[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 200 (Wednesday, October 18, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 71850-71851]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-22981]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission


Notice of Intent To Prepare Environmental Assessments

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

    On July 29, 2022, Central Rivers Power, NH LLC filed applications 
for new major licenses for the 15-megawatt (MW) J. Brodie Smith 
Hydroelectric Project and the 2.2-MW Gorham Hydroelectric Project. On 
August 1, 2022, Great Lakes Hydro America, LLC filed applications for 
new major licenses for the 3.7-MW Shelburne Hydroelectric Project, the 
4.8-MW Upper Gorham Hydroelectric Project, the 3.2-MW Cross Power 
Hydroelectric Project, the 7.9-MW Cascade Hydroelectric Project, the 
3.2-MW Sawmill Hydroelectric Project, and the 7.9-MW Riverside 
Hydroelectric Project. The projects are located on the Androscoggin 
River in Coos County, New Hampshire. No Federal or Tribal lands occur 
within or adjacent to the project boundaries.
    In accordance with the Commission's regulations, on July 26, 2023, 
Commission staff issued a notice that the projects were ready for 
environmental analysis (REA Notice). Based on the information in the 
record, including comments filed on the REA Notice, staff does not 
anticipate that licensing the projects would constitute a major Federal 
action significantly affecting the quality of the human environment. 
Therefore, staff will prepare a draft and final Environmental 
Assessment (EA) for each of the eight projects.
    The EAs will be issued and circulated for review by all interested 
parties. All comments filed on the EAs will be analyzed by staff and 
considered in the Commission's final licensing decision.

[[Page 71851]]

    The applications will be processed according to the following 
schedule. Revisions to the schedule may be made as appropriate.

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                 Milestone                           Target date
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Commission issues draft EAs...............  February 2024.
Comments on draft EAs.....................  April 2024.
Commission issues final EAs...............  September 2024.\1\
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    Any questions regarding this notice may be directed to Ryan Hansen 
at (202) 502-8074 or [email protected].
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    \1\ The Council on Environmental Quality's (CEQ) regulations 
under 40 CFR 1501.10(b)(1) require that EAs be completed within 1 
year of the Federal action agency's decision to prepare an EA. This 
notice establishes the Commission's intent to prepare a draft and 
final EA for each of the eight projects. Therefore, in accordance 
with CEQ's regulations, the final EAs must be issued within 1 year 
of the issuance date of this notice.

    Dated: October 12, 2023.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2023-22981 Filed 10-17-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P