Document ID: FERC-2014-0560-0001
Agency: ferc
Document Type: Notice
Title: Preliminary Permit Applications: Seneca Generation, LLC
Posted Date: 2014-05-06T04:00Z

[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 87 (Tuesday, May 6, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 25861-25863]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-10312]

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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Project No. 2280-018]

Seneca Generation, LLC; Notice of Application Accepted for 
Filing, Soliciting Motions To Intervene and Protests, Ready for 
Environmental Analysis, and Soliciting Comments, Recommendations, 
Preliminary Terms and Conditions, and Preliminary Fishway Prescriptions

    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.: 2280-018.
    c. Date filed: December 2, 2013.
    d. Applicant: Seneca Generation, LLC.
    e. Name of Project: Kinzua Pumped Storage Hydroelectric Project.
    f. Location: The existing project is located on the Allegheny River 
in Warren, Pennsylvania. The project is located on 226.7 acres of 
federal lands; 212.1 acres of which is administered by the U.S. Forest 
Service and 14.6 acres administered by the U.S. Army Corps of 
Engineers.
    g. Filed Pursuant to: Federal Power Act 16 U.S.C. 791 (a)-825(r).
    h. Applicant Contact: Kathy French, P.E., Assistant VP, 
Environmental, Health and Safety, Seneca Generation, LLC, 1700 
Broadway, 35th Floor, New York, NY 10019; Telephone (212) 547-4381.
    i. FERC Contact: Gaylord Hoisington, Telephone (202) 502-6032, and 
email gaylord.hoisington@ferc.gov.

[[Page 25862]]

    j. Deadline for filing motions to intervene and protests, comments, 
recommendations, preliminary terms and conditions, and preliminary 
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 
motions to intervene, protests, comments, recommendations, preliminary 
terms and conditions, and preliminary fishway prescriptions using the 
Commission's eFiling system at http://www.ferc.gov/docs-filing/efiling.asp. Commenters can submit brief comments up to 6,000 
characters, without prior registration, using the eComment system at 
http://www.ferc.gov/docs-filing/ecomment.asp. You must include your 
name and contact information at the end of your comments. For 
assistance, please contact FERC Online Support at 
FERCOnlineSupport@ferc.gov, (866) 208-3676 (toll free), or (202) 502-
8659 (TTY). In lieu of electronic filing, please send a paper copy to: 
Secretary, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 First Street NE., 
Washington, DC 20426. The first page of any filing should include 
docket number P-2280-018.
    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 for filing and is now ready 
for environmental analysis.
    l. The existing Kinzua Pumped Storage Project utilizes the existing 
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' Kinzua Dam and Reservoir (known as the 
Allegheny Reservoir), and consists of the following existing 
facilities: (1) The Allegheny Reservoir intake structure at the Kinzua 
Dam; (2) the upper reservoir, located on the plateau adjacent to the 
dam, which includes an emergency spillway and has a useable storage of 
5,697 acre-feet at elevation 2,072,0 feet National Geodetic Vertical 
Datum 1929 (NGVD29); (3) a powerhouse, located immediately downstream 
of the southern (left facing downstream) abutment of the dam, that 
houses two reversible pump-turbines and one conventional hydro unit 
having a total installed capacity of 451,800 kilowatts; (4) water 
conveyance tunnels and penstocks between the Allegheny Reservoir and 
the powerhouse, between the powerhouse and the upper reservoir, and 
between the powerhouse and the Allegheny River downstream of the dam; 
(5) a transmission line between the powerhouse and the Glade substation 
(non-project structure); and (6) appurtenant equipment necessary for 
the operation of the project. The average annual generation is 
estimated to be 559.059 gigawatt-hours.
    The licensee proposes to: (1) Increase the useable storage of the 
upper reservoir by increasing the maximum normal storage elevation by 1 
foot equating to 110 acre-feet of storage; (2) automate the existing 
Allegheny intake bulkhead gates, Unit 2 discharge butterfly valve, and 
Corps' sluice gates in the dam; (3) refurbish the Unit 2 discharge 
valve; (4) utilize Unit 2 to discharge to the Allegheny River 
downstream of the dam more frequently than in the past; (5) construct 
an Americans with Disabilities-accessible (ADA) fishing platform at the 
existing Corps' boat launch downstream of the dam; and (7) install an 
educational kiosk near the upper reservoir.
    The licensee proposes to modify the project boundary by adding some 
lands and removing other lands. Specifically, the licensee proposes to: 
(1) Add a small area for the proposed ADA-fishing access near the 
existing Corps' boat ramp; (2) remove several areas including: (a) The 
public road providing access to the project powerhouse; (b) a portion 
of State Road 59 and adjacent land that currently overlap the project; 
and (c) two areas near the upper reservoir, one of which had previously 
contained a weir that no longer exists, and the other of which 
underlies non-project-related communication equipment. The proposed 
project boundary would include 220.1 acres of federal lands; 209.8 
acres of U.S. Forest Service lands and 10.3 acres of U.S. Army Corps of 
Engineers' lands.
    m. 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. A copy is also available for inspection and 
reproduction at the address in item h above.
    Register online at http://www.ferc.gov/docs-filing/esubscription.asp to be notified via email of new filings and issuances 
related to this or other pending projects. For assistance, contact FERC 
Online Support.
    n. Anyone may submit comments, a protest, or a motion to intervene 
in accordance with the requirements of Rules of Practice and Procedure, 
18 CFR 385.210, .211, and .214. In determining the appropriate action 
to take, the Commission will consider all protests or other comments 
filed, but only those who file a motion to intervene in accordance with 
the Commission's Rules may become a party to the proceeding. Any 
comments, protests, or motions to intervene must be received on or 
before the specified comment date for the particular application.
    All filings must: (1) Bear in all capital letters the title 
``PROTEST,'' ``MOTION TO INTERVENE,'' ``COMMENTS,'' ``REPLY COMMENTS,'' 
``RECOMMENDATIONS,'' ``PRELIMINARY TERMS AND CONDITIONS,'' or 
``PRELIMINARY FISHWAY 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 protesting or intervening; 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. A copy of any protest or 
motion to intervene must be served upon each representative of the 
applicant specified in the particular application. A copy of all other 
filings in reference to this application must be accompanied by proof 
of service on all persons listed in the service list prepared by the 
Commission in this proceeding in accordance with 18 CFR 4.34(b) and 
385.2010.
    o. Procedural Schedule:
    The application will be processed according to the following 
revised Hydro Licensing Schedule. Revisions to the schedule may be made 
as appropriate.

 
              Milestone                           Target date
 
Filing of recommendations,            June 28, 2014.
 preliminary terms and conditions,
 and preliminary fishway
 prescriptions.
Commission issues EA................  October 26, 2014.

[[Page 25863]]

 
Comments on EA......................  November 25, 2014.
Modified terms and conditions.......  January 24, 2015.
 

    p. Final amendments to the application must be filed with the 
Commission no later than 30 days from the issuance date of this notice.
    q. A license applicant must file no later than 60 days following 
the date of issuance of the notice of acceptance and ready for 
environmental analysis provided for in 5.22: (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.

    Dated: April 29, 2014.
Kimberly D. Bose,
 Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2014-10312 Filed 5-5-14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P