Notice2022-19402
Village of Swanton, Vermont; Notice of Scoping Meetings and Environmental Site Review and Soliciting Scoping Comments
Primary source
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Published
September 8, 2022
Issuing agencies
Energy DepartmentFederal Energy Regulatory Commission
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 87 Issue 173 (Thursday, September 8, 2022)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 173 (Thursday, September 8, 2022)]
[Notices]
[Pages 54989-54990]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2022-19402]
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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
[Project No. 2547-095]
Village of Swanton, Vermont; Notice of Scoping Meetings and
Environmental Site Review and 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.: 2547-095.
c. Date Filed: April 29, 2022.
d. Applicant: Village of Swanton, Vermont (Village).
e. Name of Project: Highgate Falls Hydroelectric Project.
f. Location: On Missisquoi River in Franklin County, Vermont. 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: Reginald R. Beliveau, Jr., Manager--Village
of Swanton, 120 First Street, Swanton, Vermont 05488; call at (802)
868-3397; email at <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#601202050c0916050115201317010e140f0e4e0e0514"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="d1a3b3b4bdb8a7b4b0a491a2a6b0bfa5bebfffbfb4a5">[email protected]</span></a>.
i. FERC Contact: John Baummer at (202) 502-6837; or email at
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#6e04010600400c0f1b03030b1c2e080b1c0d40090118"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="a1cbcec9cf8fc3c0d4ccccc4d3e1c7c4d3c28fc6ced7">[email protected]</span></a>.
j. Deadline for filing scoping comments: October 29, 2022.
The Commission strongly encourages electronic filing. Please file
scoping comments 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#074142554448696b6e696254727777687573476162756429606871"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="e0a6a5b2a3af8e8c898e85b39590908f9294a086859283ce878f96">[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,
MD 20852. All filings must clearly identify the project name and docket
number on the first page: Highgate Falls Hydroelectric Project (P-2547-
095).
The Commission's Rules of Practice and Procedure require all
interveners 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 intervener 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 is not ready for environmental analysis at this
time.
l. Project Description: The existing project consists of: (1) a dam
about 670 feet long that consists of: (a) a 235-foot-long earth-filled
embankment on the west bank; (b) a 174-foot-long concrete intake
structure; (c) a 226-foot-long ogee-shaped concrete spillway section
with a 15-foot-high pneumatic crest gate and a maximum crest elevation
of 190.0 foot National Geodetic Vertical Datum of 1929 (NGVD29) when
fully inflated; and (d) a 35-foot-long concrete abutment on the east
bank; (2) an impoundment with a storage capacity of 3,327 acre-feet at
an elevation of 190.0 feet NGVD29; (3) a 509-foot-long, 10.5-foot-wide,
and 10.5-foot-high concrete conduit connecting to a 243-foot-long, 12-
foot-diameter steel penstock that conveys flow from the intake
structure to the primary powerhouse; (4) a surge tank; (5) a concrete
and masonry main powerhouse containing two 1.0-megawatt (MW), one 2.8-
MW, and one 6.0-MW vertical Francis turbine-generators; (6) a 75-foot-
long, 5-foot-diameter steel penstock conveying flow from the intake
structure to a 0.710-MW crossflow turbine-generator located within a
secondary concrete powerhouse; (7) a substation; (8) a 0.5-mile-long,
32-megavolt ampere transmission line; and (9) appurtenant facilities.
The project creates an approximately 1,100-foot-long bypassed reach of
the Missisquoi River between the dam and the primary powerhouse
discharge.
The current license requires that the project operate as a run-of-
river facility such that outflow approximates inflow between March 31
and June 1. From June 1 through March 30, the Village operates the
project as a peaking facility by generating electricity during daily
peak demand periods. When peaking, the Village limits the daily
impoundment drawdown to 30 inches or less from the full pond elevation
of 190 feet NGVD29. The current license also requires a minimum flow
release of 200 cubic feet per second (cfs) or inflow if less, as
measured downstream of the primary powerhouse. The 200-cfs minimum flow
must include at least 35
[[Page 54990]]
cfs or inflow if less, that is released from the dam to the bypassed
reach. The average annual generation of the project was approximately
40,667 megawatt-hours from 1989 to 2020.
The applicant proposes to modify current project operation to: (1)
operate the project in run-of-river mode between March 31 and June 15,
and during periods when inflow is 400 cfs or less, instead of between
March 31 and June 1 under current operation; (2) operate the project in
a peaking mode from June 16 through March 30; (3) limit impoundment
drawdowns during peaking operation to 18 to 24 inches, instead of 30
inches under current operation; (4) refill the impoundment within 8
hours of each drawdown for peaking operation; and (5) continue to
provide a minimum flow of 200 cfs downstream of the primary powerhouse,
including the following minimum flows to the bypassed reach: 150 cfs in
April and May, 70 cfs in June, and 35 cfs from July through March.
