Boott Hydropower, LLC; Notice Soliciting Scoping Comments, 6856-6857 [2022-02503]
Download as PDF
6856
Federal Register / Vol. 87, No. 25 / Monday, February 7, 2022 / Notices
your search to documents published by
the Department.
Michelle Asha Cooper,
Deputy Assistant Secretary for Higher
Education Programs, Delegated the Authority
to Perform the Functions and Duties of the
Assistant Secretary, Office of Postsecondary
Education.
[FR Doc. 2022–02514 Filed 2–4–22; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000–01–P
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory
Commission
[Project No. 2790–074]
jspears on DSK121TN23PROD with NOTICES1
Boott Hydropower, LLC; Notice
Soliciting Scoping Comments
Take notice that the following
hydroelectric application has been filed
with the Commission and is available
for public inspection.
a. Type of Application: New Major
License.
b. Project No.: 2790–074.
c. Date Filed: April 30, 2021.
d. Applicant: Boott Hydropower, LLC
(Boott).
e. Name of Project: Lowell
Hydroelectric Project (project).
f. Location: On the Merrimack River,
in Middlesex County, Massachusetts
and Hillsborough County, New
Hampshire. The project does not occupy
federal land.
g. Filed Pursuant to: Federal Power
Act, 16 U.S.C. 791(a)–825(r).
h. Applicant Contact: Kevin Webb,
Licensing Manager, Boott Hydropower,
LLC, 670 N Commercial Street, Suite
204, Manchester, NH 03101; Telephone
(978) 935–6039; or email at kwebb@
centralriverspower.com.
i. FERC Contact: Amy Chang at (202)
502–8250, or amy.chang@ferc.gov.
j. Deadline for filing scoping
comments: March 3, 2022.
The Commission strongly encourages
electronic filing. Please file scoping
comments using the Commission’s
eFiling system at https://ferconline.
ferc.gov/FERCOnline.aspx. Commenters
can submit brief comments up to 6,000
characters, without prior registration,
using the eComment system at https://
ferconline.ferc.gov/QuickComment.
aspx. 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, you
may submit a paper copy. Submissions
sent via the U.S. Postal Service must be
VerDate Sep<11>2014
17:36 Feb 04, 2022
Jkt 256001
addressed to: Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary, Federal Energy Regulatory
Commission, 888 First Street NE, Room
1A, Washington, DC 20426.
Submissions sent via any other carrier
must be addressed to: Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary, Federal Energy Regulatory
Commission, 12225 Wilkins Avenue,
Rockville, Maryland 20852. All filings
must clearly identify the project name
and docket number on the first page:
Lowell Hydroelectric Project (P–2790–
074).
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 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. The application is not ready for
environmental analysis at this time.
l. The existing project consists of: (1)
The 1,093-foot-long, 15-foot-high
Pawtucket Dam; (2) a 720-acre
impoundment with a normal maximum
water surface elevation of 92.2 feet
National Geodetic Vertical Datum of
1929 (NGVD); (3) the 5.5-mile-long
Northern and Pawtucket Canal System
that includes several small dams and
gatehouses; (4) generating facilities,
including: (a) One powerhouse facility
located on the mainstem of the
Merrimack River (E.L. Field
Powerhouse), with a total authorized
installed capacity of 15.012 MW and a
440-foot-long tailrace to the Merrimack
River; and (b) four power stations
located along the canal system
(Hamilton Power Station, Assets Power
Station, Bridge Street Power Station,
and John Street Power Station), with a
total combined authorized capacity of
5.152 MW; (5) an approximately 2-milelong, 13.8-kilovolt submarine
transmission line that connects the
project generating facilities to the
regional electric grid; (6) upstream and
downstream fish passage facilities; (7) a
visitor center; and (8) appurtenant
facilities.
The project bypasses approximately
two miles of the Merrimack River,
including a 0.7-mile-long bypassed
reach from the Pawtucket Dam to the
E.L. Field Powerhouse tailrace and an
approximately 1.3-mile-long bypassed
reach from the E.L. Field Powerhouse
tailrace to the confluence of the
Merrimack and Concord Rivers.
The current license requires Boott to
release an instantaneous minimum flow
of 1,990 cfs or inflow, whichever is less,
PO 00000
Frm 00018
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
downstream of the project. Boott
provides the minimum flow through
spillage over the Pawtucket Dam,
discharge from the project turbines, and
the fish passage facilities.
In the relicense application, Boott
proposes to decommission the four
power stations located along the Lowell
downtown canal system (Hamilton
Power Station, Assets Power Station,
Bridge Street Power Station, and John
Street Power Station). In addition, Boott
proposes to remove the canal system
from the project boundary, except for a
2,200-foot-long section of the Northern
Canal; and a 1,600-foot-long portion of
the Pawtucket Canal.
