Notice2023-13995
Rumford Falls Hydro 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
Primary source
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Published
July 3, 2023
Issuing agencies
Energy DepartmentFederal Energy Regulatory Commission
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 88 Issue 126 (Monday, July 3, 2023)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 126 (Monday, July 3, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 42705-42707]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2023-13995]
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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
[Project No. 2333-094]
Rumford Falls Hydro 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: New Major License.
b. Project No.: 2333-094.
c. Date filed: September 29, 2022. Supplemented on March 30 and
June 9, 2023.
[[Page 42706]]
d. Applicant: Rumford Falls Hydro LLC.
e. Name of Project: Rumford Falls Hydroelectric Project.
f. Location: On the Androscoggin River in the Town of Rumford,
Oxford County, Maine.
g. Filed Pursuant to: Federal Power Act 16 U.S.C. 791(a)-825(r).
h. Applicant Contact: Mr. Luke Anderson, Rumford Falls Hydro LLC,
Brookfield Renewable, 150 Main St., Lewiston, Maine 04240, (207) 755-
5613, <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#6b071e000e450a050f0e191804052b09190404000d020e070f190e050e1c0a09070e45080406"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="cfa3baa4aae1aea1abaabdbca0a18fadbda0a0a4a9a6aaa3abbdaaa1aab8aeada3aae1aca0a2">[email protected]</span></a>.
i. FERC Contact: Ryan Hansen at (202) 502-8074 or email at
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#f18388909fdf99909f82949fb197948392df969e87"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="74060d151a5a1c151a07111a34121106175a131b02">[email protected]</span></a>.
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's Office of Public Participation (OPP) supports
meaningful public engagement and participation in Commission
proceedings. OPP can help members of the public, including landowners,
environmental justice communities, Tribal members and others, access
publicly available information and navigate Commission processes. For
public inquiries and assistance with making filings such as
interventions, comments, or requests for rehearing, the public is
encouraged to contact OPP at (202) 502-6595 or <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#115e414151777463723f767e67"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="84cbd4d4c4e2e1f6e7aae3ebf2">[email protected]</span></a>.
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 <a href="http://www.ferc.gov/docs-filing/efiling.asp">http://www.ferc.gov/docs-filing/efiling.asp</a>. Commenters can submit brief comments up to 6,000
characters, without prior registration, using the eComment system at
<a href="http://www.ferc.gov/docs-filing/ecomment.asp">http://www.ferc.gov/docs-filing/ecomment.asp</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#2b6d6e796864454742454e785e5b5b44595f6b4d4e5948054c445d"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="b5f3f0e7f6fadbd9dcdbd0e6c0c5c5dac7c1f5d3d0c7d69bd2dac3">[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, 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: Rumford Falls Hydroelectric Project (P-2333-
094).
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.
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 23453-70). 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. The existing Rumford Falls Project consists of two developments,
the Upper Station and Lower Station. The Upper Station Development
consists of the following existing facilities: (1) a concrete gravity
dam with a 464-foot-long, 37-foot-high ogee type spillway section with
32-inch-high, pin-supported wooden flashboards; (2) a reservoir with a
storage capacity of 2,900 acre-feet and a surface area of approximately
419 acres at a maximum headwater elevation of 601.24 feet; \1\ (3) a
2,300-foot-long, 150-foot-wide forebay; (4) a gatehouse containing two
headgates for each of the four penstocks for a total of eight headgates
with trashracks; (5) four 110-foot-long underground steel-plate
penstocks, three of which are 12 feet in diameter, and one of which is
13 feet in diameter; (6) a masonry powerhouse integral with the dam
that is composed of two adjoining stations (a) a 30-foot-wide, 110-
foot-long, 92-foot-high Old Station, containing one horizontal
generating unit with a capacity of 4,300 kilowatts (kW), and (b) a 60-
foot-wide, 140-foot-long, 76-foot-high New Station containing three
vertical generating units, two with a capacity of 8,100 kW each, and
one with a capacity of 8,800 kW; (7) four 11.5-kilovolt (kV) overhead
transmission lines, two of which are de-energized, and the other two
are: a 4,500-foot-long line 2 and a 4,200-foot-long line 3; and (8)
appurtenant facilities.
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\1\ All elevations are in National Geodetic Vertical Datum of
1929.
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The Lower Station Development consists of the following existing
facilities: (1) a rock-filled, wooden cribbed and concrete-capped
Middle Dam, with a 328.6-foot-long, 20-foot-high gravity spillway
section with a crest elevation of 502.74 feet with 16-inch-high, pin-
supported, wooden flashboards; (2) a reservoir with storage capacity of
141 acre-feet and a surface area of 21 acres at a normal maximum
headwater elevation of 502.7 feet; (3) a 120-foot-long concrete
headgate structure located adjacent to the dam with ten steel headgates
and a waste weir section perpendicular to the headgate structure with a
crest elevation of 502.6 feet and 10-inch-high flashboards regulating
flow to the Middle Canal; (4) a 2,400-foot-long Middle Canal with a
width ranging from 75 to 175 feet and a depth from 8 to 11 feet; (5) a
gatehouse containing two headgates, trashracks, and other appurtenant
equipment regulating flow from the canal into two penstocks; (6) two
815-foot-long, 12-foot-diameter, steel-plate penstocks conveying flow
from the gatehouse to two surge tanks; (7) two 36-foot-diameter, 50.5-
foot-high cylindrical surge tanks; (8) two 77-foot-long, 12-foot-
diameter steel penstocks conveying flow from the surge tanks to the
powerhouse; (9) a masonry powerhouse containing two identical vertical
units, each with a 7,600-kW capacity; (10) two 600-foot-long, 11.5-kV
parallel generator leads; and (11) appurtenant facilities.
Rumford Falls Hydro LLC operates the project in a run-of-river mode
and does not propose any changes to project facilities or operation.
The project would continue to generate an estimated average of 270,800
megawatt-hours annually.
m. This filing may be viewed on the Commission's website at <a href="http://www.ferc.gov">http://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. You may also register online at <a href="http://www.ferc.gov/docs-filing/esubscription.asp">http://www.ferc.gov/docs-filing/esubscription.asp</a> to be notified via email of new filings and
issuances related to this or other pending projects. For assistance,
call 1-866-208-3676 or email <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#9cdad9cedfd3f2f0f5f2f9cfe9ececf3eee8dcfaf9eeffb2fbf3ea"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="42040710010d2c2e2b2c27113732322d303602242730216c252d34">[email protected]</span></a>, for TTY, call
(202) 502-8659. Agencies may obtain copies of the application directly
from the applicant.
[[Page 42707]]
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,'' ``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 schedule. Revisions to the schedule may be made as
appropriate.
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Milestone Target date
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Filing of Comments, Recommendations, Preliminary August 25, 2023.
Terms and Conditions, and Preliminary Fishway
Prescriptions.
Filing of Reply Comments........................ October 9, 2023.
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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. 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.
Dated: June 26, 2023.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2023-13995 Filed 6-30-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P
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</html>Indexed from Federal Register on July 3, 2023.
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