[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 245 (Friday, December 21, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 65649-65650]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-27650]
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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
[Project No. 2839-015]
Notice of Application Accepted for Filing, Soliciting Motions To
Intervene and Protests, Ready for Environmental Analysis, and
Soliciting Comments, Recommendations, Terms and Conditions, and
Prescriptions, Village of Lyndonville Electric Department
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.: 2839-015.
c. Date filed: May 26, 2017.
d. Applicant: Village of Lyndonville Electric Department
(Lyndonville).
e. Name of Project: Great Falls Hydroelectric Project.
f. Location: On the Passumpsic River, in the Town of Lyndon,
Caledonia County, Vermont. There are no federal or tribal lands within
the project boundary.
g. Filed Pursuant to: Federal Power Act 16 U.S.C. 791(a)-825(r).
h. Applicant Contact: Mr. Bill Humphrey, Village of Lyndonville
Electric Department, 119 Park Avenue, Lyndonville, VT 05851; (802) 626-
3366.
i. FERC Contact: Bill Connelly, (202) 502-8587 or
[email protected].
j. Deadline for filing motions to intervene and protests, comments,
recommendations, terms and conditions, and 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 and protests, comments, recommendations, terms and
conditions, and 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) 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-2839-015.
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 existing Great Falls Project consists of: (1) A 160-foot-
long, 32-foot-high curved, concrete dam with 2-foot-high flashboards;
(2) an approximately 12-acre impoundment having a storage capacity of
135-acre-feet at a normal full pond water surface elevation of 668.38
feet above mean sea level; (3) a 6-foot-long, 15-foot-wide, 28-foot-
high, concrete headworks structure with two 5-foot-wide, 8-foot-high
wood and iron headgates; (4) an 8-foot-long, 8-foot-wide, 12-foot-high
brick headworks gate house; (5) an approximately 282-foot-long, 22-
foot-wide power canal that is covered for 70 feet; (6) one 4-foot-wide,
4-foot-high, wood and iron skimming sluice gate and one 4-foot-wide, 5-
foot-high, wood and iron sand sluice gate; (7) a penstock intake with
two 15-foot-wide, 22-foot-high trashracks with 1.5-inch clear bar
spacing; (8) a 22.5-foot-long, 10-foot-diameter metal penstock that
reduces to a 165-foot-long, 7.33-foot-diameter metal penstock that
trifurcates to one 22-foot-long, 6-foot diameter, and two 9-foot-long,
3-foot-diameter penstocks; (9) a 47-foot-long, 25-foot-wide powerhouse
containing a 1,350-kilowatt (kW) turbine-generator unit and a 40-foot-
long, 40-foot-wide concrete powerhouse containing two 350-kW turbine-
generator units, for a total capacity of 2,050-kW; (10) a 380-foot-
long, 2.4-kilovolt (kV) above-ground transmission line that connects
the turbine-generator leads to a substation step-up transformer where
the project is interconnected with Lyndonville's distribution system;
and (11) appurtenant facilities. Lyndonville operates the project in a
run-of-river mode with an annual average energy production of
approximately 3,960 megawatt-hours.
Lyndonville proposes to increase the existing year-round minimum
flow to the bypassed reach from 10 cubic feet per second (cfs) to 62
cfs (or inflow, whichever is less) to maintain habitat for fish and
aquatic organisms. In addition, Lyndonville proposes to continue to
release a minimum flow of 75 cfs (or inflow, whichever is less) through
the powerhouse during project shutdowns to protect fish and aquatic
resources in the downstream reach. Lyndonville proposes to install an
automatic pond level control system to improve control of impoundment
levels and instantaneous run-of-river operation. Lyndonville also
proposes to develop a minimum flow monitoring plan to ensure adequate
flow is provided to the bypassed reach and downstream of the
powerhouse.
Lyndonville also proposes several measures related to recreation
resources, including: (1) Constructing and maintaining a new carry-in
boat access trail downstream of the tailrace, on the west bank of the
Passumpsic River; (2) designating a new bank fishing area; (3)
installing a designated parking area outside of the project gates along
the access road to the project; and (4) installing an informational
kiosk identifying recreational amenities at the project. To evaluate
the adequacy of project recreation facilities, Lyndonville proposes to
conduct a recreation inventory, use and needs assessment within one
year of completion of recreational improvements.
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 website 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.
n. Anyone may submit comments, a protest, or a motion to intervene
in accordance with the requirements of the Commission's 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
[[Page 65650]]
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,'' ``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.
You may also 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. Procedural Schedule: The application will be processed according
to the following revised 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 February 2019.
terms and conditions, and preliminary
fishway prescriptions.
Commission issues Environmental August 2019.
Assessment.
Comments on Environmental Assessment... September 2019.
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Final amendments to the application must be filed with the
Commission no later than 30 days from the issuance date of this notice.
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.
Dated: December 17, 2018.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2018-27650 Filed 12-20-18; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P