HomeMy WebLinkAbout10.01.2024 Board Correspondence - FW_ General Correspondence submitted in FERC P-803-000 by Pacific Gas and Electric Company,et al.From:Clerk of the Board
To:Bennett, Robin; Clerk of the Board; Connelly, Bill; Cook, Holly; Cook, Robin; Durfee, Peter; Jessee, Meegan; Kimmelshue, Tod; Kitts, Melissa; Lee, Lewis; Pickett, Andy; Ritter, Tami; Stephens,
Brad J.; Sweeney, Kathleen; Teeter, Doug; Zepeda, Elizabeth; Loeser, Kamie
Cc:Nevers, Dawn
Subject:Board Correspondence - FW: General Correspondence submitted in FERC P-803-000 by Pacific Gas and Electric Company,et al.
Date:Tuesday, October 1, 2024 4:14:56 PM
Please see Board Correspondence -
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Subject: General Correspondence submitted in FERC P-803-000 by Pacific Gas and Electric Company,et al.
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On 10/1/2024, the following Filing was submitted to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), Washington D.C.:
Filer: Pacific Gas and Electric Company
Pacific Gas & Electric Company (as Agent)
Docket(s): P-803-000
Lead Applicant: Pacific Gas and Electric Company
Filing Type: General Correspondence
Description: Pacific Gas and Electric Company submits copy of letter from California Central Valley Regional Water Quality Control Board re Notice of Violation Water Quality
Monitoring re the Butte Canal of the DeSabla-Centerville Hydroelectric Project under P-803.
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Power Generation
300 Lakeside Drive
Oakland, CA 94612
Mailing Address:
P.O. Box 28209
Oakland, CA 94604
October 1, 2024
Via Electronic Submittal (E-Filing)
Debbie-Anne Reese, Acting Secretary
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
888 First Street, N.E.
Washington, DC 20426
RE: DeSabla-Centerville Hydroelectric Project, FERC No. 803-CA
Butte Canal
Central Valley Regional Water Quality Control Board - Notice of Violation Water Quality
Monitoring
Dear Acting Secretary Reese:
This letter presents a copy of a letter filed with the California Central Valley Regional Water Quality
Control Board (CVRWQCB) on May 23, 2024, regarding a request to discontinue notice of violation
(NOV) required water quality monitoring within Butte Creek as documentation for the Federal Energy
Regulatory Commission (FERC) project record. On December 20, 2023, and later amended on
September 1, 2023, Pacific Gas and Electric Company's (PG&E) received an NOV related to the
August 10, 2023, Butte Canal breach incident which is part of PG&E’s DeSabla-Centerville
Hydroelectric Project, FERC No. 803.
The NOV required PG&E to perform both weekly and continuous water quality monitoring at various
locations along Butte Creek. The monitoring included water temperature, dissolved oxygen, settleable
solids, total suspended solids, and turbidity. Since the issuance of the NOV, PG&E has continued to
meet all monitoring requirements and have provided weekly reports to the CVRWQB. Due to a
number of reasons discussed in the enclosed letter; PG&E requested the NOV related water quality
monitoring be discontinued. On June 27, 2024, the CVRWQB responded to PG&E’s request and
approved the request in part. In compliance with the June 27, 2024, CVRWQB letter, PG&E will
continue to provide the required monitoring data.
Enclosed with this letter to be included into the DeSabla-Centerville Project record is a copy of the
May 23, 2024, letter from PG&E to the CVRWQCB requesting the discontinuation of the NOV
required Butte Creek water quality monitoring and the June 27, 2024, response from the CVRWQCB.
If you have questions or comments regarding this matter, please contact Megan Young, senior license
coordinator for PG&E, at (530) 335-5602.
Sincerely,
Janet Walther
Director, Hydro License Management
Enclosures:
1. May 23, 2024, letter to the Central Valley Regional Water Quality Control Board, regarding NOV
water quality monitoring
2. June 27, 2024, letter from the Central Valley Regional Water Quality Control Board, regarding
PG&E’s request to discontinue NOV water quality monitoring
Document Accession #: 20241001-5370 Filed Date: 10/01/2024
ENCLOSURE 1
Document Accession #: 20241001-5370 Filed Date: 10/01/2024
Betsy Brunswick
Senior Manager
Environmental Management
510.239.9738
Betsy.Brunswick@pge.com
May 23, 2024
Lynn Coster
Central Valley Regional Water Quality Control Board
Lynn.Coster@waterboards.ca.gov
RE: Request to Terminate Butte Canal Water Quality Monitoring
Dear Ms. Coster,
The Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) is requesting discontinuation of the samples that
require laboratory analysis and the two effectiveness monitoring stations that are associated
with the order received on December 20, 2023, amending the September 1, 2023, water code
section 13267 order from the Central Valley Regional Water Quality Control Board (CVRWQCB)
related to the Butte Creek Canal breach..
