[Federal Register Volume 90, Number 66 (Tuesday, April 8, 2025)]
[Notices]
[Pages 15146-15147]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2025-06017]
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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
[Project No. 3071-008]
Blue Earth County; Notice of Application for Surrender of
Exemption 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: Application for surrender of exemption.
b. Project No: 3071-008.
c. Date Filed: March 18, 2025.
d. Applicant: Blue Earth County.
e. Name of Project: Rapidan Dam Hydroelectric Project.
f. Location: The project is located on the Blue Earth River, in
Blue Earth County, approximately 10 miles south of Mankato, Minnesota.
The project does not occupy any Federal lands.
g. Filed Pursuant to: Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act of
1978, 16 U.S.C. 2705, 2708.
h. Applicant Contact: Ryan Thilges, P.E., Public Works Director,
Blue Earth County, 35 Map Drive, P.O. Box 3083, Mankato, MN 56002-3083.
Phone (507) 304-4025 or [email protected].
i. FERC Contact: Diana Shannon, (202) 502-6136,
[email protected].
j. Cooperating agencies: With this notice, the Commission is
inviting Federal, State, local, and Tribal agencies with jurisdiction
and/or special expertise with respect to environmental issues affected
by the proposal, that wish to cooperate in the preparation of any
environmental document, if applicable, to follow the instructions for
filing such requests described in item l below. Cooperating agencies
should note the Commission's policy that agencies that cooperate in the
preparation of any environmental document cannot also intervene. See 94
FERC ] 61,076 (2001).
k. Water Quality Certification: A water quality certificate under
section 401 of the Clean Water Act is required for this proposal from
Minnesota Pollution Control Agency. The applicant must file no later
than 60 days following the date of issuance of this notice either: (1)
a copy of the request for water quality certification submitted to the
Minnesota Pollution Control Agency; or (2) a copy of the water quality
certification or evidence of waiver of water quality certification.
[[Page 15147]]
l. Deadline for filing comments, motions to intervene, and
protests: May 2, 2025.
The Commission strongly encourages electronic filing. Please file
comments, motions to intervene, and protests using the Commission's
eFiling system at https://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 https://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, 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, Secretary, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission,
12225 Wilkins Avenue, Rockville, MD 20852. The first page of any filing
should include the docket number P-3071-008. 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.
m. Description of Request: Blue Earth County filed an application
to surrender the project on April 14, 2023, which was noticed for
comment on May 5, 2023. Blue Earth County originally proposed to keep
the dam and other project features in place. In June 2024, major
flooding caused significant damage to project features including but
not limited to the project dam's west abutment which resulted in the
draining of the project reservoir. Blue Earth County has been working
with Federal and State resource agencies since that time to revise its
decommissioning plan. In its March 18, 2025 filing, Blue Earth County
now proposes to remove the project dam and restore the west riverbank
as part of surrender of the project. With this notice, Commission staff
is soliciting comments, motions to intervene, and protests, on Blue
Earth County's revised surrender application which effectively
supersedes the original application filed on April 14, 2023.
n. Locations of the Application: This filing may be viewed on the
Commission's website at https://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 https://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.
o. Individuals desiring to be included on the Commission's mailing
list should so indicate by writing to the Secretary of the Commission.
p. 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.
q. 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.
r. 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,
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: April 2, 2025.
Debbie-Anne A. Reese,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2025-06017 Filed 4-7-25; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P