Document ID: FERC-2023-0028-0001
Agency: ferc
Document Type: Notice
Title: Application: Winooski Hydroelectric Co.
Posted Date: 2023-01-10T05:00Z

[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 6 (Tuesday, January 10, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 1372-1373]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-00264]

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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Project No. 6470-008]

Winooski Hydroelectric Company; Notice of Application Ready for 
Environmental Analysis and Soliciting Comments, Recommendations, Terms 
and Conditions, and Prescriptions

    Take notice that the following hydroelectric application has been 
filed with the Commission and is available for public inspection.
    a. Type of Application: Subsequent Minor License.
    b. Project No.: 6470-008.
    c. Date Filed: July 30, 2021.
    d. Applicant: Winooski Hydroelectric Company (WHC).
    e. Name of Project: Winooski 8 Hydroelectric Project (project).
    f. Location: On the Winooski River in Washington County, Vermont. 
The project does not affect federal lands.
    g. Filed Pursuant to: Federal Power Act 16 U.S.C. 791(a)-825(r).
    h. Applicant Contact: Mathew Rubin, General Partner, Winooski 
Hydroelectric Company, 26 State Street, Montpelier, Vermont 05602; 
(802) 793-5939; or email at [email protected].
    i. FERC Contact: Kristen Sinclair at (202) 502-6587, or 
[email protected].
    j. Deadline for filing comments, recommendations, terms and 
conditions, and prescriptions: 60 days from the issuance date of this 
notice; reply comments are due 105 days from the issuance date of this 
notice.
    The Commission strongly encourages electronic filing. Please file 
comments, recommendations, terms and conditions, and prescriptions 
using the Commission's eFiling system at https://ferconline.ferc.gov/FERCOnline.aspx. Commenters can submit brief comments up to 6,000 
characters, without prior registration, using the eComment system at 
https://ferconline.ferc.gov/QuickComment.aspx. You must include your 
name and contact information at the end of your comments. For 
assistance, please contact FERC Online Support at 
[email protected], (866) 208-3676 (toll free), or (202) 502-
8659 (TTY). In lieu of electronic filing, you may submit a paper copy. 
Submissions sent via the U.S. Postal Service must be addressed to: 
Kimberly D. Bose, Secretary, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 
First Street NE, Room 1A, Washington, DC 20426. Submissions sent via 
any other carrier must be addressed to: Kimberly D. Bose, Secretary, 
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 12225 Wilkins Avenue, Rockville, 
Maryland 20852. All filings must clearly identify the project name and 
docket number on the first page: Winooski 8 Hydroelectric Project (P-
6470-008).
    The Commission's Rules of Practice require all intervenors filing 
documents with the Commission to serve a copy of that document on each 
person on the official service list for the project. Further, if an 
intervenor files comments or documents with the Commission relating to 
the merits of an issue that may affect the responsibilities of a 
particular resource agency, they must also serve a copy of the document 
on that resource agency.
    k. This application has been accepted and is now ready for 
environmental analysis.
    l. The Winooski 8 Hydroelectric Project consists of the following 
constructed facilities: (1) a 222.5-foot-long, 26-foot-high concrete 
gravity dam impounding a reservoir with a storage capacity of 
approximately 20 acre-feet at an elevation of 615 feet mean sea level; 
(2) a 148-foot-long spillway with 4-foot-high flashboards built into 
the crest of the dam; (3) a 24-foot-long, hydraulically operated crest 
gate; (4) a 1,100-square-foot forebay located adjacent to the project 
impoundment; (5) three hydraulically operated trashracks; (6) a 1,550-
square-foot powerhouse that contains two semi-Kaplan turbines and one 
fixed propeller turbine for a total installed capacity of 856 
kilowatts; (7) a 100-foot-long tailrace; (8) a 1,000 kilovolt-amp 
station transformer connected to the 600-volt generator lead lines 
approximately 10 feet from the powerhouse; (9) a 10-foot-long, 12.8-
kilovolt undergound transmission line connected to an above-ground 
interconnection pole; and (10) appurtenant facilities. The project 
generates an average of 3,507 megawatt-hours annually.
    WHC proposes to continue to operate the project in an automated 
run-of-river mode except during planned maintenance activities when 
generation flows are increased above inflow rates to lower the 
impoundment water level, followed by WHC storing 10 percent of the 
inflow to refill the impoundment following the completion of 
maintenance activities. WHC also proposes to add 3.6 acres to the 
existing project boundary to enclose a 4,100-foot-long dirt road 
currently used by WHC to access the dam and powerhouse and to enclose 
an existing unimproved recreation site that provides access to the 
river for boating and fishing activities downstream of the dam.
    m. In addition to publishing the full text of this document in the 
Federal Register, a copy of the application can be viewed on the 
Commission's website 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 (i.e., P-6470).
    You may also register online at https://ferconline.ferc.gov/FERCOnline.aspx to be notified via email of new filings and issuances 
related to this or other pending projects. For assistance, contact FERC 
Online Support.
    All filings must (1) bear in all capital letters the title 
``COMMENTS,'' ``REPLY COMMENTS,'' ``RECOMMENDATIONS,'' ``TERMS AND 
CONDITIONS,'' or ``PRESCRIPTIONS;'' (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 submitting the filing; and (4) otherwise comply 
with the requirements of 18 CFR 385.2001 through 385.2005. All 
comments, recommendations, terms and conditions or prescriptions must 
set forth their evidentiary basis and otherwise comply with the 
requirements of 18 CFR 4.34(b). Agencies may obtain copies of the 
application directly from the applicant. Each filing must be 
accompanied by proof of service on all persons listed on the service 
list prepared by the Commission in this proceeding, in accordance with 
18 CFR 4.34(b) and 385.2010.

[[Page 1373]]

    n. The applicant must file no later than 60 days following the date 
of issuance of this notice: (1) a copy of the water quality 
certification; (2) a copy of the request for certification, including 
proof of the date on which the certifying agency received the request; 
or (3) evidence of waiver of water quality certification. Please note 
that the certification request must comply with 40 CFR 121.5(b), 
including documentation that a pre-filing meeting request was submitted 
to the certifying authority at least 30 days prior to submitting the 
certification request. Please also note that the certification request 
must be sent to the certifying authority and to the Commission 
concurrently.
    o. Procedural Schedule: The application will be processed according 
to the following schedule. Revisions to the schedule will be made as 
appropriate.

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               Milestone                           Target date
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Deadline for Filing Comments,           March 2023.
 Recommendations, and Agency Terms and
 Conditions/Prescriptions.
Licensee's Reply to REA Comments......  April 2023.
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    p. Final amendments to the application must be filed with the 
Commission no later than 30 days from the issuance date of this notice.

    Dated: January 4, 2023.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2023-00264 Filed 1-9-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P