[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 36 (Tuesday, February 24, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 9704-9705]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-03647]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Project No. 14657-000]


Appalachian Mountain Club; Notice of Application Accepted for 
Filing, Intent To Waive Scoping, Soliciting Motions To Intervene and 
Protests, Ready for Environmental Analysis, and Soliciting Comments, 
Terms and Conditions, Recommendations, Prescriptions, and Establishing 
an Expedited Schedule for Processing

    Take notice that the following hydroelectric application has been 
filed with the Commission and is available for public inspection.
    a. Type of Application: Original Minor License.
    b. Project No.: 14657-000.
    c. Date filed: December 29, 2014.
    d. Applicant: Appalachian Mountain Club.
    e. Name of Project: Zealand Falls Hydroelectric Project.
    f. Location: On Whitehall Brook, in the Town of Bethlehem, Grafton 
County, New Hampshire. The project occupies 0.66 acres of federal land 
managed by the U.S. Forest Service.
    g. Filed Pursuant to: Federal Power Act 16 U.S.C. 791(a)-825(r).
    h. Applicant Contact: James Wrigley, Appalachian Mountain Club, PO 
Box 298, Gorham, New Hampshire 03581, (603) 466-8110; 
[email protected].
    i. FERC Contact: John Baummer, (202) 502-6837, or email at 
[email protected].
    j. Deadline for filing motions to intervene and protests, comments, 
terms and conditions, recommendations, and prescriptions: 30 days from 
the issuance date of this notice; reply comments are due 45 days from 
the issuance date of this notice.
    The Commission strongly encourages electronic filing. Please file 
motions to intervene and protests, comments, terms and conditions, 
recommendations, and prescriptions using the Commission's eFiling 
system at 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], (866) 208-3676 (toll free), or 
(202) 502-8659 (TTY). In lieu of electronic filing, please send a paper 
copy to: Secretary, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 First 
Street NE., Washington, DC 20426. The first page of any filing should 
include docket number P-14657-000.
    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.

[[Page 9705]]

    l. Project Description: The existing, unlicensed Zealand Falls 
Hydroelectric Project consists of: (1) A 27-foot-long, 3-inch diameter 
intake pipe with a 1/8-inch welded wire debris screen; (2) a 50.5-inch-
long, 26.5-inch-wide, 31-inch-high settling tank; (3) a 1,374-foot-long 
penstock consisting of a 970-foot-long, 3-inch-diameter section 
connected to a 404-foot-long, 2-inch diameter section; (4) a 47.75-
inch-wide, 41.25-inch-long generator shed; (5) a single turbine-
generator unit with an installed capacity of 2.5 kilowatts; (6) a 6.5-
foot-long, 3-inch diameter drain line; (7) a buried 300-foot-long, 48-
volt transmission line connecting the turbine-generator unit to Zealand 
Falls Hut; and (8) appurtenant facilities. The project generates 
approximately 1,010 kilowatt-hours annually. The applicant proposes to 
continue operating the project in a run-of-river mode.
    m. Due to the applicant's close coordination with federal and state 
agencies during preparation of the application, the inclusion of draft 
terms and conditions with the application, and the lack of any new 
construction in the applicant's proposal, we intend to waive scoping 
and expedite the licensing process. Based on a review of the 
application, resource agency consultation letters including the 
preliminary terms and conditions, and comments filed to date, 
Commission staff intends to prepare a single environmental assessment 
(EA). Commission staff determined that the issues that need to be 
addressed in its EA have been adequately identified during the pre-
filing period, and no new issues are likely to be identified through 
additional scoping. The EA will consider assessing the potential 
effects of project operation on geology and soils, aquatic, 
terrestrial, threatened and endangered species, recreation, and 
cultural and historic resources.
    n. 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. 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.
    o. Any qualified applicant desiring to file a competing application 
must submit to the Commission, on or before the specified intervention 
deadline date, a competing development application, or a notice of 
intent to file such an application. Submission of a timely notice of 
intent allows an interested person to file the competing development 
application no later than 120 days after the specified intervention 
deadline date. Applications for preliminary permits will not be 
accepted in response to this notice.
    A notice of intent must specify the exact name, business address, 
and telephone number of the prospective applicant, and must include an 
unequivocal statement of intent to submit a development application. A 
notice of intent must be served on the applicant(s) named in this 
public notice.
    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'', ``NOTICE OF INTENT TO FILE 
COMPETING APPLICATION,'' ``COMPETING APPLICATION,'' ``COMMENTS,'' 
``REPLY COMMENTS,'' ``RECOMMENDATIONS,'' ``TERMS AND CONDITIONS,'' or 
``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.
    p. Procedural schedule: The application will be processed according 
to the following procedural schedule. Revisions to the schedule may be 
made as appropriate.

 
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                 Milestone                           Target date
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Notice of the availability of the EA......  August 2015.
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    Dated: February 13, 2015.
 Nathaniel J. Davis, Sr.,
 Deputy Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2015-03647 Filed 2-23-15; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P