[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 202 (Monday, October 20, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Pages 54449-54450]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-27699]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
[Project Nos. 2375, ME and 8277, ME]


International Paper Company, Otis Hydroelectric Company; Notice 
of Applications Tendered for Filing; Notice of Applications and 
Applicant Prepared EA Accepted for Filing; Notice Requesting 
Interventions and Protests; Notice Establishing Procedural Schedule and 
Final Amendment Deadline; and Notice Requesting Comments, Final Terms 
and Conditions, Recommendations and Prescriptions

October 14, 1997.
    International Paper Company and Otis Hydroelectric Company have 
filed with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (Commission) an 
Applicant Prepared Environmental Assessment (APEA) and License 
Applications for the Riley-Jay-Livermore Project No. 2375 and the Otis 
Project No. 8277 located on the Androscoggin River, Maine.
    The proposed Riley-Jay-Livermore Project consists of three separate 
developments. The existing facilities at the Riley Project include: (1) 
A 19.2 ft-high by 757 ft-long L-shaped dam constructed of rock-filled 
timber cribbing; (2) two contiguous spillway sections topped with 48 
inch-high flash boards; (3) a 7.3 mile-long impoundment with a surface 
area of 578 acres; (4) a triangular shaped forebay; (5) a powerhouse 
intake containing six timber gates; (6) a powerhouse containing six 
identical 1.3 megawatt (MW) generating units with a total rated 
hydraulic capacity of 5,556 cfs; and (7) a substation connected to a 
one-mile long, 13.8 kilovolt (kV) transmission line.
    The existing facilities at the Jay Project include; (1) An 893 
foot-long dam comprised of three non-contiguous sections, two with 32-
inch high flashboards; (2) a 150-foot-long by 37 foot wide powerhouse 
intake containing six timber gates; (3) six identical horizontal shaft 
turbines with maximum and minimum hydraulic capacities of 550 cubic 
feet per second (cfs) and 200 cfs, respectively, for a total rated 
hydraulic capacity of 3,300 cfs; (4) a 1.5 mile-long impoundment with a 
surface area of 206 acres; (5) a 320 foot-long forebay; (6) a 
powerhouse containing six generators with a total installed capacity of 
3,125 kilowatts (kW); and (7) a substation connected to a 6,000 foot-
long, 13.8 kV transmission line.
    The existing facilities at the Livermore Project include; (1) An 
849 foot-long concrete gravity dam; (2) a 25-foot-long forebay intake 
structure with 10 steel gates; (3) a 0.75 mile-long impoundment with 46 
acres surface area; (4) a powerhouse intake structure containing eight 
timber gates; (5) a powerhouse containing eight identical turbines with 
maximum and minimum hydraulic capacities of 432 cfs and 100 cfs, 
respectively, for a total rated hydraulic capacity of 3,456 cfs; (6) 
eight generators with an installed capacity of 8,165 kW; and (7) a sub 
station connected to a 3.2 mile-long, 13.8 kV transmission line.
    International Paper proposes the following new facilities at the 
Livermore Project: (1) Refurbishing three existing generating units; 
(2) removing two existing generating units from operation; (3) 
installing two new 4.12 MW horizontal Kaplan units which would 
discharge into the existing tailrace; (4) installing a 1.32 MW vertical 
Kaplan unit discharging into the lower portion of the bypass reach; and 
(5) upgrading 0.8 mile of transmission line between Livermore and Otis 
Projects to a 13.8 kV overhead line. The proposed Livermore project 
would have a total of 6 generating units. Total hydraulic capacity 
would increase from 3,456 cfs to 5,400 cfs. Installed capacity at

[[Page 54450]]

Livermore would increase from 7.8 MW to 12.26 MW.
    The Otis Project consists of one development. The existing 
facilities at the Otis Project include: (1) A 577 foot-long concrete 
gravity dam in two sections, one with 2 foot-high flash boards, and the 
second with 2.21 foot-high flashboards; (2) an 80-foot-long forebay 
intake structures with 2 headgates; (3) a 2.5 mile-long impoundment 
with 115 acres surface area; (4) a powerhouse containing two identical 
5,175 kW generating units with a total hydraulic capacities of 6,000 
cfs; and (5) a substation connected to a 3.0 mile-long 13.8 kV 
transmission line.

