[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 126 (Friday, July 1, 2022)]
[Notices]
[Pages 39509-39510]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2022-14110]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Project No. 14514-003]


Community of Elfin Cove Non Profit Corporation, DBA Elfin Cove 
Utility Commission; Notice of Application Accepted for Filing, Intent 
To Waive Scoping, Soliciting Motions To Intervene and Protests, Ready 
for Environmental Analysis, and Soliciting Comments, Terms and 
Conditions, Recommendations, 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.: 14514-003.
    c. Date filed: August 24, 2020.
    d. Applicant: Community of Elfin Cove Non Profit Corporation, DBA 
Elfin Cove Utility Commission.
    e. Name of Project: Crooked Creek and Jim's Lake Hydroelectric 
Project.
    f. Location: On Crooked Creek and Jim's Lake, near the community of 
Elfin Cove, in the Sitka Recording District, Unorganized Borough, 
Alaska. The project would occupy 10.5 acres of federal land in the 
Tongass National Forest, managed by the U.S. Department of 
Agriculture's Forest Service.
    g. Filed Pursuant to: Federal Power Act 16 U.S.C. 791 (a)-825(r).
    h. Applicant Contact: Mr. Joel Groves, Polarconsult Alaska, Inc., 
1503 W 33rd Avenue, #310, Anchorage, Alaska 99503; phone: (907) 258-
2420 ext. 204.
    i. FERC Contact: John Matkowski, (202) 502-8576 or 
[email protected].
    j. Deadline for filing motions to intervene and protests, comments, 
terms and conditions, recommendations, 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, protests, comments, terms and conditions, 
recommendations, and prescriptions using the Commission's eFiling 
system at https://ferconline.ferc.gov/FERCOnline.aspx. Commenters can 
submit brief comments up to 6,000 characters, without prior 
registration, using the eComment system at https://ferconline.ferc.gov/QuickComment.aspx. 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-14514-003.
    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 project would consist of: (1) a new surface water 
intake structure fitted with an 8-foot-wide, 18-inch high inclined 
plate screen with 0.1 millimeter openings to divert up to five cubic 
feet per second (cfs) from Crooked Creek to a 16-foot-long, 4-foot-
diameter buried intake pipe; (2) a new 825-foot-

[[Page 39510]]

long, 14-inch-diameter partially buried high[hyphen]density 
polyethylene (HDPE) penstock extending between the intake structure in 
Crooked Creek to an 8-foot-long, 6-foot-diameter buried energy 
dissipation structure near the shoreline of Jim's Lake; (3) a new 30-
foot-long, 4-foot-wide, 18-inch deep rip-rap discharge apron below the 
energy dissipation structure that discharges into the existing 160-
foot-long natural channel flowing into Jim's Lake; (4) the existing 
Jim's Lake with a new surface area of 5.7 acres and gross storage 
capacity of 76-acre-feet at normal maximum water elevation of 342 feet 
mean low water; (5) a new 200-foot-long, 14-foot-high reinforced 
concrete dam with a 35-foot-long, 20-foot-wide, 14-foot-high spillway 
section at the outlet of Jim's Lake; (6) a new intake consisting of a 
4-foot-wide, 6[hyphen]foot-high vertically[hyphen]oriented intake 
screen and a 20-inch-diamter intake opening; (7) a new 2,350-foot-long, 
16 to 20-inch-diameter buried HDPE penstock extending between the 
intake pipe opening and the powerhouse; (8) a 20-foot-long, 28-foot-
wide, 14-foot-high wood-frame powerhouse containing a 105-kilowatt 
impulse turbine-generator unit; (9) a tailrace discharging flows into 
Port Althorp; (10) a 5,800-foot-long, 7.2/12.47-kilovolt (kV) buried 
transmission line extending from the project powerhouse to Elfin Cove's 
existing 7.2/12.47-kV transmission line; and (11) appurtenant 
facilities.
    The project would generate an average of 594.8 megawatt-hours 
annually.
    m. Due to the small size and location of this project, the 
applicant's close coordination with federal and state agencies during 
preparation of the application, and studies completed during pre-filing 
consultation, we intend to waive scoping and expedite the licensing 
process. Based on a review of the application and resource agency 
consultation letters including comments filed to date, Commission staff 
does not anticipate that any new issues would be identified through 
additional scoping. Based on the issues identified during the pre-
filing period, staff's National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) 
document will consider the potential effects of project construction 
and operation on geology and soils, aquatic, terrestrial, threatened 
and endangered species, recreation, and cultural and historic 
resources.
    n. A copy of the application can 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.
    Register online at https://ferconline.ferc.gov/FERCOnline.aspx to 
be notified via email of new filings and issuances related to this or 
other pending projects. For assistance, contact FERC Online Support.
    o. 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 will 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.
    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'', ``NOTICE OF INTENT TO FILE 
COMPETING APPLICATION,'' ``COMPETING APPLICATION,'' ``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.
    p. The 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. Please note 
that the certification request must comply with 40 CFR 121.5(b), 
including documentation that a pre-filing meeting request was submitted 
to the certifying authority at least 30 days prior to submitting the 
certification request. Please also note that the certification request 
must be sent to the certifying authority and to the Commission 
concurrently.
    q. Procedural schedule: The application will be processed according 
to the following preliminary schedule. Revisions to the schedule will 
be made as appropriate.

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                 Milestone                           Target date
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Deadline for filing interventions,          August 2022.
 protests, comments, recommendations,
 preliminary terms and conditions, and
 preliminary fishway prescriptions.
Deadline for filing reply comments........  October 2022.
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    Dated: June 28, 2022.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2022-14110 Filed 6-30-22; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P


