[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 191 (Wednesday, October 2, 2019)]
[Notices]
[Pages 52498-52499]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-21408]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Project No. 2972-027]


City of Woonsocket, Rhode Island; 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

    Take notice that the following hydroelectric application has been 
filed with the Commission and is available for public inspection.
    a. Type of Application: Subsequent Minor License.
    b. Project No.: 2972-027.
    c. Date filed: November 1, 2018.
    d. Applicant: City of Woonsocket, Rhode Island (City).
    e. Name of Project: Woonsocket Falls Project.
    f. Location: On the Blackstone River in the City of Woonsocket, 
Providence County, Rhode Island. 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. Michael Debroisse, City of Woonsocket, 
Engineering, 169 Main Street, Woonsocket, RI 02895; (401) 767-9213.
    i. FERC Contact: Patrick Crile, (202) 502-8042 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-2972-027.
    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 ready for 
environmental analysis.
    l. The existing Woonsocket Falls Project utilizes water from an 
impoundment that is created by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' 
(Corps) Woonsocket Falls Dam. The project consists of: (1) A 14-foot-
wide, 20.5-foot-high concrete intake structure located about 60 feet 
upstream of the Woonsocket Falls Dam and fitted with a 12.4-foot-wide, 
23.5-foot-high steel trash rack having 3.5-inch clear bar spacing; (2) 
a 275-foot long, 12-foot-wide, 10-foot-high concrete penstock; (3) a 
steel headgate integral with the powerhouse; (4) a 65-foot-long, 25-
foot-wide, 20-foot-high concrete powerhouse containing one adjustable 
blade turbine-generator unit with an authorized capacity of 1,200 
kilowatts; (5) a 50-foot-long, 12.5-foot-diameter steel draft tube; (6) 
an approximately 50-foot-long, 20-foot-wide, 15-foot-deep tailrace; (7) 
a 35-foot-long, 4.16 kilovolt (kV) generator lead line, a 4.16/13.8-kV 
step-up transformer, and a 1,200-foot-long, 13.8-kV transmission line 
connecting the project generator to the regional grid; and (8) 
appurtenant facilities.
    The Woonsocket Falls dam and impoundment are owned and operated by 
the Corps for flood control purposes. The dam is equipped with four 
radial gates that typically remain closed for all flows less than 2,300 
cubic feet per second (cfs). When river flow is less than 2,300 cfs, 
the impoundment is maintained at a water surface elevation of 147.5 
feet North American Vertical Datum of 1988 (NAVD88). When river flow is 
greater than 2,300 cfs, the Corps begins opening the radial gates to 
maintain a water surface elevation of 147.3 feet NAVD88.
    The dam and impoundment are operated in a run-of-river mode. When 
generating, the City conveys water through the intake structure on the 
east bank of the river, into the penstock and project powerhouse, and 
then discharges the water to the project tailrace and the Blackstone 
River.
    The project bypasses approximately 360 feet of the Blackstone River 
and there is currently no required minimum

[[Page 52499]]

instream flow for the bypassed reach. However, a flow of 20 cfs is 
provided to the bypassed reach over the crest of the dam. When river 
flow is less than or greater than the hydraulic capacity of the turbine 
(i.e., 230 cfs and 850 cfs, respectively), water is spilled over the 
dam into the bypassed reach. The Woonsocket Falls project has an 
average annual generation of approximately 4,584 megawatt-hours.
    The City proposes to: (1) Operate the impoundment in a run-of-river 
mode pursuant to an operating plan and Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) 
with the Corps; (2) provide a year-round minimum flow of 20 cfs to the 
bypassed reach pursuant to an operating plan and MOA with the Corps; 
(3) provide upstream eel passage; and (4) implement nighttime turbine 
shutdowns during the downstream eel passage season to protect eels 
during passage.
    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 inspection and reproduction at the addresses 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 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. 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.
    p. 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 interventions, protests,       November 2019.
 comments, recommendations, preliminary
 terms and conditions, and preliminary
 fishway prescriptions.
Commission issues Environmental          April 2020.
 Assessment.
Comments on Environmental Assessment...  May 2020.
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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.

    Dated: September 26, 2019.
Nathaniel J. Davis, Sr.,
Deputy Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2019-21408 Filed 10-1-19; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 6717-01-P