[Federal Register: June 10, 2004 (Volume 69, Number 112)]
[Notices]
[Page 32542-32543]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr10jn04-81]
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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
[Project No. 1893-042]
Public Service Company of New Hampshire; Notice of Site Visit,
Scoping Meetings and Soliciting Scoping Comments
June 3, 2004.
a. Type of Application: New major license.
b. Project No.: P-1893-042.
c. Date filed: December 30, 2003.
d. Applicant: Public Service Company of New Hampshire (PSNH).
e. Name of Project: Merrimack River Project.
f. Location: On the Merrimack River, in Merrimack and Hillsborough
[[Page 32543]]
counties, New Hampshire. The project does not occupy Federal lands.
g. Filed Pursuant to: Federal Power Act, 16 U.S.C. 791(a)-825(r).
h. Applicant Contact: James J. Kearns, 780 North Commercial Street,
P.O. Box 330, Manchester, NH 03105 (603) 634-2936.
i. FERC Contact: Steve Kartalia, Stephen.kartalia@ferc.gov (202)
502-6131.
j. Deadline for filing scoping comments: July 26, 2004.
All documents (original and eight copies) should be filed with:
Magalie R. Salas, Secretary, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 888
First Street, NE., Washington, DC 20426.
Scoping comments may be filed electronically via the Internet in
lieu of paper. The Commission strongly encourages electronic filings.
See 18 CFR 385.2001(a)(1)(iii) and the instructions on the Commission's
Web site (http://www.ferc.gov) under the ``e-Filing'' link.
k. The Merrimack project consists of three developments described
below:
The Amoskeag Development consisting of: (1) A 29-foot-high, 710-
foot-long concrete gravity dam comprised of: (i) A low crest section
with 5-foot-high flashboards; and (ii) a high crest section with 3-
foot-high flashboards; (2) a 7-mile-long, 478-acre reservoir; (3) a
powerhouse, integral with the dam, containing three generating units
with a total installed capacity of 16,000 kW; (4) a 415-foot-long,
34.5-kV double circuit transmission line; and (5) other appurtenances.
The Hooksett Development consisting of: (1) A dam comprised of: (i)
A 340-foot-long stone masonry section with 2-foot-high flashboards
connected to; (ii) a 250-foot-long concrete section with 2-foot-high
flashboards; (2) a 15-foot by 20-foot Taintor gate; (3) a 5.5-mile-
long, 405-acre reservoir; (4) a powerhouse containing a single
generating unit with an installed capacity of 1,600 kW; and (5) other
appurtenances.
The Garvins Falls Development consisting of: (1) An 18-foot-high,
550-foot-long concrete and granite gravity dam comprised of: (i) A low
crest section with 3-foot-high flashboards; and (ii) a high crest
section with 1.2-foot-high flashboards; (2) an 8-mile-long reservoir;
(3) a 500-foot-long water canal with a 10-foot-wide waste gate; (4) two
powerhouses, each containing two generating units for a total installed
capacity of 12,300 kW; (5) a 340-foot-long, 34.5-kV transmission line;
and (6) other appurtenances.
l. A copy of the application is available for review at the
Commission in the Public Reference Room or may be viewed on the
Commission's Web site at http://www.ferc.gov 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 Online Support at FERCOnlineSupport@ferc.gov or toll-free at (866)
208-3676, or for TTY, (202) 502-8659. A copy is also available for
inspection and reproduction at the address in item h above.
You may also register online at http://www.ferc.gov/docs-filing/esubscription.asp
to be notified via email of new filings and issuances
related to this or other pending projects. For assistance, contact FERC
Online Support.
m. Scoping Process: Commission staff intend to prepare an
Environmental Assessment (EA) on the project in accordance with the
National Environmental Policy Act once the final license application is
filed. The EA will consider both site-specific and cumulative
environmental impacts and reasonable alternatives to the proposed
action.
n. Scoping Meetings: Commission staff will conduct a site visit,
one agency scoping meeting and one public meeting. The agency scoping
meeting will focus on resource agency, Indian Tribes, and non-
governmental organization concerns, while the public scoping meeting is
primarily for public input. All interested individuals, organizations,
resource agencies, and Indian Tribes are invited to attend one or both
of the meetings, and to assist the staff in identifying the scope of
the environmental issues that should be analyzed in the EA. The times
and locations of these meetings are as follows:
Site Visit
When: Wednesday, June 23, 2004, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. (e.s.t.).
Where: PSNH 5 Rivers auditorium, PSNH Energy Park, 780 North
Commercial St., Manchester, NH, RSVP to Applicant Contact (item h) by
June 15.
Public Scoping Meeting
When: Wednesday, June 23, 2004, 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. (e.s.t.).
Where: PSNH auditorium in Manchester.
Agency Scoping Meeting
When: Thursday, June 24, 2004, 10 a.m. to noon (e.s.t.).
Where: PSNH auditorium in Manchester.
Copies of the Scoping Document (SD1) outlining the subject areas to
be addressed in the EA were distributed to the parties on the
Commission(s mailing list. Copies of the SD1 will be available at the
scoping meeting or may be viewed on the Web at http://www.ferc.gov
using the ``eLibrary'' link (see item l above).
o. Objectives: At the scoping meetings, the staff will: (1)
Summarize the environmental issues tentatively identified for analysis
in the EA; (2) solicit from the meeting participants all available
information, especially quantifiable data, on the resources at issue;
(3) encourage statements from experts and the public on issues that
should be analyzed in the EA, including viewpoints in opposition to, or
in support of, the staff(s preliminary views; (4) determine the
resource issues to be addressed in the EA; and (5) identify those
issues that require a detailed analysis, as well as those issues that
do not require a detailed analysis.
p. Procedures: The meetings are recorded by a stenographer and
become part of the formal record of the Commission proceeding on the
project.
Individuals, organizations, 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 EA.
Magalie R. Salas,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. E4-1304 Filed 6-9-04; 8:45 am]
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