Turners Falls Hydroelectric Project (FERC No. 2622) Relicensing Joint Agency Meeting
Agenda 1. Welcome and Introductions 2. Overview of the Project 3. Review of FERC Traditional Licensing Process and Schedule 4. Detailed Overview of the Project Features and Operations 5. Overview of Information Provided in the Pre-Application Document (PAD) and other sources 6. Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act (PURPA) Benefits 7. Proposed Resource Studies 8. Next Steps 9. Comments 10. Site Visit February 8, 2017 Page 2
February 8, 2017 Page 3
Review of FERC Traditional Licensing Process and Schedule – “Three Stage Process” First Stage • Applicant issues NOI, PAD, request to use TLP, and newspaper notice; • Commission approves use of TLP; • Applicant conducts joint agency/public meeting and site visit ; • Resource agencies and tribes provide written comments and study requests; and, if necessary; • Agencies, tribes, or applicant request dispute resolution on studies with the Commission. Second Stage • Applicant completes reasonable and necessary studies; • Applicant provides draft application and study results to resource agencies and tribes; • Resource agencies and tribes comment on draft application; and • Applicant conducts a joint meeting if substantive disagreements exist. Third Stage • Applicant files final application with Commission and sends copies to agencies and tribes. February 8, 2017 Page 4
Traditional Licensing Process Pre-Filing 4/10/2017 2/26/2016 4/22/2016 4/22/2016 Stage 2 Stage 3 Stage 1 Comments Contract Final Comment on Commission Commission Studies proposal and Application Applicant files Notice approves use any additional Filed NOI and PAD of TLP Study study and requests Requests due Draft Comments on TLP Due within 90 60 days after application Commission TLP Joint Mtg 30- days meeting and study Tendering 60 days later results issues Notice 7/28/2016 Eagle Creek Renewable Energy, LLC via Eagle Creek Swift River, Inc. acquires Turners Falls Hydro, LLC February 8, 2017 Page 5
Traditional Licensing Process (cont.) Post-Filing Commission NEPA Comments Review Scoping Comments due on Comments SD1 Issued scoping 30 Additional Deficiencies days after Study Interventions Resolved meetings. Requests Public due Acceptance due w/in 60 Meetings w/in 60 days Letter days of filing w/in 30 days SD2 if after notice after SD1 Intervention needed Issued Notice Commission Commission issues DEA Comments issues additional Final information Conditions Ready for Comments request. and apply EA Notice Commission Additional for WQC issues FEA due in 60 information filed and days Licensing reviewed Decisio n February 8, 2017 Page 6
Process Overview 18 CFR Responsibility Activity Time Frame Deadline 5 to 5 ½ years before license Licensee Deadline to File NOI and PAD March 2, 2016 § 5.5 (a) expiration FERC issues Public Notice of NOI, PAD and FERC TLP Request to agencies, tribes and interested Concurrent with NOI March 2, 2016 public FERC, Within 30 days of Public Comments on TLP Request April 1, 2016 Stakeholders Notice Within 60 days of Public FERC FERC issues Notice of Commencement May 2, 2016 Notice Notify FERC of Joint Meeting and Publish Notice At least 14 days in advance of Licensee January, 24, 2017 in Newspaper meeting 30-60 days following Notice Licensee Joint Public Meeting and Site Visit February 7, 2017 of Commencement Due 60 days after Joint Stakeholders Comments and Study Requests April 10, 2017 Meeting Following receipt of PAD Licensee Study Plan Development June 9, 2017 comments and study requests Summer-Fall 2017; Licensee Conduct Field Studies One season of field studies Spring-Fall 2018 Produced following conclusion Licensee Draft License Application and Study results September 3, 2018 of studies Stakeholders Comments on Draft Application 90 day comment period December 3, 2018 No later than 2 years before Licensee Final Application March 1, 2019 current license expires Within 14 days of final license FERC FERC issues Public Notice of Application March 15, 2019 application submittal February 8, 2017 Page 7 FERC FERC License Expires February 28, 2021
Project Location Connecticut River and Turners Falls Power Canal (FirstLight, 2012. PAD) • Connecticut River drainage area approximately 11,250 square miles, at Turners Falls Dam 7,163 square miles; • Turners Falls Power Canal is approximately 2.1 miles in length with design capacity of approximately 18,000 cfs; • Excluding TFH, three other entities withdraw water from the Turners Falls Power Canal: Southworth Paper Hydro (113 cfs), Station No. 1 Hydro (2,210 cfs, FirstLight), Cabot Station (13,728 cfs, FirstLight), and USGS Conte Anadromous Fish Laboratory (variable, 2 to 200 cfs). Climate of the Project (FERC, 1990. EA) • Typical of inland Massachusetts; • Average air temperature of 49.8 ° F; • Average precipitation 44.4 inches. February 8, 2017 Page 8
