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Home My WebLink AboutOld Harbor Hydroelectric Preliminary Permit Application - Jul 2008 - REF Grant 2195431POLARCONSULT ALASKA, INC. OLD HARBOR PRELIMINARY PERMIT APPLICATION JULY 14, 2008 LIST OF POTENTIALLY AFFECTED ENTITIES AND INTERESTED PARTIES Director Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation 555 Cordova Street Anchorage, AK 99501 Statewide Hydropower Coordinator Alaska Department of Fish and Game 333 Raspberry Road Anchorage, AK 99518-1599 Project Review Coordinator Alaska Department of Natural Resources 550 W. 7th Avenue, Suite 1660 Anchorage, AK 99501-3568 Chief, Water Resources Section Alaska Department of Natural Resources 550 W 7th Ave, #1020 Anchorage, AK 99501-3577 State Director Bureau of Land Management 222 West 7th Avenue, #13 Anchorage, AK 99513-7599 Director, Alaska Operations Office Environmental Protection Agency 222 West 7th Ave. #19 Anchorage, AK 99513-7588 Secretary Federal Energy Regulatory Commission 8888 First Street, N.E. Washington, DC 20426 Project Coordinator National Marine Fisheries Service 222 W. 7th Ave., Suite 43 Anchorage, AK 99513-7577 Project Coordinator National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration PO Box 21109 Juneau, AK 99802 Office of the Solicitor, Alaska Region 4230 University Drive, Suite 300 Anchorage, AK 99508 Regulatory Branch/Permits US Army Corps of Engineers 2204 3rd Street Elmendorf AFB, AK 99506 Regional Director US Bureau of Indian Affairs PO Box 25520 Juneau , AK 99802 Regional Environmental Officer US Department of the Interior 1689 C St Ste 119 Anchorage , AK 99501-5126 Project Coordinator US Fish and Wildlife Service 1011 East Tudor Rd Anchorage, AK 99503 ADEC Exxon Valdez Trustee Council 645 G Street Anchorage, AK 99501 Alaska Department of Natural Resources 550 West 7th Ave, #1310 Anchorage, AK 99501-3565 Brent Petrie Alaska Village Electric Cooperative, Inc. 4831 Eagle Street Anchorage, AK 99503-7497 City of Old Harbor P.O. Box 109 Old Harbor, AK 99643 Portland Regional Office Federal Energy Regulatory Commission 101 SW Main Street Suite 905 Portland, OR 97204 Kodiak Area Native Association 3449 E Rezonoff Dr Kodiak, AK 99615 Kodiak Island Borough 710 Mill Bay Road Kodiak, AK 99615 Koniag Incorporated 4300 B St Suite 407 Anchorage, AK 99503 Old Harbor Native Corporation P.O. Box 71 Old Harbor, AK 99643 Old Harbor Tribal Council P.O. Box 15 Old Harbor, AK 99643 The Conservation Fund 9850 Hiland Road Eagle River, AK 99577 POLARCONSULT ALASKA, INC. OLD HARBOR PRELIMINARY PERMIT APPLICATION JULY 14, 2008 BEFORE THE FEDERAL ENERGY REGULATORY COMMISSION APPLICATION FOR PRELIMINARY PERMIT (1) Alaska Village Electric Cooperative, herein after called the “Applicant”, applies to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission for a preliminary permit for the proposed Old Harbor Hydro, a water power project as described in the attached exhibits. This application is made in order that the Applicant may secure and maintain priority of application for a license for the project under Part I of the Federal Power Act while obtaining the data and performing the acts required to determine the feasibility of the project and to support an application for a license. (2) The location of the proposed project is: State or Territory: Alaska County: Kodiak Island Borough Township or nearby town: City of Old Harbor Stream or other body of water: East fork of Mountain Creek (3) The exact name, business address, and telephone number of the applicant are: ALASKA VILLAGE ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE 4831 Eagle Street Anchorage, Alaska 99503 (907) 565-5358 The exact name and business address of each person authorized to act as agent for the applicant in this application is: Brent Petrie Alaska Village Electric Cooperative 4831 Eagle Street Anchorage, Alaska 99503 Daniel Hertrich Polarconsult Alaska, Inc. 1503 W 33rd Ave, #310 Anchorage, AK 99503 (4) The Applicant is a domestic corporation and is not claiming preference under section 7(a). (5) The proposed term of the requested permit is 36 months. (6) Currently there is no existing dam or other project facility. POLARCONSULT ALASKA, INC. OLD HARBOR PRELIMINARY PERMIT APPLICATION JULY 14, 2008 EXHIBIT 1 - PROJECT DESCRIPTION The Project is located near the community of Old Harbor, Alaska. Old Harbor is on the southeastern coast of Kodiak Island and is approximately 70 miles southwest of the City of Kodiak and 320 miles southwest of Anchorage. Old Harbor is accessible by small aircraft and boats. The Project intake is located at latitude north 57d14'48.7" and longitude west 153d20'38.6" on the east fork of Mountain Creek. The Powerhouse is located at latitude north 57d14'43.5" and longitude west 153d19'2.6" near Big Creek. The Project is within the Kodiak Island Borough, on Kodiak National Wildlife Refuge, Old Harbor Native Corporation, and City of Old Harbor lands. The Project is a 