[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 165 (Thursday, August 26, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Pages 52499-52500]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E4-1933]



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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Project No. 7528-004]


Public Service Company of New Hampshire; Notice of Intent To File 
License Application, Filing of Pre-Application Document, Commencement 
of Licensing Proceeding, Scoping Meetings, Solicitation of Comments on 
the Pad and Scoping Document, and Identification of Issues and 
Associated Study Requests

August 20, 2004.
    a. Type of Filing: Notice of Intent to File License Application for 
a New License and Pre-Application Document; Commencing Licensing 
Proceeding.
    b. Project No.: 7528-004.
    c. Dated Filed: August 2, 2004.
    d. Submitted By: Public Service Company of New Hampshire (PSNH).
    e. Name of Project: Canaan Hydroelectric Project.
    f. Location: On the northern Connecticut River in Coos County, New 
Hampshire and Essex County, Vermont. The project does not occupy any 
federal lands.
    g. Filed Pursuant to: 18 CFR Part 5 of the Commission's 
Regulations.
    h. Potential Applicant Contact: Mr. James J. Kearns, Project 
Manager, Public Service Company of New Hampshire, 780 North Commercial 
Street, Manchester, NH 03101; (603) 502-6236.
    i. FERC Contact: Kristen Murphy (202) 502-6236 or e-mail at 
[email protected].
    j. We are asking Federal, State, local, and tribal agencies with 
jurisdiction and/or special expertise with respect to environmental 
issues to cooperate with us in the preparation of the environmental 
document. Agencies who would like to request cooperating status should 
follow the instructions for filing comments described in paragraph o. 
below.
    k. With this notice, we are initiating informal consultation with: 
(a) The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and/or NOAA Fisheries under 
section 7 of the Endangered Species Act and the joint agency 
regulations thereunder at 50 CFR Part 402 and (b) the State Historic 
Preservation Officer, as required by section 106, National Historical 
Preservation Act, and the implementing regulations of the Advisory 
Council on Historic Preservation at 36 CFR 800.2.
    l. With this notice, we are designating Public Service Company of 
New Hampshire as the Commission's non-federal representative for 
carrying out informal consultation, pursuant to section 7 of the 
Endangered Species Act and section 106 of the National Historic 
Preservation Act.
    m. Public Service Company of New Hampshire filed a Pre-Application 
Document (PAD); including a proposed process plan and schedule with the 
Commission, pursuant to 18 CFR 5.6 of the Commission's regulations.
    n. Copies of the PAD and Scoping Document 1 (SD1) are available for 
review at the Commission in the Public Reference Room or may be viewed 
on the Commission's Web site (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 1-866-208-3676, of for TTY, (202) 502-8659. A copy is 
also available for inspection and reproduction at the address in 
paragraph h.
    Register online at http://ferc.gov/esubscribenow.htm to be notified 
via e-mail of new filing and issuances related to this or other pending 
projects. For assistance, contact FERC Online Support.
    o. With this notice, we are soliciting comments on the PAD and SD1 
as well as study requests. All comments on the PAD and SD1, and study 
requests should be sent to the address above in paragraph h. In 
addition, all comments on the PAD and SD1, study requests, requests for 
cooperating agency status, and all communications to Commission staff 
related to the merits of the potential application (original and eight 
copies) must be filed with the Commission at the following address: 
Magalie R. Salas, Secretary, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 
First Street, NE., Washington, DC 20426. All filings with the 
Commission must include on the first page, the project name (Canaan 
Hydroelectric Project) and number (P-7528-004), and bear the heading 
``Comments on Pre-Application Document,'' ``Study Requests,'' 
``Comments on Scoping Document 1,'' ``Request for Cooperating Agency 
Status,'' or ``Communications to and from Commission Staff.'' Any 
individual or entity interested in submitting study requests, 
commenting on the PAD or SD1, and any agency requesting cooperating 
status must do so by October 22, 2004.
    Comments on the PAD and SD1, study requests, requests for 
cooperating agency status, and other permissible forms of 
communications with the Commission 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.
    p. At this time, Commission staff intends to prepare a single 
Environmental Assessment for the project, in accordance with the 
National Environmental Policy Act.

Scoping Meetings

    We will hold two scoping meetings at the times and places noted 
below. The daytime meeting will focus on resource agency, Indian 
tribes, and non-governmental organization concerns, while the evening 
meeting is primarily for receiving input from the public. We invite all 
interested individuals, organizations, and agencies to attend one or 
both of the meetings, and to assist staff in identifying particular 
study needs, as well as the scope of environmental issues to be 
addressed in the environmental document. The times and locations of 
these meetings are as follows:

Daytime Scoping Meeting

    Date and Time: Monday, September 20, 9:30 a.m. (EST).
    Location: PSNH 5 Rivers Auditorium, PSNH's Energy Park Corporate 
Headquarters, 780 North Commercial Street, Manchester, New Hampshire.
    For Directions: Please call Mr. James Kearns of PSNH at (603) 634-
2936.

Evening Scoping Meeting

    Date and Time: Tuesday, September 21, 7:00 p.m. (EST).
    Location: Canaan Schools, Elementary Building Multipurpose Room 
(cafeteria), 99 School Street, Canaan, Vermont.
    For Directions: Please call the Canaan Schools at (802) 266-8910.
    Scoping Document 1 (SD1), which outlines the subject areas to be 
addressed in the environmental document, has been mailed to the 
individuals and entities on the Commission's mailing list. Copies of 
SD1 will be available at the scoping meetings, or may be viewed on the 
web at http://www.ferc.gov, using the ``eLibrary'' link. Follow the 
directions for accessing information in paragraph n. Depending on the 
extent of comments received, a Scoping Document 2 (SD2) may or may not 
be issued.

Site Visit

    PSNH will conduct a tour of the project on Tuesday, September 21, 
2004, starting at 3 p.m. All participants interested in attending 
should meet at the Canaan project's powerhouse, located on Powerhouse 
Road in Canaan,

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Vermont. Anyone in need of directions to the powerhouse should contact 
Mr. James Kearns of PSNH at (603) 634-2936.

Scoping Meeting Objectives

    At the scoping meetings, staff will: (1) Present the proposed list 
of issues to be addressed in the EA; (2) review and discuss existing 
conditions and resource agency management objectives; (3) review and 
discuss existing information and identify preliminary information and 
study needs; (4) review and discuss the process plan and schedule for 
pre-filing activity that incorporates the time frames provided for in 
Part 5 of the Commission's regulations and, to the extent possible, 
maximizes coordination of federal, state, and tribal permitting and 
certification processes; and (5) discuss requests by any federal or 
state agency or Indian tribe acting as a cooperating agency for 
development of an environmental document.
    Meeting participants should come prepared to discuss their issues 
and/or concerns. Please review the Pre-Application Document in 
preparation for the scoping meetings. Directions on how to obtain a 
copy of the PAD and SD1 are included in item n. of this document.

Meeting Procedures

    The meetings will be recorded by a stenographer and will become 
part of the formal Commission record on the project.

Linda Mitry,
Acting Secretary.
 [FR Doc. E4-1933 Filed 8-25-04; 8:45 am]
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