[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 233 (Wednesday, December 6, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Pages 57592-57593]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2017-26247]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Project No. 14581-002]


Turlock Irrigation District, Modesto Irrigation District; 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: Major License.
    b. Project No.: 14581-002.
    c. Date filed: October 11, 2017.
    d. Applicant: Turlock Irrigation District (TID) and Modesto 
Irrigation District (MID) (Districts).
    e. Name of Project: La Grange Hydroelectric Project,
    f. Location: The La Grange Project is located on the Tuolumne River 
in Stanislaus and Tuolumne Counties, California. Portions of the 
project occupy public lands managed by the Bureau of Land Management.
    g. Filed Pursuant to: Federal Power Act, 16 U.S.C. 791(a)-825(r).
    h. Applicant Contacts: Steve Boyd, Turlock Irrigation District, 333 
East Canal Drive, Turlock, California 95381-0949, (209) 883-8300; and 
Anna Brathwaite, Modesto Irrigation District, P.O. Box 4060, Modesto, 
CA 95352, (209) 526-7384.
    i. FERC Contact: Jim Hastreiter at (503) 552-2760 or 
[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

[[Page 57593]]

[email protected], (866) 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-14581-002.
    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 La Grange Project consists of the following existing 
facilities: (1) La Grange dam, a 310-foot-long, 131-foot-high, masonry 
arch dam; (2) La Grange reservoir with a storage capacity of about 500 
acre-feet; (3) MID headworks, canal, and sluice gates are part of MID's 
retired irrigation canal facilities; (4) TID irrigation intake and 
tunnel; (5) a powerhouse with two Francis turbine-generator units with 
a maximum capacity of 4.9 megawatts. The project's estimated average 
annual generation is about 19,638 megawatt-hours.
    The Districts propose to: (1) Provide a minimum flow of 
approximately 5 to 10 cubic feet per second to the plunge pool 
downstream of La Grange diversion dam at all times; (2) install a fish 
exclusion barrier at the TID sluice channel entrance; (3) conduct 
dissolved oxygen monitoring in the vicinity of the La Grange 
powerhouse; (4) construct a recreational foot trail extending from the 
former Don Pedro Visitor Center parking lot to the La Grange headpond; 
and (5) develop an HPMP in consultation with Tribes, Bureau of Land 
Management, and State Historical Preservation Officer to manage 
potential effects on historic properties.
    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 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, 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 will be processed according to the following 
revised 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      January 2018.
 terms and conditions, and preliminary
 fishway prescriptions.
Commission issues Draft Environmental       August 2018.
 Statement (EIS).
Comments on Draft EIS.....................  October 2018.
Modified Terms and Conditions.............  December 2018.
Commission Issues Final EIS...............  March 2019.
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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.
    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.

    Dated: November 30, 2017.
Nathaniel J. Davis, Sr.,
Deputy Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2017-26247 Filed 12-5-17; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 6717-01-P