Notice2024-24522
Notice of Intent To File License Application, Filing of Pre-Application Document (Pad), Commencement of LLP Pre-Filing Process, and Scoping; Request for Comments on the Pad and Scoping Document, and Identification of Issues and Associated Study Requests: Brookfield White Pine Hydro, LLC
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
October 23, 2024
Issuing agencies
Energy DepartmentFederal Energy Regulatory Commission
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 89 Issue 205 (Wednesday, October 23, 2024)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 205 (Wednesday, October 23, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 84569-84571]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2024-24522]
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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
[Project No. 2528-106]
Notice of Intent To File License Application, Filing of Pre-
Application Document (Pad), Commencement of LLP Pre-Filing Process, and
Scoping; Request for Comments on the Pad and Scoping Document, and
Identification of Issues and Associated Study Requests: Brookfield
White Pine Hydro, LLC
a. Type of Filing: Notice of Intent to File License Application for
a New License and Commencing Pre-filing Process.
b. Project No.: 2528-106.
c. Dated Filed: August 20, 2024.
d. Submitted By: Brookfield White Pine Hydro, LLC (White Pine
Hydro).
e. Name of Project: Cataract Hydroelectric Project (Cataract
Project or project).
f. Location: The project is located on the Saco River in the cities
of Saco and Biddeford, in York County, Maine.
g. Filed Pursuant to: 18 CFR part 5 of the Commission's
Regulations.
[[Page 84570]]
h. Potential Applicant Contact: Michael Scarzello, Licensing
Manager, Brookfield White Pine Hydro LLC, 150 Main Street, Lewiston,
Maine 04240; (315) 566-0197; <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#236e4a404b42464f0d7040425159464f4f4c6341514c4c48454a464f4751464d465442414f460d404c4e"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="216c48424940444d0f724240535b444d4d4e6143534e4e4a4748444d4553444f445640434d440f424e4c">[email protected]</span></a>.
i. FERC Contact: David Gandy at (202) 502-8560, or email at
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#a9cdc8dfc0cd87cec8c7cdd0e9cfccdbca87cec6df"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="543035223d307a33353a302d14323126377a333b22">[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
the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Marine Fisheries
Service under section 7 of the Endangered Species Act and the joint
agency regulations thereunder at 50 CFR part 402; and the National
Marine Fisheries Service under section 305(b) of the Magnuson-Stevens
Fishery Management and Conservation Act and implementing regulations at
50 CFR part 600.920. We are also initiating consultation with the Maine
State Historic Preservation Officer, as required by section 106,
National Historic Preservation Act, and the implementing regulations of
the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation at 36 CFR part 800.2.
l. With this notice, we are designating White Pine Hydro as the
Commission's non-federal representative for carrying out informal
consultation, pursuant to section 7 of the Endangered Species Act, the
Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Management and Conservation Act, and section
106 of the National Historic Preservation Act.
m. White Pine Hydro 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#02444750414d6c6e6b6c67517772726d707642646770612c656d74"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="f1b7b4a3b2be9f9d989f94a28481819e8385b197948392df969e87">[email protected]</span></a>, or call (866) 208-3676 (toll free) or (202)
502-8659 (TTY). A copy is also available for inspection and
reproduction at the address in paragraph h.
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 this or other pending projects. For assistance, contact FERC
Online Support.
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 at <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#b7f8e7e7f7d1d2c5d499d0d8c1"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="236c737363454651400d444c55">[email protected]</span></a>.
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 Commission 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.ferc.gov/QuickComment.aspx">https://ferconline.ferc.gov/QuickComment.aspx</a>. For
assistance, please contact FERC Online. In lieu of electronic filing,
you may submit a paper copy. Submissions sent via the U.S. Postal
Service must be addressed to: Debbie-Anne A. Reese, Secretary, Federal
Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 First Street NE, Room 1A, Washington,
DC 20426. Submissions sent via any other carrier must be addressed to:
Debbie-Anne A. Reese, 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:
Cataract Hydroelectric Project (P-2528-106).
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 December 18, 2024.
p. Pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA),
Commission staff will 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 EIS.
