[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 85 (Tuesday, May 3, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 26541-26542]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-10246]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Project No. 2457-041]


Public Service Company of New Hampshire: 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 
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.: 2457-041.
    c. Date filed: December 18, 2015.
    d. Applicant: Public Service Company of New Hampshire (PSNH).
    e. Name of Project: Eastman Falls Hydroelectric Project (Eastman 
Falls Project).
    f. Location: The existing project is located on the Pemigewasset 
River in Merrimack and Belknap Counties, New Hampshire. The project 
boundary includes approximately 476 acres of federal land.
    g. Filed Pursuant to: Federal Power Act, 16 U.S.C. 791(a)-825(r).
    h. Applicant Contact: Curtis R. Mooney, Project Manager, Public 
Service Company of New Hampshire, 780 North Commercial Street, P.O. Box 
330, Manchester, NH 03105-0330; Telephone: (603) 744-8855 or 
[email protected]
    i. FERC Contact: Steve Kartalia, (202) 502-6131 or 
[email protected].
    j. Deadline for filing motions to intervene, 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.
    The Commission strongly encourages electronic filing. Please file 
motions to intervene, protests, comments, recommendations, preliminary 
terms and conditions, and preliminary 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-2457-041.
    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 Eastman Falls Project has a total 
installed capacity of 6.4-megawatts (MW). The project's average annual 
generation is 27,871 megawatt-hours. The power generated by the project 
is sold to PSNH's electrical distribution customers.
    The dam for the Eastman Falls Project is located approximately 1.5 
miles downstream of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' (Corps) Franklin 
Falls Flood Control Dam (Franklin Falls Dam). While the project 
boundary for the Eastman Falls Project extends through and upstream of 
Franklin Falls Dam, it does not encompass Franklin Falls Dam or any 
Corps facilities.
    The existing project consists of: (1) A 341-foot-long, 37-foot-high 
concrete gravity dam that includes: (i) A 341-foot-wide spillway with a 
crest elevation of 301 feet above mean sea level (msl) (ii) 6-foot-high 
steel flashboards with a crest elevation of 307 feet msl; and (iii) a 
concrete waste gate with a 16-foot-high, 30-foot-wide steel slide gate; 
(2) a 582-acre impoundment with a normal maximum pool elevation of 307 
feet msl; (3) a 342-foot-long, 8-foot-deep floating louver array; (4) 
generating facility No. 1 that includes: (i) A 12.5-foot-high, 15-foot-
wide headgate structure with a 23.75-foot-high, 17-foot-wide trashrack 
with 3.5-inch clear-bar spacing; (ii) a 12.5-foot-high, 12.5-foot-wide, 
21-foot-long concrete penstock; (iii) a 40-foot-high, 20-foot-wide stop 
log slot; (iv) a 29-foot-long, 29-foot-wide, 34-foot-high concrete and 
masonry powerhouse containing a single 1.8-MW turbine-generator unit; 
and (v) a 23-foot-wide, 14.5-foot-high, 60-foot-long draft tube; (5) 
generating facility No. 2 facility that includes: (i) An intake 
structure with a

[[Page 26542]]

20-foot-high, 21-foot-wide headgate with two 12.3-foot-wide, 9.3-foot-
high trashracks with 3.5-inch clear-bar spacing; (ii) a 20.8-foot-high, 
22.4-foot-wide stop log slot; (iii) an 88-foot-long, 78-foot-wide, 56-
foot-high concrete and masonry powerhouse containing a single 4.6 MW 
turbine-generator unit; and (iv) a 23-foot-wide, 14.5-foot-high, 60-
foot-long draft tube; (6) two 245-foot-long, 2.4-kilovolt (kV) 
generator leads that connect the turbine-generator in generating 
facility No. 1 to a generator bus in generating facility No. 2; (7) 
four 110-foot-long, 2.4-kV generator leads that connect the turbine-
generator in generating facility No. 2 to a generator bus in generating 
facility No. 2; (8) a 100-foot-long, 2.4-kV transmission line that 
connects the generator bus in generating facility No.2 to the regional 
grid; and (9) appurtenant facilities.
    The Eastman Falls Project operates in a run-of-river mode. The 
existing license (Article 401) requires that the project release a 
continuous minimum flow of 410 cubic feet per second, or inflow 
(whichever is less). PSNH proposes to continue run-of-river operation 
and to eliminate the requirement to release a minimum flow.
    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 FERCOnlineSupport. A copy of the application 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,'' 
``RECOMMENDATIONS,'' ``PRELIMINARY TERMS AND CONDITIONS,'' or 
``PRELIMINARY 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.

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               Milestone                           Target date
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Filing of recommendations, preliminary   June 2016.
 terms and conditions, and preliminary
 prescriptions.
Commission issues Environmental          October 2016.
 Assessment.
Comments on Environmental Assessment...  November 2016.
Modified terms and conditions..........  December 2016.
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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 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: April 26, 2016.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2016-10246 Filed 5-2-16; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P