[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 182 (Thursday, September 19, 2019)]
[Notices]
[Pages 49281-49282]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-20264]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Project No. 12726-002]


Warm Springs Hydro, LLC; Notice of Application Accepted for 
Filing, Soliciting Motions To Intervene and Protests, Ready for 
Environmental Analysis, and Soliciting Comments, Recommendations, 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: Original minor license.
    b. Project No.: P-12726-002.
    c. Date filed: April 1, 2019.
    d. Applicant: Warm Springs Hydro, LLC (Warm Springs).
    e. Name of Project: Rock Creek Hydroelectric Project.
    f. Location: The Rock Creek Hydroelectric Project is located on 
Rock Creek in Haines County, Oregon. The project would occupy 1.8 acres 
of the Wallowa Whitman National Forest, which is administered by the 
U.S. Forest Service.
    g. Filed Pursuant to: Federal Power Act 16 U.S.C. 791 (a)-825(r).
    h. Applicant Contact: Mr. Nicholas E. Josten, GeoSense, 2742 Saint 
Charles Avenue, Idaho Falls, ID 43404, (208) 528-6152.
    i. FERC Contact: Kelly Wolcott at (202) 502-6480; or at 
kelly.wolcott@ferc.gov.
    j. Deadline for filing motions to intervene and protests, comments, 
recommendations, 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, 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 
FERCOnlineSupport@ferc.gov, (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-12726-002.
    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. Project Description: The proposed project would consist of: (1) 
A new diversion and fish screen on Rock Creek; (2) a new 8,300-foot-
long, 18 to 24-inch-diameter low pressure penstock, to be buried in an 
existing flume right-of-way and ending at the top of the ridge above 
the power plant site; (3) a new 3,100-foot-long, 20 to 24-inch-diameter 
high pressure penstock, extending from the end of the low pressure 
pipeline to the new powerhouse; (4) a new approximately 20-foot-long, 
15-foot-wide powerhouse, located adjacent to Rock Creek just above the 
Wilcox Ditch diversion, containing a single 0.85-megawatt Pelton 
turbine; and (5) a 500-foot-long 12.5-kilovolt transmission line to 
deliver energy from the powerhouse to an Oregon Trail Electric 
Consumers Cooperative distribution line; and (6) appurtenant 
facilities. The estimated average annual generation is 3,900-megawatt 
hours.
    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.
    You may 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 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, 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

[[Page 49282]]

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 preliminary 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. Warm Springs intends to seek benefits under Sec.  210 of the 
Public Utility Regulatory Policy Act of 1978 (PURPA), and believes that 
the project meets the definition under Sec.  292.202(p) of 18 CFR for a 
new dam or diversion. As such, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the 
National Marine Fisheries Service, and the state agency exercising 
authority over the fish and wildlife resources of the state have 
mandatory conditioning authority under the procedures provided for at 
Sec.  30(c) of the Federal Power Act (Act).
    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 revised Hydro Licensing Schedule. Further revisions to 
the schedule will be made as appropriate.

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               Milestone                           Target date
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Filing comments, recommendations, terms  November 2019.
 and conditions, and preliminary
 fishway prescriptions.
Commission issues EA...................  June 2020.
Comments on EA due.....................  July 2020.
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    r. Final amendments to the application must be filed with the 
Commission no later than 30 days from the issuance date of this notice.

    Dated: September 13, 2019.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2019-20264 Filed 9-18-19; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P


