Great Lakes Hydro America, LLC; Notice of Application Accepted for Filing, Soliciting Motions To Intervene and Protests, Ready for Environmental Analysis, and Soliciting Comments, Recommendations, Preliminary Terms and Conditions, and Preliminary Fishway Prescriptions, 16189-16190 [2017-06422]

Agencies

• DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
• Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 62 (Monday, April 3, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Pages 16189-16190]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2017-06422]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Project No. 2520-076]


Great Lakes Hydro America, LLC; Notice of Application Accepted 
for Filing, Soliciting Motions To Intervene and Protests, Ready for 
Environmental Analysis, and Soliciting Comments, Recommendations, 
Preliminary Terms and Conditions, and Preliminary Fishway Prescriptions

    Take notice that the following hydroelectric application has been 
filed with the Commission and is available for public inspection.
    a. Type of Application: Major License.
    b. Project No.: 2520-076.
    c. Date filed: August 31, 2016.
    d. Applicant: Great Lakes Hydro America, LLC (Great Lakes Hydro).
    e. Name of Project: Mattaceunk Hydroelectric Project.
    f. Location: The existing project is located on the Penobscot River 
in Aroostook and Penobscot Counties, Maine. The project does not affect 
federal lands.
    g. Filed Pursuant to: Federal Power Act 16 U.S.C. 791 (a)-825(r).
    h. Applicant Contact: Kevin Bernier, Senior Compliance Specialist, 
Great Lakes Hydro America, LLC, 1024 Central Street, Millinocket, Maine 
04462; Telephone (207) 723-4341, x118.
    i. FERC Contact: Adam Peer, (202) 502-8449 or adam.peer@ferc.gov.
    j. Deadline for filing motions to intervene and protests, comments, 
recommendations, preliminary terms and conditions, and preliminary 
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, protests, comments, recommendations, preliminary 
terms and conditions, and preliminary fishway prescriptions 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. You must include your 
name and contact information at the end of your comments. For 
assistance, please contact FERC Online Support at 
FERCOnlineSupport@ferc.gov, (866) 208-3676 (toll free), or (202) 502-
8659 (TTY). In lieu of electronic filing, please send a paper copy to: 
Secretary, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 First Street NE., 
Washington, DC 20426. The first page of any filing should include 
docket number P-2520-076.
    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 now ready 
for environmental analysis.
    l. The existing Mattaceunk Hydroelectric Project consists of: (1) A 
1,060-foot-long, 45-foot-high dam (Weldon Dam) with a crest elevation 
of 236.0 feet (USGS datum), and includes: (i) A 110-foot-long earthen 
embankment extending to the left abutment; (ii) a combined intake and 
powerhouse structure; (iii) an upstream fish ladder; (iv) a 10-foot-
wide log sluice structure, controlled by an 8-foot-high vertical slide 
gate; (v) a 90-foot-long, 19-foot-high gated spillway with a single 
roller gate; (vi) a 657.5-foot-long, 70-foot high concrete gravity 
overflow spillway with 4-foot-high flashboards to create a maximum 
flashboard crest elevation of 240.0 feet; and (vii) a retaining wall at 
the right abutment; (2) a 1,664-acre reservoir with a total storage 
capacity of 20,981 acre-feet at a normal pool elevation of 240.00 feet 
(USGS datum); (3) a 142-foot-long, 99-foot-wide powerhouse (Weldon 
Station) integral to the dam containing two Kaplan turbines rated at 
5,479 kilowatt (kW) and two fixed-blade propeller turbines rated at 
5,489 kW, each driving a 6,000 kilovolt-ampere (kVA), 4,800 kW vertical 
synchronous generator for an authorized installed capacity of 19.2 
megawatts (MW); (4) a downstream fishway; (5) an outdoor substation 
adjacent to the powerhouse; (6) a 9-mile-long, 34.5-kilovolt (kV) 
transmission line within a 120-foot-wide right of way; and (7) 
appurtenant facilities. The project generates about 123,332 megawatt-
hours (MWh) annually.
    The Mattaceunk Project is operated with minimal fluctuations of the 
reservoir surface elevation. Flexibility on reservoir elevations is 
required to provide for safe installation of the project's flashboards 
and to allow an adequate margin for wave action, debris loads, or 
sudden pool increases that might cause flashboard failure. The existing 
license requires a reservoir surface elevation no lower than 1.0 foot 
below the dam crest elevation of 236.0 feet when the 4-foot-high 
flashboards are not in use, and no lower than 2.0 feet below the top of 
flashboard elevation of 240.0 feet when the 4-foot-high flashboards are 
in use. The existing license also requires a year-round continuous 
minimum flow of 1,674 cubic feet per second (cfs) or inflow, whichever 
is less, and a daily average minimum flow of 2,392 cfs from July 1 
through September 30 and 2,000 cfs from October 1 through June 30, 
unless inflow is less than the stated daily average minimum flows (in 
which case outflow from the project must equal the inflow to the 
project). Great Lakes Hydro proposes to: (1) Install a seasonal 
upstream eel ramp; (2) install an upstream passage structure for 
American shad, alewife, and blueback herring; (3) install trashracks 
having 1-inch clear spacing to the full depth of the turbine intakes 
during the fish passage season; and (4) improve the recreation facility 
at the downstream angler access area.
    m. A copy of the application is available for review at the 
Commission in the Public Reference Room or may be viewed on the 
Commission's Web site 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. For assistance, contact 
FERC Online Support. A copy is also available for inspection and 
reproduction at the address in item h above.
    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, 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

[[Page 16190]]

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,'' ``PRELIMINARY TERMS AND CONDITIONS,'' or 
``PRELIMINARY FISHWAY PRESCRIPTIONS;'' (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 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.
    o. Procedural Schedule:
    The application will be processed according to the following 
revised Hydro Licensing Schedule. Revisions to the schedule may be made 
as appropriate.

------------------------------------------------------------------------
               Milestone                           Target date
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Filing of recommendations, preliminary   May 2017.
 terms and conditions, and preliminary
 fishway prescriptions.
Commission issues Draft EA or EIS......  November 2017.
Comments on Draft EA or EIS............  December 2017.
Modified Terms and Conditions..........  February 2017.
Commission Issues Final EA or EIS......  May 2018.
------------------------------------------------------------------------

    p. Final amendments to the application must be filed with the 
Commission no later than 30 days from the issuance date of this notice.
    q. A license applicant must file no later than 60 days following 
the date of issuance of the notice of acceptance and ready for 
environmental analysis provided for in 5.22: (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.

    Dated: March 24, 2017.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2017-06422 Filed 3-31-17; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P