[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 245 (Friday, December 21, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 65649-65650]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-27650]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Project No. 2839-015]


Notice of Application Accepted for Filing, Soliciting Motions To 
Intervene and Protests, Ready for Environmental Analysis, and 
Soliciting Comments, Recommendations, Terms and Conditions, and 
Prescriptions, Village of Lyndonville Electric Department

    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.: 2839-015.
    c. Date filed: May 26, 2017.
    d. Applicant: Village of Lyndonville Electric Department 
(Lyndonville).
    e. Name of Project: Great Falls Hydroelectric Project.
    f. Location: On the Passumpsic River, in the Town of Lyndon, 
Caledonia County, Vermont. There are no federal or tribal lands within 
the project boundary.
    g. Filed Pursuant to: Federal Power Act 16 U.S.C. 791(a)-825(r).
    h. Applicant Contact: Mr. Bill Humphrey, Village of Lyndonville 
Electric Department, 119 Park Avenue, Lyndonville, VT 05851; (802) 626-
3366.
    i. FERC Contact: Bill Connelly, (202) 502-8587 or 
[email protected].
    j. Deadline for filing motions to intervene and protests, comments, 
recommendations, terms and conditions, and 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 and protests, comments, recommendations, terms and 
conditions, 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-2839-015.
    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 existing Great Falls Project consists of: (1) A 160-foot-
long, 32-foot-high curved, concrete dam with 2-foot-high flashboards; 
(2) an approximately 12-acre impoundment having a storage capacity of 
135-acre-feet at a normal full pond water surface elevation of 668.38 
feet above mean sea level; (3) a 6-foot-long, 15-foot-wide, 28-foot-
high, concrete headworks structure with two 5-foot-wide, 8-foot-high 
wood and iron headgates; (4) an 8-foot-long, 8-foot-wide, 12-foot-high 
brick headworks gate house; (5) an approximately 282-foot-long, 22-
foot-wide power canal that is covered for 70 feet; (6) one 4-foot-wide, 
4-foot-high, wood and iron skimming sluice gate and one 4-foot-wide, 5-
foot-high, wood and iron sand sluice gate; (7) a penstock intake with 
two 15-foot-wide, 22-foot-high trashracks with 1.5-inch clear bar 
spacing; (8) a 22.5-foot-long, 10-foot-diameter metal penstock that 
reduces to a 165-foot-long, 7.33-foot-diameter metal penstock that 
trifurcates to one 22-foot-long, 6-foot diameter, and two 9-foot-long, 
3-foot-diameter penstocks; (9) a 47-foot-long, 25-foot-wide powerhouse 
containing a 1,350-kilowatt (kW) turbine-generator unit and a 40-foot-
long, 40-foot-wide concrete powerhouse containing two 350-kW turbine-
generator units, for a total capacity of 2,050-kW; (10) a 380-foot-
long, 2.4-kilovolt (kV) above-ground transmission line that connects 
the turbine-generator leads to a substation step-up transformer where 
the project is interconnected with Lyndonville's distribution system; 
and (11) appurtenant facilities. Lyndonville operates the project in a 
run-of-river mode with an annual average energy production of 
approximately 3,960 megawatt-hours.
    Lyndonville proposes to increase the existing year-round minimum 
flow to the bypassed reach from 10 cubic feet per second (cfs) to 62 
cfs (or inflow, whichever is less) to maintain habitat for fish and 
aquatic organisms. In addition, Lyndonville proposes to continue to 
release a minimum flow of 75 cfs (or inflow, whichever is less) through 
the powerhouse during project shutdowns to protect fish and aquatic 
resources in the downstream reach. Lyndonville proposes to install an 
automatic pond level control system to improve control of impoundment 
levels and instantaneous run-of-river operation. Lyndonville also 
proposes to develop a minimum flow monitoring plan to ensure adequate 
flow is provided to the bypassed reach and downstream of the 
powerhouse.
    Lyndonville also proposes several measures related to recreation 
resources, including: (1) Constructing and maintaining a new carry-in 
boat access trail downstream of the tailrace, on the west bank of the 
Passumpsic River; (2) designating a new bank fishing area; (3) 
installing a designated parking area outside of the project gates along 
the access road to the project; and (4) installing an informational 
kiosk identifying recreational amenities at the project. To evaluate 
the adequacy of project recreation facilities, Lyndonville proposes to 
conduct a recreation inventory, use and needs assessment within one 
year of completion of recreational improvements.
    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 website 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.
    n. Anyone may submit comments, a protest, or a motion to intervene 
in accordance with the requirements of the Commission's 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

[[Page 65650]]

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,'' ``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.
    You may also 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. Procedural Schedule: The application will be processed according 
to the following revised 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   February 2019.
 terms and conditions, and preliminary
 fishway prescriptions.
Commission issues Environmental          August 2019.
 Assessment.
Comments on Environmental Assessment...  September 2019.
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    Final amendments to the application must be filed with the 
Commission no later than 30 days from the issuance date of this notice.
    p. A license applicant must file no later than 60 days following 
the date of issuance of this notice: (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: December 17, 2018.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2018-27650 Filed 12-20-18; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 6717-01-P