81 FR 1411 - Gresham Municipal Utilities; Notice of Authorization for Continued Project Operation
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission Federal Register Volume 81, Issue 7 (January 12, 2016)
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
Federal Register Volume 81, Issue 7 (January 12, 2016)
| Page Range | 1411-1411 | |
| FR Document | 2016-00404 |
[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 7 (Tuesday, January 12, 2016)] [Notices] [Page 1411] From the Federal Register Online [www.thefederalregister.org] [FR Doc No: 2016-00404] ----------------------------------------------------------------------- DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY Federal Energy Regulatory Commission [Project No. 2484-000] Gresham Municipal Utilities; Notice of Authorization for Continued Project Operation On November 22, 2010, Gresham Municipal Utilities, licensee for the Gresham Hydroelectric Project, filed an Application for a New License pursuant to the Federal Power Act (FPA) and the Commission's regulations thereunder. The Gresham Hydroelectric Project is located on the Red River in Shawano County, Wisconsin. The license for Project No. 2484 was issued for a period ending December 31, 2015. Section 15(a)(1) of the FPA, 16 U.S.C. 808(a)(1), requires the Commission, at the expiration of a license term, to issue from year-to-year an annual license to the then licensee under the terms and conditions of the prior license until a new license is issued, or the project is otherwise disposed of as provided in section 15 or any other applicable section of the FPA. If the project's prior license waived the applicability of section 15 of the FPA, then, based on section 9(b) of the Administrative Procedure Act, 5 U.S.C. 558(c), and as set forth at 18 CFR 16.21(a), if the licensee of such project has filed an application for a subsequent license, the licensee may continue to operate the project in accordance with the terms and conditions of the license after the minor or minor part license expires, until the Commission acts on its application. If the licensee of such a project has not filed an application for a subsequent license, then it may be required, pursuant to 18 CFR 16.21(b), to continue project operations until the Commission issues someone else a license for the project or otherwise orders disposition of the project. If the project is subject to section 15 of the FPA, notice is hereby given that an annual license for Project No. 2484 is issued to the licensee for a period effective January 1, 2016 through December 31, 2016 or until the issuance of a new license for the project or other disposition under the FPA, whichever comes first. If issuance of a new license (or other disposition) does not take place on or before December 31, 2016, notice is hereby given that, pursuant to 18 CFR 16.18(c), an annual license under section 15(a)(1) of the FPA is renewed automatically without further order or notice by the Commission, unless the Commission orders otherwise. If the project is not subject to section 15 of the FPA, notice is hereby given that the licensee, Gresham Municipal Utilities is authorized to continue operation of the Gresham Hydroelectric Project, until such time as the Commission acts on its application for a subsequent license. Dated: January 6, 2016. Nathaniel J. Davis, Sr., Deputy Secretary. [FR Doc. 2016-00404 Filed 1-11-16; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 6717-01-P
![Federal Register / Vol. 81, No. 7 / Tuesday, January 12, 2016 / Notices 1411
enrichment services. Thus, there will be concludes that leases at this level would U.S.C. 808(a)(1), requires the
no meaningful impact on the domestic have almost no impact on the domestic Commission, at the expiration of a
uranium industries with respect to any uranium mining, conversion, or license term, to issue from year-to-year
of the factors. enrichment industry with respect to any an annual license to the then licensee
Even if the DOE leases would displace of the six factors listed in Section II. under the terms and conditions of the
production among the domestic DOE recently issued a determination prior license until a new license is
uranium mining, conversion, or that certain transfers of natural uranium issued, or the project is otherwise
enrichment industry, the amount would in exchange for cleanup services at the disposed of as provided in section 15 or
be so small that the effects would be Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant and
any other applicable section of the FPA.
minimal. With respect to the three of LEU in exchange for downblending
If the project’s prior license waived the
uranium industries, to produce the services will not have an adverse
amount of LEU in the proposed leases applicability of section 15 of the FPA,
material impact on the domestic
from primary production would require uranium industries. The analysis then, based on section 9(b) of the
about 50,000 pounds of uranium supporting that determination also Administrative Procedure Act, 5 U.S.C.
concentrates (U3O8), 19,100 kgU of considered various other past transfers, 558(c), and as set forth at 18 CFR
conversion services, and approximately the uranium from which may still be 16.21(a), if the licensee of such project
22,600 SWU of enrichment services. By affecting markets, and the impacts of the has filed an application for a subsequent
comparison, the entire global fleet of Russian HEU Agreement and license, the licensee may continue to
nuclear reactors is expected to need in Suspension Agreement (80 FR 26,366 at operate the project in accordance with
2015 approximately 160 million pounds 26,385). DOE also issued a the terms and conditions of the license
U3O8, 56 million kgU of conversion determination that the transfer of up to after the minor or minor part license
services, and about 45 million SWU.3 the equivalent of 25 kgU of 19.75% expires, until the Commission acts on
For further comparison, the U.S. assay LEU per calendar year to support its application. If the licensee of such a
uranium mining industry produced the development and demonstration of project has not filed an application for
approximately 4.9 million pounds of molybdenum-99 production capabilities a subsequent license, then it may be
U3O8 in 2014.4 The domestic conversion will not have an adverse material required, pursuant to 18 CFR 16.21(b),
industry consists of only one facility. In impact on the domestic uranium to continue project operations until the
recent years, that facility has produced industries (80 FR 65,727). In reaching Commission issues someone else a
between 11 and 12 million kgU. As the conclusion that leases of up to 500 license for the project or otherwise
mentioned above, there is only one kgU per year of high-assay LEU will orders disposition of the project.
