Notice2023-20569
Brookfield White Pine Hydro, LLC, Merimil Limited Partnership, Hydro-Kennebec, LLC; Notice of Revised Procedural Schedule for Environmental Impact Statement for the Proposed Project Relicense, Interim Species Protection Plan, and Final Species Protection Plan
Primary source
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Published
September 22, 2023
Issuing agencies
Energy DepartmentFederal Energy Regulatory Commission
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 88 Issue 183 (Friday, September 22, 2023)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 183 (Friday, September 22, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Page 65382]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2023-20569]
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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
[Project Nos. 2322-069; 2322-071; 2325-100; 2574-092; 2611-091]
Brookfield White Pine Hydro, LLC, Merimil Limited Partnership,
Hydro-Kennebec, LLC; Notice of Revised Procedural Schedule for
Environmental Impact Statement for the Proposed Project Relicense,
Interim Species Protection Plan, and Final Species Protection Plan
On January 31, 2020, Brookfield White Pine Hydro, LLC filed an
application for a new license to continue to operate and maintain the
8.65-megawatt (MW) Shawmut Hydroelectric Project No. 2322 (Shawmut
Project). On June 1, 2021, in a separate compliance proceeding for the
Shawmut Project, Brookfield White Pine Hydro, LLC filed an Interim
Species Protection Plan (Interim Plan) for Atlantic salmon and
requested Commission approval to amend the current Shawmut license to
incorporate the Interim Plan. The Interim Plan includes measures to
protect endangered Atlantic salmon until the Commission issues a
decision on the relicense application for the Shawmut Project.
Also on June 1, 2021, Brookfield Power US Asset Management, LLC
(Brookfield), on behalf of the affiliated licensees for the 6.915-MW
Lockwood Hydroelectric Project No. 2574, 15.433-MW Hydro-Kennebec
Hydroelectric Project No. 2611, and 15.98-MW Weston Hydroelectric
Project No. 2325, filed a Final Species Protection Plan (Final Plan)
for Atlantic salmon, Atlantic sturgeon, and shortnose sturgeon and
requested Commission approval to amend the three project licenses to
incorporate the Final Plan. All four projects are located on the
Kennebec River, in Kennebec and Somerset Counties, Maine.
On November 23, 2021, Commission staff issued a notice of intent to
prepare a draft and final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) to
evaluate the effects of relicensing the Shawmut Project and amending
the licenses of all four projects to incorporate the measures in the
Interim and Final Plans. The notice of intent included a schedule for
preparing a draft and final EIS. The schedule was updated on February
15, 2023, in response to Brookfield's filing of supplemental
information for the Final Plan, Interim Plan, and License Application.
On March 29, 2023, Commission staff initiated Tribal consultation
with potentially affected Indian Tribes on the proposed license
amendments. The Houlton Band of Maliseet Indians filed comments and
recommendations on May 4, 2023, and the Penobscot Indian Nation filed
comments and recommendations on May 1, 2023, and August 17, 2023. The
EIS will consider the comments and recommendations from the Tribes.
Therefore, by this notice, Commission staff is updating the procedural
schedule for completing a draft and final EIS.
The revised schedule is shown below. Further revisions to the
schedule may be made as appropriate.
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Milestone Target date
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Issue Draft EIS........................ March 2024.
Issue Final EIS........................ September 2024.
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Any questions regarding this notice may be directed to Matt Cutlip
at (503) 552-2762, or by email at <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#513c3025257f3224253d382111373423327f363e27"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="75181401015b160001191c0535131007165b121a03">[email protected]</span></a>.
Dated: September 18, 2023.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2023-20569 Filed 9-21-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P
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