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Notice2026-19446

Pontook Operating Limited Partnership, New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services; Notice of Scoping Comment Sessions and Environmental Site Review

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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
September 23, 2026

Issuing agencies

Energy DepartmentFederal Energy Regulatory Commission

Full Text

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<title>Federal Register, Volume 91 Issue 183 (Wednesday, September 23, 2026)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 91, Number 183 (Wednesday, September 23, 2026)]
[Notices]
[Pages 60367-60368]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2026-19446]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Project No. 2861-056]


Pontook Operating Limited Partnership, New Hampshire Department 
of Environmental Services; Notice of Scoping Comment Sessions and 
Environmental Site Review

    On September 15, 2026, Commission staff issued a 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 for the Pontook Hydroelectric Project (FERC 
No. 2861-056). That notice set a deadline of 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time on 
November 16, 2026, for filing written comments on the PAD and Scoping 
Document 1 (SD1), and contained specific instructions on how to file 
comments electronically or to mail written comments to the Commission. 
The notice and SD1 also indicated Commission staff would hold public 
scoping sessions and an environmental site review for the project. This 
notice provides the location, date, and time for those scoping sessions 
and the site environmental site review.
    All interested individuals, agencies, Indian Tribes, and non-
governmental organizations (NGOs) are invited to attend one or both of 
the following scoping sessions, and the environmental site review.

Daytime Scoping Session

    Date: Thursday, October 15, 2026.
    Time: 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. Eastern Daylight Time (EDT).
    Location: Dummer Town Hall.
    Address: 75 Hill Road, Dummer, New Hampshire 03588.
    Phone: (603) 449-2468.

Evening Scoping Session

    Date: Thursday, October 15, 2026.
    Time: 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. EDT.
    Location: Dummer Town Hall.
    Address: 75 Hill Road, Dummer, New Hampshire 03588.
    Phone: (603) 449-2468.

Environmental Site Review

    The applicant and Commission staff will conduct an environmental 
site review of the project on Wednesday, October 14, 2026, starting at 
10:00 a.m. EDT. All interested individuals, agencies, Indian Tribes, 
and NGOs are

[[Page 60368]]

invited to attend. Please meet at Hydro Station Drive, Dummer, NH 
03588, no later than 9:45 a.m. All participants are responsible for 
their own transportation. Anyone who wishes to attend the environmental 
site review must RSVP to Mr. Sean McDermott of Pontook Partnership at 
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#eb988e8a85c586888f8e9986849f9fab89998484808d828e878f998e858e9c8a89878ec5888486"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="5b283e3a357536383f3e2936342f2f1b39293434303d323e373f293e353e2c3a39373e75383436">[email&#160;protected]</span></a> no later than October 1, 2026. 
For any questions about the environmental site review, please contact 
Mr. McDermott at <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#1f6c7a7e7131727c7b7a6d72706b6b5f7d6d70707479767a737b6d7a717a687e7d737a317c7072"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="e39086828dcd8e808786918e8c9797a381918c8c88858a868f8791868d869482818f86cd808c8e">[email&#160;protected]</span></a> or (603) 326-
4718.

Scoping Session Objectives

    In accordance with 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''). The primary goal of the scoping process is to 
identify the specific environmental issues and concerns that should be 
considered in the NEPA document. The Commission's scoping process will 
help determine the required level of analysis and satisfy NEPA scoping 
requirements, irrespective of whether the Commission prepares an EA or 
EIS. SD1, which outlines the subject areas to be addressed in 
Commission staff's NEPA document, was mailed to the individuals and 
entities on the Commission's mailing list and Pontook Partnership's PAD 
distribution list. Copies of SD1 will be available at the scoping 
sessions or may be viewed on the web at <a href="http://www.ferc.gov">http://www.ferc.gov</a>, using the 
``eLibrary'' link.
    Scoping session participants should come prepared to discuss their 
issues and/or concerns. Please review the PAD and SD1 in preparation 
for the scoping sessions.
    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.
    It is important to note that the Commission provides equal 
consideration to all comments received, whether filed in written form 
or provided orally at a scoping session.
    For public inquiries and assistance with making filings such as 
interventions, comments, or requests for rehearing, contact the Office 
of Public Participation at (202) 502-6595 or <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#c58a959585a3a0b7a6eba2aab3"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="eda2bdbdad8b889f8ec38a829b">[email&#160;protected]</span></a>.

Meeting Procedures

    The scoping sessions will begin promptly at their respective start 
times listed above. There will not be a formal presentation by 
Commission staff when the session opens, and you may arrive any time 
after the scheduled start time. Individual oral comments will be taken 
on a one-on-one basis with a court reporter. 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 a significant number 
of people are interested in providing oral comments in the one-on-one 
setting, a time limit may be implemented for each commentor. If all 
individuals who wish to provide comments have had an opportunity to do 
so, staff may conclude the session half an hour earlier than the 
scheduled time.
    Your oral comments will be recorded by a court reporter and become 
part of the public record for this proceeding. Transcripts will be made 
publicly available on FERC's eLibrary system.
    Although there will not be a formal presentation, Commission staff 
will be available throughout the scoping session to answer your 
questions about the environmental review process. Representatives from 
Pontook Partnership will also be present to answer project-specific 
questions.
    Proper conduct will help the sessions maintain a respectful 
atmosphere for attendees to provide comments effectively. Loudspeakers, 
lighting, oversized visual aids, other visual or audible disturbances, 
and disruptive video and photographic equipment are not permitted. 
Recorded interviews are also not permitted within the session space. 
FERC reserves the right to end the session if disruptions interfere 
with the opportunity for individuals to provide oral comments or if 
there is a safety or security risk. Please see Appendix C of the SD1 
for additional information on the session format and conduct.

(Authority: 18 CFR 2.1)

    Dated: September 18, 2026.
Debbie-Anne A. Reese,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2026-19446 Filed 9-22-26; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P


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Indexed from Federal Register on September 23, 2026.

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