Boott proposes to continue to operate
the project in run-of-river mode using
an automatic pond level control system.
Boott proposes to provide a minimum
flow of 500 cfs to the bypassed reach via
the Pawtucket Dam fish ladder during
the fish passage season (typically May
1–July 15), and 100 cfs outside of the
fish passage season. Boott also proposes
to replace the existing fish lift at the E.L.
Field Powerhouse with a fish ladder to
pass migratory fish from the E.L. Field
Powerhouse tailrace to the bypassed
reach, which would provide fish with
access to the existing fish ladder in the
bypassed reach that is used to pass fish
over the Pawtucket Dam. Boott proposes
to continue to operate the gates at the
Guard Lock and Gates facility to provide
flows to the Lowell downtown canal
system. Boott proposes to continue to
maintain canal structures and facilities,
canal water levels, and flows in line
with current agreements with NPS and
other stakeholders. Finally, Boot
proposes to develop several plans,
including a fishway operation and
management plan, a gaging plan, a
recreation access and facilities
management plan, a historic properties
management plan, and a
decommissioning plan for each of the
four downtown power stations.
m. In addition to publishing the full
text of this document in the Federal
Register, the Commission provides all
interested persons an opportunity to
view and/or print the contents via the
internet through the Commission’s
Home Page (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
at FERCOnlineSupport@ferc.gov or call
toll-free, (866) 208–3676 or TYY, (202)
502–8659.
n. You may also register online at
https://ferconline.ferc.gov/FERCOnline.
aspx to be notified via email of new
filings and issuances related to this or
E:\FR\FM\07FEN1.SGM
07FEN1
Federal Register / Vol. 87, No. 25 / Monday, February 7, 2022 / Notices
other pending projects. For assistance,
contact FERC Online Support.
o. Scoping Process.
Commission staff will prepare either
an environmental assessment (EA) or an
Environmental Impact Statement (EIS)
that describes and evaluates the
probable effects, if any, of the licensee’s
proposed action and alternatives. The
EA or EIS will consider environmental
impacts and reasonable alternatives to
the proposed action. The Commission’s
scoping process will help determine the
required level of analysis and satisfy the
NEPA scoping requirements,
irrespective of whether the Commission
prepares an EA or an EIS. At this time,
we do not anticipate holding on-site
scoping meetings. Instead, we are
soliciting written comments and
suggestions on our updated list of issues
and alternatives to be addressed in the
NEPA document, as described in
scoping document 3 (SD3), issued
February 1, 2022.
Copies of the SD3 outlining the
subject areas to be addressed in the
NEPA document were distributed to the
parties on the Commission’s mailing list
and the applicant’s distribution list.
Copies of SD3 may be viewed on the
web 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, call 1–866–
208–3676 or for TTY, (202) 502–8659.
Dated: February 1, 2022.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2022–02503 Filed 2–4–22; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717–01–P
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory
Commission
[Docket No. RM98–1–000]
Records Governing Off-the-Record
Communications; Public Notice
This constitutes notice, in accordance
with 18 CFR 385.2201(b), of the receipt
of prohibited and exempt off-the-record
communications.
Order No. 607 (64 FR 51222,
September 22, 1999) requires
Commission decisional employees, who
make or receive a prohibited or exempt
off-the-record communication relevant
to the merits of a contested proceeding,
to deliver to the Secretary of the
Commission, a copy of the
communication, if written, or a
summary of the substance of any oral
communication.
Prohibited communications are
included in a public, non-decisional file
associated with, but not a part of, the
decisional record of the proceeding.
Unless the Commission determines that
the prohibited communication and any
responses thereto should become a part
of the decisional record, the prohibited
off-the-record communication will not
be considered by the Commission in
reaching its decision. Parties to a
jspears on DSK121TN23PROD with NOTICES1
Docket Nos.
VerDate Sep<11>2014
17:36 Feb 04, 2022
Jkt 256001
PO 00000
proceeding may seek the opportunity to
respond to any facts or contentions
made in a prohibited off-the-record
communication and may request that
the Commission place the prohibited
communication and responses thereto
in the decisional record. The
Commission will grant such a request
only when it determines that fairness so
requires. Any person identified below as
having made a prohibited off-the-record
communication shall serve the
document on all parties listed on the
official service list for the applicable
proceeding in accordance with Rule
2010, 18 CFR 385.2010.
Exempt off-the-record
communications are included in the
decisional record of the proceeding,
unless the communication was with a
cooperating agency as described by 40
CFR 1501.6, made under 18 CFR
385.2201(e)(1)(v).
