```

[Federal Register Volume 90, Number 13 (Wednesday, January 22, 2025)]
[Notices]
[Pages 7680-7681]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2025-01501]

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Project No. 5362-021]

Kennebunk Light and Power District; Notice of Intent To Prepare 
an Environmental Assessment

    On March 31, 2021, and supplemented on April 8, 2021, Kennebunk 
Light and Power District (licensee) filed an application for surrender 
of its license for the Lower Mousam Hydroelectric Project No. 5362. The 
project is located on the Mousam River in York County, Maine. The 
project does not occupy any Federal lands.
    The licensee proposes to surrender its license because more cost-
effective sources of electricity are available and the project is no 
longer cost-effective to operate. The licensee proposes to decommission 
the project by removing all flashboards, disconnecting the leads from 
the generators, removing all generation and electrical equipment, as 
well as securing each project development with fencing. The dams would 
remain in place and no ground disturbing activities are proposed other 
than fencing.
    Commission staff issued a public notice of the application on April 
21, 2021, setting May 21, 2021 as the deadline for filing comments, 
motions to intervene, and protests. The U.S. Department of Commerce, 
Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, and the U.S. 
Department of Interior filed timely notices of intervention and 
comments. Maine Rivers, Mousam and Kennebunk Rivers Alliance, Mousam 
Rivers Coalition, Maine Department of Marine Resources, and Trout 
Unlimited filed timely motions to intervene and comments. Additionally, 
non-profits and numerous private citizens filed comments or protests, 
including: Maine Audubon Society, National Marine Fisheries Service, 
the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Maine Audubon Society, and the 
Wells National Estuarine Research Reserve. Numerous commenters 
recommend removal of the dams and

[[Page 7681]]

oppose surrender of the project as proposed by the licensee (i.e., 
without dam removal).
    This notice identifies Commission staff's intention to prepare an 
environmental assessment (EA) for the project.\1\ Commission staff 
plans to issue an EA by April 30, 2025. Revisions to the schedule may 
be made as appropriate. The EA will be issued for a 30-day comment 
period. All comments filed on the EA will be reviewed by staff and 
considered in the Commission's final decision on the proceeding.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \1\ In accordance with the Council on Environmental Quality's 
regulations, the unique identification number for documents relating 
to this environmental review is EAXX-019-20-000-1728462509. 40 CFR 
1501.5(c)(4) (2024).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    With this notice, the Commission is inviting federal, state, local, 
and Tribal agencies with jurisdiction and/or special expertise with 
respect to environmental issues affected by the proposal to cooperate 
in the preparation of the EA planned to be issued April 2025. Agencies 
wishing to cooperate, or further discuss the benefits, 
responsibilities, and obligations of the cooperating agency role, 
should contact staff listed at the bottom of this notice by February 5, 
2025. Cooperating agencies should note the Commission's policy that 
agencies that cooperate in the preparation of any environmental 
document cannot also intervene. See 94 FERC ] 61,076 (2001).
    The Commission's Office of Public Participation (OPP) supports 
meaningful public engagement and participation in Commission 
proceedings. OPP can help members of the public, including landowners, 
environmental justice communities, Tribal members, and others to access 
publicly available information and navigate Commission processes. For 
public inquiries and assistance with making filings such as 
interventions, comments, or requests for rehearing, the public is 
encouraged to contact OPP at (202) 502-6595 or [email protected].
    Any questions regarding this notice may be directed to Diana 
Shannon at (202) 502-6136 or [email protected].

    Dated: January 15, 2025.
Debbie-Anne A. Reese,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2025-01501 Filed 1-21-25; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P
```