[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 20 (Wednesday, January 30, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Pages 6314-6316]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-01913]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Project No. 6597-013]


Monadnock Paper Mills, Inc.; Notice of Application Accepted for 
Filing, Soliciting Motions To Intervene and Protests, Ready for 
Environmental Analysis, and Soliciting Comments, Recommendations, 
Preliminary Terms and Conditions, and Preliminary Fishway Prescriptions

    Take notice that the following hydroelectric application has been 
filed with the Commission and is available for public inspection.
    a. Type of Application: New Major License.
    b. Project No.: 6597-013.
    c. Date filed: July 31, 2012.
    d. Applicant: Monadnock Paper Mills, Inc.
    e. Name of Project: Monadnock Hydroelectric Project.
    f. Location: The existing project is located on the Contoocook 
River in the towns of Peterborough, Greenfield, Hancock, and Bennington 
in Hillsborough County, New Hampshire. The project does not affect 
federal lands.
    g. Filed Pursuant to: Federal Power Act, 16 U.S.C. 791(a)-825(r).
    h. Applicant Contact: Michelle Hamm, Manager, Environmental 
Services, Monadnock Paper Mills, Inc.; Antrim Road, P.O. Box 339, 
Bennington, NH 03442; (603) 588-3311 or [email protected].
    i. FERC Contact: Samantha Davidson, (202) 502-6839 or 
[email protected].
    j. Deadline for filing motions to intervene and protests, comments, 
recommendations, preliminary terms and conditions, and preliminary 
prescriptions: 60 days from the issuance date of this notice; reply 
comments are due 105 days from the issuance date of this notice.
    Motions to intervene, protests, comments, recommendations, 
preliminary terms and conditions, and preliminary fishway prescriptions 
may be filed electronically via the Internet. See 18 CFR 
385.2001(a)(1)(iii) and the instructions on the Commission's Web site 
http://www.ferc.gov/docs-filing/efiling.asp. Commenters can submit 
brief comments up to 6,000 characters,

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without prior registration, using the eComment system at http://www.ferc.gov/docs-filing/ecomment.asp. You must include your name and 
contact information at the end of your comments. For assistance, please 
contact FERC Online Support at [email protected] or toll free 
at 1-866-208-3676, or for TTY, (202) 502-8659. Although the Commission 
strongly encourages electronic filing, documents may also be paper-
filed. To paper-file, mail an original and seven copies to: Kimberly D. 
Bose, Secretary, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 First Street 
NE., Washington, DC 20426.
    The Commission's Rules of Practice require all intervenors filing 
documents with the Commission to serve a copy of that document on each 
person on the official service list for the project. Further, if an 
intervenor files comments or documents with the Commission relating to 
the merits of an issue that may affect the responsibilities of a 
particular resource agency, they must also serve a copy of the document 
on that resource agency.
    k. This application has been accepted for filing and is now ready 
for environmental analysis.
    l. The Project Description:
    The existing Monadnock Hydroelectric Project consists of four 
developments, three of which have generating facilities, with a 
combined installed capacity of 1,889 kilowatts (kW). The average annual 
generation of the project is 6,100 megawatt-hours. All power generated 
by the Monadnock Project is used by Monadnock Paper Mill, Inc.'s (MPM) 
paper production facility. The four developments, from upstream to 
downstream, are described below.

Powder Mill Development

    The existing Powder Mill Development is located at river mile 46.08 
of the Contoocook River and consists of: (1) A 366-foot-long, 18.6-
foot-high dam consisting of a 228-foot-long gated, concrete gravity 
spillway with a crest elevation of 675.44 feet National Geodetic 
Vertical Datum of 1929 (NGVD) and 2-foot-high seasonal flashboards, a 
91-foot-long earth embankment with a concrete core wall, and a 47-foot-
long earth embankment with a concrete core wall; (2) a 4-foot-wide 
sluiceway; (3) a 35-foot-long, 15-foot-wide regulating gatehouse 
structure with a 4-foot-diameter outlet pipe; (4) a 435-acre 
impoundment with a storage capacity of 1,940 acre-feet and a normal 
maximum elevation of 677.44 feet NGVD; and (5) appurtenant facilities.

Monadnock Development

    The existing Monadnock Development is located 4,200 feet downstream 
of Powder Mill Development dam and consists of: (1) A 515-foot-long, 
22-foot-high dam consisting of a 165-foot-long concrete spillway with a 
crest elevation of 663.8 feet NGVD and 2-foot-high seasonal 
flashboards, a 75-foot-long earth embankment with a concrete core wall, 
a 50-foot-long concrete non-overflow section, a 25-foot-long earth 
embankment with a concrete core wall, and a 200-foot-long earthen 
embankment; (2) a 5-acre impoundment with a storage capacity of 240 
acre-feet and a normal maximum elevation of 665.8 feet NGVD; (3) a 75-
foot-long, 20-foot-wide powerhouse containing one 125-kW turbine-
generating unit and one 298-kW turbine-generating unit for a total 
installed capacity of 423 kW; (4) two 20 to 25-foot-long, 2.3-kV 
generator leads; (5) a 100-foot-long tailrace; and (6) appurtenant 
facilities.

