[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 14 (Friday, January 22, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 3506-3508]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-1409]
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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
Notice of Applications Tendered for Filing; of Applications and
Applicant Prepared Environmental Assessment Accepted for Filing;
Requesting Interventions and Protests; Establishing Procedural Schedule
and Final Amendment Deadline; and Requesting Comments, Final Terms and
Conditions, Recommendations and Prescriptions
January 15, 1999.
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 licenses and Applicant Prepared
Environmental Assessment (APEA).
b. Project Nos.: 2901-008 and 2902-009.
c. Date filed: December 29, 1998.
d. Applicant: Nekoosa Packaging Corporation (Nekoosa), a wholly-
owned subsidiary of Georgia-Pacific Corporation.
e. Name of Projects: Holcomb Rock Hydroelectric Project, Project
No. 2901 and Big Island Hydroelectric Project, Project No. 2902.
f. Location: James River, in Bedford and Amherst Counties,
Virginia.
g. Filed Pursuant to: Federal Power Act, 16 USC Secs. 791(a)--
825(r).
h. Applicant Contact: Mr. P.J. Purdy, General Manager, Georgia-
Pacific Corporation, Highway 501 North, Big Island, VA 24526, (804)
299-5911.
i. FERC Contact: Any questions on this notice should be addressed
to James T. Griffin, E-mail address james.griffin@ferc.fed.us, or
telephone (202) 219-2799.
j. Deadline for filing any final amendments to the application: 45
days from the date of this notice.
Deadline for filing interventions: 60 days from the date of this
notice.
Deadline for filing any final comments, final recommendations,
terms and conditions and prescriptions: 60 days from the date of this
notice.
Deadline for applicant's response to final comments, final
recommendations, terms and conditions and prescriptions: 105 days from
the date of this notice.
All documents (original and eight copies) should be filed with:
David P. Boergers, Secretary, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 888
First Street, NE, Washington, DC 20426.
The Commission's Rules of Practice and Procedure require all
intervenors filing documents with the Commission
[[Page 3507]]
to serve a copy of that document on each person whose name appears 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. Status of environmental analysis: This application is ready for
environmental analysis.
l. Description of the Projects: The existing facilities at the
Holcomb Rock Hydroelectric Project include: (1) a stone masonry and
wood crib diversion dam approximately 21 feet high and 644 feet long;
(2) a canal of 2,700 feet in length; (3) a powerhouse containing three
generating units, each rated at 625 kilowatts, for a total installed
capacity of 1.875 megawatts, also the project's authorized capacity;
(4) a reservoir with a surface area of 127 acres at normal pool
elevation of 571.7 feet, mean sea level; (5) a 2.4/13.8 kilovolt,
Delta-Delta, 3,570 KVA transformer; and (6) appurtenant facilities. The
proposed project's average annual generation would be 9.8
gigawatthours.
The existing facilities at the Big Island Hydroelectric Project
include: (1) a masonry and timber crib dam with a height of 15 feet, a
total length of 657 feet, and a spillway length of 427 feet; (2) a dual
purpose intake that also provides process water to the mill; (3) a
concrete, steel, and brick powerhouse containing two generating units
rated at 240 kilowatts each, for a total installed capacity of 480
kilowatts; (4) a 110-acre reservoir at the normal pool elevation of
604.7 feet, mean sea level; and (5) appurtenant facilities. The
proposed project has an authorized capacity of 512 kilowatts, and would
have an average annual generation of 1.7 gigawatthours.
m. Locations of the application: A copy of the application is
available for inspection and reproduction at the Commission's Public
Reference Room, located at 888 First Street, NE, Room 2A, Washington,
D.C. 20426, or by calling (202) 208-1371. The application may be viewed
on the web at www.ferc.fed.us. Call (202) 208-2222 for assistance. A
copy is also available for inspection and reproduction at the address
in item h above.
n. APEA Process and Schedule: The Energy Policy Act of 1992 gives
the Commission the authority to allow the filing of an APEA with a
license application, and directs the Commission to institute
procedures, including pre-application consultations, to advise
applicants of studies or other information foreseeable required by the
Commission.
On February 25, 1997, the Director, Office of Hydropower Licensing,
waived or amended certain of the Commission's regulations to allow for
coordinated processing of the license applications and the APEA. Since
then, the Commission has been working cooperatively in advising the
Collaborative Team of studies or other information foreseeable required
by the Commission.
Nekoosa has used a Collaborative Team approach to prepare the APEA
for the Holcomb Rock and Big Island Projects. Consisting of members of
federal, state, and local agencies, non-governmental organizations, and
the public, the Collaborative Team has been meeting since February 1997
to guide the study process and prepare the APEA, and has reached
agreement as to the preferred alternative for relicensing these
projects.
National Environmental Policy Act scoping was conducted for the
projects through scoping documents issued March 12, 1997, and April 27,
1998, and in public scoping meetings on April 16, 1997. Draft license
applications and a preliminary DEA were issued by the Collaborative
Team for comment on July 24, 1998. The final license applications and
APEA were filed with the Commission on December 29, 1998. The APEA
includes responses to all comments received on the preliminary DEA.
Commission staff have reviewed the APEA and license applications
and have determined that the applications are acceptable and no
additional information or studies are needed to prepare the
Commission's draft EA. Item j., above provides the deadline for filing
any final amendments to the application. Comments, final
recommendations, terms and conditions and prescriptions are now being
requested from interested parties.
In view of the high level of early involvement of the Collaborative
Team, we expect the majority of comments to reflect the agreement
presented in the DEA. Any comments received will be addressed in the EA
to be issued by early April 1999.
o. With this notice, we are initiating consultation with the State
Historic Preservation Officer as required by Sec. 106, National
Historic Preservation Act, and the regulations of the Advsiory Council
on Historic Preservation, 36 CFR 800.4.
p. This notice also consists of the following standard paragraphs:
B and D6.
B. Comments, Protests, or Motions to Intervene--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,
.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 to 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.
D6. Filing and Service of Responsive Documents--The application is
ready for environmental analysis at this time, and the Commission is
requesting comments, reply comments, recommendations, terms and
conditions, and prescriptions.
The Commission directs, pursuant to Section 4.34(b) of the
Regulations (see Order No. 533 issued May 8, 1991, 56 FR 23108, May 20,
1991) that all comments, recommendatios, terms and conditions and
prescriptions concerning the application be filed with the Commission
within 60 days from the issuance date of this notice. All reply
comments must be filed with the Commission within 105 days from the
date of this notice.
Anyone may obtain an extension of time for these deadlines from the
Commission only upon a showing of good cause or extraordinary
circumstances in accordance with 18 CFR 385.2008.
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. Any of
these documents must be filed by providing the original and the number
of copies required by the Commission's regulations to: The Secretary,
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 First Street, N.E.,
[[Page 3508]]
Washington, D.C. 20426. An additional copy must be sent to Director,
Division of Project Review, Office of Hydropower Licensing, Federal
Energy Regulatory Commssion, at the above address. 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.
David P. Boergers,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 99-1409 Filed 1-21-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-M
