Federal Register / Vol. 75, No. 228 / Monday, November 29, 2010 / Notices 73059 

Note: The official version of this document 

is the document published in the Federal 

Register. Free Internet access to the official 

edition of the Federal Register and the Code 

of Federal Regulations is available on GPO 

Access at: http://www.gpoaccess.gov/nara/ 

index.html. 

Dated: November 23, 2010. 

Thelma Mele ́ndez de Santa Ana, 

Assistant Secretary for Elementary and 

Secondary Education. 

[FR Doc. 2010–29993 Filed 11–26–10; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4000–01–P 

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION 

Discretionary Grant Programs 

AGENCY: Department of Education. 

ACTION: Notice announcing additional 

requirement for applicants and grantees. 

SUMMARY: The Department of Education 

announces an additional requirement 

affecting applicants and grantees. We 

are taking this action to conform our 

requirements with final guidance issued 

by the Office of Management and 

Budget (OMB) on September 14, 2010 

(Financial Assistance Use of Universal 

Identifier and Central Contractor 

Registration). The new guidance affects 

an applicant’s or grantee’s registration of 

its Dun and Bradstreet Data Universal 

Numbering System (DUNS) Number and 

its Taxpayer Identification Number 

(TIN) with the Central Contractor 

Registration (CCR) database. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Greg 

Vick, U.S. Department of Education, 400 

Maryland Avenue, SW., Washington, 

DC 20202–0170. Telephone: (202) 245– 

6147 or by e-mail: gregory.vick@ed.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In each 

notice inviting applications for grant 

awards, we include requirements 

governing an applicant’s DUNS Number 

and TIN and specify that to do business 

with the Department, an applicant must 

register those numbers with the CCR, 

the Government’s primary registrant 

database. 

In its final guidance issued under 2 

CFR Part 25 and published in the 

Federal Register on September 14, 2010 

(75 FR 55671), OMB added a 

requirement that an entity doing 

business with the Department must 

maintain an active CCR registration with 

current information while its 

application is under review and, if it is 

awarded a grant, during the project 

period. 

The final guidance took effect on 

October 1, 2010, which made it 

applicable to every grant competition 

with an application deadline date on or 

after October 1, 2010. However, on or 

before the effective date, we had 

published a number of notices inviting 

applications that had application 

deadline dates on or after October 1, 

2010, but that did not include the new 

requirement with regard to maintaining 

an active CCR registration. 

This notice serves to inform 

applicants and potential applicants 

under those affected competitions that 

the new requirement applies to them, 

and each such potential applicant must, 

therefore, maintain an active CCR 

registration during the time its 

application is under review and, if 

funded, during the project period. 

However, this requirement does not 

affect the submission of their 

applications and does not require any 

applicant to amend, withdraw, or 

resubmit its application. 

The affected competitions and the 

publication date in the Federal Register 

of each notice inviting applications are 

shown below in order of Catalog of 

Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) 

Number. Questions about the 

applicability of this notice to any 

application submitted under these 

programs should be directed to the 

program contact identified for each 

program. 

CFDA No. 84.019A—Office of 

Postsecondary Education; Overview 

Information; Fulbright-Hays Faculty 

Research Abroad Fellowship Program; 

Notice Inviting Applications for New 

Awards for Fiscal Year (FY) 2011. 

Published October 1, 2010 (75 FR 

60740). Program contact: Cynthia 

Dudzinski, 202–502–7589. 

CFDA No. 84.021A—Office of 

Postsecondary Education; Overview 

Information; Fulbright-Hays Group 

Projects Abroad Program; Notice 

Inviting Applications for New Awards 

for Fiscal Year (FY) 2011. Published 

September 24, 2010 (75 FR 59051). 

Program contact: Michelle Guilfoil, 

202–502–7625. 

CFDA No. 84.022A—Office of 

Postsecondary Education; Overview 

Information; Fulbright-Hays Doctoral 

Dissertation Research Abroad (DDRA) 

Fellowship Program; Notice Inviting 

Applications for New Awards for Fiscal 

Year (FY) 2011. Published September 

17, 2010 (75 FR 57000). Program 

contact: Amy Wilson, 202–502–7689. 

