46902 Federal Register / Vol. 73, No. 156 / Tuesday, August 12, 2008 / Notices 

1WAPA–120 was approved by the Deputy 

Secretary of Energy on August 11, 2005 (70 FR 

¶ 71280), and confirmed and approved by the 

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) on 

a final basis on August 26, 2005, in Docket No. 

EF05–5091–000 (115 FERC ¶ 61362). 

submitted between August 4, 2008 and 

August 12, 2008 are deemed timely 

submitted. 

Dated: August 4, 2008. 

Jon C. Worthington, 

Administrator. 

[FR Doc. E8–18574 Filed 8–11–08; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 6450–01–P 

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY 

Western Area Power Administration 

Boulder Canyon Project 

AGENCY: Western Area Power 

Administration, DOE. 

ACTION: Notice of Base Charge and Rates. 

SUMMARY: The Deputy Secretary of 

Energy approved the Fiscal Year (FY) 

2009 Base Charge and Rates (Rates) for 

Boulder Canyon Project (BCP) electric 

service provided by the Western Area 

Power Administration (Western). The 

Rates will provide sufficient revenue to 

pay all annual costs, including interest 

expense, and repay investments within 

the allowable period. 

DATES: The Rates will be effective the 

first day of the first full billing period 

beginning on or after October 1, 2008. 

These Rates will stay in effect through 

September 30, 2009, or until superseded 

by other rates. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. 

Jack Murray, Rates Manager, Desert 

Southwest Customer Service Region, 

Western Area Power Administration, 

P.O. Box 6457, Phoenix, AZ 85005–

6457, (602) 605–2442, e-mail 

jmurray@wapa.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Rate 

Schedule BCP–F7, Rate Order No. 

WAPA–120, effective October 1, 2005, 

through September 30, 2010, allows for 

an annual recalculation of the rates.1

Under Rate Schedule BCP–F7, the 

existing composite rate, effective on 

October 1, 2007, was 17.64 mills per 

kilowatthour (mills/kWh). The base 

charge was $66,975,283, the energy rate 

was 8.82 mills/kWh, and the capacity 

rate was $1.63 per kilowattmonth 

(kWmonth). The re-calculated rates for 

BCP electric service, to be effective 

October 1, 2008, will result in an overall 

composite rate of 18.62 mills/kWh. The 

proposed rates were calculated using 

the FY 2009 Final Ten-Year Operating 

Plan. This resulted in an increase of 

approximately 5.56 percent when 

compared with the existing BCP electric 

service composite rate. The increase is 

due to a decrease in the projected 

energy sales and an increase in the 

annual revenue requirement. The FY 

2009 base charge is increasing to 

$70,213,497. The major contributing 

factor to the base charge increase is the 

increase in annual expenses. The FY 

2009 energy rate of 9.31 mills/kWh is 

approximately a 5.56 percent increase 

from the existing energy rate of 8.82 

mills/kWh. The increase in the energy 

rate is due to a decrease in the projected 

energy sales resulting from a decrease in 

projected water releases. The FY 2009 

capacity rate of $1.73/kWmonth reflects 

an increase of approximately 6.13 

percent compared to the existing 

capacity rate of $1.63/kWmonth. The 

increase in the capacity rate is due to 

dropping lake elevations. Another factor 

contributing to the increase in both the 

energy and capacity rates is the increase 

in the annual revenue requirement. 

The following summarizes the steps 

taken by Western to ensure involvement 

of all Interested Parties in determining 

the Rates: 

1. A Federal Register notice was 

published on February 1, 2008 (73 FR 

6177), announcing the proposed rate 

adjustment process, initiating a public 

consultation and comment period, 

announcing public information and 

public comment forums, and presenting 

procedures for public participation. 

2. On February 4, 2008, a letter was 

mailed from Western’s Desert Southwest 

Customer Service Region to the BCP 

Contractors and other Interested Parties 

announcing an informal customer 

meeting and public information and 

comment forums. 

3. Discussion of the proposed Rates 

was initiated at an informal BCP 

Contractor meeting held March 12, 

2008, in Phoenix, Arizona. At this 

informal meeting, representatives from 

Western and the Bureau of Reclamation 

(Reclamation) explained the basis for 

estimates used to calculate the Rates 

and held a question and answer session. 

4. At the public information forum 

held on April 2, 2008, in Phoenix, 

Arizona, Western and Reclamation 

representatives explained the proposed 

Rates for FY 2009 in greater detail and 

held a question and answer session. 

5. A public comment forum held on 

April 23, 2008, in Phoenix, Arizona, 

provided the public an opportunity to 

comment for the record. Three 

individuals commented at this forum. 

6. Western received one comment 

letter during the 90-day consultation 

and comment period. The consultation 

and comment period ended May 1, 

2008. All comments were considered in 

developing the Rates for FY 2009. 