Pierce Development

    The existing Pierce Development is located 900 feet downstream of 
the Monadnock Development dam and consists of: (1) A 420-foot-long, 28-
foot-high dam that includes a 290-foot-long concrete spillway with a 
crest elevation of 651.4 feet NGVD and 2-foot-high seasonal 
flashboards; (2) a 7-acre impoundment with a storage capacity of 51-
acre-feet and a normal maximum elevation of 653.4 feet NGVD; (3) a 25 
foot long, 35-foot-wide powerhouse containing one 500-kW turbine-
generating unit and one 220-kW turbine-generating unit for a total 
installed capacity of 720 kW; (4) two 15 to 25-foot-long, 2.3-kV 
generator leads; (5) a 600-foot-long tailrace; and (6) appurtenant 
facilities.

Paper Mill Development

    The existing Paper Mill Development is located 1,140 feet 
downstream of the Pierce Development dam and consists of: (1) A 280-
foot-long, 19-foot-high dam that includes a 142-foot-long concrete 
gravity spillway with a crest elevation of 625.6 feet NGVD and 2-foot-
high seasonal flashboards; (2) a 5-acre impoundment with a storage 
capacity of 25-acre-feet and a normal maximum elevation of 627.6 feet 
NGVD; (3) a 300-foot-long power canal and headgate structure leading to 
a forebay; (4) an intake structure and a 10-foot-diameter, 200-foot-
long steel penstock; (5) a generating room located on the lower level 
of MPM's paper mill facility containing a 746-kW turbine generating 
unit; (6) a 150-foot-long, 2.3-kV generator lead; (7) a 800-foot-long 
tailrace; and (8) appurtenant facilities.
    The project also includes a 2,190-foot-long, 2.3-kV overhead 
transmission line interconnecting the generator leads to a 200-foot-
long, 23-kV supply bus at MPM's paper mill facility.
    The Powder Mill Development operates in a seasonal store and 
release mode to meet instream flow requirements and downstream demand 
for hydroelectric generation at MPM's paper mill facility. The 
Monadnock, Pierce, and Paper Mill developments operate in a run-of-
river mode. The existing license requires an instantaneous minimum flow 
of 13 cubic feet per second (cfs) (or inflow, whichever is less), in 
the Powder Mill, Monadnock, and Pierce tailraces; and an instantaneous 
minimum flow of 70 cfs (or the inflow, whichever is less), in the Paper 
Mill tailrace. MPM proposes to continue operating the project according 
to the existing minimum flow requirements and maintain the Powder Mill 
impoundment between elevations 677.44 and 674.44 feet NGVD.
    m. 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 1-
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.
    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.
    n. Anyone may submit comments, a protest, or a motion to intervene 
in accordance with the requirements of Rules of Practice and Procedure, 
18 CFR 385.210, .211, and .214. In determining the appropriate action 
to take, the Commission will consider all protests or other comments 
filed, but only those who file a motion to intervene in accordance with 
the Commission's Rules may become a party to the proceeding. Any 
comments, protests, or motions to intervene must be received on or 
before the specified comment date for the particular application.
    All filings must (1) Bear in all capital letters the title 
``PROTEST'', ``MOTION TO INTERVENE'', ``COMMENTS,'' ``REPLY COMMENTS,''

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``RECOMMENDATIONS,'' ``PRELIMINARY TERMS AND CONDITIONS,'' or 
``PRELIMINARY FISHWAY PRESCRIPTIONS;'' (2) set forth in the heading the 
name of the applicant and the project number of the application to 
which the filing responds; (3) furnish the name, address, and telephone 
number of the person protesting or intervening; and (4) otherwise 
comply with the requirements of 18 CFR 385.2001 through 385.2005. All 
comments, recommendations, terms and conditions or prescriptions must 
set forth their evidentiary basis and otherwise comply with the 
requirements of 18 CFR 4.34(b). Agencies may obtain copies of the 
application directly from the applicant. A copy of any protest or 
motion to intervene must be served upon each representative of the 
applicant specified in the particular application. A copy of all other 
filings in reference to this application must be accompanied by proof 
of service on all persons listed in the service list prepared by the 
Commission in this proceeding, in accordance with 18 CFR 4.34(b) and 
385.2010.
    o. Procedural Schedule:
    The application will be processed according to the following 
revised Hydro Licensing Schedule. Revisions to the schedule may be made 
as appropriate.

------------------------------------------------------------------------
                       Milestone                           Target date
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Filing of recommendations, preliminary terms and             March 2013.
 conditions, and preliminary fishway prescriptions.....
Commission issues EA...................................       July 2013.
Comments on EA.........................................     August 2013.
Modified terms and conditions..........................    October 2013.
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    p. Final amendments to the application must be filed with the 
Commission no later than 30 days from the issuance date of this notice.
    q. A license applicant must file no later than 60 days following 
the date of issuance of the notice of acceptance and ready for 
environmental analysis provided for in Sec.  5.22: (1) A copy of the 
water quality certification; (2) a copy of the request for 
certification, including proof of the date on which the certifying 
agency received the request; or (3) evidence of waiver of water quality 
certification.

    Dated: January 17, 2013.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2013-01913 Filed 1-29-13; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P