83 FR 29111 - Boott Hydropower, LLC; Notice of Intent To File License Application, Filing of Pre-Application Document (PAD), Commencement of Pre-Filing Process, and Scoping; Request for Comments on the PAD and Scoping Document, and Identification of Issues and Associated Study Requests

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

Federal Register Volume 83, Issue 121 (June 22, 2018)

[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 121 (Friday, June 22, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 29111-29113]
From the Federal Register Online  [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2018-13368]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Project No. 2790-072]


Boott Hydropower, LLC; Notice of Intent To File License 
Application, Filing of Pre-Application Document (PAD), Commencement of 
Pre-Filing Process, and Scoping; Request for Comments on the PAD and 
Scoping Document, and Identification of Issues and Associated Study 
Requests

    a. Type of Filing: Notice of Intent to File License Application for 
a New License and Commencing Pre-filing Process.
    b. Project No.: 2790-072.
    c. Dated Filed: April 30, 2018.
    d. Submitted By: Boott Hydropower, LLC (Boott).
    e. Name of Project: Lowell Hydroelectric Project.
    f. Location: On the Merrimack River, in Middlesex County, 
Massachusetts and Hillsborough County, New Hampshire. The project does 
not occupy any Federal land.
    g. Filed Pursuant to: 18 CFR part 5 of the Commission's 
Regulations.
    h. Potential Applicant Contact: Kevin Webb, Hydro Licensing 
Manager, Enel Green Power North America, Inc., 100 Brickstone Square, 
Suite 300, Andover, MA 01810, (978) 935-6039.
    i. FERC Contact: Steve Kartalia at (202) 502-6131 or email at 
[email protected].
    j. Cooperating agencies: Federal, state, local, and tribal agencies 
with jurisdiction and/or special expertise with respect to 
environmental issues

[[Page 29112]]

that wish to cooperate in the preparation of the environmental document 
should follow the instructions for filing such requests described in 
item 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 Massachusetts and 
New Hampshire State Historic Preservation Officers, as required by 
section 106 of the National Historic 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 Boott 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. Boott filed with the Commission a Pre-Application Document (PAD; 
including a proposed process plan and schedule), pursuant to 18 CFR 5.6 
of the Commission's regulations.
    n. A copy of the PAD is available for review at the Commission in 
the Public Reference Room or may be viewed on the Commission's website 
(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 
[email protected], (866) 208-3676 (toll free), or (202) 502-
8659 (TTY). A copy is also available for inspection and reproduction at 
the address in paragraph h.
    Register online at http://www.ferc.gov/docs-filing/esubscription.asp to be notified via email 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 
Commission staff's Scoping Document 1 (SD1), as well as study requests. 
All comments on the PAD and SD1, and study requests should be sent to 
the address above in paragraph h. In addition, all comments on the PAD 
and SD1, study requests, requests for cooperating agency status, and 
all communications to and from Commission staff related to the merits 
of the potential application must be filed with the Commission.
    The Commission strongly encourages electronic filing. Please file 
all documents 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]. 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-2790-072.
    All filings with the Commission must bear the appropriate 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 SD1, and any agency requesting cooperating 
status must do so within 60 days of issuance.
    p. Although our current intent is to prepare an environmental 
assessment (EA), there is the possibility that an Environmental Impact 
Statement (EIS) will be required. Nevertheless, this meeting will 
satisfy the NEPA scoping requirements, irrespective of whether an EA or 
EIS 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 daytime meeting will 
focus on resource agency, Indian tribe, and non-governmental 
organization concerns, while the evening meeting is primarily for 
receiving input from the public. 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:

Daytime Scoping Meeting

    Date: Tuesday, July 17, 2018.
    Time: 10:00 a.m.
    Location: UMass Lowell Inn and Conference Center, Grand Ballroom, 
50 Warren St., Lowell, MA 01852.
    Phone: (978) 934-6918.

Evening Scoping Meeting

    Date: Tuesday, July 17, 2018.
    Time: 6:00 p.m.
    Location: UMass Lowell Inn and Conference Center, Grand Ballroom, 
50 Warren St., Lowell, MA 01852.
    Phone: (978) 934-6918.
    Scoping Document 1 (SD1), 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 SD1 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. Based on all oral and written 
comments, a Scoping Document 2 (SD2) may be issued. SD2 may include a 
revised process plan and schedule, as well as a list of issues, 
identified through the scoping process.

Environmental Site Review

    The licensee and Commission staff will conduct an environmental 
site review of the project on Wednesday, July 18, 2018, starting at 
9:00 a.m. All participants should meet at the Eldred L. Field 
Powerhouse, located at 145 Pawtucket St., Lowell, MA 01854.
    If you plan to attend the environmental site review, please email 
Kevin Webb of Boott at [email protected] on or before July 11, 2018, 
and indicate how many participants will be attending with you. 
Participants should park at the UMass Lowell East Campus Garage at 47 
Pawtucket St., Lowell (no parking fee). After parking, exit the garage 
onto Pawtucket St. and follow the street to the right (west) about 500 
feet. The entrance to the E.L. Field Powerhouse is through the gate on 
the right, just before the bridge over the Northern Canal. Boott's 
safety policies require that participants wear sturdy footwear; no 
sandals, open-toed shoes, or shorts.
    The Lowell Project's facilities are spread out throughout the City 
of Lowell. Due to limited parking at many locations, Boott will 
transport participants between facilities by bus. The tour will last 
for 5 to 6 hours. For any questions concerning the environmental site 
visit please contact Kevin Webb at (978) 935-6039 or 
[email protected].

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)

[[Page 29113]]

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 SD1 are 
included in item n. of this document.

Meeting Procedures

    The meetings will be recorded by a stenographer and will be placed 
in the public records of the project.

    Dated: June 15, 2018.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2018-13368 Filed 6-21-18; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P