FR Doc E4-192

[Federal Register: February 5, 2004 (Volume 69, Number 24)]
[Notices]
[Page 5537-5539]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr05fe04-67]

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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Project Nos. 2601-007, 2602-005, 2603-012, and 2619-012]

Duke Power; Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental
Assessment and Notice of Scoping Meetings and Site Visits and
Soliciting Scoping Comments

January 29, 2004.
Take notice that the following hydroelectric applications have been
filed with the Commission and are available for public inspection:
a. Type of Applications: 3 Subsequent Minor Licenses and 1 New
Major License.
b. Project Nos.: 2601-007, 2602-005, 2603-012, and 2619-012.
c. Date filed: July 22, 2003.
d. Applicant: Duke Power.
e. Names of Projects: Bryson Hydroelectric Project No. 2601-007
(Minor); Dillsboro Hydroelectric Project No. 2602-005 (Minor); Franklin
Hydroelectric Project No. 2603-012 (Minor); and Mission Hydroelectric
Project No. 2619-012 (Major).
f. Location: On the Oconaluftee River, Swain County, NC; on the
Tuckasegee River, Jackson County, NC; on the Little Tennessee River,
Macon County, NC; and on the Hiwassee River, Clay County, NC,
respectively. The projects do not occupy any Federal lands.
g. Filed Pursuant to: Federal Power Act, 16 U.S.C. 791(a)-825(r).
h. Applicant Contact: Mr. Jeffrey G. Lineberger; Manager, Hydro
Licensing. Duke Power. 526 South Church Street, PO Box 1006, Charlotte,
NC 28201-1006.
i. FERC Contact: Lee Emery, (202) 502-9379 or lee.emery@ferc.gov
and Carolyn Holsopple, (202) 502-6407 or carolyn.holsopple@ferc.gov.
j. Deadline for filing scoping comments: March 12, 2004.
All documents (original and eight copies) should be filed with:
Magalie R. Salas,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) under the ``e-Filing'' link.

k. These applications are not ready for environmental analysis at
this time.
l. The proposed Bryson Hydroelectric Project would operate in a
run-of-river (ROR) mode, within 6 inches of full pond elevation.
Project operation is dependent on available flow in the Oconaluftee
River. The project consists of the following features: (1) A 341-foot-
long, 36-foot-high concrete multiple arch dam, consisting of, from left
to right facing downstream, (a) a concrete, non-overflow section, (b)
two gravity spillway sections, each surmounted by a 16.5-foot-wide by
16-foot-high Taintor gate, and (c) an uncontrolled multiple-arch
spillway with four bays; (2) a 1.5-mile-long, 38-acre impoundment at
surface elevation 1828.41 feet (ft.) msl (mean sea level); (3) two
intake bays, each consisting of an 8.5-foot-diameter steel intake pipe
with a grated trashrack having a clear bar spacing of between 2.25 to
2.5 inches; (4) a powerhouse containing two turbine/generating units,
having a total installed capacity of 980 kilowatts (kW); (5) a
switchyard, with three single-phased transformers; and (6) appurtenant
facilities. There is no bypassed stream reach.
Duke Power estimates that the average annual generation is
5,534,230 kilowatt hours (kWh). Duke Power uses the Bryson Project
facilities to generate electricity for use by retail customers living
in the Duke Power-Nantahala Area.
The proposed Dillsboro Hydroelectric Project would operate in a ROR
mode, within 6 inches of full pond elevation. Project operation is
dependent on flows in the Tuckasegee River, which are affected by Duke
Power's East Fork and West ForkTuckasegee River projects which release
flows upstream from the Dillsboro Project. TheDillsboro Project
consists of the following features: (1) A 310-foot-long, 12-foot-high
concrete masonry dam, consisting of, from left to right facing
downstream, (a) a concrete, non-overflow section, (b) a 14-foot-long
uncontrolled spillway section, (c) a 20-foot-long spillway section with
two 6-foot-wide spill gates, (d) a 197-foot-long uncontrolled spillway
section; (e) an 80-foot-long intake section, and (f) a concrete, non-
overflow section; (2) a 0.8-mile-long,15-acre impoundment at elevation
1972.00 ft. msl; (3) two intake bays, each consisting of a reinforced
concrete flume and grated trashracks having a clear bar spacing varying
from 2.0 to 3.38 inches; (4) a powerhouse

