Document Headings

                    Document headings vary by document type but may contain                    the following:                  
                -                       the agency or agencies that issued and signed a document                    
                -                       the number of the CFR title and the number of each part                      the document amends, proposes to amend, or is directly                      related to                    
                -                       the agency docket number / agency internal file number                    
                -                       the RIN which identifies each regulatory action listed in                      the Unified Agenda of Federal Regulatory and Deregulatory                      Actions                    

                    See the                                          Document Drafting Handbook                                        for more details.                  

###### Department of Energy

###### Federal Energy Regulatory Commission 

          - [Project No.: 516-459] 

Take notice that the following hydroelectric application has been filed with the Commission and is available for public inspection. 

                    a.                     *Type of Application:*                     New Major License.                 

                    b.                     *Project No.:*                     P-516-459.                

                    c.                     *Date Filed:*                     August 28, 2008.                 

                    d.                     *Applicant:*                     South Carolina Electric & Gas Company.                 

                    e.                     *Name of Project:*                     Saluda Hydroelectric Project.                 

                    f.                     *Location:*                     On the Saluda River, in Lexington, Richland, Newberry, and Saluda Counties, South Carolina. The project does not occupy any federal lands.                 

                    g.                     *Filed Pursuant to:*                     Federal Power Act 16 U.S.C. 791(a)-825(r)

                    h.                     *Applicant Contact:*                     Mr. James M. Landreth, Vice President, Fossil/Hydro Operations  South Carolina Electric & Gas Company, 111 Research Drive, Columbia, South Carolina 29203; or Mr. William R. Argentieri, P.E., Manager—Civil Engineering, South Carolina Electric & Gas Company, 111 Research Drive, Columbia, South Carolina 29203; (803) 217-7224;                     *bargentieri@scana.com.*

                    i.                     *FERC Contact:*                     Lee Emery, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 First Street, NE., Washington, DC 20426; (202) 502-8379;                     *lee.emery@ferc.gov.*

                    j.                     *Cooperating agencies:*                     We are asking Federal, state, local, and tribal agencies with jurisdiction and/or special expertise with respect to environmental issues to cooperate with us in the preparation of the environmental document. Agencies who would like to request cooperating status should follow the instructions for filing such requests described in item l below. Cooperating agencies should note the Commission's policy that agencies that cooperate in the preparation of the environmental document cannot also intervene.                     *See*                     94 FERC ¶ 61,076 (2001).                 

k. Pursuant to section 4.32(b)(7) of 18 CFR of the Commission's regulations, if any resource agency, Indian Tribe, or person believes that an additional scientific study should be conducted in order to form an adequate factual basis for a complete analysis of the application on its merit, the resource agency, Indian Tribe, or person must file a request for a study with the Commission not later than 60 days from the date of filing of the application, and serve a copy of the request on the applicant. 

l. Deadline for filing additional study requests and requests for cooperating agency status: October 27, 2008. 

All documents (original and eight copies) should be filed with: Kimberly D. Bose, Secretary, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 First Street, NE., Washington, DC 20426. 

                    Additional study requests and requests for cooperating agency status may be filed electronically via the Internet in lieu of paper. The Commission strongly encourages electronic filings.                     *See*                     18 CFR                           ( print page 53415)                        385.2001(a)(1)(iii) and the instructions on the Commission's Web site (                    *http://www.ferc.gov*) under the “e-Filing” link.                 

m. This application is not ready for environmental analysis at this time. 

                    n. The existing 207.3-megawatt Saluda Project consists of: (1) A 7,800-foot-long, 213-foot-high earth-fill dam (Saluda dam), with South Carolina State Highway 6 (Highway 6) running along the top of the dam; (2) a dike that extends 2,550 feet from the north end of the dam, running parallel with Highway 6; (3) a 2,900-foot-long emergency spillway, with six steel Tainter gates, that is located 500 feet from the south end of Saluda dam, and a spillway channel that reconnects with the Saluda River about                     3/4                     mile downstream from the Saluda powerhouse; (4) a 2,300 foot-long, 213-foot-high roller compacted concrete backup dam located along the downstream toe of the Saluda dam, with (i) a crest elevation of 372.0 feet National Geodetic Vertical Datum (NGVD), and (ii) rock fill embankment sections on the north and south ends of the backup dam, having a combined length of 5,700 feet; (5) a 41-mile-long, 50,900-acre reservoir (Lake Murray) at a full pool elevation of 358.5 NGVD, with a total usable storage of approximately 635,000 acre-feet; (6) five 223-foot-high intake towers and associated penstocks; (7) a concrete and brick powerhouse containing four vertical Francis turbine generating units (three at 32.5 MW and one at 42.3 MW), and a fifth vertical Francis turbine generating unit (67.5 MW), which is enclosed in a weather-tight housing located on a concrete deck attached to the south end of the main powerhouse; (8) a 150-foot-long tailrace; and (9) appurtenant facilities. There is no transmission line or bypassed reach associated with the project.                 

                    o. A copy of the application is available for review at the Commission in the Public Reference Room or may be viewed on the Commission's Web site at                     *http://www.ferc.gov*, using the “eLibrary” link. Enter the docket number excluding the last three digits in the docket number field to access the document. For assistance, contact FERC Online Support at FERCOnlineSupport@ferc.gov or toll-free at 1-866-208-3676, or for TTY, (202) 502-8659. A copy is also available for inspection and reproduction at the address in item h above.                 

                    You may also register online at                     *http://www.ferc.gov/​docs-filing/​esubscription.asp*                     to be notified via e-mail of new filings and issuances related to this or other pending projects. For assistance, contact FERC Online Support.                 

p. With this notice, we are initiating consultation with the South Carolina State Historic Preservation Officer, as required by section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act, and the regulations of the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation, 36 CFR 800.4. 

                    q.                     *Procedural schedule and final amendments:*                     The application will be processed according to the following Hydro Licensing Schedule. Revisions to the schedule will be made as appropriate.                

Issue Acceptance or Deficiency Letter—November 2008 

Request Additional Information—November 2008 

Issue Acceptance Letter—February 2009 

Issue Scoping Document 1 for comments—March 2009 

Request Additional Information (if necessary)—May 2009 

Issue Scoping Document 2 (if necessary)—July 2009 

Notice of application is ready for environmental analysis—July 2009 

Notice of the availability of the draft EA—January 2010 

Notice of the availability of the final EA—April 2010 

Final amendments to the application must be filed with the Commission no later than 30 days from the issuance date of the notice of ready for environmental analysis. 

Kimberly D. Bose, 

Secretary.

[FR Doc. E8-21580 Filed 9-15-08; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 6717-01-P