Brookfield White Pine Hydro LLC; Notice of Intent To File License Application, Filing of Pre-Application Document (PAD), Commencement of Pre-Filing Process, and Scoping; Request for Comments on the PAD and Scoping Document, and Identification of Issues and Associated Study Requests, 5090-5092 [2018-02229]

Agencies

• DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
• Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 24 (Monday, February 5, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 5090-5092]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-02229]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Project No. 2530-054]


Brookfield White Pine Hydro LLC; Notice of Intent To File License 
Application, Filing of Pre-Application Document (PAD), Commencement of 
Pre-Filing Process, and Scoping; Request for Comments on the PAD and 
Scoping Document, and Identification of Issues and Associated Study 
Requests

    a. Type of Filing: Notice of Intent to File License Application for 
a New License and Commencing Pre-filing Process.
    b. Project No.: 2530-054.
    c. Dated Filed: November 30, 2017.
    d. Submitted By: Brookfield White Pine Hydro LLC (White Pine 
Hydro).
    e. Name of Project: Hiram Hydroelectric Project.
    f. Location: On the Saco River in the towns of Hiram, Baldwin, 
Brownfield, and Denmark, within Oxford and Cumberland Counties, Maine. 
The project does not occupy United States lands.
    g. Filed Pursuant to: 18 CFR part 5 of the Commission's 
Regulations.
    h. Potential Applicant Contact: Frank Dunlap, Licensing Specialist, 
Brookfield Renewable, Brookfield White Pine Hydro LLC, 150 Maine 
Street, Lewiston, Maine 04240; (207) 755-5603; 
[email protected].
    i. FERC Contact: Allan Creamer at (202) 502-8365, or email at 
[email protected].
    j. Cooperating agencies: Federal, state, local, and tribal agencies 
with jurisdiction and/or special expertise with respect to 
environmental issues that wish to cooperate in the preparation of the 
environmental document should follow the instructions for filing such 
requests described in item o below. Cooperating agencies should note 
the Commission's policy that agencies that cooperate in

[[Page 5091]]

the preparation of the environmental document cannot also intervene. 
See 94 FERC ] 61,076 (2001).
    k. With this notice, we are initiating informal consultation with: 
(1) The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and/or the National Marine 
Fisheries Service under section 7 of the Endangered Species Act and the 
joint agency regulations thereunder at 50 CFR part 402; and (2) the 
State Historic Preservation Officer, as required by section 106, 
National Historical Preservation Act, and the implementing regulations 
of the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation at 36 CFR 800.2.
    l. With this notice, we are designating White Pine Hydro as the 
Commission's non-federal representative for carrying out informal 
consultation, pursuant to section 7 of the Endangered Species Act and 
section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act.
    m. White Pine Hydro filed with the Commission a Pre-Application 
Document (PAD; including a proposed process plan and schedule), 
pursuant to 18 CFR 5.6 of the Commission's regulations.
    n. A copy of the PAD is available for review at the Commission in 
the Public Reference Room, or may be viewed on the Commission's website 
(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 at 
[email protected], or toll free at 1-866-208-3676, or for TTY, 
(202) 502-8659. A copy is also available for inspection and 
reproduction at the address in paragraph h.
    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.
    o. With this notice, we are soliciting comments on the PAD and 
Commission staff's Scoping Document 1 (SD1), as well as study requests. 
All comments on the PAD and SD1, as well as study requests should be 
sent to the address above in paragraph h. In addition, all comments on 
the PAD and SD1, study requests, requests for cooperating agency 
status, and all communications to and from Commission staff related to 
the merits of the potential application must be filed with the 
Commission. Documents may be filed electronically via the internet. See 
18 CFR 385.2001(a)(1)(iii) and the instructions on the Commission's 
website 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. Although the Commission strongly encourages electronic filing, 
documents may also be paper-filed. To paper-file, send a paper copy to: 
Kimberly D. Bose, Secretary, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 
First Street NE, Washington, DC 20426.
    All filings with the Commission must include on the first page, the 
project name (Hiram Hydroelectric Project and number (P-2530-054), and 
bear the appropriate heading: ``Comments on Pre-Application Document,'' 
``Study Requests,'' ``Comments on Scoping Document 1,'' ``Request for 
Cooperating Agency Status,'' or ``Communications to and from Commission 
Staff.'' Any individual or entity interested in submitting study 
requests, commenting on the PAD or SD1, and any agency requesting 
cooperating status must do so by March 30, 2018.
    p. Although our current intent is to prepare an environmental 
assessment (EA), there is the possibility that an Environmental Impact 
Statement (EIS) will be required. Nevertheless, the meetings listed 
below will satisfy the NEPA scoping requirements, irrespective of 
whether an EA or EIS is issued by the Commission.

