[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 155 (Tuesday, August 11, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Pages 48515-48516]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-17503]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission


Notice of Amendment Application To Extend Expiration Date of 
Interim Species Protection Plans and Soliciting Comments, Motions To 
Intervene and Protests

Merimil Limited Partnership Project No. 2574-091
Hydro-Kennebec, LLC Project No. 2611-090
Brookfield White Pine Hydro, LLC Project Nos. 2322-070, 2325-097

    Take notice that the following amendment application has been filed 
with the Commission and is available for public inspection:
    a. Application Type: Amendment of License.
    b. Project Nos: P-2574-091; P-2611-090; P-2322-070; P-2325-097.
    c. Date Filed: July 29, 2020
    d. Applicants: Merimil Limited Partnership; Hydro-Kennebec, LLC; 
Brookfield White Pine Hydro, LLC.
    e. Name of Projects: Lockwood, Hydro-Kennebec, Shawmut, and Weston 
Hydroelectric Projects.
    f. Locations: The projects are located on the lower Kennebec River 
in Kennebec and Somerset Counties, Maine.
    g. Filed Pursuant to: Federal Power Act, 16 U.S.C. 791a-825r.
    h. Applicant Contact: Kelly Maloney, Licensing and Compliance 
Manager, Brookfield White Pine Hydro, LLC, 150 Main Street, Lewiston, 
ME 04240; telephone: (207) 755-5605.
    i. FERC Contact: Marybeth Gay, (202) 502-6125, 
[email protected].
    j. Deadline for filing comments, motions to intervene, and 
protests: September 4, 2020.
    The Commission strongly encourages electronic filing. Please file 
comments, motions to intervene, and protests 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

[[Page 48516]]

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, you may submit a paper copy. 
Submissions sent via the U.S. Postal Service must be addressed to: 
Kimberly D. Bose, Secretary, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 
First Street NE, Room 1A, Washington, DC 20426. Submissions sent via 
any other carrier must be addressed to: Kimberly D. Bose, Secretary, 
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 12225 Wilkins Avenue, Rockville, 
Maryland 20852. The first page of any filing should include docket 
numbers P-2574-091, P-2611-090, P-2322-070, and P-2325-097. Comments 
emailed to Commission staff are not considered part of the Commission 
record.
    The Commission's Rules of Practice and Procedure require all 
intervenors filing documents with the Commission to serve a copy of 
that document on each person whose name appears 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. Description of Request: Brookfield Power US Asset Management, 
LLC (Brookfield), on behalf of the affiliated licensees for the 
Lockwood (P-2574), Hydro-Kennebec (P-2611), Shawmut (P-2322), and 
Weston (P-2325) Projects, requests that the expiration date of the 
Interim Species Protection Plans (Interim Plans) for the four projects 
be extended to coincide with the issuance date of a new license for the 
Shawmut Project. The Commission approved the Interim Plan for the 
Hydro-Kennebec Project on February 28, 2013, and extended the 
expiration date of that plan on March 14, 2018. The Interim Plan for 
the Lockwood, Shawmut, and Weston Projects was approved on May 19, 
2016. The Interim Plans for the four projects expired on December 31, 
2019. On December 31, 2019, Brookfield filed a proposed Final Species 
Protection Plan (Final Plan) for the projects. On July 13, 2020, 
Commission staff rejected Brookfield's Final Plan, explaining that 
Brookfield needed to consult further with relevant state and federal 
agencies before re-filing the Final Plan. On July 29, 2020, Brookfield 
requested an extension to the expiration date of the Interim Plans to 
allow for additional time to consult with the agencies on the Final 
Plan. During the extended time, the licensees would continue the 
protection measures contained in the Interim Plans until they are 
supplanted by the Final Plan, and would continue to comply with the 
terms and conditions contained in the respective Biological Opinions 
issued for the Interim Plans.
    l. Locations of the Application: This filing 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. 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, call 1-866-208-3676 or email 
[email protected], for TTY, call (202) 502-8659. Agencies may 
obtain copies of the application directly from the applicant.
    m. Individuals desiring to be included on the Commission's mailing 
list should so indicate by writing to the Secretary of the Commission.
    n. Comments, Protests, or Motions to Intervene: 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, 
.214, respectively. 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.
    o. Filing and Service of Documents: Any filing must (1) bear in all 
capital letters the title ``COMMENTS'', ``PROTEST'', or ``MOTION TO 
INTERVENE'' as applicable; (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 commenting, protesting or intervening; and (4) otherwise comply 
with the requirements of 18 CFR 385.2001 through 385.2005. All 
comments, motions to intervene, or protests must set forth their 
evidentiary basis. Any filing made by an intervenor 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 
385.2010.

    Dated: August 5, 2020.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.\1\
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    \1\ 18 CFR 2.1 (2019).
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[FR Doc. 2020-17503 Filed 8-10-20; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P