[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 116 (Tuesday, June 17, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 34523-34525]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-14075]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Project No. 13272-004]


Alaska Village Electric Cooperative, Inc.; Notice of Application 
Accepted for Filing, Soliciting Motions To Intervene and Protests, 
Ready for Environmental Analysis, and Soliciting Comments, 
Recommendations, Preliminary Terms and Conditions, and Preliminary 
Fishway Prescriptions

    Take notice that the following hydroelectric application has been 
filed with the Commission and is available for public inspection.
    a. Type of Application: Minor Original License.
    b. Project No.: 13272-004.
    c. Date filed: November 1, 2013.
    d. Applicant: Alaska Village Electric Cooperative, Inc (AVEC).
    e. Name of Project: Old Harbor Hydroelectric Project.
    f. Location: The project would be constructed on the East Fork of 
Mountain Creek, near the town of Old Harbor, Kodiak Island Borough, 
Alaska. Some project facilities would be located on approximately 7.74 
acres of federal lands of the Kodiak National Wildlife Refuge.
    g. Filed Pursuant to: Federal Power Act, 16 U.S.C. 791(a)-825(r).
    h. Applicant Contact: Meera Kohler, President and CEO, AVEC, 4831 
Eagle Street, Anchorage, AK 99503; Telephone (907) 561-1818.
    i. FERC Contact: Adam Beeco, Telephone (202) 502-8655, and email 
[email protected].
    j. Deadline for filing motions to intervene and protests, comments, 
recommendations, preliminary terms and conditions, and preliminary 
prescriptions: 60 days from the issuance date of this notice; reply 
comments are due 105 days from the issuance date of this notice.
    The Commission strongly encourages electronic filing. Please file 
motions to intervene, protests, comments, recommendations, preliminary 
terms and conditions, and preliminary fishway prescriptions using the 
Commission's eFiling system at 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], (866)

[[Page 34524]]

208-3676 (toll free), or (202) 502-8659 (TTY). In lieu of electronic 
filing, please send a paper copy to: Secretary, Federal Energy 
Regulatory Commission, 888 First Street NE., Washington, DC 20426. The 
first page of any filing should include docket number P-13272-004.
    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. The proposed run-of-river project would consist of an intake, 
penstock, powerhouse, tailrace and constructed channel, access road and 
trail, and transmission line. Power from this project would be used by 
the residents of the city of Old Harbor.

Intake

    The intake would consist of a concrete, or other suitable material, 
diversion/cut off weir with integral spillway that would divert water 
from the East Fork of Mountain Creek. The weir would range in height 
from approximately 4 feet at the spillway to 6 feet elsewhere and would 
span approximately 100 feet across the creek floodplain. A below grade 
transition with an above-ground air relief inlet pipe would convey 
water to a buried high-density polyethylene pipe and steel pipe 
penstock. Once constructed, the intake would fill to the level of the 
spillway and flow over the spillway when the water is higher.

Penstock

    A 10,100-foot-long penstock consisting of an 18-inch-diameter 
polyethylene pipe, a 20-inch-diameter polyethylene pipe, and a 16-inch-
diameter steel pipe would be installed. A total of 7,400 feet of 
polyethylene would be installed from the intake and 2,750 feet of steel 
pipe would be installed near the powerhouse. The entire pipe would be 
buried one to five feet underground.

Powerhouse

    The powerhouse would consist of an approximately 30-foot by 35-foot 
by 16-foot high metal building or similar structure. The building would 
house two 262-kW Pelton turbines, a 480-volt, three-phase synchronous 
generator, and switchgear for each turbine.

Tailrace

    The tailrace would be constructed with approximately 85 feet of 
steel, plastic, or concrete culvert. A man-made stream channel with a 
length of approximately 2,300 feet including approximately 500 feet 
would convey the project flows approximately 0.1 mile from the 
powerhouse to the nearby pond, known as Swimming Pond. The tailrace 
water would then travel 500 feet within Swimming Pond. The tailrace 
would continue on from Swimming Pond approximately 0.2 miles within an 
enhanced channel of Lagoon Creek Tributary. This enhanced channel would 
be constructed in place of the existing ephemeral section of Lagoon 
Creek Tributary. This section is approximately 1,100 feet and ends in a 
groundwater upwelling where Lagoon Creek Tributary becomes a distinct 
natural channel. Lagoon Creek Tributary flows into Lagoon Creek which 
then empties into a large, tidally influenced lagoon called Salt 
Lagoon. Salt Lagoon occupies about 82 acres and drains through a 
culvert into the Sitkalidak Strait.

Access Road and Trail

    An approximately 2.2-mile-long by 10-foot-wide project access trail 
would be constructed between the intake and the powerhouse and an 
approximately 5,720-foot-long by 24-foot-wide powerhouse access road 
would extend from powerhouse to the existing community drinking water 
tank access road. To prevent increased traffic in the Kodiak National 
Wildlife Refuge, the intake access trail would be closed to non-project 
vehicular traffic. The powerhouse access road, however, would be open 
to public vehicles and public foot access.

Transmission Line

    A 1.2-mile-long, 12.47-kV, three-phase overhead power line would be 
installed from the powerhouse to the existing power distribution system 
in Old Harbor.
    m. 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.
    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 385.210, .211, and .214. In determining the appropriate action 
to take, the Commission would 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'', ``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. 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.
    o. Procedural Schedule:
    The application would be processed according to the following 
revised Hydro Licensing Schedule. Revisions to the schedule may be made 
as appropriate.

[[Page 34525]]



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               Milestone                           Target date
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Filing of recommendations, preliminary   July 2014.
 terms and conditions, and preliminary
 fishway prescriptions.
Commission issues draft EA.............  January 2015.
Comments on draft EA...................  March 2015.
Commission issues EA...................  August 2015.
------------------------------------------------------------------------

    p. Final amendments to the application must be filed with the 
Commission no later than 30 days from the issuance date of this notice.
    q. A license applicant must file no later than 60 days following 
the date of issuance of the notice of acceptance and ready for 
environmental analysis provided for in 5.22: (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.
    r. 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 would not be 
accepted in response to this notice.
    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.

    Dated: June 10, 2014.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2014-14075 Filed 6-16-14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P