81 FR 95577 - North Snake Ground Water District, Magic Valley Ground Water District, American Falls-Aberdeen Ground Water District, Bingham Ground Water District and Southwest Irrigation District (Districts); Notice of Application Accepted for Filing, Soliciting Comments, Motions To Intervene, and Protests

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

Federal Register Volume 81, Issue 249 (December 28, 2016)

[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 249 (Wednesday, December 28, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 95577-95578]
From the Federal Register Online  [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2016-31346]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Project No. 9543-012]


North Snake Ground Water District, Magic Valley Ground Water 
District, American Falls-Aberdeen Ground Water District, Bingham Ground 
Water District and Southwest Irrigation District (Districts); Notice of 
Application Accepted for Filing, Soliciting Comments, Motions To 
Intervene, and Protests

    Take notice that the following hydroelectric application has been 
filed with the Commission and is available for public inspection:
    a. Type of Proceeding: Surrender of Exemption (Conduit).
    b. Project No.: 9543-012.
    c. Date Filed: November 25, 2016.
    d. Exemptee: North Snake Ground Water District, Magic Valley Ground 
Water District, American Falls-Aberdeen Ground Water District, Bingham 
Ground Water District and Southwest Irrigation District (Districts).
    e. Name of Project: Rim View Hydroelectric Project.
    f. Location: The project is located At Rim View's fish hatchery in 
Gooding County, Idaho.
    g. Filed Pursuant to: 18 CFR 4.95.
    h. Exemptee Contact: Randall C. Budge, Joseph G. Ballstaedt, Racine 
Olson Nye Budge & Bailey, Chartered, 201 E. Center St./P.O. Box 1391, 
Pocatello, Idaho 83204, Telephone: (208) 232-6101, fax: (208) 232-6109, 
[email protected] and [email protected].
    i. FERC Contact: Mr. M. Joseph Fayyad, (202) 502-8759, 
[email protected].
    j. Deadline for filing comments, interventions and protests is 30 
days from the issuance date of this notice by the Commission. The 
Commission strongly encourages electronic filing. Please file motions 
to intervene, protests and comments 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 [email protected], (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-9543-012.
    k. Description of Project Facilities: The project consists of: (1) 
A penstock intake; (2) a 300-foot-long, 60-inch-diameter, buried steel 
penstock; (3) an 18-inch-diameter steel pipe connecting the downstream 
end of the overflow bypass structure to the penstock; and (4) a 
powerhouse containing one 250-kW generating unit emptying into an 
existing distribution ditch for fish ponds.
    l. Description of Proceeding: The Districts state they want to 
surrender the conduit exemption because the inoperable project would 
not be economical to restore and operate. On March 14, 2011, the 
Districts purchased the project from Rim View LLC, and under the 
purchase and sale agreement, Rim View LLC continued to operate the 
hydropower plant until around

[[Page 95578]]

September 15, 2012. The Districts then shut down the project. The 
Districts state that on June 16, 2013, the Districts terminated all 
hydropower purchase and production agreements with Idaho Power Company. 
Idaho Power Company disconnected the facility from the power grid and 
removed the interconnection equipment. By early 2014, the hydropower 
plant was sold for salvage and was removed from the Hatchery premises, 
including all remaining generators, motors, electrical panels, and 
other equipment. All that remains of the hydropower plant is its 
exterior shell, which is secured and now used for storage and 
maintenance purposes. The Districts are not proposing any further 
decommissioning work at the site.
    m. Locations of the Application: This filing may be viewed on the 
Commission's Web site at http://www.ferc.gov/docs-filing/elibrary.asp. 
Enter the docket number excluding the last three digits in the docket 
number field to access the document. You may also 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, call 1-866-208-3676 or email 
[email protected], for TTY, call (202) 502-8659. A copy is 
also available for inspection and reproduction in the Commission's 
Public Reference Room located at 888 First Street NE., Room 2A, 
Washington, DC 20426, or by calling (202) 502-8371.
    n. Individuals desiring to be included on the Commission's mailing 
list should so indicate by writing to the Secretary of the Commission.
    o. 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, 
.212 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.
    p. Filing and Service of Responsive 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 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 and otherwise comply with the requirements of 18 CFR 
4.34(b). All comments, motions to intervene, or protests should relate 
to project works which are the subject of the exemption surrender. 
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. 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. 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.
    q. Agency Comments--Federal, state, and local agencies are invited 
to file comments on the described proceeding. If any agency does not 
file comments within the time specified for filing comments, it will be 
presumed to have no comments.

    Dated: December 21, 2016.
Nathaniel J. Davis, Sr.,
Deputy Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2016-31346 Filed 12-27-16; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 6717-01-P