Scoping Meetings

    Commission staff will hold two scoping meetings in the vicinity of 
the project at the time and place noted below. The daytime meeting will 
focus on resource agency, Indian tribes, and non-governmental 
organization concerns, while the evening meeting is primarily for 
receiving input from the public. We invite all interested agencies, 
Indian tribes, organizations, and individuals to attend one or both of 
the meetings, and to assist staff in identifying particular study 
needs, as well as the scope of environmental issues to be addressed in 
the environmental document. The times and locations of these meetings 
are as follows:

Evening Scoping Meeting

    Date: Wednesday, February 28, 2018.
    Time: 6:30 p.m.
    Location: Baldwin Community Center, Conference Room, 534 Pequawket 
Trail, ME 113, West Baldwin, ME 04091.
    Phone: Danielle Taylor at (207) 625-9107.

Daytime Scoping Meeting

    Date: Thursday, March 1, 2018.
    Time: 9:00 a.m.
    Location: Brookfield Renewable Offices, Moosehead Room, 150 Main 
Street, Lewiston, ME 04240.
    Phone: Frank Dunlap at (207) 755-5603.
    SD1, which outlines the subject areas to be addressed in the 
environmental document, was mailed to the individuals and entities on 
the Commission's mailing list. Copies of SD1 will be available at the 
scoping meetings, or may be viewed on the web at https://www.ferc.gov 
using the ``eLibrary'' link. Follow the directions for accessing 
information in paragraph n. Based on all oral and written comments, a 
Scoping Document 2 (SD2) may be issued. SD2 may include a revised 
process plan and schedule, as well as a list of issues, identified 
through the scoping process.

Environmental Site Review

    The potential applicant and Commission staff will conduct an 
Environmental Site Review of the project on Thursday, March 1, 2018, 
starting at 2:00 p.m. All participants should meet at White Pine 
Hydro's Hiram Dam, located at 45 Hiram Dam Road, Baldwin, ME 04091. All 
participants are responsible for their own transportation. Anyone with 
questions about the site visit should contact Mr. Frank Dunlap of White 
Pine Hydro at (207) 755-5603 on or before February 20, 2018.

Meeting Objectives

    At the scoping meetings, staff will: (1) Initiate scoping of the 
issues; (2) review and discuss existing conditions and resource 
management objectives; (3) review and discuss existing information and 
identify preliminary information and study needs; (4) review and 
discuss the process plan and schedule for pre-filing activity that 
incorporates the time frames provided for in Part 5 of the Commission's 
regulations and, to the extent possible, maximizes coordination of 
federal, state, and tribal permitting and certification processes; and 
(5) discuss the appropriateness of any federal or state agency or 
Indian tribe acting as a cooperating agency for development of an 
environmental document.
    Meeting participants should come prepared to discuss their issues 
and/or concerns. Please review the PAD in preparation for the scoping 
meetings. Directions on how to obtain a copy of the PAD and SD1 are 
included in item n. of this notice.

[[Page 5092]]

Meeting Procedures

    The meetings will be recorded by a stenographer. The transcripts 
will be placed in the public record for the project.

    Dated: January 29, 2018.
Nathaniel J. Davis, Sr.,
Deputy Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2018-02229 Filed 2-2-18; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 6717-01-P