[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 124 (Monday, June 29, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 35205-35206]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-17199]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
[Project No. 2035-006, CO]


City and County of Denver, CO; Notice of Application and 
Applicant-Prepared EA Accepted for Filing; Notice Requesting 
Interventions and Protests; and Notice Requesting Comments, Final Terms 
and Conditions, Recommendations and Prescriptions

June 23, 1998.
    The Applicant, the City and County of Denver, Colorado acting by 
and through its Board of Water Commissioners (Denver Water), proposes 
to continue to operate and maintain its existing Gross Reservoir 
Project and to construct a hydroelectric generating facility with a 
capacity of not more than 5 megawatts (MW) at the project. The Gross 
Reservoir Project is on South Boulder Creek in Boulder County, 
Colorado. The project is located partially on lands of the United 
States administered by the U.S. Forest Service, Roosevelt National 
Forest, and the Bureau of Land Management.
    The existing project consists of: (1) a 340-foot-high concrete 
gravity dam with a crest length of 1,050 feet; (2) a reservoir with a 
surface area of 418 acres with 2-foot-high flashboards on the dam 
spillway; and (3) a valve house, located downstream from the spillway 
apron, containing discharge valves that release flows onto a 
reinforced-concrete splash pad. The applicant proposes to install the 
following facilities: (1) a powerhouse, reconstructed out of the 
existing valve house, containing one turbine-generator unit with an 
installed capacity not to exceed 5 MW; (2) a switchyard, located 
between the dam and the powerhouse; and (3) a 25-kilovolt (kV), 1-mile-
long transmission line, interconnecting to the Public Service Company 
of Colorado system and replacing an existing 4.16-kV distribution line.
    The purpose of this notice is to: (1) update interested parties on 
the Gross Reservoir Project application process status: (2) inform all 
interested parties that the Gross Reservoir applicant-prepared 
environmental assessment (EA) and final license application filed with 
the Commission on April 29, 1998, are hereby accepted; (3) invite 
interventions and protests; and (4) solicit comments, final 
recommendations, terms and conditions, or prescriptions on Denver 
Water's EA and final license application.

Applicant-Prepared EA Process and Gross Reservoir Project Schedule

    The Energy Policy Act of 1992 (Act) gives the Commission the 
authority to allow the filing of an applicant-prepared EA with a 
license application. The Act also directs the Commission to institute 
procedures, including pre-application consultations, to advise 
applicants of studies or other information foreseeably required by the 
Commission.
    On September 10, 1996, the Director, Office of Hydropower 
Licensing, waived or amended certain of the Commission's regulations to 
allow for the processes of license application and applicant-prepared 
EA preparation to be coordinated.
    Natioal Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) scoping was conducted on 
the project through scoping documents issued October 17, 1996, and 
March 19, 1997, and in public scoping meetings on November 7, 1996. On 
December 15, 1997, Denver Water issued for comment a draft license 
application and preliminary draft EA. On April 29, 1998, Denver Water 
filed with the Commission the final license application and applicant-
prepared EA, copies of which can be obtained from Denver Water.
    Commision staff have determined that some additional information is 
needed from Denver Water, which is due on July 10, 1998 (except for 
engineering drawings of Gross dam, which are due on August 9, 1998). 
Once that information is received, staff will complete and issue a 
draft EA for comment. Staff anticipate issuing their draft EA by the 
end of 1998, and intend on incorporating final comments into the staff 
draft EA. The deadline for filing comments on the application pursuant 
to this notice takes into account the staff additional information 
request. Therefore, commenters should have sufficient time to review 
Denver Water's additional information before filing final comments.

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 protesting or intervening; and (4) otherwise comply with the 
requirements of 19 CFR 385.2001 through 385.2005. Agencies may obtain 
copies of the application directly from Denver Water. All motions to 
intervene must be received 60 days from the date of this notice. A copy 
of

[[Page 35206]]

any motion to intervene or protest must be served on each 
representative of Denver Water specified in the final application.

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 Gross Reservoir Project. 
Denver Water will have 45 days to respond to those.

Filing Requirements

    The above documents must be filed by providing an original and 8 
copies as required by the Commission's regulations to: Acting 
Secretary, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 First Street, NE, 
Washington, DC 20426.
Linwood A. Watson, Jr.,
Acting Secretary.
[FR Doc. 98-17199 Filed 6-26-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-M