The following is a list of off-therecord communications recently
received by the Secretary of the
Commission. The communications
listed are grouped by docket numbers in
ascending order. These filings are
available for electronic review at the
Commission in the Public Reference
Room or 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. For
assistance, please contact FERC Online
Support at FERCOnlineSupport@
ferc.gov or toll free at (866) 208–3676, or
for TTY, contact (202) 502–8659.
File date
Prohibited:
1. CP16–9–011, CP16–9–012 ..............................................................................
2. CP16–9–011, CP16–9–012, RP21–1001–000, RP21–1001–001, CP18–46–
004, CP15–490–002.
3. CP16–9–011, CP16–9–012 ..............................................................................
4. CP16–9–011, CP16–9–012, RP21–1001–000, RP21–1001–001, CP18–46–
004, CP15–490–002.
5. CP16–9–011, CP16–9–012, RP21–1001–000, RP21–1001–001, CP18–46–
004, CP15–490–002.
6. CP16–9–011, CP16–9–012, RP21–1001–000, RP21–1001–001, CP18–46–
004, CP15–490–002.
7. CP16–9–011, CP16–9–012 ..............................................................................
8. CP16–9–011, CP16–9–012 ..............................................................................
9. CP16–9–011, CP16–9–012 ..............................................................................
10. CP16–9–011, CP16–9–012 ............................................................................
11. CP16–9–011, CP16–9–012, RP21–1001–000, RP21–1001–001, CP18–46–
004, CP15–490–002.
12. CP16–9–011, CP16–9–012, RP21–1001–000, RP21–1001–001, CP18–46–
004, CP15–490–002.
13. CP16–9–011, CP16–9–012 ............................................................................
14. CP16–9–011, CP16–9–012 ............................................................................
15. CP22–17–000 .................................................................................................
16. CP16–9–011, CP16–9–012, RP21–1001–000, RP21–1001–001, CP18–46–
004, CP15–490–002.
17. CP16–9–011, CP16–9–012, RP21–1001–000, RP21–1001–001, CP18–46–
004, CP15–490–002.
18. CP16–9–011, CP16–9–012 ............................................................................
Frm 00019
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
6857
Presenter or requester
1–20–2022
1–20–2022
FERC Staff.1
FERC Staff.2
1–20–2022
1–20–2022
FERC Staff.3
FERC Staff.4
1–20–2022
FERC Staff.5
1–20–2022
FERC Staff.6
1–20–2022
1–20–2022
1–21–2022
1–21–2022
1–21–2022
FERC
FERC
FERC
FERC
FERC
1–26–2022
FERC Staff.12
1–26–2022
1–26–2022
1–27–2022
1–27–2022
FERC Staff.13
FERC Staff.14
Molly Smith.
FERC Staff.15
1–27–2022
FERC Staff.16
1–27–2022
FERC Staff.17
E:\FR\FM\07FEN1.SGM
Staff.7
Staff.8
Staff.9
Staff.10
Staff.11
07FEN1
Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 25 (Monday, February 7, 2022)]
[Notices]
[Pages 6856-6857]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2022-02503]
=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
[Project No. 2790-074]
Boott Hydropower, LLC; Notice Soliciting Scoping Comments
Take notice that the following hydroelectric application has been
filed with the Commission and is available for public inspection.
a. Type of Application: New Major License.
b. Project No.: 2790-074.
c. Date Filed: April 30, 2021.
d. Applicant: Boott Hydropower, LLC (Boott).
e. Name of Project: Lowell Hydroelectric Project (project).
f. Location: On the Merrimack River, in Middlesex County,
Massachusetts and Hillsborough County, New Hampshire. The project does
not occupy federal land.
g. Filed Pursuant to: Federal Power Act, 16 U.S.C. 791(a)-825(r).
h. Applicant Contact: Kevin Webb, Licensing Manager, Boott
Hydropower, LLC, 670 N Commercial Street, Suite 204, Manchester, NH
03101; Telephone (978) 935-6039; or email at
[email protected].
i. FERC Contact: Amy Chang at (202) 502-8250, or
[email protected].
j. Deadline for filing scoping comments: March 3, 2022.
The Commission strongly encourages electronic filing. Please file
scoping comments using the Commission's eFiling system at https://ferconline.ferc.gov/FERCOnline.aspx. Commenters can submit brief
comments up to 6,000 characters, without prior registration, using the
eComment system at https://ferconline.ferc.gov/QuickComment.aspx. 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). In lieu of electronic filing, you may submit a paper copy.
Submissions sent via the U.S. Postal Service must be addressed to:
Kimberly D. Bose, Secretary, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 888
First Street NE, Room 1A, Washington, DC 20426. Submissions sent via
any other carrier must be addressed to: Kimberly D. Bose, Secretary,
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 12225 Wilkins Avenue, Rockville,
Maryland 20852. All filings must clearly identify the project name and
docket number on the first page: Lowell Hydroelectric Project (P-2790-
074).