currently operating enrichment facility have a minimal impact on the domestic
in the U.S. The total capacity of that uranium industries, DOE takes account If the project is subject to section 15
facility is currently about 3.7 million of the various transfers assessed for its of the FPA, notice is hereby given that
SWU. The Suspension Agreement with recent determinations. an annual license for Project No. 2484
the Russian Federation allows for the is issued to the licensee for a period
sale of Russian natural uranium and IV. Conclusion effective January 1, 2016 through
SWU into the United States with For the reasons discussed above, these December 31, 2016 or until the issuance
restrictions ranging between 11.9 and leases will not have an adverse material of a new license for the project or other
13.4 million pounds U3O8 equivalent impact on the domestic uranium disposition under the FPA, whichever
per year between 2014 and 2020 (73 FR mining, conversion, or enrichment comes first. If issuance of a new license
7705 at 7706, Feb. 11, 2008).5 industry, taking into account the (or other disposition) does not take
Given how small these DOE leases Russian HEU Agreement and place on or before December 31, 2016,
would be compared to global reactor Suspension Agreement. notice is hereby given that, pursuant to
requirements, domestic production, and [FR Doc. 2016–00388 Filed 1–11–16; 8:45 am] 18 CFR 16.18(c), an annual license
imports from the Russian Federation
under the Suspension Agreement, DOE
BILLING CODE 6450–01–P under section 15(a)(1) of the FPA is
renewed automatically without further
3 These estimates of global requirements come order or notice by the Commission,
from an analysis prepared by Energy Resources
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY unless the Commission orders
International, Inc. (ERI). This report is available at otherwise.
http://www.energy.gov/ne/downloads/excess- Federal Energy Regulatory
uranium-management. DOE tasked ERI to prepare Commission If the project is not subject to section
this analysis to assess the potential effects on the 15 of the FPA, notice is hereby given
domestic uranium mining, conversion, and [Project No. 2484–000]
enrichment industries of the introduction into the that the licensee, Gresham Municipal
market of uranium transfers that are not the subject Gresham Municipal Utilities; Notice of Utilities is authorized to continue
of this assessment. ERI develops its requirements Authorization for Continued Project operation of the Gresham Hydroelectric
forecasts for various customers. Because of ERI’s
general expertise in the uranium markets and Operation Project, until such time as the
contacts with market participants, DOE believes Commission acts on its application for
On November 22, 2010, Gresham
ERI’s general market information is reliable. a subsequent license.
4 EIA, Domestic Uranium Production Report Q3 Municipal Utilities, licensee for the
2015, 2 (October 2015). Based on data from the first Gresham Hydroelectric Project, filed an Dated: January 6, 2016.
three quarters of 2015, uranium concentrate Application for a New License pursuant Nathaniel J. Davis, Sr.,
production is down in the United States compared
to the corresponding quarters of 2014. Even
to the Federal Power Act (FPA) and the Deputy Secretary.
tkelley on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
accounting for this decrease, the effect of an Commission’s regulations thereunder. [FR Doc. 2016–00404 Filed 1–11–16; 8:45 am]
additional 50,000 pounds U3O8 would be minimal. The Gresham Hydroelectric Project is
BILLING CODE 6717–01–P
In just the first three quarters of 2015, the domestic located on the Red River in Shawano
uranium mining industry produced over 2.7 million
pounds U3O8. Id
County, Wisconsin.
5 The Russian HEU Agreement allowed for the The license for Project No. 2484 was
sale of LEU derived from Russian downblended issued for a period ending December 31,
HEU. This agreement ended in December 2013. 2015. Section 15(a)(1) of the FPA, 16
VerDate Sep<11>2014 20:14 Jan 11, 2016 Jkt 238001 PO 00000 Frm 00026 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 9990 E:\FR\FM\12JAN1.SGM 12JAN1](https://thefederalregister.org/doc/81_FR_1418/page/1.svg)
Document Created: 2016-01-12 01:23:19
Document Modified: 2016-01-12 01:23:19
| Category | Regulatory Information | |
| Collection | Federal Register | |
| sudoc Class | AE 2.7: GS 4.107: AE 2.106: | |
| Publisher | Office of the Federal Register, National Archives and Records Administration | |
| Section | Notices | |
| FR Citation | 81 FR 1411 |
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