Notice2022-22769
Pyrites Hydro, LLC; Notice Soliciting Scoping Comments
Primary source
Metadata and text below are from the Federal Register, a public-domain U.S. government work. Always verify the official published version before relying on it for any legal matter.
Published
October 20, 2022
Issuing agencies
Energy DepartmentFederal Energy Regulatory Commission
Full Text
<html>
<head>
<title>Federal Register, Volume 87 Issue 202 (Thursday, October 20, 2022)</title>
</head>
<body><pre>
[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 202 (Thursday, October 20, 2022)]
[Notices]
[Pages 63766-63767]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2022-22769]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
[Project No. 6115-016]
Pyrites Hydro, LLC; Notice Soliciting Scoping Comments
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.: 6115-016.
c. Date filed: August 31, 2021.
d. Applicant: Pyrites Hydro, LLC (Pyrites Hydro).
e. Name of Project: Pyrites Hydroelectric Project (Pyrites Project
or project).
f. Location: The existing project is located on the Grass River
near the Town of Canton, St. Lawrence County, New York. The project
does not occupy any federal land.
g. Filed Pursuant to: Federal Power Act, 16 U.S.C. 791(a)-825(r).
h. Applicant Contact: Mr. Kevin M. Webb, Hydro Licensing Manager,
Pyrites Hydro, LLC, 670 N Commercial Street, Suite 204, Manchester, NH
03101, (978) 935-6039; <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection" class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="d8bdb5b9b1b487b3afbdbaba98bbbdb6acaab9b4aab1aebdaaaba8b7afbdaaf6bbb7b5">[email protected]</a>.
i. FERC Contact: Chris Millard at (202) 502-8256; or email at
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#f6959e849f858299869e9384d89b9f9a9a978492b690938495d8919980"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="d9bab1abb0aaadb6a9b1bcabf7b4b0b5b5b8abbd99bfbcabbaf7beb6af">[email protected]</span></a>.
j. Deadline for filing scoping comments: November 12, 2022.
The Commission strongly encourages electronic filing. Please file
scoping comments using the Commission's eFiling system at <a href="http://www.ferc.gov/docs-filing/efiling.asp">http://www.ferc.gov/docs-filing/efiling.asp</a>. Commenters can submit brief
comments up to 6,000 characters, without prior registration, using the
eComment system at <a href="http://www.ferc.gov/docs-filing/ecomment.asp">http://www.ferc.gov/docs-filing/ecomment.asp</a>. You
must include your name and contact information at the end of your
comments. For assistance, please contact FERC Online Support at
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#24626176676b4a484d4a41775154544b565064424156470a434b52"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="662023342529080a0f080335131616091412260003140548010910">[email protected]</span></a>, (866) 208-3676 (toll free), or (202) 502-
8659 (TTY). In lieu of electronic filing, please send a paper copy via
U.S. Postal Service to: Kimberly D. Bose, Secretary, Federal Energy
Regulatory Commission, 888 First Street NE, Room 1A, Washington, DC
20426. Submissions sent via any other carrier must be addressed to:
Kimberly D. Bose, Secretary, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission,
12225 Wilkins Avenue, Rockville, Maryland 20852. All filings must
clearly identify the project name and docket number on the first page:
Pyrites Hydroelectric Project (P-6115-016).
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 is not ready for environmental analysis at this
time.
l. The project consists of: (1) a 170-foot-long and 12-foot-high
concrete Ambursen overflow spillway dam with 1.5-foot-high flashboards,
a 115-foot-long concrete auxiliary spillway, and a 208-foot-long non-
overflow intake dam, which includes a 50-foot-wide intake structure;
(2) a 6-foot-diameter, 700-foot-long steel penstock running from the
intake structure to an upper powerhouse and a 10-foot-diameter, 2,160-
foot-long penstock running from the intake structure to a lower
powerhouse; (3) a 21-foot by 31-foot upper powerhouse located 700 feet
downstream of the intake structure containing one 1.2-megawatt (MW)
turbine/generator unit operating under a rated head of 76 feet and a
50-foot by 53-foot lower powerhouse located 1,200 feet downstream of
the upper powerhouse tailrace containing two 3.5-MW turbine/generator
units operating under a rated head of 111 feet; (4) a 405-foot-long,
20-foot-wide tailrace; (5) a 50-foot by 97-foot, 115/4.16/2.3-kilovolt
(kV) switchyard and substation for use by both powerhouses; (6) a 470-
foot-long 2.3-kV transmission line connecting the upper powerhouse to
the switchyard; (7) a 1,150-foot-long 4.16-kV transmission line
connecting the lower powerhouse to the switchyard; and (8) appurtenant
facilities.