Written comments were received from: 

Irrigation & Electrical Districts 

Association of Arizona, Phoenix, 

Arizona. 

Comments and responses, 

paraphrased for brevity when not 

affecting the meaning of the statements, 

are presented below. 

Rates Stability 

Comment: BCP Contractors expressed 

concern that the composite rate has 

increased from 8.93 mills/kWh in 2000 

to 18.53 mills/kWh in 2009. The BCP 

Contractors further suggested that since 

major projects at Hoover which resulted 

in increased spending are complete and 

Lake Mead water levels continue to be 

low, Western and Reclamation should 

postpone expenditures where possible 

and strive to structure budgets in such 

a way to levelize or reduce rates. 

Response: Western and Reclamation 

appreciate the BCP Contractors’ concern 

over reduced generation and increased 

spending. Much of the increased 

spending is aimed toward maintaining 

the reliability of the Hoover resource 

and achieving maximum energy and 

capacity even as Lake Mead water levels 

decline. However, Western and 

Reclamation will continue to partner 

with the Hoover Contractors, through 

the Engineering and Operating 

Committee and the Technical Review 

Committee, to seek ways to structure 

budgets in such a way to minimize cost 

increases while maintaining the safe 

and reliable operation of the project. 

Security Costs Legislation 

Comment: An Interested Party made a 

statement with regard to Senate Bill S. 

2739. Section 513 of that bill contains 

post-September 11, 2001, security cost 

legislation which specifies the amount 

of security costs which will be 

considered non-reimbursable. The 

Interested Party requested that Western 

and Reclamation adjust their budgets to 

account for the legislation. 

Response: The President of The 

United States signed Senate Bill S.2739 

into law on May 8, 2008 (Pub. L. 110–

229). Reclamation will determine if any 

reimbursable costs in Section 513 will 

be deemed non-reimbursable under this 

new law. If the determination is made 

prior to the finalization of the rate 

package, Western will implement 

appropriate changes, if necessary to the 

FY 2009 Rates. If the determination is 

made after the rate package is finalized, 

then any security costs deemed nonreimbursable will roll into carry over, 

reducing FY 2010 Rates. 


sroberts on PROD1PC70 with NOTICES
Federal Register / Vol. 73, No. 156 / Tuesday, August 12, 2008 / Notices 46903 

2The existing ratesetting formula was established 

in Rate Order No. WAPA–70 on April 19, 1996, in 

Docket No. EF96–5091–000 at 75 FERC ¶ 62050, for 

the period beginning November 1, 1995, and ending 

September 30, 2000. Rate Order No. WAPA–94, 

extending the existing ratesetting formula beginning 

on October 1, 2000, and ending September 30, 2005, 

was approved on July 31, 2001, in Docket No. 

EF00–5092–000 at 96 FERC ¶ 61171. Rate Order No. 

WAPA–120, extending the existing ratesetting 

formula for another five-year period beginning on 

October 1, 2005, and ending September 30, 2010, 

was approved on June 22, 2006, in Docket No. 

EF05–5091–000 at 115 FERC ¶ 61362. 

Hydrology 

Comment: An Interested Party sought 

assurance that Western, in its base 

charge and rates calculation, take into 

account the new Reclamation 24-month 

study. The revised study should show 

equalization releases from Lake Powell 

beginning in May and continuing 

through September. The end result 

could be increased efficiencies and a 

reduction in the per-unit cost for 

capacity charged to customers. 

Response: Western will utilize the 

final master schedule which includes 

the most current 24-month study prior 

to submitting the rate package for 

approval. The final master schedule is 

normally completed in early June and 

will have the most up to date 

information available at that time. 

BCP Electric Service Rates 

BCP electric service rates are designed 

to recover an annual revenue 

requirement that includes operation and 

maintenance expenses, payments to 

states, visitor services, the uprating 

program, replacements, investment 

repayment, and interest expense. 

Western’s Power Repayment Study 

(PRS) allocates the projected annual 

revenue requirement for electric service 

equally between capacity and energy. 

Availability of Information 

Information about this base charge 

and rate adjustment, including power 

repayment studies, comments, letters, 

memorandums, and other supporting 

material developed or maintained by 

Western that was used to develop the 

FY 2009 BCP Rates, is available for 

public review in the Desert Southwest 

Customer Service Regional Office, 

Western Area Power Administration, 

615 South 43rd Avenue, Phoenix, 

Arizona. The information is also 

available on Western’s Web site at 

http://www.wapa.gov/dsw/pwrmkt/BCP/ 

RateAdjust.htm. 

Ratemaking Procedure Requirements 

BCP electric service rates are 

developed under the Department of 

Energy Organization Act (42 U.S.C. 

