[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 185 (Tuesday, September 24, 2019)]
[Notices]
[Pages 50030-50031]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-20631]


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

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission


Notice of Intent To File License Applications, Filing of Pre-
Application Documents (PADs), Commencement of Pre-Filing Process, and 
Scoping; Request for Comments on the Pads and Scoping Document, and 
Identification of Issues and Associated Study Requests

------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                             Project No.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Center Rivers Power, NH LLC................................     2287-053
Center Rivers Power, NH LLC................................     2288-057
Great Lakes Hydro America, LLC.............................     2300-052
Great Lakes Hydro America, LLC.............................     2311-067
Great Lakes Hydro America, LLC.............................     2326-054
Great Lakes Hydro America, LLC.............................     2327-047
Great Lakes Hydro America, LLC.............................     2422-058
Great Lakes Hydro America, LLC.............................     2423-031
------------------------------------------------------------------------

    a. Type of Filing: Notices of Intent to File License Applications 
for New Licenses and Commencing Pre-filing Process.
    b. Submitted By: Center Rivers Power, NH LLC and Great Lakes Hydro 
America, LLC.
    c. Name of Projects: J. Brodie Smith, Gorham, Shelburne, Upper 
Gorham, Cross Power, Cascade, Sawmill, and Riverside Hydroelectric 
Projects.
    d. Location: On the Androscoggin River, in Coos County, New 
Hampshire.
    e. Filed Pursuant to: 18 CFR part 5 of the Commission's 
Regulations.
    f. Potential Applicant Contacts: Mr. Curtis R. Mooney, Project 
Manager, Central Rivers Power NH, LLC, 59 Ayers Island Road, Bristol, 
New Hampshire 03222, (603) 744-0846. Randy Dorman, Great Lakes Hydro 
America, LLC, Brookfield Renewable, 150 Main St., Lewiston, Maine 
04240, (207) 755-5605, [email protected].
    g. FERC Contact: Ryan Hansen at (202) 502-8074 or email at 
[email protected].
    h. 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 m 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).
    i. 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.
    j. With this notice, we are designating Center Rivers Power, NH LLC 
and Great Lakes Hydro America, LLC 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.
    k. Center Rivers Power, NH LLC and Great Lakes Hydro America, LLC 
filed with the Commission Pre-Application Documents (PADs; including a 
proposed process plan and schedule), pursuant to 18 CFR 5.6 of the 
Commission's regulations.
    l. Copies of the PADs are available for review at the Commission in 
the Public Reference Room or may be viewed on the Commission's website 
(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). Copies are also available for inspection and reproduction 
at the address in paragraph f.
    Register online at http://www.ferc.gov/docs-filing/esubscription.asp to be notified via email of new filing and issuances 
related to these or other pending projects. For assistance, contact 
FERC Online Support.
    m. With this notice, we are soliciting comments on the PADs and 
Commission's staff Scoping Document 1 (SD1), as well as study requests. 
All comments on the PADs and SD1, and study requests should be sent to 
the address above in paragraph f. In addition, all comments on the PADs 
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(s) P-2287-053, P-2288-057, P-2300-052, P-
2311-067, P-2326-054, P-2327-047, P-2422-058, and/or P-2423-031.
    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 PADs or SD1, and any agency requesting cooperating 
status must do so by November 25, 2019.
    n. 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 projects at the time and place 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,

[[Page 50031]]

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:

Daytime Scoping Meeting

    Date: Tuesday, October 22, 2019.
    Time: 2 p.m.
    Location: Town and Country Inn, 1033 20, US-2, Shelburne, NH 03581.
    Phone: (603) 466-3315.

Evening Scoping Meeting

    Date: Tuesday, October 22, 2019.
    Time: 6 p.m.
    Location: Town and Country Inn, 1033 20, US-2, Shelburne, NH 03581.
    Phone: (603) 466-3315.

    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 l. 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 licensee and Commission staff will conduct an Environmental 
Site Review of the projects on October 22 and 23, 2019.
    Date: October 22, 2019.
    Time: 10:00 a.m.
    Location: J. Brodie Smith Hydroelectric Project, 99 Glen Avenue, 
Berlin, New Hampshire 03570.
    Projects: J. Brodie Smith (P-2287), Gorham (P-2288).
    Date: October 23, 2019.
    Time: 9 a.m.
    Location: Sawmill Hydroelectric Project, 972 Main Street, Berlin, 
New Hampshire 03570.
    Projects: Sawmill (P-2422), Riverside (P-2423), Cross Power (P-
2326), Upper Gorham (P-2311), Cascade (P-2327), Shelburne (P-2300).
    All participants are responsible for their own transportation. 
Anyone with questions about the site visit should contact Mr. Curtis 
Mooney of Center Rivers Power at (603) 744-0846 or Mr. Randy Dorman of 
Great Lakes Hydro America at (207) 755-5605 on or before October 18, 
2019.

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 PADs in preparation for the scoping 
meetings. Directions on how to obtain a copy of the PADs and SD1 are 
included in item l. 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: September 18, 2019.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2019-20631 Filed 9-23-19; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P