Environmental Site Review
White Pine Hydro and Commission staff will hold an environmental
site review of the Cataract Project on Tuesday, November 19, 2024, 8:30
a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Eastern Daylight Time (EDT). Participants interested
in attending are encouraged to meet 15 minutes early at the Factory
Island Parking Lot located at 146 Main Street, Saco, ME 04072 (Google
Maps address link). Participants must register in advance to attend by
contacting Michael Scarzello at (315) 566-0197, or by email at
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#2964404a41484c45077a4a485b534c454546694b5b4646424f404c454d5b4c474c5e484b454c074a4644"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="4a072329222b2f266419292b38302f2626250a28382525212c232f262e382f242f3d2b28262f64292527">[email protected]</span></a> on or before Tuesday,
November 12, 2024.
White Pine Hydro will provide a safety briefing at the beginning of
the environmental site review and has indicated that persons attending
the environmental site review will need to comply with the following
requirements: (1) persons must be 18 years or older; (2) persons should
wear sturdy shoes (open-toed shoes/sandals/flip flops/high heels, etc.
will not be allowed on the environmental site review); (3) no
photography will be allowed on-site; (4) small bags containing personal
items for the site visit (i.e., notebooks, maps, water, etc.) will be
allowed; (5) no weapons are allowed on-site; (6) no alcohol/drugs are
allowed on-site (or persons exhibiting the effects thereof); and (7) no
animals (except for service animals) are allowed.
Scoping Meetings
Commission staff will hold two scoping meetings in the vicinity of
the project. The daytime meeting will focus on resource agencies,
Native American Tribes, and non-governmental organization (NGO)
concerns, while the evening meeting will primarily focus on receiving
input from the public. We
[[Page 84571]]
invite all interested agencies, Native American Tribes, NGOs, and
individuals to attend one or both meetings to assist us in identifying
the scope of environmental issues that should be analyzed in the NEPA
document. The dates and times of the scoping meetings are listed below.
Daytime Scoping Meeting
Date: Tuesday, November 19, 2024.
Time: 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Location: Ferry Beach Retreat and Conference Center, Zeigler Room.
Address: 5 Boardwalk Drive, Saco, Maine 04072.
Phone: (207) 282-4489.
Evening Scoping Meeting
Date: Tuesday, November 19, 2024.
Time: 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 a.m.
Location: Ferry Beach Retreat and Conference Center, Zeigler Room.
Address: 5 Boardwalk Drive, Saco, Maine 04072.
Phone: (207) 282-4489.
Scoping Document 1 (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, as well as White Pine
Hydro's distribution list. Copies of SD1 will be available at the
scoping meetings or 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. The SD2 may include a revised
process plan and schedule, as well as a list of issues, identified
through the scoping process.
Meeting Procedures
Agencies, Native American Tribes, NGOs, and individuals with
environmental expertise and concerns are encouraged to attend the
meetings and to assist the staff in defining and clarifying the issues
to be addressed in the NEPA document. At the start of each meeting,
Commission staff will provide a brief overview of the meeting format
and objectives. Individual oral comments will be taken on a one-on-one
basis with a court reporter (with Commission staff present). This
format is designed to receive the maximum number of oral comments in a
convenient way during the timeframe allotted. If you wish to speak,
Commission staff will hand out numbers in the order of your arrival. If
all individuals who wish to provide comments have had an opportunity to
do so, Commission staff may conclude the meeting a half hour earlier
than the scheduled time. Please see appendix A of the SD1 for
additional information on the session format and conduct.\1\
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\1\ The appendix referenced in this notice will not appear in
the Federal Register. Copies of the appendix were sent to all those
receiving this notice in the mail and are available at <a href="http://www.ferc.gov">www.ferc.gov</a>
using the ``eLibrary'' link. For assistance, contact FERC at
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#65232037262a0b090c0b00361015150a171125030017064b020a13"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="13555641505c7d7f7a7d76406663637c616753757661703d747c65">[email protected]</span></a>, or (866) 208-3676 (toll free) or (202)
502-8659 (TTY).
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Scoping comments will be recorded by the court reporter and become
part of the public record for this proceeding. Transcripts will be
publicly available on FERC's eLibrary system. If a significant number
of people are interested in providing oral comments in the one-on-one
settings, a time limit may be implemented for each commentor.
It is important to note that the Commission provides equal
consideration to all comments received, whether filed in writing or
provided orally at a scoping session. Although there will not be a
formal presentation, Commission staff will be available throughout the
scoping meeting(s) to answer your questions about the environmental
review process. Representatives from White Pine Hydro will also be
present to answer project-specific questions.
Dated: October 17, 2024.
Debbie-Anne A. Reese,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2024-24522 Filed 10-22-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P
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