[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 106 (Friday, May 31, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 47149-47150]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-11884]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Project No. 2629-029]


Village of Morrisville, Vermont; Notice of Application for 
Amendment of License Accepted for Filing, Soliciting Comments, Motions 
To Intervene, and Protests

    Take notice that the following hydroelectric application has been 
filed with the Commission and is available for public inspection:
    a. Application Type: Administrative Amendment of License.
    b. Project No: 2629-029.
    c. Date Filed: February 15, 2022, and supplemented on July 11, 
2023.
    d. Applicant: Village of Morrisville, Vermont (licensee).
    e. Name of Project: Morrisville Hydroelectric Project.
    f. Location: The project is located on the Green River, Elmore Pond 
Brook, and Lamoille River, in Lamoille County, Vermont. The project 
does not occupy any federal lands.
    g. Filed Pursuant to: Federal Power Act, 16 U.S.C. 791a-825r.
    h. Applicant Contact: Penny Jones, Manager, Village of Morrisville, 
Water and Light Department, 857 Elmore Street, Morrisville, VT 05661; 
[email protected]; (802) 888-3348.
    i. FERC Contact: Marybeth Gay, (202) 502-6125, 
[email protected].
    j. Deadline for filing comments, motions to intervene, and 
protests: June 24, 2024.
    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 eComment system at http://www.ferc.gov/docs-filing/ecomment.asp. 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: Debbie-Anne A. Reese, Acting Secretary, Federal Energy 
Regulatory Commission, 888 First Street NE, Room 1A, Washington, DC 
20426. Submissions sent via any other carrier must be addressed to: 
Debbie-Anne A. Reese, Acting Secretary, Federal Energy Regulatory 
Commission, 12225 Wilkins Avenue, Rockville, Maryland 20852. The first 
page of any filing should include the docket number P-2629-029. 
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: As currently licensed, the Morrisville 
Hydroelectric Project No. 2629 (Morrisville Project) consists of four 
developments: Cadys Falls, Morrisville, Lake Elmore, and Green River. 
On April 25, 2013, the Village of Morrisville, Vermont (Village) filed 
an application for a new license to continue to operate and maintain 
the Morrisville Project. In the license application, the Village 
proposes to continue operating the Morrisville, Cadys Falls, and Green 
River Developments. The Village proposed to remove the Lake Elmore 
Development from the project, permanently set the spillway opening at 
elevation 1,139 feet mean sea level (msl), and discontinue the annual 
fall drawdown at the development. Commission staff issued a final 
environmental assessment for the project's relicensing on December 16, 
2014.
    On August 9, 2016, the Vermont Agency of Natural Resources issued a 
water quality certificate (WQC) for the project's relicensing. Among 
other conditions, the WQC would restrict drawdowns of the Green River 
Development's reservoir to 1.5 feet from December 16 through March 31. 
By letter dated September 13, 2016, Commission staff requested that the 
Village conduct two studies for the Green River Development dam, a 
hydraulic and hydrology analysis and a stability analysis, to determine 
the effects of the 1.5-foot winter drawdown limit on the stability of 
the Green River Development's dam and the ability of the Green River 
Development to accommodate flood flows. The Village has not completed 
these studies, and the relicense application is still pending.
    The Village filed an amendment to the current project license on 
February 15, 2022, as supplemented on July 11, 2023. The Village states 
that, in order to remove the Morrisville and Cadys Falls Developments 
from the uncertainty surrounding the Green River Development, it 
proposes to administratively amend the current license to split the 
project's four developments into two separately licensed projects. As 
proposed in this amendment application, the Green River and Lake Elmore 
Developments would remain licensed under docket number P-2629, while 
the Cadys Falls and Morrisville developments would be licensed 
separately under a new project number.
    The Village states that its proposed amendment is administrative in 
nature and will not result in changes to the four developments' 
operations, ground disturbance, or environmental effects. On March 12, 
2024, the Village notified the Commission that it intends to submit an 
application to surrender the Green River Development after the 
Commission issues its decision on the proposed amendment application.
    l. Locations of the Application: This filing may be viewed on the

[[Page 47150]]

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.
    p. The Commission's Office of Public Participation (OPP) supports 
meaningful public engagement and participation in Commission 
proceedings. OPP can help members of the public, including landowners, 
environmental justice communities, Tribal members and others, access 
publicly available information and navigate Commission processes. For 
public inquiries and assistance with making filings such as 
interventions, comments, or requests for rehearing, the public is 
encouraged to contact OPP at (202) 502-6595 or [email protected].

    Dated: May 23, 2024.
Debbie-Anne A. Reese,
Acting Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2024-11884 Filed 5-30-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P