[[Page 5538]]

containing two turbine/generating units, having a total installed
capacity of 225 kW; (5) a switchyard, with three single-phased
transformers; and (6) appurtenant facilities. There is no bypassed
stream reach.
Duke estimates that the average annual generation is 912,330 kWh.
Duke uses the Dillsboro Project facilities to generate electricity for
use by retail customers living in the Duke Power-Nantahala Area. Duke
has determined that the Dillsboro Project is uneconomical and a
settlement recently filed with the Commission may influence whether the
dam and powerhouse would be removed or not. However, Duke has not filed
a license surrender application for the project or withdrawn its
current license application.
The proposed Franklin Hydroelectric Project would operate in a ROR
mode, within 6 inches of full pond elevation. Project operation is
dependent on available flow in the Little Tennessee River. The Franklin
Project consists of the following features: (1) A 462.5-foot-long,
35.5-foot-high concrete masonry dam, consisting of, from left to right
facing downstream, (a) a 15-foot-long non-overflow section, (b) a 54-
foot-long ungated Ogee spillway, (c) a 181.5-foot-long gated spillway
section, having six gated, ogee spillway bays, (d) a 54-foot-long
ungated Ogee spillway, (e) a 25-foot-long non-overflow section, and (f)
a 70-foot-long non-overflow section; (2) a 4.6-mile-long, 174-acre
impoundment at elevation 2000.22 ft. msl; (3) three intake bays, each
consisting of a flume and grated trashracks having a clear bar spacing
of 3 inches; (4) a powerhouse containing two turbine/generating units
having a total installed capacity of 1,040 kW; (5) a switchyard, with a
single three-phase transformer; and (6) appurtenant facilities. There
is no bypasses stream reach.
Duke Power estimates that the average annual generation is
5,313,000 kWh. Duke Power uses the Franklin Project facilities to
generate electricity for use by retail customers living in the Duke
Power-Nantahala Area.
The proposed Mission Hydroelectric Project would operate in a ROR
mode, within 6 inches of full pond elevation. Project operation is
dependent on available flow in the Hiwassee River, which is regulated
by TVA's Chatuge dam located upstream from the Mission Project. The
Mission Project consists of the following features: (1) A 397-foot-
long, 50-foot-high concrete gravity dam, consisting of, from left to
right facing downstream, (a) three bulkhead sections, (b) seven ogee
spillway sections, surmounted by 14-foot-high by 16-foot-wide gates,
(c) four bulkhead sections, and (d) a powerhouse intake structure; (2)
a 47-acre impoundment at elevation 1658.17 ft. msl; (3) three intake
bays, each consisting of an 8-foot-diameter steel-cased penstock and a
grated trashrack having a clear bar spacing of between 2.25 to 2.5
inches; (4) a powerhouse containing three turbine/generating units,
having a total installed capacity of 1,800 kW; (5) a switchyard, with a
single three-phase transformer; and (6) appurtenant facilities. There
is no bypassed reach.
Duke Power estimates that the average annual generation is
8,134,370 kWh. Duke Power uses the Mission Project facilities to
generate electricity for use by retail customers living in the Duke
Power-Nantahala Area.
m. Copies of the applications are available for review at the
Commission in the Public Reference Room or may 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. For assistance, contact
FERC Online Support at FERCOnlineSupport@ferc.gov or toll-free at 1-
866-208-3676, or for TTY, 1-202-502-8659. Copies are also available for
inspection and reproduction at the address in item h above.
You may also register online at http://www.ferc.gov/esuscribenow.htm
to be notified via e-mail of new filings and issuances