The project is operated in a run-of-river mode, whereby outflow
from the project approximates inflow. The lower powerhouse is operated
in an automatic control mode using water level transducers to maintain
normal impoundment elevation at the flashboard crest (i.e., 484.8
feet).\1\ The
[[Page 63767]]
upper powerhouse is manually operated and serves as a backup to the
lower powerhouse when inflows exceed the hydraulic capacity of the
lower powerhouse (i.e., 860 cubic feet per second [cfs]).\2\ The
minimum and maximum hydraulic capacities of the project are 232 cfs and
1,090 cfs, respectively.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ Elevation data are presented using the National Geodetic
Vertical Datum of 1929 (NGVD29).
\2\ Pyrites Hydro estimates that the upper powerhouse operates
about 16% of the time on an annual basis.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
A continuous minimum flow of 45 cfs or inflow, whichever is less,
is passed into the bypassed reach. The minimum flow comprises 30 cfs at
the spillway and 15 cfs of leakage flow from the upper powerhouse.
Project operation ceases when inflow falls below the project's minimum
hydraulic capacity and all flow is passed via a minimum flow weir \3\
and/or over the project spillway. From 2010 to 2020, the project
generated an average of 27,865 megawatt-hours annually.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\3\ The 8-foot-wide by 1.5-foot-deep minimum flow weir is
located at the north end of the spillway dam.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
m. In addition to publishing the full text of this notice in the
Federal Register, the Commission provides all interested persons an
opportunity to view and/or print the contents of this notice, as well
as other documents in the proceeding (e.g., scoping document) via the
internet through the Commission's Home Page (<a href="http://www.ferc.gov">http://www.ferc.gov</a>) using
the ``eLibrary'' link. Enter the docket number, excluding the last
three digits, in the docket number field to access the document (P-
6115). For assistance, contact FERC at <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#d2949780919dbcbebbbcb781a7a2a2bda0a692b4b7a0b1fcb5bda4"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="5f191a0d1c10313336313a0c2a2f2f302d2b1f393a2d3c71383029">[email protected]</span></a> or
call toll-free, (866) 208-3676 or TYY, (202) 502-8659.
n. You may also register online at <a href="http://www.ferc.gov/docs-filing/esubscription.asp">http://www.ferc.gov/docs-filing/esubscription.asp</a> to be notified via email of new filings and issuances
related to this or other pending projects. For assistance, contact FERC
Online Support.
o. Scoping Process: Commission staff will prepare either an
environmental assessment (EA) or an environmental impact statement
(EIS) that describes and evaluates the probable effects, if any, of the
licensee's proposed action and alternatives. The EA or EIS will
consider environmental impacts and reasonable alternatives to the
proposed action. The Commission's scoping process will help determine
the required level of analysis and satisfy the National Environmental
Policy Act (NEPA) scoping requirements, irrespective of whether the
Commission prepares an EA or an EIS. At this time, we do not anticipate
holding on-site scoping meetings. Instead, we are soliciting written
comments and suggestions on the preliminary list of issues and
alternatives to be addressed in the NEPA document, as described in
scoping document 1 (SD1), issued October 13, 2022.
Copies of SD1 outlining the subject areas to be addressed in the
NEPA document were distributed to the parties on the Commission's
mailing list and the applicant's distribution list. Copies of SD1 may
be viewed on the web at <a href="http://www.ferc.gov">http://www.ferc.gov</a> using the ``eLibrary''
link. Enter the docket number excluding the last three digits in the
docket number field to access the document. For assistance, call 1-866-
208-3676 or for TTY, (202) 502-8659.
Dated: October 13, 2022.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2022-22769 Filed 10-19-22; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P
</pre><script data-cfasync="false" src="/cdn-cgi/scripts/5c5dd728/cloudflare-static/email-decode.min.js"></script></body>
</html>Indexed from Federal Register on October 20, 2022.
This is legal information, not legal advice. Laws vary by jurisdiction and change frequently. Always verify current law with official sources and consult a licensed attorney in your jurisdiction for advice on your specific situation.