LIHI Certfiies West Dudley's Hydroelectric Project on the Quinebaug River, Massachusetts
At their September 22, 2011 meeting the Institute’s Governing Board determined that the West Dudley Hydroelectric Project meets the LIHI Certification Criteria. In reaching its decision to certify the West Dudley Hydroelectric Project, the LIHI’s Governing Board reviewed the application for certification, as well as the Application Reviewer’s report. The Board’s vote to certify the West Dudley Hydroelectric Project was unanimous, and the Board approves certification for the West Dudley Hydroelectric Project for five-years with the following project specific conditions:
Condition 1. West Dudley, LLC shall develop a system for maintaining records sufficient to demonstrate compliance with the headpond elevation and flow management limitations set forth under the terms of the FERC exemption and the Mass DEP letter of July 8, 2011. Within three months of the date of issuance of the certification, West Dudley, LLC shall provide LIHI with a written flow management plan that outlines the systems in place to properly manage flows and headpond levels and to produce compliance records. Prior to filing the plan, West Dudley, LLC shall obtain plan approval from U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Mass DEP (agencies); written confirmation of the approvals will be filed with the plan.
Condition 2. West Dudley, LLC shall complete its Summer 2011 water quality sampling and provide the data to Mass DEP for a determination as to whether the Facility complies with dissolved oxygen standards. The data report and Mass DEP’s determination shall be filed with LIHI no later than December 31, 2011.
Condition 3. By August 1, 2012, West Dudley, LLC shall enter into, and provide LIHI with a copy of, an agreement reached between the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife, and West Dudley, LLC for providing both interim and permanent safe, timely, and effective downstream passage for American eel, including a description of the planned passage and protection measures and the implementation schedule for design, installation, and operations. Said permanent facilities shall be in place and operational by August 1, 2015, and West Dudley, LLC shall notify LIHI within two weeks of completion. In the interim, effective immediately, West Dudley, LLC shall institute interim downstream passage which shall consist of nightly shutdowns (dusk to dawn) during rainy nights from August 15 to November 15. West Dudley shall keep a log during this period, showing precipitation and generation information, and provide it to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife by December 31 annually until permanent measures are in place. This interim passage provision shall be included in the aforementioned agreement. In the event that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service or the Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife determine prior to the installation of permanent downstream passage that the above-described interim downstream passage measure is not providing safe, timely and effective interim passage for out-migrating eels, West Dudley LLC shall implement other reasonable interim measures as requested by these agencies. During the term of this certification, should a resource agency request implementation of upstream passage at the Facility, West Dudley, LLC shall so notify LIHI within 14 days and provide LIHI with a copy of the request and its response.”
The effective certification date for the West Dudley Hydroelectric Project is April 7, 2011 and will expire on April 7, 2016. Any Commenter may submit a letter to the Certification Administrator requesting an appeal within 30 days of the posting of the Certification Decision on the Institute’s Web page. An appeal request must include specific reasons why the hydropower facility should have failed one or more criteria. If an individual or organization did not comment on the initial Application Package, they may not file an appeal.
Portland, Maine (April 7, 2011) – LIHI is pleased to announce that West Dudley Hydro, LLC has submitted an application for Low Impact Certification of its West Dudley Project on the Quinebaug River which is located in the Thames River Basin in Dudley, Massachusetts.
Industrial, residential and undeveloped lands are all found in the project area. Some of the undeveloped land primarily on the west side of the river, close as it is to intensive industrial and commercial use, provides some wildlife habitat. Undeveloped lands include a number of wooded areas some of which are seasonally flooded. The remainder of the area consists of low-density residential and small industrial development. The project area, is shown on the Project Boundary Map in Appendix 3-1. The approximate latitude and longitude of the project area is 42° 3'1.64"N and 71°58'53.05"W.
