[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 217 (Monday, November 10, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Page 66720]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-26572]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Project No. 1904-073]


TransCanada Hydro Northeast Inc.; Notice of Technical Conference 
and Environmental Site Review

    TransCanada Hydro Northeast Inc. (TransCanada) is currently using 
the Integrated Licensing Process to prepare an application for a new 
license (due to be filed on April 30, 2016) for the Vernon 
Hydroelectric Project No. 1904-73 (Vernon Project). The 32.4-megawatt 
Vernon Project is located on the Connecticut River in Cheshire County, 
New Hampshire and Windsor and Windham Counties, Vermont. On February 
21, 2014, the Director of the Office of Energy Projects issued a Study 
Plan Determination requiring TransCanada to conduct 21 studies, 
including the development of a plan to conduct hydroacoustic studies of 
downstream passage of juvenile American shad and adult American eel. On 
March 24, 2014, TransCanada filed a request for rehearing of the 
requirement to conduct hydroacoustic studies, which is currently 
pending before the Commission.
    On September 15, 2014, TransCanada filed its proposed Vernon 
Hydroacoustic Study Plan. To gather additional information and assist 
the Commission in its review of the proposed study, Commission staff 
will hold a technical conference on November 20, 2014. The technical 
conference will focus on discussing the information and studies needed 
to evaluate downstream passage of juvenile American shad and adult 
American eel at the Vernon Project, including the methods proposed in 
TransCanada's Vernon Hydroacoustic Study Plan. Discussion topics for 
the technical conference are included in Appendix A.
    In addition to the technical conference, Commission staff will hold 
an environmental site review of the Vernon Project on November 19, 
2014. All local, state, and federal agencies, Indian tribes, and other 
interested parties are invited to attend the site review and technical 
conference. The technical conference will be transcribed by a court 
reporter. If the number of participants wishing to speak at the 
technical conference creates time constraints, Commission staff may, at 
its discretion, limit the speaking time of participants. The dates, 
times, and meeting locations for the site review and technical 
conference are listed below.

Site Review

    Date: Wednesday, November 19, 2014.
    Time: 2:00 p.m.
    Place: 152 Governor Hunt Road, Vernon, VT 05354.

Technical Conference

    Date: Thursday, November 20, 2014.
    Time: 9:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m.
    Place: The Emerson Room, Courtyard Keene Downtown, 75 Railroad 
Street, Keene, NH 03431.
    If you plan to attend the site review, you must call or email John 
Ragonese (phone: (603) 225-5528; email: [email protected]) 
by November 17, 2014, and identify the number of individuals in your 
group. During the site review, participants will be required to wear 
steel-toed shoes. A limited number of toe protection devices will be 
available, but participants are strongly encouraged to bring their own.
    If you have any questions, please contact Bill Connelly at 202-502-
8587.

    Dated: October 31, 2014.
Nathaniel J. Davis, Sr.,
Deputy Secretary.

APPENDIX A

Technical Conference Discussion Topics

Information Needs

    1. Timing of juvenile American shad and adult American eel runs.
    2. Relative abundance and/or magnitude of juvenile American shad 
and adult American eel runs.
    3. Delay of juvenile American shad and adult American eel 
downstream passage.
    4. Downstream passage route selection by juvenile American shad 
and adult American eel.

Study Methods

    1. Radio telemetry or other individual tracking technologies: 
What information can be obtained with these methods? What are the 
benefits of using these methods? What are the drawbacks?
    2. Hydroacoustics and other fixed recording technologies: What 
information can be obtained with these methods? What are the 
benefits of using these methods? What are the drawbacks?
    3. Other study methods: Are there other study methods that could 
be used to obtain information about downstream passage of juvenile 
American shad and adult American eel? What are the benefits of using 
these methods? What are the drawbacks?

[FR Doc. 2014-26572 Filed 11-7-14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P