300 kW run of the river hydroelectric plant with a diversion structure, pipeline, powerhouse, and electric line. The project involves collecting up to 7 cfs of water year round from a tributary (Mountain Creek) of Barling Bay Creek and transporting it across a basin boundary to Big Creek. The proposed design consists of a 30' wide x 4' tall concrete diversion structure at the intake site at an elevation of 840 feet above mean sea level. The intake structure will incorporate a bypass gate for flushing accumulations of sand and gravel. Water will flow through a trash rack directly into the desanding structure. The desander will have screens to catch leaves and other suspended debris. The screens will be flushed by opening a gate that will allow water to drain from the desander. This gate will also flush out accumulated gravel and sand. The desander will be made of concrete, wood, steel, or other similar construction materials. The water will then flow through 2000' of 16" HDPE pipe, 2000' of 14" HDPE pipe, and finally another 2200' of 12" steel pipe for a total penstock length of 6200'. The powerhouse, located at an elevation of about 80' will consist of a concrete footing and slab for anchoring the turbine and pipeline and a 25'x30' wood or metal building. The building will house the 300 kW impulse turbine, generator, and switchgear. The tailrace will discharge into a lake or small channel where the project waters will meander a distance of about a 1/4 mile before entering Big Creek. Atransformer will increase the system voltage for transmission to the electrical grid. The 10,700' long buried transmission line will parallel the access road. The road will be designed to support standard vehicle traffic for inspection and maintenance of the powerhouse. A separate trail will be used to access the project intake. The intake access trail will only support small four wheeler traffic and tracked construction equipment. With a gross head of 760' the 300 kW project is expected to produce about 2.2 GWh of electricity each year. Power from the project will be used entirely by the city of Old Harbor. Currently the City of Old Harbor obtains its electricity solely through the use of diesel fuel-burning generators, providing the city with 670,000 kWh of power each year. The hydropower project will largely supplant the need to operate these fossil fuel generators. POLARCONSULT ALASKA, INC. OLD HARBOR PRELIMINARY PERMIT APPLICATION JULY 14, 2008 The status of the lands that the project occupies by legal entity and quarter-quarter section are as follows: Township Range Section Portion OWNERSHIP T 34 S R 26 W 12 NE 1/4 KNWR T 34 S R 25 W 7 Entire Section KNWR T 34 S R 25 W 17 NW 1/4 KNWR T 34 S R 25 W 17 SW 1/4 OHNC T 34 S R 25 W 18 N 1/2 KNWR T 34 S R 25 W 20 NW 1/4 OHNC and COH All sections in Seward Meridian KNWR = Kodiak National Wildlife Refuge OHNC = Old Harbor Native Corporation COH = City of Old Harbor The project in its final form will occupy 54 acres of U.S. Lands, based upon 100 foot rights of way along the pipeline, trail, and transmission routes. EXHIBIT 2 - DESCRIPTION OF PROPOSED STUDIES Past studies include feasibility studies and the Environmental Assessment that was prepared as part of the original license (P-11690) issued on December 12, 2000. Past studies include investigations into the fishery resource at the mouth of Mountain Creek, archeological investigations, mammal surveys, bird surveys including the potential for impacts to threatened and endangered species, economic analysis, and partial project design work including extensive surveying along the proposed intake access trail. Studies anticipated for this form of the project include the following: Collection of lidar or other survey of the project area for feasibility and design. Investigation of the environmental impacts of discharging tailrace waters into Big Creek and surrounding area. Perform archeological investigations along the new project footprint. Studies will be performed during the fall of 2008 and/or during 2009. Studies will be completed by the end of 2009. No new roads will be required to perform the studies but access of the project lands and surrounding area will be required. This is likely to include travel by foot, four wheeler, and helicopter. Access requirements for the field studies will be minimal. Disturbances will be to a very small portion of the environment and with no lasting impacts. No impacts to cultural resources will occur during the field studies. Costs to complete the proposed studies and the license application are estimated to be $50,000 to $130,000. AVEC is an electric cooperative that manages several dozen utilities and has the resources to complete all of the study work required. The issuance of the past license is a testament to this fact. POLARCONSULT ALASKA, INC. OLD HARBOR PRELIMINARY PERMIT APPLICATION JULY 14, 2008 EXHIBIT 3 Project Maps Figure 1 – Vicinity Map Figure 2 – Project Map