[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 84 (Friday, May 1, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 24910-24911]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-10220]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Project No. 13806-004]


5440 Hydro Inc.; Notice of Application Accepted for Filing With 
the Commission, Intent To Waive Scoping, Soliciting Motions To 
Intervene and Protests, Ready for Environmental Analysis, and 
Soliciting Comments, Terms and Conditions, and Recommendations, 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: Exemption From Licensing.
    b. Project No.: P-13806-004.
    c. Date filed: July 28, 2014.
    d. Applicant: 5440 Hydro Inc.
    e. Name of Project: Brooklyn Dam Hydroelectric Project.
    f. Location: On the Upper Ammonoosuc River, in the Town of 
Northumberland, Coos County, New Hampshire. The project would not 
occupy lands of the United States.
    g. Filed Pursuant to: Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act of 
1978, 16 U.S.C. 2705, 2708.
    h. Applicant Contact: Lutz Loegters, 5440 Hydro Inc., 717 Atlantic 
Avenue, Suite 1A, Boston, Massachusetts 02111, (416) 643-6615.
    i. FERC Contact: John Ramer, (202) 502-8969, [email protected].
    j. Deadline for filing motions to intervene and protests, comments, 
terms and conditions, and recommendations: Due to the small size and 
location of this project and the close coordination with state and 
federal agencies during preparation of the application, the 60- day 
timeframe in 18 CFR 4.34(b) is shortened. Instead, motions to intervene 
and protests, comments, terms and conditions, and recommendations are 
due 30 days from the issuance date of this notice. All reply comments 
must be filed with the Commission within 45 days from the issuance date 
of this notice.
    The Commission strongly encourages electronic filing. Please file 
motions to intervene, protests, comments, and recommendations 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-13806-004.
    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 Brooklyn Dam Hydroelectric Project would consist of: (1) An 
existing 163-foot-long and 14-foot-high dam that includes: (a) A 113-
foot-long spillway with a crest elevation 878.69 feet National Geodetic 
Vertical Datum of 1929 (NGVD29); (b) 2.50-foot-high flashboards with a 
crest elevation 881.23 feet NGVD29; and (c) a 50-foot-long floodgate 
structure with four 6.9-foot-wide, 10-foot-high floodgates; (2) an 
existing 100-foot-long, 45-foot-wide forebay with three 15.2-foot-wide, 
15.5-foot-high trashracks with 1.0-inch open bar spacing; (3) an 
existing 40-foot-long, 15.78-foot-high tailrace training wall; (4) an 
existing 9-foot-wide, 9-foot-high side waste gate; (5) an existing 26-
acre impoundment having a gross storage capacity of 52-acre-feet at 
elevation 881.23 feet NGVD29; (6) an existing 45-foot-long, 48-foot-
wide, and 23-foot-high brick and concrete powerhouse that would contain 
two proposed 300-kilowatt (kW), Kaplan turbine-generating units for a 
total installed capacity of 600 kW; (7) an existing 48-foot-long, 45-
foot-wide tailrace; (8) a proposed 400-foot-long 35.4-kilovolt

[[Page 24911]]

above-ground transmission line; (9) three proposed single phased 
transformers; and (10) appurtenant facilities. On average, the project 
would generate approximately 2,800 megawatt-hours annually. The 
applicant proposes to remove a non-operating sluice gate on the 
spillway, rehabilitate the powerhouse, and operate the project in a 
run-of-river mode.
    m. Due to the project works already existing and the limited scope 
of proposed rehabilitation of the project site described above, the 
applicant's close coordination with federal and state agencies during 
the preparation of the application, completed studies during pre-filing 
consultation, and agency recommended preliminary terms and conditions, 
we intend to waive scoping and expedite the exemption process. Based on 
a review of the application, resource agency consultation letters 
including the preliminary 30(c) 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, which included a public 
meeting and site visit, and no new issues are likely to be identified 
through additional scoping. The EA will consider assessing the 
potential effects of project construction and operation on aquatic, 
terrestrial, threatened and endangered species, recreation and land 
use, aesthetic, 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, .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,'' or ``TERMS AND CONDITIONS;'' 
(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.
    MILESTONE: Notice of the availability of the EA.
    TARGET DATE: October 1, 2015.

    Dated: April 23, 2015.
Kimberly D. Bose,
 Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2015-10220 Filed 4-30-15; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P