The applicant proposes the following environmental measures: (1)
develop a freshwater mussel plan for relocating mussels when the
impoundment is lowered to 186 feet NGVD 29 or less for prolonged
periods of time; (2) develop a plan for protecting horn-leaved
riverweed downstream of the Swanton Dam ledges, which are located
approximately 7 miles downstream of the powerhouse; (3) provide
aesthetic flows of 1 to 3 inches of spill over the dam during certain
holidays; (4) improve an existing parking area to accommodate 5 to 7
cars for recreation users; (5) develop a plan to provide access for
hand-carry water craft to the impoundment and downstream of the
project; and (6) develop an historic properties management plan to
protect historic properties.
The applicant also proposes to: (1) conduct a post-licensing
evaluation of the feasibility of using the existing downstream Swanton
Dam canal works for upstream fish passage; (2) develop a recreational
maintenance and enhancement plan to guide regular maintenance
activities at recreation facilities; (3) install a warning system to
alert recreation users to increases in flow in the bypassed reach and
downstream of the powerhouse; and (4) install an electric vehicle
charging station for five vehicles using electricity produced by the
hydroelectric plant.
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.
You may also register at <a href="https://ferconline.ferc.gov/FERCOnline.aspx">https://ferconline.ferc.gov/FERCOnline.aspx</a> to be notified via email of new filings and issuances
related to this or other pending projects. For assistance, please
contact FERC Online Support at <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#d3959681909cbdbfbabdb680a6a3a3bca1a793b5b6a1b0fdb4bca5"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="73353621303c1d1f1a1d16200603031c010733151601105d141c05">[email protected]</span></a>.
n. Scoping Process: Pursuant to the National Environmental Policy
Act (NEPA), Commission staff intends to prepare either an environmental
assessment (EA) or an environmental impact statement (EIS)
(collectively referred to as the ``NEPA document'') that describes and
evaluates the probable effects, including an assessment of the site-
specific and cumulative effects, if any, of the proposed action and
alternatives. The Commission's scoping process will help determine the
required level of analysis and satisfy the NEPA scoping requirements,
irrespective of whether the Commission issues an EA or an EIS.
Scoping Meetings
Commission staff will hold two public scoping meetings to receive
input on the scope of the environmental issues that should be analyzed
in the NEPA document. The daytime meeting will focus on the concerns of
resource agencies, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and Native
American tribes. The evening meeting will focus on receiving input from
the public. All interested individuals, resource agencies, Native
American tribes, and NGOs are invited to attend one or both of the
meetings. The times and locations of these meetings are as follows:
Daytime Scoping Meeting
Date: Thursday, September 29, 2022
Time: 10 a.m. (EDT)
Place: Highgate Elementary School, White Room
Address: 219 Gore Road, Highgate Center, Vermont 05459
Evening Scoping Meeting
Date: Thursday, September 29, 2022
Time: 7 p.m. (EDT)
Place: Highgate Elementary School, White Room
Address: 219 Gore Road, Highgate Center, Vermont, 05459
Copies of the Scoping Document (SD1) outlining the subject areas to
be addressed in the NEPA document were distributed to the parties on
the Commission's mailing list. Copies of the SD1 will be available at
the scoping meeting or may be viewed on the web at <a href="http://www.ferc.gov">http://www.ferc.gov</a>
using the ``eLibrary'' link (see item m above).
Environmental Site Review
The applicant and Commission staff will conduct an environmental
site review of the project beginning at 1 p.m. on September 29, 2022.
All interested individuals, agencies, tribes, and NGOs are invited to
attend. All participants should meet at the parking lot next to the
project dam, which is located at126, Baker Road, Highgate Center,
Vermont 05459. All participants are responsible for their own
transportation to the site and during the site visit. If you plan to
attend the environmental site review, please contact Mr. Reginald R.
Beliveau, Jr. of the Village of Swanton, Vermont at (802) 868-3397, or
via email at <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#04766661686d72616571447773656a706b6a2a6a6170"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="770515121b1e01121602370400161903181959191203">[email protected]</span></a> on or before September 23, 2022.
Objectives
At the scoping meetings, Commission staff will: (1) summarize the
environmental issues tentatively identified for analysis in the NEPA
document; (2) solicit from the meeting participants all available
information, especially quantifiable data, on the resources at issue;
(3) encourage statements from experts and the public on issues that
should be analyzed in the NEPA document, including viewpoints in
opposition to, or in support of, the staff's preliminary views; (4)
determine the resource issues to be addressed in the NEPA document; and
(5) identify those issues that require a detailed analysis, as well as
those issues that do not require a detailed analysis.
Procedures
The meetings are recorded by a stenographer and become part of the
formal record of the Commission proceeding on the project. Individuals,
NGOs, Native American tribes, and agencies with environmental expertise
and concerns are encouraged to attend the meeting and to assist the
staff in defining and clarifying the issues to be addressed in the NEPA
document.
Dated: September 1, 2022.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2022-19402 Filed 9-7-22; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P
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