Algonquin Northern Maine Generating Company; Notice of Application Accepted for Filing, Soliciting Motions To Intervene and Protests, Ready for Environmental Analysis, and Soliciting Comments, Recommendations, Preliminary Terms and Conditions, and Preliminary Fishway Prescriptions

Published date12 May 2020
Citation85 FR 27995
Record Number2020-10105
SectionNotices
CourtFederal Energy Regulatory Commission
Federal Register, Volume 85 Issue 92 (Tuesday, May 12, 2020)
[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 92 (Tuesday, May 12, 2020)]
                [Notices]
                [Pages 27995-27996]
                From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
                [FR Doc No: 2020-10105]
                -----------------------------------------------------------------------
                DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
                Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
                [Project No. 2368-059]
                Algonquin Northern Maine Generating Company; Notice of
                Application Accepted for Filing, Soliciting Motions To Intervene and
                Protests, Ready for Environmental Analysis, and Soliciting Comments,
                Recommendations, Preliminary Terms and Conditions, and Preliminary
                Fishway Prescriptions
                 Take notice that the following hydroelectric application has been
                filed with the Commission and is available for public inspection.
                 a. Type of Application: Subsequent Minor License.
                 b. Project No.: 2368-059.
                 c. Date Filed: December 3, 2019.
                 d. Applicant: Algonquin Northern Maine Generating Company
                (Algonquin).
                 e. Name of Project: Scopan Hydroelectric Project.
                 f. Location: The existing project is located on Scopan Stream in
                the Town of Masardis in Aroostook County, Maine. No federal lands are
                occupied by the project works or located within the project boundary.
                 g. Filed Pursuant to: Federal Power Act 16 U.S.C. 791 (a)-825(r).
                 h. Applicant Contact: Ian MacRobbie, Vice President, Operations,
                Algonquin Northern Maine Generating Company, 26 Canal Bank, Windsor
                Locks, Connecticut 06096; Telephone (905) 465-6119.
                 i. FERC Contact: John Baummer, (202) 502-6837 or
                [email protected].
                 j. Deadline for filing motions to intervene and protests, comments,
                recommendations, preliminary terms and conditions, and preliminary
                fishway prescriptions: 60 days from the issuance date of this notice;
                reply comments are due 105 days from the issuance date of this notice.
                 The Commission strongly encourages electronic filing. Please file
                motions to intervene and protests, comments, recommendations,
                preliminary terms and conditions, and preliminary fishway prescriptions
                using the Commission's eFiling system at http://www.ferc.gov/docs-filing/efiling.asp. Commenters can submit brief comments up to 6,000
                characters, without prior registration, using the eComment system at
                http://www.ferc.gov/docs-filing/ecomment.asp. You must include your
                name and contact information at the end of your comments. For
                assistance, please contact the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
                Online Support at [email protected], (866) 208-3676 (toll
                free), or (202) 502-8659 (TTY).
                 The Commission's Rules of Practice require all intervenors filing
                documents with the Commission to serve a copy of that document on each
                person on the official service list for the project. Further, if an
                intervenor files comments or documents with the Commission relating to
                the merits of an issue that may affect the responsibilities of a
                particular resource agency, they must also serve a copy of the document
                on that resource agency.
                 k. This application has been accepted for filing and is now ready
                for environmental analysis.
                 l. Project Description: The existing Scopan Hydroelectric Project
                consists of: (1) A 750-foot-long dam that includes: (a) A 330-foot-
                long, 45-foot-high earthen embankment section (north embankment) with a
                194-foot-long, 49-foot-high concrete retaining wall at the downstream
                end of the embankment; (b) a 24-foot-long, 45-foot-high concrete
                gravity spillway section with a crest elevation of 590 feet National
                Geodetic Vertical Datum of 1929 (NGVD) and a single 13.5-foot-high
                spillway gate with two 10-inch-diameter minimum flow butterfly valves;
                (c) a 26-foot-long, 48-foot-high concrete intake and powerhouse section
                that includes: (i) Two 12-inch-wide head gates and trashracks with 3-
                inch clear-bar spacing; and (ii) a 26-foot-long, 49-foot-high concrete
                powerhouse with a single 1.5-megawatt vertical propeller turbine-
                generator unit; and (d) a 370-foot-long, 45-foot-high earthen
                embankment section (south embankment) with a 135.5-foot-long, 45-foot-
                high concrete retaining wall at the downstream end of the embankment;
                (2) an approximately 15-mile-long, 5,000-acre impoundment (Scopan Lake)
                with a useable storage volume of 57,920 acre-feet between elevations
                590.5 and 603.2 feet NGVD; (3) three 13.45/2.4-kilovolt transformers
                and switch gear that connect the generator to Emera, Maine's regional
                transmission line; and (4) appurtenant facilities.
                 Algonquin operates the project in a store and release mode in which
                the impoundment is drawdown from January through March of each year to
                meet electricity demand in the winter. During the spring and summer,
                the impoundment is maintained at or near the full pond levels to
                protect and enhance fisheries, wetlands, wildlife and recreational
                resources. Algonquin manages the project to augment flows in the
                Aroostook River downstream of the project for generation at the
                Aroostook River Project No. 2367 and the Tinker Falls Project, the
                latter of which is located in New Brunswick Canada and is not a FERC-
                licensed project. The Scopan Project had an average annual generation
                of approximately 878,913 kilowatt-hours from 2012 through 2018.