CFDA No. 84.327J—Office of Special 

Education and Rehabilitative Services; 

Overview Information; Technology and 

Media Services for Individuals with 

Disabilities—Video Description 

Research and Development Center; 

Notice Inviting Applications for New 

Awards for Fiscal Year (FY) 2011. 

Published August 12, 2010 (75 FR 

48957). Program contact: Jo Ann 

McCann, 202–245–7434. 

CFDA No. 84.327W—Office of Special 

Education and Rehabilitative Services; 

Overview Information; Technology and 

Media Services for Individuals with 

Disabilities—The Accessible 

Instructional Materials (AIM) Personnel 

Development Center; Notice Inviting 

Applications for New Awards for Fiscal 

Year (FY) 2011. Published September 

28, 2010 (75 FR 59699). Program 

contact: Glinda Hill, 202–245–7376. 

CFDA No. 84.330B—Office of 

Elementary and Secondary Education; 

Overview Information; Advanced 

Placement (AP) Test Fee Program; 

Notice Inviting Applications for New 

Awards for Fiscal Year (FY) 2011. 

Published September 1, 2010 (75 FR 

53681). Program contact: Francisco 

Ramirez, 202–260–1541. 

Electronic Access to This Document: 

You can view this document, as well as 

all other documents of this Department 

published in the Federal Register, in 

text or Adobe Portable Document 

Format (PDF) on the Internet at the 

following site: http://www.ed.gov/news/ 

fedregister. To use PDF you must have 

Adobe Acrobat Reader, which is 

available free at this site. 

Note: The official version of this document 

is the document published in the Federal 

Register. Free Internet access to the official 

edition of the Federal Register and the Code 

of Federal Regulations is available on GPO 

Access at: http://www.gpoaccess.gov/nara/ 

index.html. 

Dated: November 23, 2010. 

Thomas P. Skelly, 

Delegated Authority to Perform the Functions 

of the Chief Financial Officer. 

[FR Doc. 2010–29990 Filed 11–26–10; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4000–01–P 

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY 

Office of Energy Efficiency and 

Renewable Energy 

Record of Decision and Floodplain 

Statement of Findings for the 

Cushman Hydroelectric Project, Mason 

County, Washington, Environmental 

Impact Statement (DOE/EIS–0456) 

AGENCY: Office of Energy Efficiency and 

Renewable Energy, U.S. Department of 

Energy (DOE). 

ACTION: Record of Decision (ROD) and 

Floodplain Statement of Findings. 

SUMMARY: DOE announces its decision 

to provide approximately $4.6 million 

appropriated under the American 

Recovery and Reinvestment Act, Public 

Law 111–5 (Recovery Act), to the City 

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73060 Federal Register / Vol. 75, No. 228 / Monday, November 29, 2010 / Notices 

1City of Tacoma, Washington 132 FERC ¶ 61,037, 

(Order on Remand and an Offer of Settlement, 

Amending License, Authorizing New Powerhouse, 

and Lifting Stay). 

2The ‘‘Cushman Project’’ refers to the entire 

project that FERC licensed in its 2010 Order. The 

scope of the Cushman Project is broader than the 

project that DOE is funding, and is defined in this 

section of this ROD. 

3City of Tacoma, Washington 84 FERC ¶ 61107 

(1998). 

of Tacoma, Washington (Tacoma), for 

the design and construction of certain 

components of the Cushman 

Hydroelectric Project in Mason County, 

Washington. These components include 

a new 3.6 megawatt (MW) powerhouse 

on the North Fork of the Skokomish 

River, an integral fish collection, 

handling, and sorting facility, and 

related transmission infrastructure. 

