[Federal Register Volume 90, Number 95 (Monday, May 19, 2025)]
[Notices]
[Pages 21297-21298]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2025-08835]
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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
[Project No. 2520-098]
Great Lakes Hydro America, LLC; Notice of Application for
Temporary Water Level and Flow Variance 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: Temporary water level and flow variance.
b. Project No: 2520-098.
c. Date Filed: September 30, 2024, and supplemented on January 7,
2025; April 28, 2025; and May 7, 2025.
d. Applicant: Great Lakes Hydro America, LLC.
e. Name of Project: Mattaceunk Hydroelectric Project.
f. Location: The project is located on the Penobscot River in
Aroostook and Penobscot Counties, Maine, and does not occupy Federal
lands.
g. Filed Pursuant to: Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act of
1978, 16 U.S.C. 2705, 2708.
h. Applicant Contact: Randall Dorman, Compliance Manager,
Brookfield Renewable, 150 Main Street, Lewiston, ME 04240;
[email protected]; 207-402-0481.
i. FERC Contact: Selina Sumi, (202) 502-6892, [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
[[Page 21298]]
wish to cooperate in the preparation of any environmental document, if
applicable, to follow the instructions for filing such requests
described in item k 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. Deadline for filing comments, motions to intervene, and
protests: June 11, 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, Maryland 20852. The first page of any
filing should include the docket number P-2520-098. 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.
l. Description of Request: The licensee requests a temporary
variance of requirements of flow and water level to facilitate dam
repair and maintenance. The licensee proposes maintenance of concrete
repairs to the upstream fishway structures, replace the sluice gate due
to deterioration, and perform concrete repairs to the leaking slots
immediately downstream of the sluice gate. The licensee also proposes
to address other maintenance needs, including replacement of the roll
gate seal to reduce leakage and repair of the fishway trap's guide
support structures to ensure that the trap remains operable as a screen
for keeping debris out of the fishway. Although the fishway maintenance
is not a dam safety concern, the work is necessary in preparation for
upcoming and required evaluations of the fishway for upstream Atlantic
salmon (Salmo salar) passage that begin in 2026. In order to perform
these repairs safely and efficiently, the licensee proposes to modify
outflows and draw the impoundment down for a period of up to nine
weeks, beginning on August 1, 2025, after which the water surface
elevation would be raised and returned to the normal level.
In support of the proposed impoundment drawdown, and the subsequent
maintenance and repair work, the licensee filed a draft Biological
Assessment (BA) on January 7, 2025, which addressed the effects of the
proposed action on the Gulf of Maine Distinct Population Segment (GOM
DPS) of Atlantic salmon, which is federally listed as endangered under
the Endangered Species Act. The draft BA also evaluated the effects of
the proposed action on designated critical habitat for GOM DPS of
Atlantic salmon. By letter dated March 20, 2025, Commission staff
adopted the draft BA without modification as our final BA, and
requested formal consultation with the National Marine Fisheries
Service (NMFS). On April 21, 2025, NMFS notified the Commission that
all information required to initiate formal consultation is included in
the consultation request, BA, or is otherwise accessible for
consideration and reference. The licensee filed supplemental
information on April 28, 2025 and May 7, 2025, that discussed debris
removal work that would be conducted concurrently with the proposed
drawdown.
m. 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.
n. Individuals desiring to be included on the Commission's mailing
list should so indicate by writing to the Secretary of the Commission.
o. 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.
p. 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.
q. 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: May 12, 2025.
Debbie-Anne A. Reese,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2025-08835 Filed 5-16-25; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P