Turners Falls Hydroelectric Project (FERC No. 2622) Relicensing - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

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
• ther 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

February 8, 2017 Page 5

Applicant files NOI and PAD and requests TLP Commission Notice Comments on TLP Stage 1 Commission approves use

• f TLP

Joint Mtg 30- 60 days later Comments Study Requests due 60 days after meeting Stage 2 Contract Studies Draft application and study results issues Comment on proposal and any additional study Due within 90 days Stage 3 Final Application Filed Commission Tendering Notice

2/26/2016 4/22/2016 4/22/2016

7/28/2016 Eagle Creek Renewable Energy, LLC via Eagle Creek Swift River, Inc. acquires Turners Falls Hydro, LLC

4/10/2017

Traditional Licensing Process (cont.)

Post-Filing

February 8, 2017 Page 6

Comments Additional Study Requests due w/in 60 days of filing Commission Review Deficiencies Resolved Acceptance Letter Intervention Notice Comments Interventions due w/in 60 days after notice NEPA Scoping SD1 Issued Public Meetings w/in 30 days after SD1 Issued Comments due on scoping 30 days after meetings. SD2 if needed Commission issues additional information request. Additional information filed and reviewed Ready for EA Notice Comments Final Conditions and apply for WQC due in 60 days Commission issues DEA Comments Commission issues FEA Licensing Decision

Process Overview

February 8, 2017 Page 7

18 CFR Responsibility Activity Time Frame Deadline

§ 5.5 (a)

Licensee Deadline to File NOI and PAD 5 to 5 ½ years before license expiration March 2, 2016 FERC FERC issues Public Notice of NOI, PAD and TLP Request to agencies, tribes and interested public Concurrent with NOI March 2, 2016 FERC, Stakeholders Comments on TLP Request Within 30 days of Public Notice April 1, 2016 FERC FERC issues Notice of Commencement Within 60 days of Public Notice May 2, 2016 Licensee Notify FERC of Joint Meeting and Publish Notice in Newspaper At least 14 days in advance of meeting January, 24, 2017 Licensee Joint Public Meeting and Site Visit 30-60 days following Notice

• f Commencement

February 7, 2017 Stakeholders Comments and Study Requests Due 60 days after Joint Meeting April 10, 2017 Licensee Study Plan Development Following receipt of PAD comments and study requests June 9, 2017 Licensee Conduct Field Studies One season of field studies Summer-Fall 2017; Spring-Fall 2018 Licensee Draft License Application and Study results Produced following conclusion

• f studies

September 3, 2018 Stakeholders Comments on Draft Application 90 day comment period December 3, 2018 Licensee Final Application No later than 2 years before current license expires March 1, 2019 FERC FERC issues Public Notice of Application Within 14 days of final license application submittal March 15, 2019 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

February 8, 2017 Page 10 *Note: Georeferenced from Revised Exhibit G filed 8/22/2001

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

Intakes

Project Overview (cont.)

February 8, 2017 Page 12

Source: GoogleEarth

Gates

Project Overview (cont.)

February 8, 2017 Page 13

Powerhouse

Project Overview (cont.)

February 8, 2017 Page 14

Tailrace

Project Overview (cont.)

February 8, 2017 Page 15

Tailrace (cont.)

Project Overview (cont.)

February 8, 2017 Page 16

Bypassed Reach

Project Overview (cont.)

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
• f 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

February 8, 2017 Page 20

Source: FirstLight, 2012. PAD Turners Falls Power Canal – Annual Flow Duration Curve 2000-2009 (Hourly)

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:
• Fallfish, smallmouth bass, spottail shiner, bluegill and yellow perch.
• Diadromous species include:
• 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

Existing Environment – Wildlife and Botanical Resources

• Wildlife resources in the general vicinity of the Project consist of various species
• f mammals, birds, and reptiles (FERC, 1990. EA);
• Mammals: woodchuck, muskrat, beaver, cottontail rabbits, weasel, grey

squirrel, bats, opossum, and white-tailed deer;

• Birds: robin, sparrows, woodpeckers, bluejay, mourning dove, rock dove,

water fowl (mallard and wood duck, common merganser, gulls), red-tailed hawk, owls, king fisher, and osprey;

• Reptiles and Amphibians: garter snakes and snapping turtles, toads and frogs.
• Botanical resources are limited to the shoreline area of the bypassed reach and

consist of flood tolerant species such as alders and willows intermingled with a variety of sedges and forbs.

February 8, 2017 Page 23

Existing Environment – Wetlands and Riparian Habitat

• Excluding the bypassed reach and Turners Falls Power Canal, there are no

wetlands in the immediate Project area.

• Riparian habitat is very limited along the bypassed reach shoreline and Turners

Falls Power Canal and consist of scoured bedrock intermixed with boulder, gravel and sand with some vegetation.

February 8, 2017 Page 24

Existing Environment – Rare, Threatened, and Endangered Species

• Massachusetts and Federal Listed Species
• Neither the Massachusetts Natural Heritage and Endangered Species Program

(Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife) nor the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and National Marine Fisheries Service have been consulted regarding rare, threatened, or endangered species that may occur or have the potential to occur in the Project vicinity;

• Turners Falls Hydro, LLC expects the rare, threatened, and endangered species

likely to occur or have the potential to occur in the Project vicinity to be similar to, but less than, those in the vicinity of the FirstLight Turners Falls Hydroelectric Project (FERC No. 1889);

• Due to the relative size of the Project area the actual number of rare, threatened,

and endangered species in the Project vicinity would very likely be less than those in the vicinity of the FirstLight Turners Falls Hydroelectric Project.

