Puget Sound Energy, Inc.; Notice of Water Quality Protection Plan Accepted for Filing and Soliciting Comments, Motions To Intervene, and Protests, 52663-52664 [2021-20483]

Agencies

• DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
• Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 181 (Wednesday, September 22, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 52663-52664]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-20483]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Project No. 2150-147]


Puget Sound Energy, Inc.; Notice of Water Quality Protection Plan 
Accepted for Filing and Soliciting Comments, Motions To Intervene, and 
Protests

    Take notice that the following amendment application has been filed 
with the Commission and is available for public inspection:
    a. Application Type: Water Quality Protection Plan.
    b. Project No: P-2150-147.
    c. Date Filed: August 5, 2021.
    d. Applicants: Puget Sound Energy, Inc. (licensee).
    e. Name of Projects: Baker River Hydroelectric Project.
    f. Locations: The project is located on the Baker River in Skagit 
and Whatcom counties, Washington. The project occupies federal lands 
administered by the U.S. Forest Service within the Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie 
National Forest.
    g. Filed Pursuant to: Federal Power Act, 16 U.S.C. 791a-825r.
    h. Applicant Contact: Mr. Jory Oppenheimer, Consulting Engineer, 
Puget Sound Energy, P.O. Box 97034, Bellevue, WA 98009-9734; telephone: 
(425) 462-3556 and email [email protected].
    i. FERC Contact: Marybeth Gay, (202) 502-6125, 
[email protected].
    j. Deadline for filing comments, motions to intervene, and 
protests: October 18, 2021.
    The Commission strongly encourages electronic filing. Please file 
comments, motions to intervene, and protests using the Commission's 
eFiling system at https://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 https://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 [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. The first page of any filing should 
include docket number P-2150-147. Comments emailed to Commission staff 
are not considered part of the Commission record.
    The Commission's Rules of Practice and Procedure require all 
intervenors filing documents with the Commission to serve a copy of 
that document on each person whose name appears 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. Description of Request: The Commission is requiring the licensee 
to grout one of the project's dams, the Lower Baker Dam, due to 
increasing leakage along its abutments. Upon completion of the seepage 
reduction project, the licensee would also make improvements to the 
crest of the Lower Baker Dam. As required by Article 401(a) of the 
project license, and condition 5.10 of the Washington Department of 
Ecology's May 11, 2007 Water Quality Certificate (WQC), attached to the 
license as Appendix C, the licensee developed the Water Quality 
Protection Plan (Plan) for the seepage reduction project and has filed 
the Plan for the Commission's approval. The Plan addresses the 
requirements set forth in condition 5.10 of the WQC, and includes: (1) 
An In-Water Work Protection Plan that specifies the best management 
practices (BMPs) for activities that require work within surface 
waters; (2) a Construction Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plan that 
addresses land-disturbing activities along with BMPs and other control 
measures to prevent pollutants from entering the project's surface 
water and groundwater; and (3) procedures for monitoring water quality, 
and actions to implement if a water quality violation were to occur. 
Construction of the seepage reduction project is currently scheduled to 
begin in early November 2021.
    The licensee previously filed a draft Biological Assessment (BA) 
with the Commission on March 8, 2021 for the proposed seepage reduction 
and crest improvement project. On April 28, 2021, Commission staff 
adopted the licensee's draft BA without changes as the Commission's 
final BA and requested formal consultation with the U.S. Fish and 
Wildlife Service and the National Marine Fisheries Service.

[[Page 52664]]

    l. Locations of the Application: This filing may be viewed on the 
Commission's website at https://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. You may also register 
online at https://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, call 1-866-208-3676 or email 
[email protected], for TTY, call (202) 502-8659. Agencies may 
obtain copies of the application directly from the applicant.
    m. Individuals desiring to be included on the Commission's mailing 
list should so indicate by writing to the Secretary of the Commission.
    n. Comments, Protests, or Motions to Intervene: 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, 
.214, respectively. 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.
    o. Filing and Service of Documents: Any filing must (1) bear in all 
capital letters the title ``COMMENTS'', ``PROTEST'', or ``MOTION TO 
INTERVENE'' as applicable; (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 commenting, protesting or intervening; and (4) otherwise comply 
with the requirements of 18 CFR 385.2001 through 385.2005. All 
comments, motions to intervene, or protests must set forth their 
evidentiary basis. Any filing made by an intervenor 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 
385.2010.

    Dated: September 16, 2021.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2021-20483 Filed 9-21-21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P