The project is operated as a run-of-river facility. The project is required to maintain a continuous minimum flow of 76 cubic feet per second (CFS), or the inflow to the reservoir, whichever is less. Project works consist of: (a) a reservoir with an 31-acre surface area, and a useable storage capacity of 201 acre-feet; (b) a 55 foot spillway; (c) a dam consisting of two sections 55 feet in length and 144 feet in length, at the junction of which is located an existing 60 foot stone and masonry powerhouse; (d) 4 foot high flashboards; (e) transmission equipment and electrical facilities; and (f) appurtenant equipment.
On June 10, 1983 the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (“FERC”) issued an exemption to the West Dudley Power Company authorizing the operation and maintenance of the West Dudley hydroelectric project (FERC 7254). No agency comments were received in opposition to the exemption. No federally listed threatened or endangered plant species are known to occur within the West Dudley facility area.
As a condition of issuance, the FERC Exemption requires the Applicant to comply with any terms and conditions that the Federal or State fish and wildlife agencies have determined appropriate to prevent loss of, or damage to, fish and wildlife resources. Based on commitments to comply with both state and federal agency recommendations, the facility operates within FERC and Federal or State Fish and Wildlife Agency guidelines. The project’s exemption is subject to termination if the facility is found to be out of compliance. There have been no deficiencies noted by any agency with jurisdiction for the plant.
The Applicant maintains that the project is not currently required by any state or federal agency to maintain upstream or downstream fish passage facilities. The Applicant says that Dr. Caleb Slater of the Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife confirmed March 16, 2011 letter that there are no anadromous fish species present in the vicinity of the Project and upstream and downstream fish passage at the project is not required until such time as migratory fish are restored to the project area.
Portland, Maine (April 7, 2011) – LIHI is pleased to announce that West Dudley Hydro, LLC has submitted an application for Low Impact Certification of its West Dudley Project on the Quinebaug River which is located in the Thames River Basin in Dudley, Massachusetts.
Industrial, residential and undeveloped lands are all found in the project area. Some of the undeveloped land primarily on the west side of the river, close as it is to intensive industrial and commercial use, provides some wildlife habitat. Undeveloped lands include a number of wooded areas some of which are seasonally flooded. The remainder of the area consists of low-density residential and small industrial development. The project area, is shown on the Project Boundary Map in Appendix 3-1. The approximate latitude and longitude of the project area is 42° 3'1.64"N and 71°58'53.05"W.
The project is operated as a run-of-river facility. The project is required to maintain a continuous minimum flow of 76 cubic feet per second (CFS), or the inflow to the reservoir, whichever is less. Project works consist of: (a) a reservoir with an 31-acre surface area, and a useable storage capacity of 201 acre-feet; (b) a 55 foot spillway; (c) a dam consisting of two sections 55 feet in length and 144 feet in length, at the junction of which is located an existing 60 foot stone and masonry powerhouse; (d) 4 foot high flashboards; (e) transmission equipment and electrical facilities; and (f) appurtenant equipment.
On June 10, 1983 the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (“FERC”) issued an exemption to the West Dudley Power Company authorizing the operation and maintenance of the West Dudley hydroelectric project (FERC 7254). No agency comments were received in opposition to the exemption. No federally listed threatened or endangered plant species are known to occur within the West Dudley facility area.
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As a condition of issuance, the FERC Exemption requires the Applicant to comply with any terms and conditions that the Federal or State fish and wildlife agencies have determined appropriate to prevent loss of, or damage to, fish and wildlife resources. Based on commitments to comply with both state and federal agency recommendations, the facility operates within FERC and Federal or State Fish and Wildlife Agency guidelines. The project’s exemption is subject to termination if the facility is found to be out of compliance. There have been no deficiencies noted by any agency with jurisdiction for the plant.
The Applicant maintains that the project is not currently required by any state or federal agency to maintain upstream or downstream fish passage facilities. The Applicant says that Dr. Caleb Slater of the Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife confirmed March 16, 2011 letter that there are no anadromous fish species present in the vicinity of the Project and upstream and downstream fish passage at the project is not required until such time as migratory fish are restored to the project area.