[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 112 (Thursday, June 10, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Pages 32542-32543]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E4-1304]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Project No. 1893-042]


Public Service Company of New Hampshire; Notice of Site Visit, 
Scoping Meetings and Soliciting Scoping Comments

June 3, 2004.
    a. Type of Application: New major license.
    b. Project No.: P-1893-042.
    c. Date filed: December 30, 2003.
    d. Applicant: Public Service Company of New Hampshire (PSNH).
    e. Name of Project: Merrimack River Project.
    f. Location: On the Merrimack River, in Merrimack and Hillsborough

[[Page 32543]]

counties, New Hampshire. The project does not occupy Federal lands.
    g. Filed Pursuant to: Federal Power Act, 16 U.S.C. 791(a)-825(r).
    h. Applicant Contact: James J. Kearns, 780 North Commercial Street, 
P.O. Box 330, Manchester, NH 03105 (603) 634-2936.
    i. FERC Contact: Steve Kartalia, [email protected] (202) 
502-6131.
    j. Deadline for filing scoping comments: July 26, 2004.
    All documents (original and eight copies) should be filed with: 
Magalie R. Salas, Secretary, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 
First Street, NE., Washington, DC 20426.
    Scoping comments 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. The Merrimack project consists of three developments described 
below:
    The Amoskeag Development consisting of: (1) A 29-foot-high, 710-
foot-long concrete gravity dam comprised of: (i) A low crest section 
with 5-foot-high flashboards; and (ii) a high crest section with 3-
foot-high flashboards; (2) a 7-mile-long, 478-acre reservoir; (3) a 
powerhouse, integral with the dam, containing three generating units 
with a total installed capacity of 16,000 kW; (4) a 415-foot-long, 
34.5-kV double circuit transmission line; and (5) other appurtenances.
    The Hooksett Development consisting of: (1) A dam comprised of: (i) 
A 340-foot-long stone masonry section with 2-foot-high flashboards 
connected to; (ii) a 250-foot-long concrete section with 2-foot-high 
flashboards; (2) a 15-foot by 20-foot Taintor gate; (3) a 5.5-mile-
long, 405-acre reservoir; (4) a powerhouse containing a single 
generating unit with an installed capacity of 1,600 kW; and (5) other 
appurtenances.
    The Garvins Falls Development consisting of: (1) An 18-foot-high, 
550-foot-long concrete and granite gravity dam comprised of: (i) A low 
crest section with 3-foot-high flashboards; and (ii) a high crest 
section with 1.2-foot-high flashboards; (2) an 8-mile-long reservoir; 
(3) a 500-foot-long water canal with a 10-foot-wide waste gate; (4) two 
powerhouses, each containing two generating units for a total installed 
capacity of 12,300 kW; (5) a 340-foot-long, 34.5-kV transmission line; 
and (6) other appurtenances.
    l. 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 excluding the last three digits in the 
docket number field to access the document. For assistance, contact 
FERC Online Support at [email protected] or toll-free at (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 email of new filings and issuances 
related to this or other pending projects. For assistance, contact FERC 
Online Support.
    m. Scoping Process: Commission staff intend to prepare an 
Environmental Assessment (EA) on the project in accordance with the 
National Environmental Policy Act once the final license application is 
filed. The EA will consider both site-specific and cumulative 
environmental impacts and reasonable alternatives to the proposed 
action.
    n. Scoping Meetings: Commission staff will conduct a site visit, 
one agency scoping meeting and one public meeting. The agency scoping 
meeting will focus on resource agency, Indian Tribes, and non-
governmental organization concerns, while the public scoping meeting is 
primarily for public input. All interested individuals, organizations, 
resource agencies, and Indian Tribes are invited to attend one or both 
of the meetings, and to assist the staff in identifying the scope of 
the environmental issues that should be analyzed in the EA. The times 
and locations of these meetings are as follows:

Site Visit

    When: Wednesday, June 23, 2004, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. (e.s.t.).
    Where: PSNH 5 Rivers auditorium, PSNH Energy Park, 780 North 
Commercial St., Manchester, NH, RSVP to Applicant Contact (item h) by 
June 15.

Public Scoping Meeting

    When: Wednesday, June 23, 2004, 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. (e.s.t.).
    Where: PSNH auditorium in Manchester.

Agency Scoping Meeting

    When: Thursday, June 24, 2004, 10 a.m. to noon (e.s.t.).
    Where: PSNH auditorium in Manchester.
    Copies of the Scoping Document (SD1) outlining the subject areas to 
be addressed in the EA were distributed to the parties on the 
Commission(s mailing list. Copies of the SD1 will be available at the 
scoping meeting or may be viewed on the Web at http://www.ferc.gov 
using the ``eLibrary'' link (see item l above).
    o. Objectives: At the scoping meetings, the staff will: (1) 
Summarize the environmental issues tentatively identified for analysis 
in the EA; (2) solicit from the meeting participants all available 
information, especially quantifiable data, on the resources at issue; 
(3) encourage statements from experts and the public on issues that 
should be analyzed in the EA, including viewpoints in opposition to, or 
in support of, the staff(s preliminary views; (4) determine the 
resource issues to be addressed in the EA; and (5) identify those 
issues that require a detailed analysis, as well as those issues that 
do not require a detailed analysis.
    p. Procedures: The meetings are recorded by a stenographer and 
become part of the formal record of the Commission proceeding on the 
project.
    Individuals, organizations, and agencies with environmental 
expertise and concerns are encouraged to attend the meeting and to 
assist the staff in defining and clarifying the issues to be addressed 
in the EA.

Magalie R. Salas,
Secretary.
 [FR Doc. E4-1304 Filed 6-9-04; 8:45 am]
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