[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 30 (Wednesday, February 17, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 9923-9924]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-03156]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Project No. 4428-011]


Walden Hydro, LLC; Notice of Application 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: New Major License.
    b. Project No.: P-4428-011.
    c. Date filed: May 29, 2020.
    d. Applicant: Walden Hydro, LLC.
    e. Name of Project: Walden Hydroelectric Project.
    f. Location: On the Wallkill River, in the Village of Walden, 
Orange County, New York. The project does not occupy any federal land.
    g. Filed Pursuant to: Federal Power Act 16 U.S.C. 791(a)-825(r).
    h. Applicant Contact: Tim Carlsen, CEO, Hydroland, Inc.,\1\ 403 
Madison Ave. #240, Bainbridge Island, WA 98110; Phone at (844) 493-7612 
or email at [email protected].
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    \1\ In a February 3, 2021 filing, the Commission was notified 
that Enel Green Power North America, Inc. transferred all its 
ownership interests for Walden Hydro, LLC to Hydroland, Inc.
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    i. FERC Contact: Samantha Pollak at (202) 502-6419, or 
[email protected].
    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 
scoping comments 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 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, 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-
4428-011.
    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 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 43,304). 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 Walden Project. Commission staff intends to 
conduct its NEPA review in accordance with CEQ's new regulations.
    l. The Walden Project consists of: (1) A 417-foot-long (consisting 
of 165-foot-long east-west and 252-foot-long north-south portions), V-
shaped concrete dam topped with 2-foot-high flashboards; (2) an 
impoundment with a surface area of 69 acres at the normal pool 
elevation of 321.3 feet National Geodetic Vertical Datum of 1929 
(NGVD29); (3) an intake structure consisting of a 252-foot-long, 56-
foot-wide, 18-foot-deep canal

[[Page 9924]]

forebay; (4) a 6-foot-wide sluice gate for a minimum flow of 31 cfs; 
(5) four 40-foot-long steel penstocks; (6) a 60-foot-long, 45-foot-
wide, 29-foot-high powerhouse containing three horizontal double-runner 
Francis turbine units with actual ratings of 740 kilowatts (kW), 540 
kW, and 360 kW, respectively, for a total capacity of 1,640 kW; \2\ (7) 
a 30-foot-long, 37-foot-wide tailrace; (8) a 230-foot-long bypassed 
reach; (9) a 115-foot-long transmission line from the project 
generators to a New York State Electric and Gas Corporation's 4.16-
kilovolt (kV) distribution line; (10) a substation with a single-phase 
13.2-kV transformer; and (11) appurtenant facilities.
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    \2\ In an October 14, 2020 filing, Walden Hydro stated that 
although the total rated capacity of the project as stated in the 
license application is 2,110 kW (980 kW, 630 kW, and 500 kW), the 
maximum achievable output from each turbine/generator unit is lower 
than the stated capacities.
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    Walden Hydro proposes to continue operating the project in a run-
of-river mode, with no changes to the existing operation or facilities.
    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.
    All filings must (1) bear in all capital letters the title 
``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 submitting the filing; 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. Each filing must be 
accompanied by proof of service on all persons listed on 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.
    n. 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.
    o. 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 Comments,               April 2021.
 Recommendations, and Agency Terms and
 Conditions/Prescriptions.
Deadline for Filing Reply Comments........  May 2021.
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    Dated: February 10, 2021.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2021-03156 Filed 2-16-21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P