[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 65 (Thursday, April 6, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Pages 16821-16822]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2017-06846]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Project No. 2879-011]


Green Mountain Power Corporation; Notice of Intent To File 
License Application, Filing of Pre-Application Document (Pad), 
Commencement of Pre-Filing Process, and Scoping; Request for Comments 
on the Pad and Scoping Document, and Identification of Issues and 
Associated Study Requests

    a. Type of Filing: Notice of Intent to File License Application for 
a New License and Commencing Pre-filing Process.
    b. Project No.: 2879-011.
    c. Dated Filed: January 31, 2017.
    d. Submitted By: Green Mountain Power Corporation.
    e. Name of Project: Bolton Falls Hydroelectric Project.
    f. Location: On the Winooski River, in Washington and Chittenden 
Counties, Vermont. The project does not occupy federal lands.
    g. Filed Pursuant to: 18 CFR part 5 of the Commission's 
Regulations.
    h. Potential Applicant Contact: Mr. John Greenan, Green Mountain 
Power Corporation, 1252 Post Road, Rutland, Vermont 05701; phone: (802) 
770-3213 or email at [email protected].
    i. FERC Contact: Michael Tust at (202) 502-6522 or email at 
[email protected].
    j. Cooperating agencies: Federal, state, local, and tribal agencies 
with jurisdiction and/or special expertise with respect to 
environmental issues that wish to cooperate in the preparation of the 
environmental document should follow the instructions for filing such 
requests described in item o below. Cooperating agencies should note 
the Commission's policy that agencies that cooperate in the preparation 
of the environmental document cannot also intervene. See 94 FERC ] 
61,076 (2001).
    k. With this notice, we are initiating informal consultation with: 
(a) The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and/or NOAA Fisheries under 
section 7 of the Endangered Species Act and the joint agency 
regulations thereunder at 50 CFR, part 402 and (b) the State Historic 
Preservation Officer, as required by section 106, National Historic 
Preservation Act, and the implementing regulations of the Advisory 
Council on Historic Preservation at 36 CFR 800.2.
    l. With this notice, we are designating Green Mountain Power 
Corporation (Green Mountain Power) as the Commission's non-federal 
representatives for carrying out informal consultation, pursuant to 
section 7 of the Endangered Species Act and section 106 of the National 
Historic Preservation Act.
    m. Green Mountain Power filed a Pre-Application Document (PAD; 
including a proposed process plan and schedule) with the Commission, 
pursuant to 18 CFR 5.6 of the Commission's regulations.
    n. A copy of the PAD is available for review at the Commission in 
the Public Reference Room or may be viewed on the Commission's Web site 
(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 
[email protected], (866) 208-3676 (toll free), or (202) 502-
8659 (TTY). A copy is also available for

[[Page 16822]]

inspection and reproduction at the address in paragraph h.
    Register online at http://www.ferc.gov/docs-filing/esubscription.asp to be notified via email of new filing and issuances 
related to this or other pending projects. For assistance, contact FERC 
Online Support.
    o. With this notice, we are soliciting comments on the PAD and 
Commission's staff Scoping Document 1 (SD1), as well as study requests. 
All comments on the PAD and SD1, and study requests should be sent to 
the address above in paragraph h. In addition, all comments on the PAD 
and SD1, study requests, requests for cooperating agency status, and 
all communications to and from Commission staff related to the merits 
of the potential application must be filed with the Commission.
    The Commission strongly encourages electronic filing. Please file 
all documents 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]. 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-2879-011.
    All filings with the Commission must bear the appropriate heading: 
``Comments on Pre-Application Document,'' ``Study Requests,'' 
``Comments on Scoping Document 1,'' ``Request for Cooperating Agency 
Status,'' or ``Communications to and from Commission Staff.'' Any 
individual or entity interested in submitting study requests, 
commenting on the PAD or SD1, and any agency requesting cooperating 
status must do so by May 30, 2017.
    p. Although our current intent is to prepare an environmental 
assessment (EA), there is the possibility that an Environmental Impact 
Statement (EIS) will be required. Nevertheless, this meeting will 
satisfy the NEPA scoping requirements, irrespective of whether an EA or 
EIS is issued by the Commission.

Scoping Meetings

    Commission staff will hold two scoping meetings in the vicinity of 
the project at the times and places noted below. The daytime meeting 
will focus on resource agency, Indian tribes, and non-governmental 
organization concerns, while the evening meeting is primarily for 
receiving input from the public. We invite all interested individuals, 
organizations, and agencies to attend one or both of the meetings, and 
to assist staff in identifying particular study needs, as well as the 
scope of environmental issues to be addressed in the environmental 
document. The times and locations of these meetings are as follows:

Evening Scoping Meeting

    Date: Tuesday, April 25, 2017.
    Time: 6:00 p.m.
    Location: Waterbury Municipal Complex, 28 North Main Street, 
Waterbury, VT 05676.
    Phone: (802) 244-7033.

Daytime Scoping Meeting

    Date: Wednesday, April 26, 2017.
    Time: 9:00 a.m.
    Location: Capitol Plaza Hotel and Conference Center, 100 State 
Street, Montpelier, VT 05602.
    Phone: (802) 223-5252.
    Scoping Document 1 (SD1), which outlines the subject areas to be 
addressed in the environmental document, was mailed to the individuals 
and entities on the Commission's mailing list. Copies of SD1 will be 
available at the scoping meetings, or may be viewed on the web at 
http://www.ferc.gov, using the ``eLibrary'' link. Follow the directions 
for accessing information in paragraph n. Based on all oral and written 
comments, a Scoping Document 2 (SD2) may be issued. SD2 may include a 
revised process plan and schedule, as well as a list of issues, 
identified through the scoping process.

Environmental Site Review

    The potential applicant and Commission staff will conduct an 
Environmental Site Review (site visit) of the project on Tuesday, April 
25, starting at 2:00 p.m., and ending at or about 3:30. All 
participants should meet at 1:45 p.m. at 341 Power Plant Road, Duxbury, 
Vermont, at the parking lot located to the left off Power Plant Road 
before you reach the substation and powerhouse. Participants are 
responsible for their own transportation. Persons with questions about 
the site visit should contact John Greenan (802-770-3213) or Gary Lemay 
(603-428-4960). Persons planning on participating in the site visit 
should contact Gary Lemay (603-428-4960; [email protected]) 
or Sharon Lucia ([email protected]) on or before 
April 11, 2017.

Meeting Objectives

    At the scoping meetings, staff will: (1) Initiate scoping of the 
issues; (2) review and discuss existing conditions and resource 
management objectives; (3) review and discuss existing information and 
identify preliminary information and study needs; (4) review and 
discuss the process plan and schedule for pre-filing activity that 
incorporates the time frames provided for in Part 5 of the Commission's 
regulations and, to the extent possible, maximizes coordination of 
federal, state, and tribal permitting and certification processes; and 
(5) discuss the appropriateness of any federal or state agency or 
Indian tribe acting as a cooperating agency for development of an 
environmental document.
    Meeting participants should come prepared to discuss their issues 
and/or concerns. Please review the PAD in preparation for the scoping 
meetings. Directions on how to obtain a copy of the PAD and SD1 are 
included in item n. of this document.

Meeting Procedures

    The meetings will be recorded by a stenographer and will be placed 
in the public records of the project.

    Dated: March 31, 2017.
Kimberly D. Bose,
 Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2017-06846 Filed 4-5-17; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 6717-01-P