Notice2022-18564
Watson Associates; 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
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Published
August 29, 2022
Issuing agencies
Energy DepartmentFederal Energy Regulatory Commission
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 87 Issue 166 (Monday, August 29, 2022)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 166 (Monday, August 29, 2022)]
[Notices]
[Pages 52762-52764]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2022-18564]
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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
[Project No. 6240-064]
Watson Associates; 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.
[[Page 52763]]
a. Type of Application: Subsequent Minor License.
b. Project No.: 6240-064.
c. Date Filed: August 27, 2021.
d. Applicant: Watson Associates.
e. Name of Project: Watson Dam Hydroelectric Project (project).
f. Location: On the Cocheco River in Strafford County, New
Hampshire. The project does not occupy any federal land.
g. Filed Pursuant to: Federal Power Act, 16 U.S.C. 791(a)-825(r).
h. Applicant Contact: Mr. John Webster, Watson Associates, P.O. Box
178, South Berwick, ME 03908; Phone at (207) 384-5334, or email at
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#4d0534293f22202c2a23390d2a3a2463232839"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="80c8f9e4f2efede1e7eef4c0e7f7e9aeeee5f4">[email protected]</span></a>.
i. FERC Contact: Michael Watts at (202) 502-6123, or
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#4a272329222b2f26643d2b3e3e0a2c2f3829642d253c"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="aac7c3c9c2cbcfc684ddcbdedeeacccfd8c984cdc5dc">[email protected]</span></a>.
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
<a href="https://ferconline.ferc.gov/FERCOnline.aspx">https://ferconline.ferc.gov/FERCOnline.aspx</a>. Commenters can submit
brief comments up to 6,000 characters, without prior registration,
using the eComment system at <a href="https://ferconline.ferc.gov/QuickComment.aspx">https://ferconline.ferc.gov/QuickComment.aspx</a>. You must include your name and contact information
at the end of your comments. For assistance, please contact FERC Online
Support at <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#bcfaf9eefff3d2d0d5d2d9efc9ccccd3cec8fcdad9cedf92dbd3ca"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="a2e4e7f0e1edcccecbccc7f1d7d2d2cdd0d6e2c4c7d0c18cc5cdd4">[email protected]</span></a>, (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. The first page of any filing should
include docket number P-6240-064.
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. This application has been accepted for filing and is now ready
for environmental analysis.
The Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) issued a final rule on
April 20, 2022, revising the regulations under 40 CFR parts 1502, 1507,
and 1508 that federal agencies use to implement the National
Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) (see National Environmental Policy Act
Implementing Regulations Revisions, 87 FR 23,453-70). The final rule
became effective on May 20, 2022. Commission staff intends to conduct
its NEPA review in accordance with CEQ's new regulations.
l. Project Description: The existing Watson Dam Project consists
of: (1) a 285.25-foot-long, 12-foot-high concrete gravity dam that
includes the following sections: (a) a 43-foot-long west abutment; (b)
a 122-foot-long west spillway section with 24-inch-high flashboards, a
crest elevation of 110.1 North American Vertical Datum of 1988 (NAVD
88) at the top of the flashboards, and a 3-foot-wide notch at an
elevation of 109.6 NAVD 88; (c) an 11.25-foot-long, 11.5-foot-wide
concrete spillway center pier; (d) an 80-foot-long east spillway
section with 24-inch-high flashboards and a crest elevation of 110.2
feet NAVD 88 at the top of the flashboards; and (e) a 29-foot-long east
abutment; (2) an impoundment with a surface area of 54 acres and a
storage capacity of 300 acre-feet at an elevation of 110.1 feet NAVD
88; (3) a 23.5-foot-long intake structure in the east abutment that is
equipped with an 8.5-foot-diameter headgate and trashrack with 2-inch
clear bar spacing and a 1-inch mesh overlay; (4) a 26.5-foot-long, 34-
foot-wide wood and steel powerhouse containing one 265-kilowatt
vertical Flygt submersible turbine-generator unit; (5) a 250-foot-long,
20-foot-wide tailrace that discharges into the Cocheco River; (6) a
0.48/12.47-kilovolt (kV) step-up transformer and an 80-foot-long, 12.47
kV transmission line that connect the project to the local utility
distribution system; and (7) appurtenant facilities. The project
creates an approximately 400-foot-long bypassed reach of the Cocheco
River.
Watson Associates operates the project in a run-of-river mode using
an automatic pond level control system to regulate turbine operation,
such that outflow from the project approximates inflow. Downstream fish
passage is provided by a bypass facility located next to the project's
intake on the east side of the dam that includes an approximately 30-
foot-long, 24-inch-diameter pipe that discharges to a plunge pool
downstream of the dam.
Article 26 of the current license requires a minimum flow of 83
cubic feet per second or inflow to the impoundment, whichever is less,
from the project, to protect and enhance aquatic resources in the
Cocheco River. Watson Associates is required to operate the downstream
fish passage facility from October 1 through November 15 of each year.
The average annual energy production of the project is approximately
1,100 megawatt hours.
Watson Associates proposes to: (1) continue to operate the project
in a run-of-river mode; (2) continue to provide downstream fish passage
through the bypass facility; and (3) consult with the New Hampshire
State Historic Preservation Officer before beginning any land-
disturbing activities or alterations to known historic structures
within the project boundary.
m. A copy of the application can be viewed on the Commission's
website at <a href="https://www.ferc.gov">https://www.ferc.gov</a> 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.
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 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
[[Page 52764]]
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 on the service list prepared by the Commission in this
proceeding, in accordance with 18 CFR 4.34(b) and 385.2010.
You may also register online at <a href="https://www.ferc.gov/ferc-online/overview">https://www.ferc.gov/ferc-online/overview</a> to be notified via email of new filings and issuances related
to this or other pending projects. For assistance, contact FERC Online
Support.
o. The 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. Please note
that the certification request must comply with 40 CFR 121.5(b),
including documentation that a pre-filing meeting request was submitted
to the certifying authority at least 30 days prior to submitting the
certification request. Please also note that the certification request
must be sent to the certifying authority and to the Commission
concurrently.
p. Procedural schedule: The application will be processed according
to the following preliminary schedule. Revisions to the schedule will
be made as appropriate.
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Milestone Target date
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Deadline for filing interventions, October 2022.
protests, comments, recommendations,
preliminary terms and conditions, and
preliminary fishway prescriptions.
Deadline for filing reply comments..... December 2022.
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q. Final amendments to the application must be filed with the
Commission no later than 30 days from the issuance date of this notice.
Dated: August 23, 2022.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2022-18564 Filed 8-26-22; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P
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