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 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. The application is not ready for environmental analysis at this
time.
l. The existing project consists of: (1) The 1,093-foot-long, 15-
foot-high Pawtucket Dam; (2) a 720-acre impoundment with a normal
maximum water surface elevation of 92.2 feet National Geodetic Vertical
Datum of 1929 (NGVD); (3) the 5.5-mile-long Northern and Pawtucket
Canal System that includes several small dams and gatehouses; (4)
generating facilities, including: (a) One powerhouse facility located
on the mainstem of the Merrimack River (E.L. Field Powerhouse), with a
total authorized installed capacity of 15.012 MW and a 440-foot-long
tailrace to the Merrimack River; and (b) four power stations located
along the canal system (Hamilton Power Station, Assets Power Station,
Bridge Street Power Station, and John Street Power Station), with a
total combined authorized capacity of 5.152 MW; (5) an approximately 2-
mile-long, 13.8-kilovolt submarine transmission line that connects the
project generating facilities to the regional electric grid; (6)
upstream and downstream fish passage facilities; (7) a visitor center;
and (8) appurtenant facilities.
The project bypasses approximately two miles of the Merrimack
River, including a 0.7-mile-long bypassed reach from the Pawtucket Dam
to the E.L. Field Powerhouse tailrace and an approximately 1.3-mile-
long bypassed reach from the E.L. Field Powerhouse tailrace to the
confluence of the Merrimack and Concord Rivers.
The current license requires Boott to release an instantaneous
minimum flow of 1,990 cfs or inflow, whichever is less, downstream of
the project. Boott provides the minimum flow through spillage over the
Pawtucket Dam, discharge from the project turbines, and the fish
passage facilities.
In the relicense application, Boott proposes to decommission the
four power stations located along the Lowell downtown canal system
(Hamilton Power Station, Assets Power Station, Bridge Street Power
Station, and John Street Power Station). In addition, Boott proposes to
remove the canal system from the project boundary, except for a 2,200-
foot-long section of the Northern Canal; and a 1,600-foot-long portion
of the Pawtucket Canal.
Boott proposes to continue to operate the project in run-of-river
mode using an automatic pond level control system. Boott proposes to
provide a minimum flow of 500 cfs to the bypassed reach via the
Pawtucket Dam fish ladder during the fish passage season (typically May
1-July 15), and 100 cfs outside of the fish passage season. Boott also
proposes to replace the existing fish lift at the E.L. Field Powerhouse
with a fish ladder to pass migratory fish from the E.L. Field
Powerhouse tailrace to the bypassed reach, which would provide fish
with access to the existing fish ladder in the bypassed reach that is
used to pass fish over the Pawtucket Dam. Boott proposes to continue to
operate the gates at the Guard Lock and Gates facility to provide flows
to the Lowell downtown canal system. Boott proposes to continue to
maintain canal structures and facilities, canal water levels, and flows
in line with current agreements with NPS and other stakeholders.
Finally, Boot proposes to develop several plans, including a fishway
operation and management plan, a gaging plan, a recreation access and
facilities management plan, a historic properties management plan, and
a decommissioning plan for each of the four downtown power stations.
m. In addition to publishing the full text of this document in the
Federal Register, the Commission provides all interested persons an
opportunity to view and/or print the contents via the internet through
the Commission's Home Page (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 at [email protected] or call toll-free, (866) 208-3676 or
TYY, (202) 502-8659.
n. You may also register online at https://ferconline.ferc.gov/FERCOnline.aspx to be notified via email of new filings and issuances
related to this or
[[Page 6857]]
other pending projects. For assistance, contact FERC Online Support.
o. Scoping Process.
Commission staff will prepare either an environmental assessment
(EA) or an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) that describes and
evaluates the probable effects, if any, of the licensee's proposed
action and alternatives. The EA or EIS will consider environmental
impacts and reasonable alternatives to the proposed action. The
Commission's scoping process will help determine the required level of
analysis and satisfy the NEPA scoping requirements, irrespective of
whether the Commission prepares an EA or an EIS. At this time, we do
not anticipate holding on-site scoping meetings. Instead, we are
soliciting written comments and suggestions on our updated list of
issues and alternatives to be addressed in the NEPA document, as
described in scoping document 3 (SD3), issued February 1, 2022.
Copies of the SD3 outlining the subject areas to be addressed in
the NEPA document were distributed to the parties on the Commission's
mailing list and the applicant's distribution list. Copies of SD3 may
be viewed on the web 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, call 1-866-
208-3676 or for TTY, (202) 502-8659.
Dated: February 1, 2022.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2022-02503 Filed 2-4-22; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P