The current requirement is for PG&E to monitor water quality on a weekly basis at four
locations: Butte Head Dam, Doe Mill Bridge, Centerville Bridge, Honey Run Bridge. The
parameters to be measured include water temperature, dissolved oxygen, settleable solids,
total suspended solids and turbidity. PG&E is also required to continuously monitor turbidity
and water temperature at four locations: Above Butte Head Dam, Forks of Butte Recreation
Area, the Lower Centerville Diversion Dam and Centerville Powerhouse. PG&E intends to
continue with the ongoing turbidity monitoring at Lower Centerville Diversion Dam and
Centerville Powerhouse as those locations are part of our long-term monitoring program. The
long-term monitoring program has provided data on the seasonally varied turbidity status in
the watershed.
Since issuance of the Butte Creek Canal breach orders, PG&E has continued to meet all
monitoring requirements and has reported findings on a weekly basis to the CVRWQCB. The
monitoring, as documented in the weekly reports, has conclusively shown that during this
normal water year type:
• Turbidity measured downstream of the Butte Creek Canal breach is similar to the
turbidity upstream of the slide, indicating that the breach area is not contributing to any
increases in turbidity.
• The concentration of settleable solids continues to remain below reporting limits (i.e., <
0.1 mg/L) along the entire monitored section of Butte Creek, including immediately
below the Butte Creek Canal slide.
Document Accession #: 20241001-5370 Filed Date: 10/01/2024
Betsy Brunswick
Senior Manager
Environmental Management
510.239.9738
Betsy.Brunswick@pge.com
• The total suspended solid concentration has mostly remained below reporting limits
(i.e., < 6.0 mg/L). Higher concentrations have been observed during a few rainfall
events, but the inherent variability in the suspended solids concentrations along the
approximately 19 miles of Butte Creek indicates that tributaries to the creek are likely
sources of this sediment source.
• Dissolved oxygen concentrations have persisted well above 7 mg/L, which is the
threshold of concern for the cold-water fishery.
Since the completion of sediment removal, there has been above average rainfall in the region,
including multiple storm events with a few ‘atmospheric rivers’. This precipitation has
continued driving sediment transport in the entire Butte Creek watershed. The data
consistently show that Butte Creek turbidity has returned to natural conditions for the
watershed. Finally, the rainfall season is now ending and sediment transport in the watershed
is significantly diminishing.
Approval of this request by the CVRWQCB would result in the removal of the Butte Head Dam
and Forks of Butte turbidity monitoring sites and the four water quality monitoring sites that
require laboratory analysis. The turbidity monitoring at Lower Centerville Diversion Dam and
Centerville Powerhouse will continue as those locations are part of our long-term monitoring
program. PG&E will share those data with the CVRWQCB on a monthly basis per our existing
site management protocols.
Please contact me at 510.239.9738 and Betsy.Brunswick@pge.com or Janet.Walther@pge.com
and 530.966.4615 with any questions or comments regarding this information.
