Document ID: FERC-2010-0887-0001
Agency: ferc
Document Type: Notice
Title: Soliciting Scoping Comments for an Applicant Prepared Environmental Assessment, etc.: City and Borough of Sitka
Posted Date: 2010-06-25T04:00Z

[Federal Register: June 25, 2010 (Volume 75, Number 122)]
[Notices]               
[Page 36384-36385]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr25jn10-52]                         

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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Project No. 13234-001]

 
City and Borough of Sitka; Notice Soliciting Scoping Comments for 
an Applicant Prepared Environmental Assessment Using the Alternative 
Licensing Process

June 17, 2010.
    a. Type of Application: Alternative Licensing Process
    b. Project No.: 13234-001
    c. Applicant: City and Borough of Sitka
    d. Name of Project: Takatz Lake Hydroelectric Project
    e. Location: On the Takatz Lake and Takatz Creek, approximately 20 
miles east of the City of Sitka, Alaska, on the east side of Baranof 
Island. The project would occupy lands of the Tongass National Forest, 
administered by the U.S. Forest Service.
    f. Filed Pursuant to: Federal Power Act, 16 U.S.C. 791(a)-825(r).
    g. Applicant Contact: Christopher Brewton, Utility Manager, City 
and Borough of Sitka, Electric Department, 105 Jarvis Street, Sitka, 
Alaska 99835; (907) 747-1870, e-mail: chrisb@cityofsitka.com.
    h. FERC Contact: Joseph Adamson, at (202) 502-2085; or e-mail 
joseph.adamson@ferc.gov.
    i. Deadline for filing scoping comments: July 19, 2010
    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.
    The Commission's Rules of Practice and Procedure require all 
interveners 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 intervener 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.
    Scoping comments may be filed electronically via the Internet in 
lieu of paper. The Commission strongly encourages electronic filings. 
See 18 CFR 385.2001(a)(1)(iii) and the instructions on the Commission's 
Web site (http://www.ferc.gov/docs-filing/ferconline.asp) under the 
``e-filing'' link. For a simpler method of submitting text only 
comments, click on ``Quick Comment.''

[[Page 36385]]

    j. The Takatz Lake project would consist of: (1) A newly 
constructed concrete arch dam with a crest elevation of 1,052 feet mean 
sea level (msl), a spillway elevation of 1,040 feet msl, and a 
structural height of 200 feet; (2) a 30-foot-high secondary saddle dam; 
(3) an increase in the Takatz Lake impoundment with a 740-acre surface 
area and a 124,000 acre-feet storage capacity at spillway elevation of 
1,040 feet msl; (4) an intake structure for a 2,800-foot-long, 6.5-foot 
by 7-foot modified unlined horseshoe tunnel, leading to a 72-inch-
diameter 1,000-foot-long steel penstock; (5) a 4,000 square foot 
powerhouse: (6) two Francis-type generating units, having a total 
installed capacity of 27.6 megawatts; (7) an approximately 4-mile-long 
access road; (8) an approximately 21-mile-long, 115 kilovolt (kv) or 
138 kv transmission line that consists of either a combination of a 
submerged marine and lake, overhead, and underground segments (Marine 
Alternative Segment), or a combination of a submerged lake, overhead, 
and underground segments (Overland Alternative Segment); and (9) other 
appurtenant equipment.
    k. Scoping Process: The City and Borough of Sitka (City) is using 
the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission's (Commission) alternative 
licensing process (ALP). Under the ALP, the City will prepare an 
Applicant Prepared Environmental Assessment (APEA) and license 
application for the Takatz Lake Hydroelectric Project.
    Although it is our intent to prepare an EA, there is a possibility 
the Commission will prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for 
the project.
    The project as proposed in Scoping Document 2 (SD2) differs from 
the City's proposal described in their Pre-application document and 
Scoping Document 1, filed March, 20, 2009, and August 27, 2009, 
respectfully. Therefore, to support and assist our environmental 
review, we are conducting additional paper scoping on the current 
proposal to ensure that all pertinent issues and alternatives are 
identified and analyzed, and that the EA is thorough and balanced. 
Commission staff does not propose to conduct any on-site scoping 
meetings at this time. Instead, we are soliciting comments, 
recommendations, and information, on the Scoping Document 2 (SD2) 
issued on June 16, 2010.
    Copies of the SD2 outlining the subject areas to be addressed in 
the EA were distributed to the parties on the Commission's mailing list 
and the applicant's distribution list. Copies of the SD2 may be viewed 
on the Web 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, call 1-866-208-3676 or 
for TTY, (202) 502-8659.

Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2010-15389 Filed 6-24-10; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P