[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 85 (Wednesday, May 2, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 25998-25999]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-10532]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Project No. 14308-001]


Carbon Zero, LLC; Notice of Application Accepted for Filing With 
the Commission, Intent To Waive Scoping, Soliciting Motions To 
Intervene and Protests, Ready for Environmental Analysis, and 
Soliciting Comments, Terms and Conditions, Recommendations, and 
Prescriptions, and Establishing an Expedited Schedule for Processing

    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, 2011.
    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) 502-8250, or email at 
[email protected].
    j. Deadline for filing motions to intervene and protests, comments, 
terms and conditions, recommendations, and prescriptions: 60 days from 
the issuance date of this notice; reply comments are due 105 days from 
the issuance date 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.
    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.
    k. This application has been accepted for filing and is now ready 
for environmental analysis.
    l. Project Description: Vermont Tissue Mill Project would consist 
of two existing dams separated by a 500-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) a refurbished 6-foot-high, 8-
foot-wide flood gate located on the primary dam south abutment; (3) an 
existing 6-foot-high, 80-foot-long secondary dam with a spillway crest 
elevation of 555.33 feet above msl with a new 2.5-foot-high, 2.5-foot-
wide minimum flow weir equipped with stop logs; (4) an existing 2,400-
foot-long, 6.4-acre impoundment with a normal water surface elevation 
of 555.41 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 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, a 215 kilowatt (kW) unit and a 145 kW unit, with a total 
installed capacity of 360 kW; (7) a refurbished tailrace discharging 
water from the powerhouse into the main channel downstream of the 
primary dam; (8) a new 1.5-foot-diameter minimum flow valve in the 
powerhouse discharging water into an existing 35-foot-wide, 50-foot-
long tailrace; (9) a reconstructed, breached 8-foot-high, 2-foot-wide, 
45-foot-long retaining wall; and (10) a new buried 480-volt, 125-foot-
long transmission line connecting the powerhouse to the regional grid. 
The project would be operated in a run-of-river mode and would have an 
annual generation of 1,447.5 megawatt-hours.
    m. Due to the project works already existing and the limited scope 
of proposed rehabilitation of the project site described above, the 
applicant's close coordination with federal and state agencies during 
the preparation of the application, and agency recommended preliminary 
terms and conditions, we intend to waive scoping and expedite the 
licensing process. Based on a review of the application, resource 
agency consultation letters including the preliminary terms and 
conditions, and comments filed to date, Commission staff intends to 
prepare a single environmental assessment (EA). Commission staff 
determined that the issues that need to be addressed in its EA have 
been adequately identified during the pre-filing period, and no new 
issues are likely to be identified through additional scoping. The EA 
will consider assessing the potential effects of project construction 
and operation on geology and soils, aquatic, terrestrial, threatened 
and endangered species, and cultural and historic resources.
    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. A copy is also available for inspection and 
reproduction at the address in item h above.
    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.
    o. Any qualified applicant desiring to file a competing application 
must submit to the Commission, on or before the specified intervention 
deadline date, a competing development application, or a notice of 
intent to file such an application. Submission of a timely notice of 
intent allows an interested person to file the competing development 
application no later than 120 days after the specified intervention 
deadline date. Applications for preliminary permits will not be 
accepted in response to this notice.

[[Page 25999]]

    A notice of intent must specify the exact name, business address, 
and telephone number of the prospective applicant, and must include an 
unequivocal statement of intent to submit a development application. A 
notice of intent must be served on the applicant(s) named in this 
public notice.
    Anyone may submit comments, a protest, or a motion to intervene in 
accordance with the requirements of Rules of Practice and Procedure, 18 
CFR 385.210, .211, and .214. In determining the appropriate action to 
take, the Commission will consider all protests or 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,'' ``NOTICE OF INTENT TO FILE 
COMPETING APPLICATION,'' ``COMPETING APPLICATION,'' ``COMMENTS,'' 
``REPLY COMMENTS,'' ``RECOMMENDATIONS,'' ``TERMS AND CONDITIONS,'' or 
``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. All comments, 
recommendations, terms and conditions or prescriptions must set forth 
their evidentiary basis and otherwise comply with the requirements of 
18 CFR 4.34(b). 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. A copy of all other filings in reference to 
this application must be accompanied by proof of service on all persons 
listed in the service list prepared by the Commission in this 
proceeding, in accordance with 18 CFR 4.34(b) and 385.2010.
    p. A license applicant must file no later than 60 days following 
the date of issuance of this notice: (1) A copy of the water quality 
certification; (2) a copy of the request for certification, including 
proof of the date on which the certifying agency received the request; 
or (3) evidence of waiver of water quality certification.
    q. Procedural schedule: The application will be processed according 
to the following procedural schedule. Revisions to the schedule may be 
made as appropriate.

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                       Milestone                            Target date
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Notice of the availability of the EA...................    October 2012.
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    Dated: April 24, 2012.
Kimberly D. Bose,
 Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2012-10532 Filed 5-1-12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P