Sincerely,
Betsy Brunswick, Senior Manager Janet Walther, Senior Manager
PG&E Environmental Management PG&E Power Generation Hydro
Licensing and Compliance
Document Accession #: 20241001-5370 Filed Date: 10/01/2024
Betsy Brunswick
Senior Manager
Environmental Management
510.239.9738
Betsy.Brunswick@pge.com
cc: Eric Van Deuren, PG&E
Matt Putnam, PG&E
Robby Riedlinger, PG&E
Kim Ognisty, PG&E
Ed Cheslak, PG&E
Sam Garcia, PG&E
Sam Hillaire, PG&E
Rohit Salve, PG&E
Tanya Sheya, CDFW Environmental Program Manager
Document Accession #: 20241001-5370 Filed Date: 10/01/2024
Central Valley Regional Water Quality Control Board
27 June 2024
Janet Walther CERTIFIED MAIL:
Sr. Manager, Hydro Licensing & Compliance 7020 3160 0002 1905 2482
Pacific Gas and Electric Company
12840 Bill Clark Way
Auburn, CA 95602
Betsy Brunswick CERTIFIED MAIL:
Sr. Manager, Environmental Management 7020 3160 0002 1905 2499
Pacific Gas and Electric Company
300 Lakeside Drive
Oakland, CA 94612
Edward Cheslak CERTIFIED MAIL:
Environmental Management, Power Generation 7020 3160 0002 1905 2505
Pacific Gas and Electric Company
300 Lakeside Drive
Oakland, CA 94612
PARTIAL APPROVAL OF REQUEST TO TERMINATE BUTTE CANAL WATER
QUALITY MONITORING ASSOCIATED WITH 1 SEPTEMBER 2023 WATER CODE
SECTION 13267 ORDER (AS AMENDED 20 DECEMBER 2023), PACIFIC GAS AND
ELECTRIC COMPANY, AUGUST 2023 BUTTE CANAL BREACH, BUTTE COUNTY
On 23 May 2024, the Central Valley Regional Water Quality Control Board (Central Valley
Water Board) received a request from Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) to
terminate specific water quality monitoring required pursuant to the 1 September 2023
Notice of Violation and Water Code Section 13267 Order (13267 Order) associated with
the August 2023 Butte Canal Breach and the 20 December 2023 amendment to the
13267 Order. The original 13267 Order required weekly water quality monitoring at four
sample locations and continuous monitoring for turbidity and temperature at two locations
(Lower Centerville Diversion Dam and Centerville Powerhouse). The December 2023
amendment was issued to require PG&E to continue implementing its Butte Creek
Stabilization Project, Water Quality Monitoring Plan (Effectiveness Monitoring Plan),
which required continuous monitoring for turbidity and temperature at two additional
locations (above Butte Head Dam and Forks of Butte Recreation Area), in addition to the
water quality monitoring required pursuant to the original 13267 Order. The purpose of
continuation of the required water quality monitoring was to assess the impact to water
Document Accession #: 20241001-5370 Filed Date: 10/01/2024
PG&E 2 27 June 2024
Current Water Quality Monitoring and Reporting Requirements
Document Accession #: 20241001-5370 Filed Date: 10/01/2024
PG&E 3 27 June 2024
Summary of Water Quality Monitoring Results
Water Quality Control Plan for the Sacramento River and San
Document Accession #: 20241001-5370 Filed Date: 10/01/2024
PG&E 4 27 June 2024
Revised Water Quality Monitoring Requirements
Document Accession #: 20241001-5370 Filed Date: 10/01/2024
PG&E 5 27 June 2024
Butte Canal Breach, Butte County
The need for weekly sampling for the laboratory analysis of turbidity at Butte Head
Dam, Doe Mill Bridge, Centerville Bridge, and Honey Run Bridge will be reevaluated
following resumption of continuous monitoring on or prior to 1 October 2024.
Ongoing continuous monitoring data for turbidity and water temperature collected at
Lower Centerville Diversion Dam and Centerville Powerhouse is required to be reported
monthly to the Central Valley Water Board.
Continuous monitoring sensors shall be calibrated and maintained in accordance with
the manufacturer’s instructions. A calibration and maintenance log for each sensor used
for monitoring shall be maintained. A calibration check of each sensor is required to be
conducted monthly by comparing measurements from the deployed sensors with those
from insitu samples analyzed using a portable turbidity field meter. Deviations between
the sensor and field meter readings that are greater than or equal to 20% require
laboratory analysis of a grab sample for turbidity.
Tabular edits to the monitoring requirements are shown in Attachment 2.
Should you have any questions, please contact Lynn Coster either by telephone at
(530) 2242437 or by email to Lynn.Coster@waterboards.ca.gov.
(for) Clint E. Snyder, P.G.
Assistant Executive Officer
LC: db
Attachments: Attachment 1: Monitoring Locations Map
Attachment 2: Revised Monitoring Requirements Summary
Document Accession #: 20241001-5370 Filed Date: 10/01/2024
Bryan J. Smith,
P.E.
Digitally signed by Bryan J.
Smith, P.E.
Date: 2024.06.27 13:58:32 -07'00'
PG&E 6 27 June 2024
Document Accession #: 20241001-5370 Filed Date: 10/01/2024
PG&E 7 27 June 2024
Attachment 1
Document Accession #: 20241001-5370 Filed Date: 10/01/2024
PG&E 8 27 June 2024
Document Accession #: 20241001-5370 Filed Date: 10/01/2024
Document Content(s)
PGE20241001_803_CVRWQCB_Notice_of_Violation_Ltr.pdf ......................1
PGE20241001_803_CVRWQCB_Notice_of_Violation_Enc1.pdf......................2
PGE20241001_803_CVRWQCB_Notice_of_Violation_Enc2.pdf......................6
Document Accession #: 20241001-5370 Filed Date: 10/01/2024