Project Location (cont.) February 8, 2017 Page 9
Project Overview (cont.) Project Boundary *Note: Georeferenced from Revised Exhibit G filed 8/22/2001 February 8, 2017 Page 10
Project Overview Turners Falls Power Canal • 2.1 miles in length, 18,000 cfs. Intake Gate and Trashracks • Approximately 0.25 miles downstream the Turners Falls Canal Gatehouse; • Manually operated; • 1 inch clear spacing installed on July 20, 1990, according to Article 401 of the existing license, and as-built drawings; • In preparation for the Joint Meeting we measured the clear spacing to vary between 1-1/4 to 1-3/8 inch at the top; • Further research found the trashracks were replaced by the previous owner in 2007 with a spacing of 1-1/4 inch; • Will verify during canal drawdown. Penstock • 8.5 feet diameter, 30 feet long steel penstock. Powerhouse • 3,847 square feet footprint, four stories; • Single vertical Francis turbine 225 rpm, 1,340 horsepower, 289 cfs hydraulic capacity; • 937 kW General Electric generator. Tailrace • Excavated and walled approximately 80 feet into the Connecticut River. • Bypassed Reach • 2.7 miles long; • Receives project discharges. Appurtenant Facilities February 8, 2017 Page 11
Project Overview (cont.) Intakes Source: GoogleEarth February 8, 2017 Page 12
Project Overview (cont.) Gates February 8, 2017 Page 13
Project Overview (cont.) Powerhouse February 8, 2017 Page 14
Project Overview (cont.) Tailrace February 8, 2017 Page 15
Project Overview (cont.) Tailrace (cont.) February 8, 2017 Page 16
Project Overview (cont.) Bypassed Reach February 8, 2017 Page 17
Project Operation Water Use Agreement (WUA) • Since September 28, 1951; • Between FirstLight and Turners Falls Hydro, LLC as well as between their predecessors; • Only operate when river flow is > 15,000 cfs as measured at the Turners Falls Dam, and needs are met at Station No. 1 and Cabot Station. > 15,000 cfs • Notified by FirstLight, Turners Falls Hydro, LLC generates at maximum capacity of 289 cfs. Annual Total Generation from 2011 to 2015 ranged from 749,389 kWh (2012) to 1,980,914 kWh (2011) All water comes from the Canal, which TFH has no control over. February 8, 2017 Page 18
Existing Environment – Geology and Soils The project is located in an existing mill building on a man-made berm that lies between the Turners Falls Canal and the Connecticut River. The Canal was excavated from shale and sandstone bedrock and river terrace deposits, and is lined by stone-concrete walls and bedrock outcrop. The tailrace is lined on either side by concrete retaining walls. The Connecticut River bed and shoreline in the vicinity of the Project is primarily scoured-clean exposed bedrock with some deposits of large boulders, gravel, and sand (FERC, 1990. EA) . February 8, 2017 Page 19
Existing Environment – Water Quantity Turners Falls Power Canal approximate capacity of 18,000 cfs (FirstLight, 2012. PAD). TFH has no control over flow entering the Turners Falls Power Canal Turners Falls Power Canal – Annual Flow Duration Curve 2000-2009 (Hourly) Source: FirstLight, 2012. PAD February 8, 2017 Page 20
Existing Environment – Water Quality Massachusetts Surface Water Quality Standards (314 CMR 4.00) defines the Connecticut River in the vicinity of the Project as a Class B, warm water fishery with influences from combined sewer overflows (MassDEP, 2013) . February 8, 2017 Page 21
Existing Environment – Fish and Aquatic Resources Mixture of warm water, native, and non-native fish species downstream of the Turners Falls Dam (FirstLight, 2012. PAD). • Dominant species include: o Fallfish, smallmouth bass, spottail shiner, bluegill and yellow perch. • Diadromous species include: o Atlantic salmon, American shad, blueback herring, striped bass, sea lamprey, and American eel. Freshwater Mussels • Eastern Elliptio, Alewife floater, Eastern Lamp mussel, Eastern floater, and Triangle floater present in the area but in low density within the bypassed reach (FirstLight, 2012. PAD). Aquatic Habitat • Bypassed reach and canal consists mainly of scoured bedrock with interspersed boulder with gravel and sand (FERC, 1990. EA); • No Essential Fish Habitat present. February 8, 2017 Page 22
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