                 The project's current license requires Algonquin to: (1) Maintain
                Scopan Lake water levels as follows: (a) From May 15 to July 31,
                fluctuate Scopan Lake by no more than one foot; (b) from July 16 to
                Labor Day, target the elevation of Scopan Lake between 601.0 to 603.0
                feet NGVD; and (c) from October 1 to November 15, maintain the
                elevation of Scopan Lake at or above 601.0 feet NGVD; (2) release
                minimum flows of 21 cubic feet per second (cfs) from December 1 through
                May 15, and 25 cfs from May 16 through November 30; (3) close one of
                the two minimum flow valves if Scopan Lake falls below 601.5 feet NGVD;
                (4) close both minimum flow valves if Scopan Lake falls below 601 feet
                NGVD; and (5) limit the maximum discharge from the project to not more
                than 600 cfs from April 1 to November 30.
                 Algonquin proposes to: (1) Maintain Scopan Lake water surface
                elevations as follows: (a) From June 1 to July 31 limit water level
                fluctuations in Scopan Lake
                [[Page 27996]]
                to no more than 0.5 vertical foot upward or 1.0 vertical foot downward
                within any 28-day period from June 1 through July 31; (b) from August 1
                through Labor Day, maintain the water elevation of Scopan Lake between
                601.0 and 603.0 feet NGVD; (c) from October 1 through November 15,
                maintain the water elevation of Scopan Lake above 601.0 feet NGVD; (d)
                limit winter drawdowns of Scopan Lake to no lower than 595.3 feet NGVD
                from November 16 to May 14; (2) limit the maximum discharge from the
                project to not more than 600 cfs from June 1 to November 30; and (3)
                continue to release a continuous minimum flow of 21 cfs including
                leakage from the minimum flow valves unless water levels in Scopan Lake
                fall below 601.5 feet NGVD from May 16 through November 30, in which
                case one valve would be closed.
                 m. In addition to publishing the full text of this notice in the
                Federal Register, the Commission provides all interested persons an
                opportunity to view and/or print the contents of this notice, as well
                as other documents in the proceeding (e.g., license application) via
                the internet through the Commission's Home Page (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 (P-
                2368). At this time, the Commission has suspended access to the
                Commission's Public Reference Room due to the proclamation declaring a
                National Emergency concerning the Novel Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19)
                issued by the President on March 13, 2020. For assistance, contact FERC
                at [email protected] or call toll-free, (886) 208-3673 or
                (202) 502-8659 (TTY).
                 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.
                 n. Anyone may submit comments, a protest, or a motion to intervene
                in accordance with the requirements of Rules of Practice and Procedure,
                18 CFR 385.210, .211, and .214. In determining the appropriate action
                to take, the Commission will consider all protests or other comments
                filed, but only those who file a motion to intervene in accordance with
                the Commission's Rules may become a party to the proceeding. Any
                comments, protests, or motions to intervene must be received on or
                before the specified comment date for the particular application.
                 All filings must: (1) Bear in all capital letters the title
                PROTEST, MOTION TO INTERVENE, COMMENTS, REPLY COMMENTS,
                RECOMMENDATIONS, PRELIMINARY TERMS AND CONDITIONS, or PRELIMINARY
                FISHWAY PRESCRIPTIONS; (2) set forth in the heading the name of the
                applicant and the project number of the application to which the filing
                responds; (3) furnish the name, address, and telephone number of the
                person protesting or intervening; and (4) otherwise comply with the
                requirements of 18 CFR 385.2001 through 385.2005. All comments,
                recommendations, terms and conditions, or prescriptions must set forth
                their evidentiary basis and otherwise comply with the requirements of
                18 CFR 4.34(b). Agencies may obtain copies of the application directly
                from the applicant. A copy of any protest or motion to intervene must
                be served upon each representative of the applicant specified in the
                particular application. A copy of all other filings in reference to
                this application must be accompanied by proof of service on all persons
                listed in the service list prepared by the Commission in this
                proceeding, in accordance with 18 CFR 4.34(b) and 385.2010.
                 o. Procedural Schedule: The application will be processed according
                to the following schedule. Revisions to the schedule will be made as
                appropriate.
                ------------------------------------------------------------------------
                 Milestone Target date
                ------------------------------------------------------------------------
                Filing of interventions, protests, comments, July 2020
                 recommendations, preliminary terms and conditions, and
                 preliminary fishway prescriptions......................
                Commission issues Environmental Assessment.............. January 2021
                Comments on Environmental Assessment.................... February 2021
                Modified terms and conditions........................... April 2021
                ------------------------------------------------------------------------
                 p. Final amendments to the application must be filed with the
                Commission no later than 30 days from the issuance date of this notice.
                 q. A license applicant must file no later than 60 days following
                the date of issuance of the notice of acceptance and ready for
                environmental analysis provided for in 18 CFR 5.22: (1) A copy of the
                water quality certification; (2) a copy of the request for
                certification, including proof of the date on which the certifying
                agency received the request; or (3) evidence of waiver of water quality
                certification.
                 Dated: May 6, 2020.
                Kimberly D. Bose,
                Secretary.
                [FR Doc. 2020-10105 Filed 5-11-20; 8:45 am]
                BILLING CODE 6717-01-P
                

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