80 FR 35337 - N.E.W. Hydro, Inc.; Notice of Application Accepted for Filing, Soliciting Motions To Intervene and Protests, Ready for Environmental Analysis, and Soliciting Comments, Recommendations, Terms and Conditions, and Prescriptions

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

Federal Register Volume 80, Issue 118 (June 19, 2015)

[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 118 (Friday, June 19, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 35337-35339]
From the Federal Register Online  [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2015-15097]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Project No. 2744-043]


N.E.W. Hydro, Inc.; Notice of Application Accepted for Filing, 
Soliciting Motions To Intervene and Protests, Ready for Environmental 
Analysis, and Soliciting Comments, Recommendations, Terms and 
Conditions, and Prescriptions

    Take notice that the following hydroelectric application has been 
filed with the Commission and is available for public inspection.
    a. Type of Application: New Major License.
    b. Project No.: 2744-043.
    c. Date filed: February 28, 2013.

[[Page 35338]]

    d. Applicant: N.E.W. Hydro, Inc.
    e. Name of Project: Menominee/Park Mill Hydroelectric Project.
    f. Location: The existing project is located on the Menominee 
River, in the city of Menominee, Menominee County, Michigan, and in the 
city of Marinette, Marinette County, Wisconsin. The project does not 
affect federal lands.
    g. Filed Pursuant to: Federal Power Act 16 U.S.C. 791(a)-825(r).
    h. Applicant Contact: Scott Klabunde, North American Hydro 
Holdings, LLC, P.O. Box 167, Neshkoro, WI 54960-0167; Telephone (920) 
293-4628 Ext. 314.
    i. FERC Contact: Chelsea Hudock, Telephone (202) 502-8448, and 
email at [email protected].
    j. Deadline for filing motions to intervene, protests, comments, 
recommendations, terms and conditions, and 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, protests, comments, recommendations, terms and 
conditions, and 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 FERC Online 
Support at [email protected], (866) 208-3676 (toll free), or 
(202) 502-8659 (TTY). In lieu of electronic filing, please send a paper 
copy to: Secretary, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 First 
Street NE., Washington, DC 20426. The first page of any filing should 
include docket number P-2744-043.
    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 is 
ready for environmental analysis.
    l. The Menominee-Park Mill Project consists of two developments: 
The Menominee Development and the Park Mill Development. The applicant 
proposes no new changes to project operation at either development as 
part of relicensing the project. The centerline of the Menominee River 
constitutes the common border between Michigan and Wisconsin. The 
Menominee powerhouse is located on the Michigan side of the Menominee 
River whereas the powerhouse for the Park Mill development is located 
on the Wisconsin side of the Menominee River. The project is estimated 
to generate an average of 28 million kilowatt-hours annually.

Park Mill Development

    The Park Mill Development consists of the following existing 
features: (1) A 538.58-foot-long, 22-foot-high, concrete gravity dam 
that includes, a 48.5-foot-long overflow spillway with a crest 
elevation of 607.93 feet National Geodetic Vertical Datum (NGVD), 
topped with flashboards providing a crest elevation of 610.93 feet 
NGVD; a 168.58-foot-long spillway with seven 20-foot-wide by 13-foot-
high Tainter gates with a sill elevation of 597.23 feet NGVD and a top 
of gate elevation 610.93 feet NGVD; an 18-foot-long abandoned fishway 
having a crest elevation of 610.93 feet NGVD; and a 303.5-foot-long 
overflow spillway with a crest elevation of 607.93 feet NGVD, topped 
with flashboards providing a crest elevation of 610.93 feet NGVD; (2) a 
reservoir with a normal operating elevation of 610.43 feet NGVD, a 
surface area of about 539 acres, a gross storage of 3,788 acre-feet, 
and a hydraulic height of 16 feet; (3) inlet works that consist of a 
100-foot-wide concrete gravity section with five 16-foot-wide by 16-
foot-high Tainter gates having a sill elevation of 595.23 feet NGVD and 
a top of gate elevation of 611.23 feet NGVD; and a 77.84-foot-long side 
overflow spillway with a crest elevation of 610.13 NGVD, topped with 
flashboards providing a crest elevation of 611.13 feet NGVD; (4) a 
2,400-foot-long power canal that is created by an earthen embankment 
with a 16-foot top width and a crest elevation of 613 feet NGVD; (5) 
angled trashracks that are 80 feet long by 20 feet high with 1.75 inch 
clear bar spacing; (6) a 169-foot-long, 62-foot-wide stone and brick 
powerhouse at the downstream end of the headrace canal with a total 
installed capacity of 2.375 megawatts (MW), consisting of one 300-
horsepower (HP) Kaplan turbine connected to a 0.225-MW generator, two 
800-HP Francis turbines each connected to a 0.420-MW generator, two 
700-HP Kaplan turbines each connected to a 0.430-MW generator, one 465-
HP Kaplan turbine connected to a 0.450-MW generator; (7) a 3-phase 
3,000-kilovolt ampere (kVA), 0.48/24.9-kilovolt (kV) step-up 
transformer; (8) a 4,630-foot-long, 24.9-kV transmission line from the 
Park Mill transformer to its interconnection with Wisconsin Public 
Service Corporation (WPSC); and (9) appurtenant facilities. As part of 
a Commission-approved amendment of its current license, the applicant 
is currently modifying the Park Mill development by installing fish 
passage facilities.

