Notice2023-14899
Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation; Notice of Application Ready for Environmental Analysis and Soliciting Comments, Recommendations, Terms and Conditions, and Prescriptions
Primary source
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Published
July 14, 2023
Issuing agencies
Energy DepartmentFederal Energy Regulatory Commission
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 88 Issue 134 (Friday, July 14, 2023)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 134 (Friday, July 14, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 45194-45195]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2023-14899]
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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
[Project No. 2853-073]
Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation; Notice
of Application Ready for Environmental Analysis and Soliciting
Comments, Recommendations, Terms and Conditions, and Prescriptions
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.: 2853-073.
c. Date filed: June 30, 2022.
d. Applicant: Montana Department of Natural Resources and
Conservation (Montana DNRC).
e. Name of Project: Broadwater Hydroelectric Project (project).
f. Location: On the Missouri River near the town of Toston in
Broadwater County, Montana. The project is adjacent to and includes
federal lands administered by the Bureau of Land Management.
g. Filed Pursuant to: Federal Power Act 16 U.S.C. 791(a)-825(r).
h. Applicant Contact: David Lofftus, Hydro Power Program Manager,
Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation, 1424 9th
Avenue, P.O. Box 201601, Helena, Montana 59620; Phone at (406) 444-
6659; or email at <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#52363e3d3434262721123f267c353d24"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="26424a494040525355664b5208414950">[email protected]</span></a>
i. FERC Contact: Ingrid Brofman at (202) 502-8347, or
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#b9f0d7decbd0dd97dbcbd6dfd4d8d7f9dfdccbda97ded6cf"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="662f0801140f0248041409000b0708260003140548010910">[email protected]</span></a>.
j. Deadline for filing comments, recommendations, terms and
conditions, 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
comments, recommendations, terms and conditions, and prescriptions
using the Commission's eFiling system at <a href="https://ferconline.ferc.gov/FERCOnline.aspx">https://ferconline.ferc.gov/FERCOnline.aspx</a>. Commenters can submit brief comments up to 6,000
characters, without prior registration, using the eComment system at
<a href="https://ferconline.ferc.gov/QuickComment.aspx">https://ferconline.ferc.gov/QuickComment.aspx</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#7c3a392e3f3312101512192f090c0c130e083c1a190e1f521b130a"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="f1b7b4a3b2be9f9d989f94a28481819e8385b197948392df969e87">[email protected]</span></a>, (866) 208-3676 (toll free), or (202) 502-
8659 (TTY). In lieu of electronic filing, you may submit a paper copy.
Submissions sent via the U.S. Postal Service must be addressed 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: Broadwater Hydroelectric Project (P-
2853-073).
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 and is now ready for
environmental analysis.
l. The existing Broadwater Hydroelectric Project consists of: (1) a
630-foot-long, 24-foot-high concrete gravity dam with a 360-foot-long
spillway containing seven inflatable rubber gates capable of raising
the dam's crest elevation by 11 feet; (2) a 275-acre, 9-mile-long
reservoir; (3) a 160-foot long rock jetty that extends upstream into
the reservoir that serves to separate inflow to the powerhouse from the
headworks
[[Page 45195]]
of the non-project irrigation canal adjacent to the dam; (4) an intake
integral with the powerhouse and covered by two inclined trashracks,
each 20 feet wide and 40 feet high, with a clear bar spacing of 3
inches; (5) a 160-foot-long, 46-foot-wide, 64-foot high powerhouse
containing a single Kaplan turbine with a rated capacity of 9.66
megawatts; (6) a 100-kilovolt, 2.8-mile-long transmission line; and (6)
appurtenant facilities.
The project is operated in a run-of-river mode and generates an
estimated average of 40,669 megawatt-hours per year.
Montana DNRC proposes to remove the jetty that separates the
hydropower intake and the irrigation canal intake and install two
parallel 100-foot-long, 10-foot-wide by 10-foot-high box culverts
within the irrigation intake canal and a bulkhead near the current
irrigation headworks. Once these facilities are installed, any water
diverted for irrigation would first pass through a new angled screen
with 6-inch spacing between the bars and then pass through the two new
box culverts before entering the existing irrigation intake at the dam.
The existing irrigation intake and facilities at the dam conveying
water to the Broadwater-Missouri irrigation canal system would remain
in place. Montana DNRC proposes to include the new tilted screen and
box culverts as licensed project facilities.
Montana DNRC also proposes to modernize the project trash rake
(i.e., replace and recalibrate sensors on the rake) to minimize debris
buildup on the dam intake and to upgrade its SCADA monitoring system
(i.e., improving connectivity to the substation, protective relaying,
and automation upgrades).
Montana DNRC proposes to continue to operate the project in an
automated run-of-river mode throughout the year where outflow from the
project approximates inflow (minus flows diverted for irrigation).
Montana DNRC proposes to modify its procedures for responding to an
unplanned unit trip to reduce the potential for fish stranding
downstream of the project.
m. A copy of the application is available for review 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.
At this time, the Commission has suspended access to the Commission's
Public Reference Room. For assistance, contact FERC at
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#c5838097868aaba9acaba096b0b5b5aab7b185a3a0b7a6eba2aab3"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="4f090a1d0c00212326212a1c3a3f3f203d3b0f292a3d2c61282039">[email protected]</span></a> or call toll free, (886) 208-3676 or TTY
(202) 502-8659.
You may also register online at <a href="https://ferconline.ferc.gov/FERCOnline.aspx">https://ferconline.ferc.gov/FERCOnline.aspx</a> to be notified via email of new filings and issuances
related to this or other pending projects. For assistance, contact FERC
Online Support.
The Commission's Office of Public Participation (OPP) supports
meaningful public engagement and participation in Commission
proceedings. OPP can help members of the public, including landowners,
environmental justice communities, Tribal members and others, access
publicly available information and navigate Commission processes. For
public inquiries and assistance with making filings such as
interventions, comments, or requests for rehearing, the public is
encouraged to contact OPP at (202) 502-6595 or <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#e9a6b9b9a98f8c9b8ac78e869f"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="fcb3acacbc9a998e9fd29b938a">[email protected]</span></a>.
All filings must (1) bear in all capital letters the title
``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 submitting the filing; 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. Each filing must be
accompanied by proof of service on all persons listed on the service
list prepared by the Commission in this proceeding, in accordance with
18 CFR 4.34(b) and 385.2010.
n. 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.
o. Procedural schedule: The application will be processed according
to the following schedule. Revisions to the schedule will be made as
appropriate.
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Milestone Target date
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Deadline for Filing Comments, September 2023.
Recommendations, and Agency Terms
and Conditions/Prescriptions.
Licensee's Reply to REA Comments..... October 2023.
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p. Final amendments to the application must be filed with the
Commission no later than 30 days from the issuance date of this notice.
Dated: July 7, 2023.
Debbie-Anne A. Reese,
Deputy Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2023-14899 Filed 7-13-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P
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