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. 

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Federal Register / Vol. 75, No. 228 / Monday, November 29, 2010 / Notices 73063 

The proposed project will consist of 

the following: (1) The existing 675-footlong, 235-foot-high earth and rockfill 

Howard A. Hanson dam; (2) the existing 

Howard A. Hanson reservoir, which has 

a maximum usable storage of 106,000 

acre-feet between elevation 1,206 feet 

above mean sea level (msl) and 

elevation 1,035 feet msl; (3) an 800-footlong steel liner, placed within the 

existing outlet tunnel, bifurcated above 

the existing discharge outlet; (4) a 200- 

foot-long, 10-foot-diameter steel 

penstock leading from the right branch 

of the bifurcation to the powerhouse; (5) 

a 40-foot-long, 80-foot-wide reinforced 

concrete powerhouse containing one 2- 

megawatt (MW) and one 3-MW Francistype turbine; (6) a substation adjacent to 

the powerhouse; (7) a 1,000-foot-long, 

69-kilovolt (kV) transmission line that 

will interconnect with the local utility; 

and (8) appurtenant facilities. The 

estimated annual generation of the 

Howard A. Hanson project would be 14 

gigawatt-hours. 

Applicant Contact: Ramya 

Swaminathan, Qualified Hydro 27, LLC, 

33 Commercial Street, Gloucester, MA 

01930; phone: (978) 283–2822. 

FERC Contact: Kelly Wolcott, (202) 

502–6480. 

Deadline for filing comments, motions 

to intervene, competing applications 

(without notices of intent), or notices of 

intent to file competing applications: 60 

days from the issuance of this notice. 

Competing applications and notices of 

intent must meet the requirements of 18 

CFR 4.36. Comments, motions to 

intervene, notices of intent, and 

competing applications may be filed 

electronically via the Internet. See 18 

CFR 385.2001(a)(1)(iii) and the 

instructions on the Commission’s Web 

site 

http://www.ferc.gov/docs-filing/ 

efiling.asp. Commenters can submit 

brief comments up to 6,000 characters, 

without prior registration, using the 

eComment system at http:// 

www.ferc.gov/docs-filing/ 

ecomment.asp. You must include your 

name and contact information at the end 

of your comments. For assistance, 

please contact FERC Online Support. 

Although the Commission strongly 

encourages electronic filing, documents 

may also be paper-filed. To paper-file, 

mail an original and seven copies to: 

Kimberly D. Bose, Secretary, Federal 

Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 

First Street, NE., Washington, DC 20426. 

More information about this project, 

including a copy of the application, can 

be viewed or printed on the ‘‘eLibrary’’ 

link of Commission’s Web site at http:// 

www.ferc.gov/docs-filing/elibrary.asp. 

Enter the docket number (P–13848–000) 

in the docket number field to access the 

document. For assistance, contact FERC 

Online Support. 

Kimberly D. Bose, 

Secretary. 

[FR Doc. 2010–29858 Filed 11–26–10; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 6717–01–P 

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY 

Federal Energy Regulatory 

Commission 

[Project No. 13762–000; Project No. 13773– 

000; Project No. 13784–000] 

Notice of Competing Preliminary 

Permit Applications Accepted for 

Filing and Soliciting Comments, and 

Motions To Intervene 

November 19, 2010. 

FFP Missouri 15, LLC .................................................................................................................................................... Project No. 13762–000. 

Morgantown Hydro, LLC ............................................................................................................................................... Project No. 13773–000. 

Three Rivers Hydro, LLC .............................................................................................................................................. Project No. 13784–000. 

On May 18, 2010, FFP Missouri 15, 

LLC, Morgantown Hydro, LLC, and 

Three Rivers Hydro LLC filed 

applications, pursuant to section 4(f) of 

the Federal Power Act, proposing to 

study the feasibility of hydropower at 

the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers 

Morgantown Lock & Dam located on the 

Monongahela River in Monongahela 

County, West Virginia. 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. 

Descriptions of the Proposed 

Morgantown Lock & Dam Projects 

FFP Missouri 15, LLC’s project 

(Project No. 13762–000) would consist 

of: (1) An excavated intake channel 

slightly longer and wider than the 

powerhouse; (2) a 60-foot-long, 110-footwide, 40-foot-high proposed 

powerhouse containing two generating 

units having a total installed capacity of 

9.0 megawatts (MW); (3) an excavated 

tailrace channel slightly longer and 

wider than the powerhouse; and (4) a 

proposed 13-mile-long, ranging from 

34.0 to 230-kilovolt (kV) transmission 

line. The proposed project would have 

an average annual generation of 26.0 

gigawatt-hours (GWh), which would be 

sold to a local utility. 

Applicant Contact: Ms. Ramya 

Swaminathan, Free Flow Power 

Corporation, 33 Commercial Street, 

Gloucester, MA 01930; phone (978) 

283–2822. 

Morgantown Hydro LLC’s project 

(Project No. 13773–000) would consist 

of: (1) A proposed 80-foot-long 

excavated power canal; (2) a proposed 

powerhouse containing two generating 

units having a total installed capacity of 

7.2 MW; (3) a 120-foot-long excavated 

tailrace; and (4) a proposed 0.3-milelong, 69.0-kV transmission line. The 

proposed project would have an average 

annual generation of 26.2 GWh, which 

would be sold to a local utility. 

Applicant Contact: Mr. Brent Smith, 

Symbiotics, LLC., P.O. Box 535, Rigby, 

ID 83442; phone (208) 745–0834. 

Three Rivers Hydro, LLC’s project 

(Project No. 13784–000) would consist 

of: (1) A proposed 85-foot-long 

excavated power canal; (2) a 45-footlong, 110-foot-wide, 40-foot-high 

proposed powerhouse containing two 

generating units having a total installed 

capacity of 3.7 MW; (3) a 95-foot-long 

excavated tailrace; and (4) a proposed 

1,100-foot-long, ranging from 34 to 230- 

kV transmission line. The proposed 

project would have an average annual 

generation of 20.0 GWh, which would 

be sold to a local utility. 

Applicant Contact: Mr. Joseph Watt, 

Esq., Three Rivers Hydro, LLC, 316 

South Clinton Street, Suite 4, Syracuse, 

NY 13202; phone (315) 477–9914. 

FERC Contact: Tim Looney (202) 502– 

6096. 

Deadline for filing comments, motions 

to intervene, competing applications 

(without notices of intent), or notices of 

intent to file competing applications: 60 

days from the issuance of this notice. 

Competing applications and notices of 

intent must meet the requirements of 18 

CFR 4.36. Comments, motions to 

intervene, notices of intent, and 

competing applications may be filed 

electronically via the Internet. See 18 

CFR 385.2001(a)(1)(iii) and the 

instructions on the Commission’s Web 

site http://www.ferc.gov/docs-filing/

efiling.asp. Commenters can submit 

brief comments up to 6,000 characters, 

without prior registration, using the 

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