[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 87 (Tuesday, May 5, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Pages 26681-26682]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-09565]
[[Page 26681]]
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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
[Project No. 3777-011]
Town of Rollinsford, New Hampshire; Notice of Application
Accepted for Filing, Soliciting Motions To Intervene and Protests,
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: Subsequent Minor License.
b. Project No.: 3777-011.
c. Date filed: August 29, 2019.
d. Applicant: Town of Rollinsford, New Hampshire (Town).
e. Name of Project: Rollinsford Project.
f. Location: On the Salmon Falls River in Strafford County, New
Hampshire and York County, Maine. No federal lands are occupied by the
project works or located within the project boundary.
g. Filed Pursuant to: Federal Power Act 16 U.S.C. 791(a)-825(r).
h. Applicant Contact: Mr. John Greenan, Green Mountain Power
Corporation, 1252 Post Road, Rutland, VT 05701; Phone at (802) 770-
2195, or email at [email protected].
i. FERC Contact: Bill Connelly, (202) 502-8587 or
[email protected].
j. Deadline for filing motions to intervene and protests, 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
motions to intervene and protests, comments, recommendations, terms and
conditions, and prescriptions 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. 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).
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 for filing and is ready for
environmental analysis at this time.
l. Project Description: The existing Rollinsford Project consists
of: (1) A 317-foot long, 19-foot-high concrete-masonry dam; (2) a 70-
acre impoundment with a gross storage capacity of 456 acre-feet at a
normal elevation of 71.25 feet National Geodetic Vertical Datum of
1929, including the 15-inch spillway flashboards; (3) an 82-foot-long,
52-foot-wide intake facility; (4) a 350-foot-long, 10-square-foot
concrete penstock that empties into a 250-foot-long, 9-foot diameter
steel penstock that directs flow to a 30-foot-long, 40-foot-wide
reinforced concrete forebay that is integral with the powerhouse; (5) a
38-foot-long, 60-foot-wide concrete and brick masonry powerhouse
containing two, vertical Francis turbine-generator units rated at 750
kilowatts (kW) each, for a total installed capacity of 1,500 kW; (6) a
38-foot-long, 34-foot-wide tailrace channel; (7) a 100-foot-long
underground transmission line that extends from the powerhouse to a
step-up transformer, where voltage is increased from 4.16-kilovolt (kV)
to 13.8 kV; and (8) appurtenant facilities.
The Town voluntarily operates the project in a run-of-river mode
using an automatic pond level control system, such that outflow from
the project approximates inflow. The existing license requires the
licensee to release: (1) A continuous minimum flow of 10 cubic feet per
second (cfs) or inflow, whichever is less, from the dam to the bypassed
reach; and (2) a minimum flow of 115 cfs or inflow, whichever is less,
through the powerhouse to the downstream reach. The average annual
generation was 5,837.9 megawatt-hours for the period of record from
2005 to 2018.
The Town proposes to: (1) Continue to operate the project in a run-
of-river mode; (2) provide a minimum flow release of 35 cfs or inflow,
whichever is less, into the bypassed reach; (3) install and operate an
upstream eel ramp; (4) install and operate a downstream fish passage
facility for adult eels and resident and migratory fish species; (5)
implement nighttime turbine shutdowns from 8 p.m. to 4 a.m. during the
months of September and October for 3 consecutive nights following rain
accumulations of 0.5 inch or more over a 24-hour period; (6) conduct a
study to quantify movements of river herring and American shad
migrating downstream from the project tailwater through the bypassed
reach to the project dam; and (7) consult with the New Hampshire and
Maine State Historic Preservation Officers to determine the need to
conduct archaeological or historical surveys and to implement avoidance
or mitigation measures before beginning any land-disturbing activities
or alterations to known historic structures within the project
boundary.
m. In addition to publishing the full text of this notice in the
Federal Register, the Commission provides all interested persons an
opportunity to view and/or print the contents of this notice, as well
as other documents in the proceeding (e.g., license application) via
the internet through the Commission's Home Page (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 (P-
3777). At this time, the Commission has suspended access to the
Commission's Public Reference Room due to the proclamation declaring a
National Emergency concerning the Novel Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19)
issued by the President on March 13, 2020. For assistance, contact FERC
at [email protected] or call toll-free, (886) 208-3673 or
(202) 502-8659 (TTY).
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. 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, and .214. 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.
All filings must: (1) Bear in all capital letters the title
``PROTEST'', ``MOTION TO INTERVENE'', ``COMMENTS,'' ``REPLY COMMENTS,''
``RECOMMENDATIONS,'' ``TERMS AND CONDITIONS,'' or ``PRESCRIPTIONS;''
(2) set forth in the
[[Page 26682]]
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 protesting or intervening;
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. A copy of any
protest or motion to intervene must be served upon each representative
of the applicant specified in the particular application. A copy of all
other filings in reference to this application 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 4.34(b)
and 385.2010.
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o. 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.
p. 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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Filing of interventions, protests, comments, June 2020.
recommendations, preliminary terms and
conditions, and preliminary fishway
prescriptions.
Commission issues Environmental Assessment... December 2020.
Comments on Environmental Assessment......... January 2021.
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Final amendments to the application must be filed with the
Commission no later than 30 days from the issuance date of this notice.
Dated: April 29, 2020.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2020-09565 Filed 5-4-20; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P