related to these or other pending projects. For assistance, contact
FERC Online Support.
n. Scoping Process: The Commission intends to prepare a single,
combined Environmental Assessment (EA) for the proposed projects in
accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act. The EA will
consider both site-specific and cumulative environmental impacts and
reasonable alternatives to the proposed action.
Scoping Meetings: FERC staff will conduct two afternoon scoping
meetings and two evening scoping meetings. The evening scoping meetings
are primarily for public input, while the afternoon scoping meetings
will focus on resource agency, tribal, and non-governmental
organization (NG) concerns. All interested individuals, organizations,
Indian tribes, and agencies are invited to attend one or both of the
meetings, and to assist the staff in identifying the scope of the
environmental issues that should be analyzed in the EA. The times and
locations of these meetings are as follows:
Agency Scoping Meetings:
Date: Tuesday, February 10, 2004.
Time: 2 p.m.-4 p.m.
Place: Macon County Courthouse.
Address: 5 West Main Street, Franklin, NC 28734.

Date: Wednesday, February 11, 2004.
Time: 11 a.m.-1 p.m.
Place: Moss Memorial Library.
Address: 26 Anderson Street, Hayesville, NC 28904.

Public Scoping Meetings:
Date: Tuesday, February 10, 2004.
Time: 7 p.m.-10 p.m.
Place: Jackson County Administration Building.
Address: 401 Grindstaff Cove Road, Sylva, NC 28779.

Date: Wednesday, February 11, 2004.
Time: 7 p.m.-10 p.m.
Place: United Community Bank.
Address: 95 Highway 64 West, Hayesville, NC 28904.Objectives:
At the scoping meetings, staff will: (1) Summarize the
environmental issues tentatively identified for analysis in the EA; (2)
solicit from the meeting participants all available information,
especially empirical data, on the resources at issue; (3) encourage
statements from experts and participants on issues that should be
analyzed in the EA, including viewpoints in opposition to, or in
support of, the staff's preliminary views; (4) determine the resource
issues to be addressed in the EA; and (5) identify those issues that do
not require a detailed analysis.
Procedures:
The meetings will be recorded by a stenographer and become part of
the formal record of the Commission proceeding on the project.
Individuals, organizations, agencies, and Indian tribes with
environmental expertise and concerns are encouraged to attend the
meetings and to assist Commission staff in defining and clarifying the
issues to be addressed in the EA.
Copies of the Scoping Document (SD1) outlining the subject areas to
be addressed in the EA are being distributed to the parties on the
Commission's mailing list. Copies of the SD1 will be available at the
scoping meetings or may be viewed on the Web at http://www.ferc.gov

using the ``eLibrary'' link (see item m above). These meetings are
posted on the Commission's calendar located on the Internet at http://www.ferc.gov/EventCalendar/EventsList.aspx
along with other related

information.
Site Visits:
Duke Power and the Commission staff will conduct project site
visits in two segments on February 10 and February 11, 2004. On the
first day we will meet at 8 a.m. at the Bryson Project. On the

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second day we will meet at 9 a.m. at the Mission Project. Site visitors
will be responsible for their own transportation. Anyone with questions
regarding the site visits should contact Mr. John C. Wishon of Duke
Power at (828) 369-4604. The times and locations of these site visits
are as follows:
Re: Bryson, Dillsboro, and Franklin Projects.
Date: Tuesday, February 10, 2004.
Time: 8 a.m.-12 p.m.
Place: Bryson Project.
Address: 310 Dam Road, Whittier, NC 28789.
Re: Mission Project.
Date: Wednesday, February 11, 2004.
Time: 9 a.m.-10 a.m.
Place: Mission Project.
Address: 1765 Mission Dam Road, Murphy, NC 28906.

Magalie R. Salas,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. E4-192 Filed 2-4-04; 8:45 am]

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