[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 207 (Wednesday, October 26, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 74421-74423]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-25837]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Project No. 2531-075]


Brookfield White Pine Hydro LLC; 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 Fishway 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.: 2531-075.
    c. Date filed: December 15, 2015.
    d. Applicant: Brookfield White Pine Hydro LLC (White Pine Hydro).
    e. Name of Project: West Buxton Hydroelectric Project.
    f. Location: The existing project is located on the Saco River in 
the Towns of Buxton, Hollis, and Standish, within York and Cumberland 
Counties, Maine. The project does not affect federal lands.
    g. Filed Pursuant to: Federal Power Act 16 U.S.C. 791(a)-825(r).
    h. Applicant Contact: Frank Dunlap, Licensing Specialist, 
Brookfield White Pine Hydro LLC, 150 Main Street, Lewiston, ME 04240; 
Telephone--(207) 755-5603; [email protected] 
OR Kelley Maloney, Manager of licensing and Compliance, Brookfield 
White Pine Hydro LLC, 150 Maine Street, Lewiston, ME 04240; Telephone--
(207) 755-5606.
    i. FERC Contact: Allan Creamer, (202) 502-8365, or 
[email protected].
    j. Deadline for filing motions to intervene and 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 fishway prescriptions using the 
Commission's eFiling system at http://www.ferc.gov/docs-filing/efiling.asp.

[[Page 74422]]

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-2531-075.
    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 West Buxton Project consists of: (1) A 585-foot-long by 30-
foot-high concrete gravity dam with a crest elevation of 173.8 feet 
(United States Geological Survey or USGS datum), consisting of (i) two 
overflow sections topped with three inflatable rubber dam sections that 
have a crest elevation of 178.1 feet (USGS datum) when fully inflated, 
(ii) a gated section containing a 20-foot-wide by 15-foot-high vertical 
lift gate, (iii) two 40-foot-wide by 11-foot-high stanchion sections, 
(iv) an 11-foot-wide log sluice section, and (v) an intake structure 
composed of two vertical lift gates regulating the flow of water to the 
lower powerhouse and five gate openings (two sealed by stoplogs) 
controlling water flow to the upper powerhouse; (2) a 118-acre 
impoundment at a normal pool elevation of 177.8 feet (USGS datum); (3) 
a 105-foot-long by 39-foot-wide upper powerhouse integral with the dam, 
containing five horizontal axis Francis turbine generating units that 
total 3,812 kW; (4) a 241.5-foot-long concrete conduit leading from the 
intake structure to a 74-foot-long by 30 to 45-foot-wide surge chamber, 
and then to the lower powerhouse; (5) a 51.2-foot long by 45.5-foot-
wide lower powerhouse, containing one 4,000 kW vertical axis Kaplan 
turbine generating unit; (6) two 38-kV transmission lines, connecting 
the upper and lower powerhouses to the non-project West Buxton 
switching station; and (7) appurtenant facilities.
    White Pine Hydro operates the project in a run-of-river mode, in 
accordance with the 1997 Saco River Instream Flow Agreement, which 
provides that outflow approximate inflow from the upstream Bonny Eagle 
Project No. 2529 and that White Pine Hydro act to minimize impoundment 
level fluctuations. White Pine Hydro also operates the project with a 
minimum outflow of 768 cfs, or inflow, whichever is less, in accordance 
with the project's current water quality certificate. The project 
generates an annual average of 34,007 MWh.
    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. 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.
    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 FISHWAY 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.

------------------------------------------------------------------------
              Milestone                           Target date
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Filing of recommendations,             December 2016.
 preliminary terms and conditions,
 and preliminary fishway
 prescriptions.
Commission issues EA.................  April 2017.
Comments on EA or EIS................  May 2017.
Modified terms and conditions........  July 2017.
------------------------------------------------------------------------

    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.


[[Page 74423]]


    Dated: October 20, 2016.
 Kimberly D. Bose,
 Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2016-25837 Filed 10-25-16; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 6717-01-P