[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 231 (Tuesday, December 1, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Pages 77207-77208]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-26448]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Project No. 3409-032]


Boyne USA, Inc.; 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.: 3409-032.
    c. Date filed: January 31, 2020.
    d. Applicant: Boyne USA, Inc. (Boyne USA).
    e. Name of Project: Boyne River Hydroelectric Project.
    f. Location: On the Boyne River in Boyne Valley Township, 
Charlevoix County, Michigan. The project does not occupy federal land.
    g. Filed Pursuant to: Federal Power Act 16 U.S.C. 791(a)-825(r).
    h. Applicant Contact: Tyler Prange, Area Manager, 1 Boyne Mountain 
Rd., Boyne Falls, MI 49713; (231) 549-6076; 
[email protected].
    i. FERC Contact: Patrick Ely at [email protected] or (202) 502-
8570.
    j. Deadline for filing 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 
comments, recommendations, terms and conditions, and prescriptions 
using the Commission's eFiling system at https://ferconline.ferc.gov/FERCOnline.aspx. Commenters can submit brief comments up to 6,000 
characters, without prior registration, using the eComment system at 
https://ferconline.ferc.gov/QuickComment.aspx. 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 
request. 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 number P-3409-032.
    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.
    The Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) issued a final rule on 
July 15, 2020, revising the regulations under 40 CFR parts 1500-1518 
that federal agencies use to implement NEPA (see Update to the 
Regulations Implementing the Procedural Provisions of the National 
Environmental Policy Act, 85 FR 43304). The Final Rule became effective 
on and applies to any NEPA process begun after September 14, 2020. An 
agency may also apply the regulations to ongoing activities and 
environmental documents begun before September 14, 2020, which includes 
the proposed Boyne River Project. Commission staff intends to conduct 
its NEPA review in accordance with CEQ's new regulations.
    l. The Boyne River Project consists of the following facilities: 
(1) An existing 610-foot-long by 30-foot-high (left) earth-fill dam 
embankment and a 180-

[[Page 77208]]

foot-long by 18-foot-high (right) earth-fill dam embankment; (2) a 132-
foot-long by 50 to 72-foot-wide by 12-foot-deep concrete lined headrace 
channel; (3) a 35-foot-long concrete fixed crest spillway that 
discharges to a transverse collection gallery, and a 77-foot-long by 5-
foot-diameter concrete discharge pipe that carries flow from the 
collection gallery to a stilling basin; (4) a 20-foot-long by 8.3-foot-
wide to 16-foot-wide by 4-foot-deep stilling basin; (5) 6-foot wide by 
7-foot 9-inches high sluice gate spillway; (6) a 72-foot-long by 5-
foot-diameter concrete pipe that carries the flow from the sluice gate 
spillway to the stilling basin; (7) a 74-foot-long steel penstock 
consisting of two 5-foot-diameter and one 7-foot-diameter sections; (8) 
a 75-foot-long by 18-inch-diameter steel pipes that make up the 
auxiliary spillway; (9) a 715-foot long by 100-foot-wide emergency 
overflow spillway area; and (10) a 24-foot-long by 24-foot-wide 
concrete powerhouse with a single 250-kilowatt propeller turbine. The 
project also consists of a 100-foot-long, 2400-volt underground 
transmission line connected to a pole-mounted transformer and a 2.34-
mile-long, 7.2/12.5-kilovolt overhead transmission line from the pole-
mounted transformer to the Boyne Mountain Resort side of the Consumers 
Energy utility primary metering cabinet. The last 1,300 feet +/- at the 
Boyne Mountain Resort end is also buried.
    m. A copy of the application can 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.
    n. 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, 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. The 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. Please note 
that the certification request must be sent to the certifying authority 
and to the Commission concurrently.
    p. Procedural schedule: The application will be processed according 
to the following schedule. Revisions to the schedule will be made as 
appropriate.

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                Milestone                           Target date
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Deadline for Filing Protest, Motion to     January 2021.
 Intervene, Comments, Recommendations,
 and Agency Terms and Conditions/
 Prescriptions.
Deadline for Filing Reply Comments.......  March 2021.
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    Dated: November 24, 2020.
Nathaniel J. Davis, Sr.,
Deputy Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2020-26448 Filed 11-30-20; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P