Notice2023-17907
Essex Company, 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
Primary source
Metadata and text below are from the Federal Register, a public-domain U.S. government work. Always verify the official published version before relying on it for any legal matter.
Published
August 21, 2023
Issuing agencies
Energy DepartmentFederal Energy Regulatory Commission
Full Text
<html>
<head>
<title>Federal Register, Volume 88 Issue 160 (Monday, August 21, 2023)</title>
</head>
<body><pre>
[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 160 (Monday, August 21, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 56813-56815]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2023-17907]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
[Project No. 2800-054]
Essex Company, 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
[[Page 56814]]
License and Commencing Pre-filing Process.
b. Project No.: 2800-054.
c. Dated Filed: June 16, 2023.
d. Submitted By: Essex Company, LLC (Essex).
e. Name of Project: Lawrence Hydroelectric Project (Lawrence
Project).
f. Location: The project is located on the Merrimack River in the
City of Lawrence in Essex County, Massachusetts.
g. Filed Pursuant to: 18 CFR part 5 of the Commission's
Regulations.
h. Applicant Contact: Kevin Webb, Hydro Licensing Manager, Essex
Company, 670 N Commercial Street, Suite 204, Manchester, NH 03101;
(978) 935-6039; <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#38534f5d5a5a7848594c4a51574c50415c4a57165b5755"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="4e25392b2c2c0e3e2f3a3c27213a26372a3c21602d2123">[email protected]</span></a>.
i. FERC Contact: Bill Connelly at (202) 502-8587 or email at
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#8ef9e7e2e2e7efe3a0ede1e0e0ebe2e2f7cee8ebfceda0e9e1f8"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="e3948a8f8f8a828ecd808c8d8d868f8f9aa385869180cd848c95">[email protected]</span></a>.
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 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:
(a) the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and/or the National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration Fisheries under section 7 of the Endangered
Species Act and the joint agency regulations thereunder at 50 CFR part
402; and (b) the State Historic Preservation Office, as required by
section 106, National Historic 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 Essex 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. Essex 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 may be viewed on the Commission's website
(<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. For assistance, contact FERC at
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#397f7c6b7a76575550575c6a4c4949564b4d795f5c4b5a175e564f"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="c4828196878baaa8adaaa197b1b4b4abb6b084a2a1b6a7eaa3abb2">[email protected]</span></a> or call toll-free, (866) 208-3676 or TYY,
(202) 502-8659.
You may register online 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 these 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, and 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 staff related to the merits of the
potential application must be filed with the Commission.
The Commission strongly encourages electronic filing. Please file
all documents 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.gov/QuickComment.aspx">https://ferconline.gov/QuickComment.aspx</a>. You must
include your name and contact information at the end of your comments.
For assistance, please contact FERC Support at
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#0f494a5d4c40616366616a5c7a7f7f607d7b4f696a7d6c21686079"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="32747760717d5c5e5b5c57614742425d404672545740511c555d44">[email protected]</span></a>. 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-2800-054.
All filings with the Commission must 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 October 14, 2023.\1\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ The Commission's Rules of Practice and Procedure provide
that if a filing deadline falls on a Saturday, Sunday, holiday, or
other day when the Commission is closed for business, the filing
deadline does not end until the close of business on the next
business day. 18 CFR 385.2007(a)(2) (2022). Because the filing
deadline falls on a Saturday (i.e., September 2, 2023), the filing
deadline is extended until the close of business on Monday, October
16, 2023.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
p. 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#d897888898bebdaabbf6bfb7ae"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="7d322d2d3d1b180f1e531a120b">[email protected]</span></a>.
q. The Commission's scoping process will help determine the
required level of analysis and satisfy the National Environmental
Policy Act (NEPA) scoping requirements, irrespective of whether the
Commission prepares an environmental assessment or environmental impact
statement.
Scoping Meetings
Commission staff will hold two scoping meetings for the project to
receive input on the scope of the NEPA document. An evening meeting
will be held at 7:00 p.m. on September 13, 2023, at the Elk's Lodge #65
in Lawrence, Massachusetts, and will focus on receiving input from the
public. A daytime meeting will be held at 10:00 a.m. on September 14,
2023, at Lawrence Public Library in Lawrence, Massachusetts, and will
focus on the concerns of resource agencies, non-governmental
organizations (NGOs), and Indian Tribes. We invite all interested
agencies, Indian Tribes, non-governmental organizations, and
individuals to attend one or both meetings. Spanish-English translation
services will be provided. If a significant number of people are
interested in providing oral comments, a time limit of 3 minutes may
need to be implemented for each commentor.
The times and locations of these meetings are as follows:
Evening Scoping Meeting
Date: Wednesday, September 13, 2023.
Time: 7:00 p.m. (EDT).
Place: Elks Lodge #65.
Address: 652 Andover Street, Lawrence, MA 01843.
Phone: (978) 687-7274.
Daytime Scoping Meeting
Date: Thursday, September 14, 2023.
Time: 10:00 a.m. (EDT).
[[Page 56815]]
Place: Lawrence Public Library, Sargent Auditorium.
Address: 51 Lawrence Street, Lawrence, MA 01841.
Phone: (978) 620-3600.
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 and Essex's distribution list. Copies of
SD1 may be viewed on the web at <a href="http://www.ferc.gov">http://www.ferc.gov</a>, 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 applicant and Commission staff will conduct an environmental
site review of the project. All interested individuals, agencies,
tribes, and NGOs are invited to attend. Please RSVP via email to
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#612c0a080f0f04182111001513080e15091805130e4f020e0c"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="d19cbab8bfbfb4a891a1b0a5a3b8bea5b9a8b5a3beffb2bebc">[email protected]</span></a> or notify Miley Kinney at (603) 732-8162 on or
before September 5, 2023 if you plan to attend the environmental site
review. The time and location of the environmental site review is as
follows:
Lawrence Project
Date: Wednesday, September 13, 2023.
Time: 9:00 a.m. (EDT).
Place:
Lawrence Gateway parking lot.
Address: 70 General Street, Lawrence, MA 01840.
Participants will meet at the Lawrence Gateway parking lot and
depart to the Lawrence at 9:15 a.m. (EDT). Essex will provide
transportation to the project facilities. All participants are
responsible for their own transportation to the Lawrence Gateway
parking lot.
All persons attending the environmental site review must wear
sturdy, closed-toe shoes or boots. The applicant will provide hard hats
to attendees for entry into low-overhead areas, if needed; however,
participants who have their own hardhats should bring them.
Meeting Objectives
At the scoping meetings, Commission staff will: (1) initiate
scoping of the issues; (2) review and discuss existing conditions; (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 potential
of any federal or state agency or Indian tribe to act 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 document.
Meeting Procedures
Commission staff are moderating the scoping meetings. The meetings
are recorded by an independent stenographer and become part of the
formal record of the Commission proceeding on the project. Individuals,
NGOs, Indian 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: August 15, 2023.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2023-17907 Filed 8-18-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P
</pre><script data-cfasync="false" src="/cdn-cgi/scripts/5c5dd728/cloudflare-static/email-decode.min.js"></script></body>
</html>Indexed from Federal Register on August 21, 2023.
This is legal information, not legal advice. Laws vary by jurisdiction and change frequently. Always verify current law with official sources and consult a licensed attorney in your jurisdiction for advice on your specific situation.