[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 154 (Thursday, August 9, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 47622-47623]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-19513]
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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
[Project No. 1892-000 New Hampshire-Vermont; Project No. 1855-000 New
Hampshire-Vermont; Project No. 1904-000 New Hampshire-Vermont; Project
No. 2485-000 Massachusetts; Project No. 1889-000 Massachusetts]
TransCanada Hydro Northeast Inc.; FirstLight Power Resources;
Notice of Environmental Site Review
In anticipation of the filing of a Notice of Intent (NOI) and Pre-
Application Document for three hydroelectric projects owned and
operated by TransCanada Hydro Northeast Inc. (TransCanada) in New
Hampshire and Vermont (Wilder Dam Hydroelectric Project No. 1892,
Bellows Falls Hydroelectric Project No. 1855, and Vernon Dam
Hydroelectric Project No. 1904), and two projects owned and operated by
FirstLight Power Resources in Massachusetts (Northfield Mountain Pumped
Storage Hydroelectric Project No. 2485, and Turners Falls Hydroelectric
Project No. 1889), all located on the Connecticut River, the Federal
Energy Regulatory Commission (Commission) will be hosting an
environmental site review for each of the projects during the first
week of October 2012.
The environmental site reviews are being held to provide all
stakeholders, interested in the projects' pending relicensing
proceedings, an opportunity to view the projects' facilities and
surrounding areas.
Under the Commission's Integrated Licensing Process, the Commission
conducts its National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) scoping meeting
within 90 days of the filing of the Licensee's Notice of Intent. An
environmental site review is typically held in conjunction with that
scoping meeting. However, access to some project facilities may be
limited by winter weather during the early part of 2013 when scoping
for this project is currently anticipated. For this reason, the
Commission has chosen to host the environmental site reviews in October
before the onset of winter. While the Commission expects to host its
NEPA scoping meetings for the projects in early 2013, it will not
conduct the environmental site reviews at that time. As such, the
Commission encourages all interested parties to participate in the
October environmental site review(s) to facilitate productive scoping
meetings early next year. Details of the project specific environmental
site reviews follow.
TransCanada's Projects
Wilder Dam Hydroelectric Project (P-1892)
Tour of Wilder Project Facilities
Date and Time: October 1, 2012 at 9 a.m.
Location: Wilder Station, 351 Wilder Dam Rd., Wilder, VT 05088.
Wilder Project Reservoir Tour
Date and Time: October 1, 2012 at 1 p.m.
Location: Wilder Station, 351 Wilder Dam Rd., Wilder, VT 05088.
Bellows Falls Hydroelectric Project (P-1855)
Tour of Bellows Falls Project Facilities
Date and Time: October 2, 2012 at 9 a.m.
Location: Bellows Falls Hydroelectric Project Visitor Center, 17
Bridge St., Bellows Falls, VT 05101.
Bellows Falls Project Reservoir Tour
Date and Time: October 2, 2012 at 1 p.m.
Location: Pine Street Recreation Area, 99 Pine St., North Walpole,
NH 03609.
Vernon Dam Hydroelectric Project (P-1904)
Tour of Vernon Project Facilities
Date and Time: October 3, 2012 at 9 a.m.
Location: Vernon Station, 152 Governor Hunt Road, Vernon VT 05354.
Vernon Project Reservoir Tour
Date and Time: October 3, 2012 at 1 p.m.
Location: Vernon Station, 152 Governor Hunt Road, Vernon VT 05354.
FirstLight's Projects
FirstLight will bus attendees from the Northfield Mountain Visitors
Center to tour the Northfield Mountain Pumped Storage Hydroelectric
Project and the Turners Falls Hydroelectric Project. Bus capacity is
approximately 55 individuals. In addition, FirstLight is providing a
boat tour of the section of the Connecticut River impounded by the
Turners Falls Project which also serves as the lower reservoir for the
Northfield Mountain Pumped Hydroelectric Storage Project. Boat capacity
is approximately 44 individuals. Depending on the number of
participants that R.S.V.P., two tour groups (Group 1 and Group 2) may
be established. The schedule below reflects the two groups. All
individuals should meet at the Northfield Mountain Visitors Center
(address below) on October 4, 2012 at 8 a.m. for a briefing on both
projects.
Group 1 Schedule:
Northfield Mountain Pumped Storage Hydroelectric Project (P-2485)
Tour of Northfield Mountain Pumped Storage Project Facilities
Date and Time: October 4, 2012 at 8 a.m.
Location: Northfield Mountain Visitors Center, 99 Millers Falls
Road, Northfield, MA 01360.
[[Page 47623]]
Reservoir Tour (P-1889 & P-2485)
Date and Time: October 4, 2012 at 1 p.m.
Location: Northfield Mountain Visitors Center, 99 Millers Falls
Road, Northfield, MA 01360.
Turners Falls Hydroelectric Project (P-1889)
Tour of Turners Falls Hydroelectric Project Facilities
Date and Time: October 5, 2012 at 8 a.m.
Location: Northfield Mountain Visitors Center, 99 Millers Falls
Road, Northfield, MA 01360.
Group 2 Schedule:
Northfield Mountain Pumped Storage Hydroelectric Project (P-2485)
Reservoir Tour (P-1889 & P-2485)
Date and Time: October 4, 2012 at 8 a.m.
Location: Northfield Mountain Visitors Center, 99 Millers Falls
Road, Northfield, MA 01360.
Tour of Northfield Mountain Pumped Storage Project Facilities
Date and Time: October 4, 2012 at 1 p.m.
Location: Northfield Mountain Visitors Center, 99 Millers Falls
Road, Northfield, MA 01360.
Turners Falls Hydroelectric Project (P-1889)
Tour of Turners Falls Hydroelectric Project Facilities
Date and Time: October 5, 2012 at 8 a.m.
Location: Northfield Mountain Visitors Center, 99 Millers Falls
Road, Northfield, MA 01360.
Directions and Logistics
For safety purposes, individuals attending an environmental site
review and/or Reservoir Tour are asked to dress accordingly. Please
wear pants, long sleeve shirts, and closed-toe shoes. Failure to comply
with this request may result in limiting the attendee's access to
project facilities.
To facilitate logistical arrangements, if you plan to attend an
environmental site review and/or reservoir tour, please R.S.V.P. to the
appropriate licensee point-of-contact (see below) by September 15,
2012, and identify the number of individuals in your group.
Licensee Points-of-Contact
TransCanada Projects: Mr. John Ragonese, FERC License Manager,
TransCanada, 4 Park Street, Concord, NH 03301, Phone: (603) 225-5528;
Cell/VM (603) 498-2851, Email: john_ragonese@transcanada.com.
FirstLight Projects: Mr. John Howard, Station Manager, FirstLight,
99 Millers Falls Road, Northfield, MA 01360, Phone: (413) 659-4489,
Email: John.Howard@gdfsuezna.com.
If you need further logistical information or directions, please
contact the appropriate licensee point-of-contact identified above. All
other questions regarding the environmental site review(s) or the
Commission's Integrated Licensing Process may be directed to Kenneth
Hogan of the Commission's staff at (202) 502-8434 or via email at:
Kenneth.Hogan@ferc.gov.
Dated: August 3, 2012.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2012-19513 Filed 8-8-12; 8:45 am]
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