The environmental impacts from the 

proposed action were analyzed in the 

Federal Energy Regulatory 

Commission’s (FERC’s) 1996 Final 

Environmental Impact Statement for the 

Cushman Hydroelectric Project (FERC 

Project No. 460) (1996 FEIS). In a July 

15, 2010, Order 1 (FERC’s 2010 Order), 

FERC lifted a stay on a 1998 license for 

the Cushman Hydroelectric Project and 

amended the license to include inter 

alia conditions for fish passage facilities 

and authorization to construct the 

powerhouse. FERC’s 2010 Order 

includes the components of the 

Cushman Hydroelectric Project that 

DOE proposes to fund. FERC relied on 

the 1996 FEIS to fulfill its National 

Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) 

obligations for the 1998 license as 

amended on July 15, 2010. DOE has 

adopted the 1996 FEIS and 2010 Order, 

together, as a final DOE EIS (DOE/EIS– 

0456). 

ADDRESSES: DOE’s final EIS, this ROD, 

and other project information are 

available on the DOE NEPA Web site at 

http://nepa.energy.gov. In addition, 

copies of this ROD may be requested by 

contacting Ms. Jane Summerson, NEPA 

Document Manager, Office of Energy 

Efficiency and Renewable Energy 

Department of Energy at 

jane.summerson@ee.doe.gov. Ms. 

Summerson can be reached at the U.S. 

Department of Energy, 1000 

Independence Ave, SW., EE–4a, 

Washington, DC 20585, phone (202) 

287–6188 or fax (202) 586–8177. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For 

further information about this project, 

contact Ms. Summerson as indicated in 

the ADDRESSES section above. For 

information about DOE’s NEPA process, 

contact Ms. Carol M. Borgstrom, 

Director, NEPA Policy and Compliance, 

GC–54, U.S. Department of Energy, 1000 

Independence Avenue, SW., 

Washington, DC 20585, telephone (202) 

586–4600, or leave a message at (800) 

472–2756. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Background 

DOE is providing approximately $4.6 

million to Tacoma, for the design and 

construction of certain components of 

the Cushman Hydroelectric Project in 

Mason County, Washington. These 

components include a new 3.6 MW 

powerhouse on the North Fork of the 

Skokomish River, an integral fish 

collection and sorting facility, and 

related transmission infrastructure.2

Tacoma applied for this funding in 

response to DOE Solicitation (FOA– 

0000120), entitled ‘‘Hydroelectric 

Facility Modernization,’’ pursuant to the 

Wind and Water Technologies Program. 

The goal of the Solicitation is to provide 

funding for industry members who 

propose to develop, deploy, and test 

hydropower projects that would 

modernize the existing hydropower 

infrastructure in the U.S. and increase 

the quantity, value, and environmental 

performance of hydropower generation. 

Because the funds are appropriated by 

the Recovery Act, the projects must 

stimulate the economy and create and 

retain jobs. 

The background on the relicensing of 

the Cushman Project spans several 

decades and includes administrative 

and judicial litigation and multiple 

stays with interim operating 

requirements. To fully understand the 

history of the relicensing process, please 

refer to FERC’s 2010 Order, the 1998 

license,3 and the 1996 FEIS. What 

follows is a brief summary setting forth 

those aspects of the Cushman Project 

and relicensing process relevant to this 

ROD. 

In 1924, Tacoma obtained a license 

from the Federal Power Commission 

(predecessor to FERC) to flood 8.8 acres 

of national forest land by damming the 

North Fork of the Skokomish River at 

Lake Cushman on the Olympic 

Peninsula. This license was designated 

a ‘‘minor part license’’ because it 

covered only a small part of Tacoma’s 

much larger hydroelectric project 

(Cushman Project). At that time, the 

Federal Power Commission interpreted 

its licensing authority narrowly, and the 

1924 minor part license gave Tacoma 

the authority it needed to proceed with 

the Cushman Project. 

The 131 MW Cushman Project is 

located on the North Fork of the 

Skokomish River (North Fork) in Mason 

County, Washington, and occupies U.S. 

lands within the Olympic National 

Forest and the Skokomish Indian 

Reservation. Tacoma built two dams 

across the Skokomish River. Dam No. 1, 

which was completed in 1926, 

impounds Lake Cushman and supplies 

water for electricity generation at a 

powerhouse with a capacity of 50 MW, 

located downstream of that dam. Dam 

No. 2, which was completed in 1930, 

impounds Lake Kokanee, a much 

smaller reservoir than Lake Cushman. 

