Beltzville Hydroelectric Project; Notice of Application Accepted for Filing and Soliciting 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 Application: Original License.

b. Project No.: 12455-003.

c. Date filed: December 29, 2006.

d. Applicant: Borough of Leighton, Pennsylvania.

e. Name of Project: Beltzville Hydroelectric Project.

f. Location: The project would be connected to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' Beltzville Dam, located on Pohopoco Creek, in the Borough of Leighton, Carbon County, Pennsylvania.

g. Filed Pursuant to: The Federal Power Act, 16 U.S.C. 791(a)-825(r).

h. Applicant Contact: Mr. John Hanosek, P.E., Borough Manager, P.O. Box 29, Municipal Building, Second and South Street, Leighton, PA 18235, (610) 377-4002.

i. FERC Contact: Jack Hannula, (202) 502-8917 or john.hannula@ferc.gov.

j. Deadline for filing motions to intervene and protests: 60 days from the issuance date of this notice.

All documents (original and eight copies) should be filed with: Kimberly D. Bose, Secretary, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 First Street, NE., Washington, DC 20426.

The Commission's Rules of Practice and Procedures require all intervenors filing documents with the Commission to serve a copy of that document on each person 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.

Motions to intervene and protests may be filed electronically via the Internet in lieu of paper. The Commission strongly encourages electronic filings. See 18 CFR 385.2001(a)(1)(iii) and the instructions on the Commission's Web site ( http://www.ferc.gov ) under the “e-Filing” link.

k. This application has been accepted for filing, but is not ready for environmental analysis at this time.

l. Description of Project: The project would be located at the existing Corps of Engineers Beltzville Dam which is a 175-foot-high, 4,600-foot-long earth-fill dam with a 23-foot-high, 2,000-foot-long un-gated concrete spillway. The reservoir has 949 surface acres at a normal water surface elevation of 628.0 feet, mean sea level (msl).

The proposed Beltzville Hydroelectric Project would consist of: (1) A new, approximately 150-foot-long penstock connected to the downstream side of Beltsville Dam via an existing outlet conduit that would be modified to include a 78-inch diameter steel pipe liner, a new 78-inch butterfly valve, Y-branch, and 84-inch slide gate: (2) The penstock would lead to a new 60-foot-long, 30-foot-wide powerhouse which would contain two generating units, a 1,700 kilowatt (kW) unit and a 900 kW generating unit; and (3) a 300-foot-long, 12-kilovolt transmission line. The estimated average annual generation would be 9,470 megawatt hours (MWh).

m. A copy of the application is available for review at the Commission in the Public Reference Room or may be viewed on the Commission's Web site at http://www.ferc.gov using the “eLibrary” link. Enter the docket number (e.g., P-12455) excluding the last three digits in the docket number field to access the document. For assistance, contact FERC Online Support at FERCOnlineSupport@ferc.gov or toll-free at 1-866-208-3676, or for TTY, (202) 502-8659. A copy is also available for inspection and reproduction at the address in item h above.

You may also register online at http://www.ferc.gov/docs-filing/esubscription.asp to be notified via e-mail of new filings and issuances related to this or other pending projects. For assistance, contact FERC Online Support.

n. Any qualified applicant desiring to file a competing application must submit to the Commission, on or before the specified deadline date for the particular application, a competing development application, or a notice of intent to file such an application. Submission of a timely notice of intent allows an interested person to file the competing development application no later than 120 days after the specified deadline date for the particular application. Applications for preliminary permits will not be accepted in response to this notice.

A notice of intent must specify the exact name, business address, and telephone number of the prospective applicant, and must include an unequivocal statement of intent to submit, if such an application may be filed, either a preliminary permit application or a development application (specify which type of application). A notice of intent must be served on the applicant(s) named in this public notice.

o. Anyone may submit a protest or a motion to intervene in accordance with the requirements of Rules of Practice and Procedure, 18 CFR 385.210, 385.211, 385.214. In determining the appropriate action to take, the Commission will consider all protests 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 protests or motions to intervene must be received on or before the specified comment date for the particular application.

When the application is ready for environmental analysis, the Commission will issue a public notice requesting comments, recommendations, terms and conditions, or prescriptions.

All filings must (1) bear in all capital letters the title “PROTEST” or “MOTION TO INTERVENE”, “NOTICE OF INTENT TO FILE COMPETING APPLICATION” or COMPETING APPLICATION;” (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, recommendations, terms and conditions or prescriptions must set forth their evidentiary basis and otherwise comply with the requirements of 18 CFR 4.34(b). 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.

p. Procedural Schedule: The Commission staff proposes to issue one Environmental Assessment (EA) rather than a draft and final EA. Staff intend to allow 30 days for entities to comment on the EA, and will take into consideration all comments received on the EA before final action is taken on the application.

The application will be processed according to the following schedule. Revisions to the schedule will be made as appropriate.