Notice2023-10064
Erie Boulevard Hydropower, L.P.; 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
May 11, 2023
Issuing agencies
Energy DepartmentFederal Energy Regulatory Commission
Full Text
<html>
<head>
<title>Federal Register, Volume 88 Issue 91 (Thursday, May 11, 2023)</title>
</head>
<body><pre>
[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 91 (Thursday, May 11, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 30305-30306]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2023-10064]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
[Project No. 15000-003]
Erie Boulevard Hydropower, L.P.; 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.: 15000-003.
c. Date filed: June 30, 2022.
d. Applicant: Erie Boulevard Hydropower, L.P. (Erie).
e. Name of Project: Franklin Falls Hydroelectric Project (Franklin
Falls Project or project).
f. Location: The existing project is located on the Saranac River,
in the town of St. Armand in Essex County and the town of Franklin in
Franklin County, New York.
g. Filed Pursuant to: Federal Power Act, 16 U.S.C. 791(a)-825(r).
h. Applicant Contact: Steven Murphy, Director, U.S. Licensing, Erie
Boulevard Hydropower, L.P., 33 West 1st Street South, Fulton, New York
13069; phone: (315) 598-6130; email:
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#95e6e1f0e3f0fbbbf8e0e7e5fdecd5f7e7fafafef3fcf0f9f1e7f0fbf0e2f4f7f9f0bbf6faf8"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="2251564754474c0c4f5750524a5b6240504d4d49444b474e4650474c475543404e470c414d4f">[email protected]</span></a>; and Patrick Storms, Director of
Operations, Erie Boulevard Hydropower, L.P., 800 Starbuck Avenue, Suite
201, Watertown, New York 13601; phone: (315) 779-2410; email:
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#02726376706b61692c71766d706f714260706d6d69646b676e6670676c677563606e672c616d6f"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="4838293c3a212b23663b3c273a253b082a3a2727232e212d242c3a2d262d3f292a242d662b2725">[email protected]</span></a>.
i. FERC Contact: Joshua Dub at (202) 502-8138, or
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#02686d716a77632c66776042646770612c656d74"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="bdd7d2ced5c8dc93d9c8dffddbd8cfde93dad2cb">[email protected]</span></a>.
j. Deadline for filing scoping comments: June 5, 2023.\1\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ The Commission's Rules of Practice and Procedure provide
that if a deadline falls on a Saturday, Sunday, holiday, or other
day when the Commission is closed for business, the deadline does
not end until the close of business on the next business day. 18 CFR
385.2007(a)(2). Because the 30-day deadline falls on a Sunday (i.e.,
June 4, 2023), the deadline is extended until the close of business
on Monday, June 5, 2023.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
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#d3959681909cbdbfbabdb680a6a3a3bca1a793b5b6a1b0fdb4bca5"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="88cecddacbc7e6e4e1e6eddbfdf8f8e7fafcc8eeedfaeba6efe7fe">[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:
Franklin Falls Hydroelectric Project (P-15000-003).
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 is not ready for environmental analysis at this
time.
l. The Franklin Falls Project consists of the following existing
facilities: (1) a 148-foot-long, 45-foot-high concrete overflow-type
dam with a crest elevation of 1,462.88 feet \2\ topped with 2-foot-high
flashboards; (2) a reservoir with a surface area of 479 acres and a
gross storage capacity of 5,580 acre-feet at a pool elevation of
1,464.88 feet; (3) an integrated 28-foot-long gated intake structure
located on the dam's south side; (4) a 10.5-foot-diameter, 300-foot-
long steel penstock that bifurcates into two 10-foot-diameter, 38-foot-
long penstocks; (5) a 43-foot-high surge tank with a 20-foot-diameter
steel shaft; (6) a powerhouse containing two turbine-generator units
having a total rated capacity of 2.12 megawatts; (7) two 85-
[[Page 30306]]
foot-long, 2.3-kilovolt (kV) generator leads; (8) a 2.3/46-kV step-up
transformer bank; (9) a 300-foot-long, 46-kV transmission line; (10) a
tailrace; and (11) appurtenant facilities.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\2\ All elevations are in National Geodetic Vertical Datum of
1929.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Franklin Falls Project operates in a modified run-of-river
mode. If inflow exceeds the hydraulic capacity of the units, the
project operates continuously at full load. When the inflow is less
than the hydraulic capacity of the project, the project is operated in
a run-of-river mode utilizing pondage as needed for daily flow
regulation and to suit power requirements of the New York Independent
System Operator. The project has an average annual generation of 10,349
megawatt-hours.
Erie does not propose changes to project facilities or operation.
Erie proposes to continue to: (1) provide a minimum base flow of 245
cubic feet per second (cfs) or inflow, whichever is less, from March 1
through June 1 from the Franklin Falls powerhouse; and from June 2 to
March 1 reservoir inflow is released from the powerhouse, as needed for
the downstream Saranac Project No. 4472 to maintain a minimum base flow
of 165 cfs, or inflow, whichever is less; (2) limit the maximum total
drawdown of the Franklin Falls impoundment to 2 feet below the top of
the flashboards, or 1 foot below the spillway crest when flashboards
are not in use (Erie annually installs flashboards at Franklin Falls by
the first week of June, unless flow conditions warrant otherwise); (3)
provide a minimum flow to the bypassed reach of 125 cfs or inflow,
whichever is less, from March 31 through May 31 for the protection of
walleye spawning and incubation (the release schedule may be modified
on a year-to-year basis based on water temperatures and the presence/
absence of walleye, upon mutual agreement between Erie and the New York
State Department of Environmental Conservation); and (4) operate and
maintain the hand-carry boat launch and canoe portage.
Erie proposes to modify the project boundary by removing
approximately 1.12 acres along the northern shoreline of the project
impoundment that are not needed for project operation and adding
approximately 0.14 acre to include the project's existing hand-carry
boat launch. In addition, Erie proposes to implement its proposed bald
eagle management plan, invasive species management plan, and
impoundment drawdown plan.
m. In addition to publishing the full text of this document in the
Federal Register, the Commission provides all interested individuals an
opportunity to view and/or print the contents of this document via the
internet through the Commission's Home Page (<a href="http://www.ferc.gov">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-15000). At
this time, the Commission has suspended access to the Commission's
Public Access Room. For assistance, contact FERC at
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#165053445559787a7f787345636666796462567073647538717960"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="63252631202c0d0f0a0d06301613130c111723050611004d040c15">[email protected]</span></a> or call toll-free, (886) 208-3676 or TTY,
(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 May 5, 2023.
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: May 5, 2023.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2023-10064 Filed 5-10-23; 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 May 11, 2023.
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.