Water leaving Dam No. 2 passes through 

a tunnel to a second powerhouse with 

81 MW capacity and does not return to 

the North Fork. Historically, the 

Cushman Project diverted nearly all of 

the flow of the North Fork out of the 

river basin, leading to controversy 

regarding the total amount of flow 

diverted from the river, its 

environmental effects, and the 

appropriate level of minimum flows that 

should be required to return water to the 

North Fork. The Cushman Project is 

currently operated to provide loadfollowing power and to meet peakdemand period needs. 

In 1963, the Federal Power 

Commission determined that its 

hydroelectric licensing jurisdiction 

extends to whole projects, not just to the 

parts of those projects that occupy or 

use Federal land. As required by Title 

I of the Federal Power Act, Tacoma filed 

for a ‘‘major project license’’ for the 

Cushman Project on November 5, 1974. 

Tacoma continued to operate the 

Cushman Project under the terms of its 

1924 minor part license, and FERC 

issued annual renewals of Tacoma’s 

existing license during the application 

review period. 

FERC’s 1996 FEIS 

Subsequent to Tacoma’s application 

for a major part license, FERC decided 

to prepare an environmental impact 

statement to analyze the impacts from 

the Cushman Project and alternatives to 

it. FERC issued a Notice of Intent to 

prepare a Draft EIS for the Cushman 

Project on November 12, 1992 (57 FR 

53727). FERC held two rounds of 

scoping, in December 1992 and April 

1993, and issued a final Scoping 

Document in February 1994. FERC 

issued the Draft EIS in November 1995 

and held three public meetings in 

January and February 1996 to receive 

public comments on the Draft EIS (61 

FR 1375). The comment period closed 

on February 13, 1996. FERC issued the 

1996 FEIS on November 15, 1996 (61 FR 

59435). 

After a lengthy relicensing 

proceeding, FERC issued a new license 

for the Cushman Project on July 30, 

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Federal Register / Vol. 75, No. 228 / Monday, November 29, 2010 / Notices 73061 

4City of Tacoma, Washington 84 FERC ¶ 61107 

(1998). 

5City of Tacoma, Washington 86 FERC ¶ 61311 

(1999). 

1998,4 and issued an order on rehearing 

on March 30, 1999.5 The license then 

became the subject of judicial and 

administrative review, in which the 

principal plaintiff was the Skokomish 

Tribe (Tribe), and concerns about 

endangered and threatened species and 

minimum flow were at the center of the 

dispute. The relicensing was stayed in 

part for most of the following decade, 

and FERC, at various times, amended 

the license with conditions for interim 

operation of the Cushman Project. 

As required by Section 7 of the 

Endangered Species Act, the Fish and 

Wildlife Service (FWS) filed a biological 

opinion for protection of listed fish in 

2004. On January 21, 2009, the City of 

Tacoma and other parties to the 

litigation, including the Tribe, filed a 

comprehensive offer of settlement that 

includes conditions for protection of the 

Skokomish Indian Reservation, fish 

passage facilities, and measures for fish 

and wildlife protection. The National 

Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) and 

FWS filed revised biological opinions in 

2010. 

FERC’s 2010 Order 

In its July 15, 2010, Order, FERC lifted 

a stay on a 1998 license for the 

Cushman Project and amended the 

license to include conditions for fish 

passage facilities and authorization to 

construct the 3.6 MW powerhouse. 

FERC relied on the 1996 FEIS to fulfill 

its NEPA obligations for the 1998 

license, as amended in FERC’s 2010 

Order. The amended license includes 

license articles consistent with the 

settlement, extends the license 

expiration date to June 20, 2048, and 

authorizes construction of a new 3.6 

MW powerhouse that will increase the 

Cushman Project’s authorized capacity 

to 134.6 MW. 

