Applications: Monadnock Paper Mills, Inc.

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Federal Register: July 17, 2009 (Volume 74, Number 136)

Notices

Page 34738-34740

From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

DOCID:fr17jy09-35

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

Project No. 6597-012

Monadnock Paper Mills, Inc; Notice of Intent To File License

Application, Filing of Pre-Application Document, Commencement of

Licensing Proceeding, Scoping Meetings, Solicitation of Comments on the

PAD and Scoping Document, and Identification of Issues and Associated

Study Requests

July 10, 2009. a. Type of Filing: Notice of Intent to File License Application for a New License and Commencing Licensing Proceeding. b. Project No.: 6597-012. c. Date Filed: May 11, 2009. d. Submitted by: Monadnock Paper Mills, Inc. e. Name of Project: Monadnock Hydroelectric Project. f. Location: Contoocook River in the communities of Peterborough,

Greenfield, Hancock, and Bennington in Hillsborough County, New

Hampshire. No federal lands are involved. g. Filed Pursuant to: 18 CFR Part 5 of the Commission's

Regulations. h. Applicant Contact: Michelle Hamm, Monadnock Paper Mills, Inc., 117 Antrim Road, Bennington, NH 03442. mhamm@mpm.com or (603) 588-3311 ext 255. i. FERC Contact: Kenneth Hogan, Kenneth.Hogan@ferc.gov, (202) 502- 8434. j. We are asking federal, state, local, and tribal agencies with jurisdiction and/or special expertise with respect to environmental issues to cooperate with us in the preparation of the environmental document. Agencies who would like to request cooperating status

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should follow the instructions for filing comments described in paragraph 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:

(a) The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and/or NOAA Fisheries under section 7 of the Endangered Species Act and the joint agency regulations thereunder at 50 CFR Part 402; and (b) the State Historic

Preservation Officer, as required by Section 106, National Historical

Preservation Act, and the implementing regulations of the Advisory

Council on Historic Preservation at 36 CFR 800.2. l. With this notice, we are designating Monadnock Paper Mills, Inc. as the Commission's non-federal representative for carrying out informal consultation, pursuant to Section 7 of the Endangered Species

Act and Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act. m. Monadnock Paper Mills, Inc. filed a Pre-Application Document

(PAD; including a proposed process plan and schedule) with the

Commission, pursuant to 18 CFR 5.6 of the Commission's regulations. The

Commission issued a Scoping Document on July 10, 2009. n. A copy of the PAD and the scoping document are available for review at the Commission in the Public Reference Room or may be viewed on the Commission's Web site (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 1-866-208-3676, of for TTY, (202) 502-8659. A copy is also available for inspection and reproduction at the address in paragraph h.

Register online at http://ferc.gov/esubscribenow.htm to be notified via e-mail of new filing and issuances related to this or other pending projects. For assistance, contact FERC Online Support. o. With this notice, we are soliciting comments on the PAD and the scoping document, as well as study requests. All comments on the PAD and the scoping document, and study requests should be sent to the address above in paragraph h. In addition, all comments on the PAD and the scoping document, study requests, requests for cooperating agency status, and all communications to and from Commission staff related to the merits of the potential application (original and eight copies) must be filed with the Commission at the following address: Kimberly D.

Bose, Secretary, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 First

Street, NE., Washington, DC 20426. All filings with the Commission must include on the first page, Monadnock Hydroelectric Project and number

(P-6597-012), and bear the 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 the scoping document, and any agency requesting cooperating status must do so by

September 8, 2009.

Comments on the PAD and the scoping document, study requests, requests for cooperating agency status, and other permissible forms of communications with the Commission 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. p. Our current intent is to prepare a single environmental assessment (EA). These meetings will satisfy the NEPA scoping requirements, irrespective of whether an EA or an Environmental Impact

Statement is issued by the Commission.

Scoping Meetings

Commission staff will hold two scoping meetings in the vicinity of the project at the time and place noted below. The evening meeting is primarily for receiving input from the public and the daytime meeting will focus on resource agency, Indian tribes, and non-governmental organization concerns. We invite all interested individuals, organizations, and agencies to attend one or both of the meetings, and to assist staff in identifying particular study needs, as well as the scope of environmental issues to be addressed in the environmental document. The times and locations of these meetings are as follows:

Evening Scoping Meeting

Date: Tuesday August 4, 2009.

Time: 7 p.m. (EST).

Location: Veterans for Foreign Wars Hall, 9 Hancock Street,

Bennington, NH 03442.

Contact person: Michelle Hamm at (603) 588-3311 ext. 255.

Daytime Scoping Meeting

Date: Wednesday August 5, 2009.

Time: 9 a.m. (EST).

Location: Veterans for Foreign Wars Hall, 9 Hancock Street,

Bennington, NH 03442.

Contact person: Michelle Hamm at (603) 588-3311 ext. 255.

The scoping document, 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. Copies of the scoping document will be available at the scoping meetings, or may be viewed on the Web at http://www.ferc.gov, using the ``eLibrary'' link. Follow the directions for accessing information in paragraph n. Depending on the extent of comments received, Scoping Document 2 may or may not be issued.

Site Visit

Monadnock Paper Mills, Inc. will conduct a site visit of the project at 1 p.m. on Tuesday August 4, 2009. All participants should meet at the location of the offices for Monadnock Paper Mills, Inc. at 117 Antrim Road, Bennington, NH 03442. All participants are responsible for their own transportation. Anyone with questions about the site visit should contact Michelle Hamm at (603) 588-3311 ext. 255.

Scoping Meeting Objectives

At the scoping meetings, staff will: (1) Initiate scoping of the issues; (2) review and discuss existing conditions and resource management objectives; (3) review and discuss existing information and identify preliminary information and study needs; (4) review and discuss the process plan and schedule for pre-filing activity that incorporates the time frames provided for in Part 5 of the Commission's regulations and, to the extent possible, maximizes coordination of federal, state, and tribal permitting and certification processes; and

(5) discuss the appropriateness of any federal or state agency or

Indian tribe acting as a cooperating agency for development of an environmental document.

Meeting participants should come prepared to discuss their issues and/or concerns. Please review the PAD in preparation for the scoping meetings. Directions on how to obtain a copy of the PAD and the scoping document are included in paragraph n.

Meeting Procedures

The meetings will be recorded by a stenographer and will become part of

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the formal record of the Commission proceeding on the project.

Kimberly D. Bose,

Secretary.

FR Doc. E9-16973 Filed 7-16-09; 8:45 am

BILLING CODE 6717-01-P

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