Menominee Development

    The Menominee Development consists of the following existing 
features: (1) A 466.5-foot-long, 24-foot-high, concrete gravity dam 
that includes, an 8-foot-long abandoned fishway having a crest 
elevation of 593.93 feet NGVD; a 150.5-foot-long overflow spillway with 
a crest elevation of 593.93 feet NGVD; a 293-foot-long spillway with 12 
20-foot-wide by 12-foot-high Tainter gates with a sill elevation of 
582.43 feet and a top of gate elevation 594.43 feet NGVD; and a 15-
foot-long dam with a crest elevation of 598.43 feet NGVD; (2) a 20-
foot-long earthen embankment with a concrete core wall connected to the 
concrete dam at the south end of the dam; (3) a reservoir with a normal 
operating elevation of 593.53 feet NGVD, a surface area of about 143 
acres, a normal operating head of 12 feet, and a gross storage of 350 
acre-feet; (4) a set of angled trashracks in front of generating units 
#4 and #5 that are each 15\1/2\ foot-high by 28-foot-wide and are 
comprised of 7 panels with 3.5 inch clear bar spacing; a set of angled 
trashracks in front of generating units #8 and #9 that are each 15\1/2\ 
foot-high by 24 and \1/4\ feet-wide and comprised of 6 panels with 3.5-
inch clear bar spacing; (5) a 54-foot-long, 29-foot-wide concrete 
powerhouse containing two turbine/generator units, and a 67-foot-long, 
31-foot-wide concrete powerhouse containing two turbine/generator 
units, with powerhouses integral with the north side of the dam with a 
total installed capacity of 2.240 MW and a total combined maximum 
hydraulic capacity of 2,622 cfs, consisting of two 500-HP Kaplan 
turbines each connected to a 0.458 MW generator, and two 1,130-HP 
Kaplan turbines each connected to a 0.662 MW generator; (6) a 3-phase 
3,000-kVA 4.16/24.9-kV step-up transformer; (7) a 558-foot-long, 24.9-
kV transmission line; and (8) appurtenant facilities. As part of a 
Commission-approved amendment of its current license, the applicant is 
currently modifying the Menominee development by installing fish 
passage facilities.
    m. A copy of the application is available for review at the 
Commission in the Public Reference Room or may be

[[Page 35339]]

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. A copy of 
the application is also available for inspection and reproduction at 
the address in item h above.
    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,'' ``TERMS AND CONDITIONS,'' or ``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 
revised Hydro Licensing Schedule. Revisions to the schedule may be made 
as appropriate.

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                 Milestone                           Target Date
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Filing of recommendations terms and         August 2015.
 conditions, and prescriptions.
Commission issues Environmental Assessment  February 2016.
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    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 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: June 12, 2015.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2015-15097 Filed 6-18-15; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 6717-01-P