7101–7352), through which the power 

marketing functions of the Secretary of 

the Interior and Reclamation under the 

Reclamation Act of 1902 (ch. 1093, 32 

Stat. 388), as amended and 

supplemented by subsequent 

enactments, particularly section 9(c) of 

the Reclamation Project Act of 1939 (43 

U.S.C. 485h(c)), and other acts that 

specifically apply to the project 

involved, were transferred to and vested 

in the Secretary of Energy, acting by and 

through Western. 

By Delegation Order No. 00–037.00, 

effective December 6, 2001, the 

Secretary of Energy delegated: (1) The 

authority to develop long-term power 

and transmission rates on a nonexclusive basis to Western’s 

Administrator, (2) the authority to 

confirm, approve, and place such rates 

into effect on an interim basis to the 

Deputy Secretary of Energy, and (3) the 

authority to confirm, approve, and place 

into effect on a final basis, to remand or 

to disapprove such rates to FERC. 

Existing DOE procedures for public 

participation in electric service rate 

adjustments are located at 10 CFR part 

903, effective September 18, 1985 (50 

FR 37835), and 18 CFR part 300. DOE 

procedures were followed by Western in 

developing the rate formula approved 

by FERC on June 22, 2006, at 115 FERC 

¶ 61362.2

The Boulder Canyon Project 

Implementation Agreement requires 

that, prior to October 1 of each rate year, 

Western determine the annual rates for 

the next fiscal year. The rates for the 

first rate year, and each fifth rate year 

thereafter, will become effective 

provisionally upon approval by the 

Deputy Secretary of Energy subject to 

final approval by FERC. For all other 

rate years, the rates will become 

effective on a final basis upon approval 

by the Deputy Secretary of Energy. 

Western will continue to provide 

annual rates to the BCP Contractors by 

October 1 of each year using the same 

ratesetting formula. The rates are 

reviewed annually and adjusted upward 

or downward to assure sufficient 

revenues are collected to achieve 

payment of all costs and financial 

obligations associated with the project. 

Each fiscal year, Western prepares a PRS 

for the BCP to update actual revenues 

and expenses including interest, 

estimates of future revenues, expenses, 

and capitalized costs. 

The BCP ratesetting formula includes 

a base charge, an energy rate, and a 

capacity rate. The ratesetting formula 

was used to determine the BCP FY 2009 

Rates. 

Western proposes a FY 2009 base 

charge of $70,213,497, an energy rate of 

9.31 mills/kWh, and a capacity rate of 

$1.73/kWmonth be approved on a final 

basis. 

Consistent with procedures set forth 

in 10 CFR part 903 and 18 CFR part 300, 

Western held a consultation and 

comment period. The notice of the 

proposed FY 2009 Rates for electric 

service was published in the Federal 

Register on February 1, 2008 (73 FR 

6177). 

Under Delegation Order Nos. 00–

037.00 and 00–001.00B, and in 

compliance with 10 CFR part 903 and 

18 CFR part 300, I hereby approve the 

FY 2009 Rates for BCP Electric Service 

on a final basis under Rate Schedule 

BCP–F7 through September 30, 2009. 

Dated: August 1, 2008. 

Jeffrey F. Kupfer, 

Acting Deputy Secretary. 

[FR Doc. E8–18575 Filed 8–11–08; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 6450–01–P 

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION 

AGENCY 

[EPA–HQ–OW–2008–0517, FRL–8703–1] 

Agency Information Collection 

Activities: Proposed Collection; 

Comment Request; Study of Unused 

Pharmaceuticals from Medical and 

Veterinary Facilities (New), EPA ICR 

Number 2316.01, OMB Control No. 

2040–NEW 

AGENCY: Environmental Protection 

Agency (EPA). 

ACTION: Notice. 

SUMMARY: In compliance with the 

Paperwork Reduction Act (44 U.S.C. 

3501 et seq.), this document announces 

that EPA is planning to submit a 

proposed Information Collection 

Request (ICR) to the Office of 

Management and Budget (OMB). This is 

a request for a new collection. Before 

submitting the ICR to OMB for review 

and approval, EPA is soliciting 

comments on specific aspects of the 

proposed information collection as 

described below. 

DATES: Comments must be submitted on 

or before November 10, 2008. 

ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, 

data and information, identified by 

Docket ID No. EPA–HQ–OW–2008–

0517, by one of the following methods: 

(1) http://www.regulations.gov. 

Follow the on-line instructions for 

submitting comments. 

(2) E-mail: OW-Docket@epa.gov, 

Attention Docket ID No. EPA–HQ–OW–

2008–0517. 

(3) Mail: Water Docket, Environmental 

Protection Agency, Mailcode: 4203M, 


sroberts on PROD1PC70 with NOTICES