[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 95 (Thursday, May 16, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Page 28838]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-11670]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Project No. 14518-000]


New England Hydropower Company, LLC; Notice of Preliminary Permit 
Application Accepted for Filing and Soliciting Comments, Motions To 
Intervene, and Competing Applications

    On April 29, 2013, the New England Hydropower Company, LLC filed an 
application for a preliminary permit, pursuant to section 4(f) of the 
Federal Power Act (FPA), proposing to study the feasibility of the 
Lensdale Pond Dam Hydroelectric Project (Lensdale Dam Project or 
project) to be located on Quinebaug River, near Southbridge, Worcester 
County, Massachusetts. The sole purpose of a preliminary permit, if 
issued, is to grant the permit holder priority to file a license 
application during the permit term. A preliminary permit does not 
authorize the permit holder to perform any land-disturbing activities 
or otherwise enter upon lands or waters owned by others without the 
owners' express permission.
    The proposed project would consist of the following: (1) An 
existing 21-foot-high, 433-foot-long earth embankment dam with a 154-
foot-long stone masonry spillway and 3.5-foot-high wooden flashboards; 
(2) an existing 10.9-acre impoundment (Lensdale Pond) with an operating 
elevation of about 416.7 feet above mean sea level; (3) an existing 31-
foot-long, 12.9-foot-wide, and 10-foot-deep head box and intake 
channel; (4) a new 12-foot-high, 11-foot-wide hydraulically-powered 
sluice gate equipped with a new 12-foot-high, 12-foot-wide trashrack 
with 6-inch bar spacing; (5) a new 41-foot-long, 11.55-foot wide 
Archimedes screw generator unit with an installed capacity of 185 
kilowatts in a new 65-foot-long, 14.75-foot-wide concrete housing 
structure; (6) a new 10-foot-high, 24-foot-long, 30-foot-wide concrete 
powerhouse containing a new gearbox and electrical controls; (7) an 
existing 850-foot-long, 30-foot-wide, and 4-foot-deep tailrace; (8) a 
new above-ground 365-foot-long, 35-kilovolt transmission line 
connecting the powerhouse to the Southbridge Power & Thermal's 
distribution system; and (9) appurtenant facilities. The estimated 
annual generation of the proposed Lensdale Dam Project would be about 
870 megawatt-hours. The existing Lensdale Pond Dam is equipped with a 
12-foot-high, 11-foot-wide flood gate that is controlled by the U.S. 
Army Corps of Engineers. The existing Lensdale Pond Dam and appurtenant 
works, including an existing powerhouse foundation and intake 
structures, are owned by Southbridge Associates Limited Partnership.
    Applicant Contact: Mr. Michael C. Kerr, New England Hydropower 
Company, LLC, P.O. Box 5524, Beverly Farms, Massachusetts 01915; phone: 
(978) 360-2547.
    FERC Contact: John Ramer; phone: (202) 502-8969 or email: 
[email protected].
    Deadline for filing comments, motions to intervene, competing 
applications (without notices of intent), or notices of intent to file 
competing applications: 60 days from the issuance of this notice. 
Competing applications and notices of intent must meet the requirements 
of 18 CFR 4.36. Comments, motions to intervene, notices of intent, and 
competing applications 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, 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 five copies to: Kimberly D. Bose, Secretary, 
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 First Street NE., Washington, 
DC 20426.
    More information about this project, including a copy of the 
application, can be viewed or printed on the ``eLibrary'' link of 
Commission's Web site at http://www.ferc.gov/docs-filing/elibrary.asp. 
Enter the docket number (P-14518) in the docket number field to access 
the document. For assistance, contact FERC Online Support.

    Dated: May 8, 2013.
 Kimberly D. Bose,
 Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2013-11670 Filed 5-15-13; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P