With 
the Commission, Intent To Waive Solicitation of Additional Study 
Requests, and Intent To Approve of the Use of the Traditonal Licensing 
Process

    Take notice that the following hydroelectric application has been 
filed with the Commission and is available for public inspection.
    a. Type of Application: Original Minor License.
    b. Project No.: 14308-001.
    c. Date filed: February 17, 2012.
    d. Applicant: Carbon Zero, LLC.
    e. Name of Project: Vermont Tissue Mill Hydroelectric Project.
    f. Location: On the Walloomsac River, in the Town of Bennington, 
Bennington County, Vermont. The project would not occupy lands of the 
United States.
    g. Filed Pursuant to: Federal Power Act, 16 U.S.C. 791(a)-825(r).
    h. Applicant Contact: William F. Scully, Carbon Zero, LLC., P.O. 
Box 338, North Bennington, VT 05257; (802) 442-0311; 
[email protected].
    i. FERC Contact: Amy K. Chang, (202) 502-2850, or email at 
[email protected].
    j. Cooperating Agencies: Federal, state, local, and tribal agencies 
with jurisdiction and/or special expertise with respect to 
environmental issues that wish to cooperate in the preparation of the 
environmental document 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. The Commission previously solicited additional study requests on 
November 7, 2011. No studies were requested; therefore, the Commission 
is providing notice that it intends to waive solicitation of additional 
study requests on the application filed on February 17, 2012.
    l. Deadline for filing comments on the use of the Traditional 
Licensing Process and requests for cooperating agency status: 30 days 
from the issuance of this notice.
    All documents may be filed electronically via the Internet. See 18 
CFR 385.2001(a)(1)(iii) and the instructions on the Commission's Web 
site http://www.ferc.gov/docs-filing/efiling.asp. Commenters can submit 
brief comments up to 6,000 characters, without prior registration, 
using the eComment system at http://www.ferc.gov/docs-filing/ecomment.asp. You must include your name and contact information at the 
end of your comments. For assistance, please contact FERC Online 
Support at [email protected] or toll free at 1-866-208-3676, 
or for TTY, (202) 502-8659. Although the Commission strongly encourages 
electronic filing, documents may also be paper-filed. To paper-file, 
mail an original and seven copies to: Kimberly D. Bose, Secretary, 
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 First Street NE., Washington, 
DC 20426.
    m. This application is not ready for environmental analysis at this 
time.
    n. Project Description: Vermont Tissue Mill Hydroelectric Project 
would consist of two existing dams separated by a 400-foot-wide island 
and include: (1) An existing 15-foot-high, 85-foot-long primary dam 
with a spillway crest elevation of 555.0 feet above mean sea level 
(msl) topped with reinstalled 4-inch-high flashboards; (2) an existing 
6-foot-high, 80-foot-long emergency spillway dam with a crest elevation 
of 555.5 feet above msl and a proposed 2.5-foot-high, 2.5-foot-wide 
minimum flow weir equipped with stop logs; (3) an existing 6-foot-high, 
8-foot-wide flood gate located on the south abutment of the primary 
dam; (4) an existing 2,400-foot-long, 6.4-acre impoundment with a 
normal water surface elevation of 550 feet above msl; (5) an existing 
intake structure equipped with two 12-foot-high, 16-foot-wide flume 
openings equipped with stop log slots and new

[[Page 14010]]

trashracks connected to two water conveyance channels, one 12-foot-
high, 35-foot-long and one 12-foot-high, 85-foot-long; (6) an existing 
powerhouse with two new Kaplan turbine generating units with a total 
installed capacity of 360 kilowatts; (7) a new 1.5-foot-diameter valve 
in the powerhouse that would discharge flows to the tailrace; and (8) a 
new buried 480-volt, 125-foot-long transmission line connecting the 
powerhouse to the regional grid. In addition to installing the new 
turbine generating units and new transmission line listed above, the 
applicant proposes to renovate and repair the trashracks and tailrace 
retaining wall, and excavate a new tailrace downstream of the primary 
dam. The project would be operated in a run-of-river mode and would 
generate an annual average of approximately 1,454 megawatt-hours.
    o. Carbon Zero, LLC prepared an application for an exemption from 
licensing, which it subsequently revised and refiled on February 17, 
2012, as an application for an original minor license with a request to 
use the Traditional Licensing Process (TLP). Based on the contents of 
the exemption and license applications, the TLP three-stage 
consultation process has been completed; therefore, the Commission is 
providing notice that it intends to approve Carbon Zero's request to 
use the TLP.
    p. 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].
    Register online at http://www.ferc.gov/docs-filing/esubscription.asp to be notified via email of new filings and issuances 
related to this or other pending projects. For assistance, contact FERC 
Online Support.
    q. With this notice, we are initiating consultation with the 
Vermont State Historic Preservation Officer (SHPO), as required by 106, 
National Historic Preservation Act, and the regulations of the Advisory 
Council on Historic Preservation, 36, CFR, at 800.4.
    r. Procedural schedule: The application will be processed according 
to the following Hydro Licensing Schedule. Revisions to the schedule 
will be made as appropriate.

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                Milestone                          Target  date
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Issue Notice of Acceptance..............  April 2012.
Issue Notice of Ready for Environmental   May 2012.
 Analysis.
Notice of the availability of the EA....  Nov. 2012.
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    Dated: March 2, 2012.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2012-5614 Filed 3-7-12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P