Purpose of Notice

    The purpose of this notice is to: (1) Inform all interested parties 
that an APEA and final license applications for the Riley-Jay-Livermore 
Project and Otis Project have been filed with the Commission on 
September 25, 1997, and are available for the public inspection; (2) 
inform all parties that the applications and APEA are hereby accepted; 
(3) invite interventions and protests; (4) solicit comments, final 
recommendations, terms and conditions, or prescriptions on the final 
license applications and APEA; and (5) identify an approximate schedule 
and procedures that will be followed in processing the applications and 
APEA.
    International Paper Company and Otis Hydroelectric Company have 
used a Collaborative Team approach to prepare the APEA for the Riley-
Jay Livermore and Otis Hydroelectric Projects. The Collaborative Team 
consists of federal, state, and local agencies, non-governmental 
organizations, and the public. The Collaborative Team has been meeting 
since September 1994 to guide the study process and prepare the APEA. 
The Collaborative Team has reached agreement as to the preferred 
alternative for relicensing these projects. This agreement is reflected 
in the APEA as the preferred alternative.

Applicant Prepared EA Process and Processing Schedule

    The Energy Policy Act of 1992 (EP Act) gives the Commission the 
authority to allow the filing of an APEA with a license application. 
The EP Act also directs the Commission to institute procedures, 
including pre-application consultations, to advise applicants of 
studies or other information foreseeable required by the Commission.
    On April 27, 1995, the Director, Office of Huydropower Licensing, 
waived or amended certain of the Commission's regulations to allow for 
coordinated processing of the license applications and the APEA. Since 
then, the Commission has been working cooperatively in advising the 
Collaborative Team of studies or other information foreseeable required 
by the Commission.
    National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) scoping was conducted on 
the projects through scoping documents issued December 8, 1994, and May 
12, 1995, and in public scoping meetings on January 10, 1995. Draft 
license applications and preliminary DEA (PDEA) were issued by the 
Collaborative Team for comment on March 28, 1997. The final license 
applications and APEA were filed with the Commission on October 25, 
1997. The APEA includes responses to all comments received on the PDEA.
    Commission staff have reviewed the APEA and license applications 
and have determined that the applications are acceptable and no 
additional information or studies are needed to prepare the 
Commission's draft EA. The deadline for applicants filing any final 
amendments to the application is 45 days from the date of this notice. 
Comments, as indicated below, are now being requested from interested 
parties. Any comments received will be addressed in the draft EA issued 
by Commission by late December 1997, or early 1998. There will be a 30-
day comment period on the draft EA. A final EA is scheduled for March 
30, 1998, or earlier.

Interventions and Protests

    All such filings must: (1) Bear in all capital letters the title 
``MOTION TO INTERVENE'', (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 protecting or intervening; and (4) otherwise comply with the 
requirements of 18 CFR 385.2001 through 385.2005. All motions to 
intervene must be received 60 days from the date of this notice. A copy 
of any motion to intervene or protest must be served on each applicant.

Comments, Final Terms and Conditions, Recommendations and 
Prescriptions

    Interested parties have 60 days from the date of this notice to 
file with the Commission, any final comments, final recommendations, 
terms and conditions and prescriptions for the Riley-Jay-Livermore and 
Otis Hydroelectric Projects. The applicants will have 45 days to 
respond. In view of the high level of early involvement of the 
Collaborative Team, we expect the majority of comments to reflect the 
agreement and preferred alternative in the DEA.

Copies of the Applications and APEA

    A copy of the DEA and final license applications are available for 
review by contacting Steve W. Groves, International Paper Company, 
Androscoggin Mill, Riley Road, Jay, Maine 04239, or phone 207-897-1389. 
Copies of these documents are also available for review in the 
Commission's Public Reference Room.

Filing Requirements

    The above documents must be filed by providing an original and 8 
copies as required by the Commission's regulations to: Secretary, 
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 First Street, N.E., 
Washington, DC 20426.
    In addition to the above copies, comments or interventions may also 
be submitted on a 3\1/2\-inch diskette formatted for MS-DOS based 
computers to: Secretary, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 
First St., NE, Washington, DC 20426. For Macintosh users, it would be 
helpful to save the documents in Macintosh word processor format and 
then write them to files on a diskette formatted for MS-DOS machines.
    Questions regarding this notice may be directed to Commission staff 
Monte J. TerHaar at 202-219-2768.
Linwood A. Watson, Jr.,
Acting Secretary.
[FR Doc. 97-27699 Filed 10-17-97; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-M