As stated above, FERC’s license 

authorizes all activities that DOE is 

funding through this decision. In 

FERC’s 2010 Order, FERC found that the 

activities it authorized, including the 

proposed powerhouse, were within the 

range of alternatives examined in the 

1996 FEIS and that a supplemental EIS 

would not be needed for the activities. 

Alternatives Analyzed in FERC’s 1996 

EIS 

In the 1996 FEIS, FERC analyzed 

Tacoma’s proposal, which included 

replacing turbine runners at the second 

powerhouse; installing a 1.3 MW 

powerhouse at the base of Dam No. 2; 

implementing major environmental 

enhancements such as increasing 

instream flows into the North Fork; 

removing resident fish passage barriers 

in project reservoir tributaries; and 

executing a land exchange to remove 

lands within Olympic National Forest. 

FERC also analyzed four other 

alternatives: 

(1) No Action Alternative; 

(2) Alternative adapted from resource 

agencies’ and Tribe’s recommended 

alternatives to Tacoma’s proposal. 

Under this alternative, Tacoma would 

build a new powerhouse with a 

generating capacity of 16 MW at the 

base of Dam No. 2, and the project 

would operate with full river flows. 

Tacoma would remove certain dikes, 

enhance more than 15,000 acres of land 

for wildlife, and stop diverting water 

from the North Fork; 

(3) Alternative intended to achieve, to 

the extent practicable, important 

elements of each objective: under this 

alternative, Tacoma would manage flow 

levels through an instream flow 

schedule to balance the competing 

demands on North Fork water; build a 

new 3 MW powerhouse near the base of 

Dam No. 2; and implement a staffformulated wildlife habitat 

enhancement plan covering 5,981 acres 

of land for wildlife; and 

(4) Decommissioning Alternative. 

Environmentally Preferred Alternative 

FERC identified Alternative (2) as the 

environmentally preferred alternative in 

the 1996 FEIS because, among other 

things, it maximizes river flows and 

enhances the greatest area of land for 

wildlife in comparison to the other 

alternatives. 

Alternatives Available to DOE 

DOE’s two alternatives are to (1) 

provide funding for certain components 

of the Cushman Project as defined and 

conditioned in FERC’s 2010 Order and 

which were analyzed in substantive part 

in Alternative 2 of the 1996 EIS, or (2) 

not provide funding (No Action 

Alternative). Under either alternative, 

Tacoma would construct and operate 

the Cushman Project consistent with 

FERC’s 2010 Order and related 

settlement agreements. 

Consultation 

FERC is the lead Federal agency for 

complying with Section 106 of the 

National Historic Preservation Act 

(NHPA) and Tribal Consultation for all 

components of the Cushman Project. 

The Tribe and others originally opposed 

Tacoma’s Cultural Resource Summary 

Report, and cultural resource protection 

became a contested issue. On May 13, 

2010, however, FERC entered into a 

Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) 

with the Washington State Historic 

Preservation Officer (SHPO) and the 

Tribe, and other interested parties 

concurred in the MOA. The MOA 

includes a Treatment Plan that Tacoma 

must follow to protect cultural resources 

during the construction of the new 

powerhouse. On June 8, 2010, the 

Advisory Council on Historic 

Preservation (ACHP) acknowledged 

receipt of the MOA and stated that 

FERC had completed its requirements 

under Section 106 of the NHPA. 

DOE hereby concurs with the May 13, 

2010, MOA and, in so doing, completes 

its own consultation requirements 

under Section 106 of the NHPA. DOE’s 

proposed action is to fund elements of 

the Cushman Project that were already 

the subject of extensive Section 106 

consultations. 

FERC is also the lead Federal agency 

for complying with Section 7 of the 

Endangered Species Act (16 U.S.C. 

1536) (ESA). FERC consulted 

extensively with both NMFS and FWS 

regarding impacts from the Cushman 

Project on listed species and critical 

habitat. These agencies concluded 

consultation when NMFS and FWS 

issued Biological Opinions finding that 

the Cushman Project is not likely to 

result in jeopardy to listed species or 

destruction or adverse modification of 

critical habitat. FERC and Tacoma 

agreed to implement certain mitigation 

measures (2010 Order at 148). 