February 8, 2017 Page 25

Existing Environment – Recreation and Land Use

• There are no recreation facilities within the Project boundary.
• The public has no access to the Project within the Project boundary.
• The Turners Falls Project (FERC No. 1889) and the Northfield Mountain Project

(FERC No. 2485) provide a number of recreation facilities (FERC, 1990. EA).

• The Town of Montague and City of Greenfield, MA offer municipal recreational

facilities that abut both banks of the Connecticut River (FERC, 1990. EA).

• Land Use is all industrial and water.

February 8, 2017 Page 26

Existing Environment – Aesthetics Resources

• Character is typical of a New England mill town with mills, mill housing, the river

and canal and surrounding development.

• The Project contributes to the visual appearance of the Turners Falls Historic

District.

February 8, 2017 Page 27

Existing Environment – Cultural Resources

• The Project is situated on the site of the former Keith Paper Mill and is a

component of the Turners Falls Historic District (FERC, 1990. EA).

• The District is listed on the Massachusetts and National Registers of Historic

Places;

• The Keith Paper Mill is a group of brick industrial buildings dating from 1877,

with additions in 1892 and 1906;

• The main mill building is a four-story structure with a pitch roof, dormer

windows, dentilled cornices, and projecting stair towers;

• Tower cupolas and company offices have been removed and some changes to

the roof lines have occurred.

February 8, 2017 Page 28 Source: Town of Montague, 2011.

Proposed Operations

• Turners Falls Hydro, LLC proposes to continue to operate the project in

accordance with the existing FERC license. Operations are currently based on a water use agreement with FirstLight. Turners Falls Hydro, LLC intends to explore

• ptions for changes to the current operating protocol.

February 8, 2017 Page 29

Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act (PURPA)

• Under its former management TFH identified in section 5.6(e) of the PAD that

TFH would not be seeking benefits under the Public Utilities Regulatory Policies Act (PURPA).

• By letter dated, January 10, 2017, TFH notified FERC they, however, would be

seeking benefits under PURPA.

• What are PURPA benefits?
• Benefits under section 210 of the Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act of 1978

(PURPA) requires electric utilities to purchase electricity from, and to sell electricity to, qualifying facilities, which may include hydroelectric projects.

February 8, 2017 Page 30

Proposed Resource Studies

• Turners Falls Hydro, LLC is not proposing any resource studies.
• Sufficient information should be available from the studies performed as a part
• f the relicensing for the FirstLight Turners Falls Hydroelectric Project (FERC No.

1889) and Northfield Mountain Pumped Storage Project (FERC No. 2485).

• The Area of Potential Effects for the FirstLight Projects encompasses the Project.

February 8, 2017 Page 31

Next Steps

• File comments and/or study requests w/in 60 days – by April 10, 2017 – with FERC

and/or Louis Berger on behalf of Turners Falls Hydro, LLC.

• FERC study request criteria create better study requests:

1. Describe goals and objectives of each study proposal and information to be

• btained;

2. Explain the relevant resource mgmt. goals of the agencies or Indian tribes with jurisdiction over the resource to be studied; 3. If the requester is not a resource agency, explain any relevant public interest considerations; 4. Describe existing information concerning the subject of the study proposal and the need for additional information; 5. Explain any nexus between project operations and effects on the resource to be studied and how the study results would inform the development of license requirements; 6. Explain how any study methodology is consistent with generally accepted practice in the scientific community; 7. Describe consideration of level of effort and costs, and why any proposed alternative studies would not be sufficient to meet the stated information needs.

February 8, 2017 Page 32

Comments or Questions?

PLEASE SEND ANY COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS TO: MATTHEW BURAK mburak@louisberger.com (518) 727-5453

February 8, 2017 Page 33

Site Visit

• After today’s meeting.
• From the Town Hall, parking is difficult.
• Site Visit will consist of walking about 0.6 miles from the Town Hall along the Turners

Falls Canal to the Project Powerhouse.

• A tour of the Project Powerhouse will be limited to the first floor due to access

restrictions.

• View of the tailrace from the 5th Street Bridge.

February 8, 2017 Page 34

Literature Cited

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC). 1990. Environmental Assessment for Turners Falls Project FERC Project No. 2622. June 26, 1990. 32 pp. FirstLight Power Resources (FirstLight). 2012. Pre-Application Document for the Turners Falls Hydroelectric Project (No. 1889) and Northfield Mountain Pumped Storage Project (No. 2485). October 30,2012. 537 pp. Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP). 2013. 314 CMR 4.00 Massachusetts Surface Water Quality Standards. http://www.mass.gov/eea/ docs/dep/service/regulations/314cmr04.pdf. Accessed January 9, 2017. Town of Montague. 2011. Request for Expression of Interest Strathmore Mill at Turners Falls. June 9, 2011. http://montague-ma.gov/Pages/MontagueMA_News/ I0172FF21.0/Strathmore%20REI%205%2025%2011%20(2).pdf Accessed January 9, 2017.

February 8, 2017 Page 35