DOE finds that, either with or without 

DOE funding, Tacoma will manage the 

Cushman Project in compliance with 

the terms of FERC’s relicense and the 

settlement agreement, which include 

terms that mitigate impacts to listed 

species. Thus, DOE’s proposed action 

will have no effect on listed species or 

critical habitat and DOE has fulfilled its 

obligations under Section 7 of the ESA. 

EIS Adoption 

DOE has independently reviewed the 

1996 FEIS and FERC’s 2010 Order and 

has concluded that, together, the 1996 

FEIS and FERC’s 2010 Order meet the 

standards for an adequate 

environmental impact statement under 

the Council on Environmental Quality’s 

and DOE’s NEPA regulations, which can 

be found at 40 CFR Parts 1500–1508 and 

10 CFR Part 1021, respectively. In 

addition, DOE has determined that the 

Cushman Project is within the range of 

alternatives analyzed in the 1996 FEIS. 

The only difference between the 

project that DOE is funding and the 

actions analyzed under the 1996 FEIS is 

the placement of a transmission line. In 

the 1996 FEIS, FERC analyzed an 

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73062 Federal Register / Vol. 75, No. 228 / Monday, November 29, 2010 / Notices 

aboveground transmission line. Tacoma 

is now planning to bury the line 

underground to mitigate environmental 

impacts. This mitigation measure is not 

a substantial change in the proposed 

action relevant to environmental 

concerns, within the meaning of 40 CFR 

1502.9(c), warranting a supplement to 

the FEIS. Accordingly, DOE adopted 

FERC’s 1996 FEIS and 2010 Order as a 

final DOE EIS (DOE/EIS–0456). 

Because DOE did not participate as a 

cooperating agency in preparation of 

FERC’s 1996 FEIS, DOE recirculated the 

adopted document as a DOE final EIS 

and filed it with the Environmental 

Protection Agency (EPA). EPA 

published a notice of availability in the 

Federal Register on October 8, 2010 (75 

FR 62386). DOE did not receive any 

comments on the final EIS. 

Floodplain Statement of Findings 

In accordance with DOE regulations at 

10 CFR Part 1022 (Compliance with 

Floodplain and Wetland Environmental 

Review Requirements), DOE considered 

the potential impacts of the Cushman 

Project on floodplains. These findings 

are based on the assessment of 

environmental impacts in the final EIS. 

The location of the Cushman Project 

and the alternatives considered are 

discussed in detail in the final EIS. The 

differences among the alternatives, 

including the original proposal from 

Tacoma, are summarized above. 

DOE finds that no practicable 

alternative to locating the Cushman 

Project in a floodplain is available. The 

nature of the existing Cushman Dam site 

and the process of generating electricity 

from water pressure require that the 

proposed powerhouse be constructed 

downstream of the dam; therefore the 

proposed construction will necessarily 

be within a floodplain. 

FERC’s 2010 Order establishes 

numerous requirements that Tacoma 

must follow in constructing and 

operating the proposed new facilities to 

minimize potential harm to or within 

the floodplain, including measures to 

reduce flooding hazards while 

protecting water quality and fish 

habitat. For example, Article 403 of 

FERC’s 2010 Order requires Tacoma to 

implement measures to enhance the 

channel conveyance capacity of the 

mainstem Skokomish River for the 

reduction of risks to human health and 

welfare from flooding, including, among 

other things, providing funds to the U.S. 

Army Corps of Engineers for a 

Skokomish River Basin Ecosystem 

Restoration and Flood Damage 

Reduction General Investigation; the 

preparation, under certain conditions, of 

a Mainstem Channel Restoration Plan in 

consultation with NMFS, FWS, the 

Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) and 

including the comments of the Federal 

Emergency Management Agency, EPA, 

and Mason County; and, under certain 

conditions, providing funds for a 

Channel Restoration Account. 

In addition, under Articles 406 and 

407 of FERC’s 2010 Order, Tacoma must 

prepare and implement an Operational 

and Flow Monitoring Plan to improve 

fish habitat, address lake water use 

changes, improve sediment transport 

and stream flow, and improve flood 

control and forecasting. This plan must 

be submitted to and approved by NMFS, 

FWS, and BIA. Under certain 

conditions, Tacoma would be required 

to develop a Flood Damage and 

Mitigation Plan and provide funding to 

implement the plan. 

Mitigation 

In addition to adopting the measures 

addressing floodplain impacts, 

described above, DOE adopts and 

incorporates by reference all other 

mitigation measures documented in 

FERC’s 2010 Order. These other 

measures include but are not limited to: 

• Monitoring water use, which 

provides a feedback mechanism to help 

ensure that adequate flows will be 

available to meet the needs of 

anadromous fish at different times of the 

year, support aquatic habitats, maintain 

improvements to the channel capacity 

of the river, and provide some 

assurances that the flows released will 

benefit these resources. 

• A variety of fish habitat protection, 

mitigation and enhancement measures 

such as habitat enhancement and 

restoration work that benefits 

anadromous fish by improving channel 

habitat and removing instream barriers. 

• The use of a floating surface 

collector for downstream fish passage. 

Tacoma will use a trap and haul system 

for upstream fish passage. 

• Implementation of a resident 

fishery, which will include anadromous 

fish hatcheries. 

Decision 

DOE has decided to provide funding, 

appropriated by the Recovery Act, to 

Tacoma for the design and construction 

of certain components of the Cushman 

Project in Mason County, Washington. 

These components include a new 3.6 

MW powerhouse on the North Fork of 

the Skokomish River, an integral fish 

collection and sorting facility, and 

related transmission infrastructure. 

DOE incorporates by reference all 

mitigation measures and other 

conditions identified in FERC’s 2010 

Order. DOE expects that Tacoma will 

execute the Cushman Project in 

compliance with FERC’s 2010 Order. 

Thus, all practicable means to avoid or 

minimize environmental harm have 

been adopted. 

Basis for Decision 

DOE’s decision enables it to meet the 

objectives set forth in the Solicitation, 

namely, to provide financial assistance 

for industry members and industry-led 

partnerships who propose to develop, 

deploy, and test hydropower projects to 

modernize the existing hydropower 

infrastructure in the U.S. and increase 

the quantity, value, and environmental 

performance of hydropower generation. 

DOE did not select the No Action 

alternative because it would not meet 

DOE’s objectives, as set forth in the 

Solicitation. 

DOE decided not to fund alternatives, 

or alternative components, that were 

analyzed in the 1996 FEIS but were not 

authorized under FERC’s 2010 Order. 

Without a FERC license, Tacoma would 

not be able to implement such 

alternatives. 

Issued in Washington, DC, on this 18th day 

of November 2010. 

Cathy Zoi, 

Assistant Secretary, Energy Efficiency and 

Renewable Energy. 

[FR Doc. 2010–29936 Filed 11–26–10; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 6450–01–P 

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY 

Federal Energy Regulatory 

Commission 

[Project No. 13848–000] 

Qualified Hydro 27, LLC; Notice of 

Preliminary Permit Application 

Accepted for Filing and Soliciting 

Comments, Motions To Intervene, and 

Competing Applications 

November 19, 2010. 

On September 30, 2010, Qualified 

Hydro 27, LLC filed an application for 

a preliminary permit, pursuant to 

section 4(f) of the Federal Power Act 

(FPA), proposing to study the feasibility 

of the Howard A. Hanson Dam 

Hydroelectric Project (Howard A. 

Hanson project) to be located in King 

County, Washington, near the town of 

Palmer. The sole purpose of a 

preliminary permit, if issued, is to grant 

the permit holder priority to file a 

license application during the permit 

term. A preliminary permit does not 

authorize the permit holder to perform 

any land-disturbing activities or 

otherwise enter upon lands or waters 

owned by others without the owners’ 

express permission. 

mstockstill on DSKH9S0YB1PROD with NOTICES