Document ID: FERC-2012-1327-0001
Agency: ferc
Document Type: Notice
Title: Environmental Site Reviews: TransCanada Hydro Northeast Inc., FirstLight Power Resources
Posted Date: 2012-08-09T04:00Z

[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 154 (Thursday, August 9, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 47622-47623]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-19513]

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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Project No. 1892-000 New Hampshire-Vermont; Project No. 1855-000 New 
Hampshire-Vermont; Project No. 1904-000 New Hampshire-Vermont; Project 
No. 2485-000 Massachusetts; Project No. 1889-000 Massachusetts]

TransCanada Hydro Northeast Inc.; FirstLight Power Resources; 
Notice of Environmental Site Review

    In anticipation of the filing of a Notice of Intent (NOI) and Pre-
Application Document for three hydroelectric projects owned and 
operated by TransCanada Hydro Northeast Inc. (TransCanada) in New 
Hampshire and Vermont (Wilder Dam Hydroelectric Project No. 1892, 
Bellows Falls Hydroelectric Project No. 1855, and Vernon Dam 
Hydroelectric Project No. 1904), and two projects owned and operated by 
FirstLight Power Resources in Massachusetts (Northfield Mountain Pumped 
Storage Hydroelectric Project No. 2485, and Turners Falls Hydroelectric 
Project No. 1889), all located on the Connecticut River, the Federal 
Energy Regulatory Commission (Commission) will be hosting an 
environmental site review for each of the projects during the first 
week of October 2012.
    The environmental site reviews are being held to provide all 
stakeholders, interested in the projects' pending relicensing 
proceedings, an opportunity to view the projects' facilities and 
surrounding areas.
    Under the Commission's Integrated Licensing Process, the Commission 
conducts its National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) scoping meeting 
within 90 days of the filing of the Licensee's Notice of Intent. An 
environmental site review is typically held in conjunction with that 
scoping meeting. However, access to some project facilities may be 
limited by winter weather during the early part of 2013 when scoping 
for this project is currently anticipated. For this reason, the 
Commission has chosen to host the environmental site reviews in October 
before the onset of winter. While the Commission expects to host its 
NEPA scoping meetings for the projects in early 2013, it will not 
conduct the environmental site reviews at that time. As such, the 
Commission encourages all interested parties to participate in the 
October environmental site review(s) to facilitate productive scoping 
meetings early next year. Details of the project specific environmental 
site reviews follow.

TransCanada's Projects

Wilder Dam Hydroelectric Project (P-1892)

 Tour of Wilder Project Facilities
    Date and Time: October 1, 2012 at 9 a.m.
    Location: Wilder Station, 351 Wilder Dam Rd., Wilder, VT 05088.
 Wilder Project Reservoir Tour
    Date and Time: October 1, 2012 at 1 p.m.
    Location: Wilder Station, 351 Wilder Dam Rd., Wilder, VT 05088.

Bellows Falls Hydroelectric Project (P-1855)

 Tour of Bellows Falls Project Facilities
    Date and Time: October 2, 2012 at 9 a.m.
    Location: Bellows Falls Hydroelectric Project Visitor Center, 17 
Bridge St., Bellows Falls, VT 05101.
 Bellows Falls Project Reservoir Tour
    Date and Time: October 2, 2012 at 1 p.m.
    Location: Pine Street Recreation Area, 99 Pine St., North Walpole, 
NH 03609.

Vernon Dam Hydroelectric Project (P-1904)

 Tour of Vernon Project Facilities
    Date and Time: October 3, 2012 at 9 a.m.
    Location: Vernon Station, 152 Governor Hunt Road, Vernon VT 05354.
 Vernon Project Reservoir Tour
    Date and Time: October 3, 2012 at 1 p.m.
    Location: Vernon Station, 152 Governor Hunt Road, Vernon VT 05354.

FirstLight's Projects

    FirstLight will bus attendees from the Northfield Mountain Visitors 
Center to tour the Northfield Mountain Pumped Storage Hydroelectric 
Project and the Turners Falls Hydroelectric Project. Bus capacity is 
approximately 55 individuals. In addition, FirstLight is providing a 
boat tour of the section of the Connecticut River impounded by the 
Turners Falls Project which also serves as the lower reservoir for the 
Northfield Mountain Pumped Hydroelectric Storage Project. Boat capacity 
is approximately 44 individuals. Depending on the number of 
participants that R.S.V.P., two tour groups (Group 1 and Group 2) may 
be established. The schedule below reflects the two groups. All 
individuals should meet at the Northfield Mountain Visitors Center 
(address below) on October 4, 2012 at 8 a.m. for a briefing on both 
projects.
    Group 1 Schedule:

Northfield Mountain Pumped Storage Hydroelectric Project (P-2485)

 Tour of Northfield Mountain Pumped Storage Project Facilities
    Date and Time: October 4, 2012 at 8 a.m.
    Location: Northfield Mountain Visitors Center, 99 Millers Falls 
Road, Northfield, MA 01360.

[[Page 47623]]

 Reservoir Tour (P-1889 & P-2485)
    Date and Time: October 4, 2012 at 1 p.m.
    Location: Northfield Mountain Visitors Center, 99 Millers Falls 
Road, Northfield, MA 01360.

Turners Falls Hydroelectric Project (P-1889)

 Tour of Turners Falls Hydroelectric Project Facilities
    Date and Time: October 5, 2012 at 8 a.m.
    Location: Northfield Mountain Visitors Center, 99 Millers Falls 
Road, Northfield, MA 01360.
    Group 2 Schedule:

Northfield Mountain Pumped Storage Hydroelectric Project (P-2485)

 Reservoir Tour (P-1889 & P-2485)
    Date and Time: October 4, 2012 at 8 a.m.
    Location: Northfield Mountain Visitors Center, 99 Millers Falls 
Road, Northfield, MA 01360.
 Tour of Northfield Mountain Pumped Storage Project Facilities
    Date and Time: October 4, 2012 at 1 p.m.
    Location: Northfield Mountain Visitors Center, 99 Millers Falls 
Road, Northfield, MA 01360.

Turners Falls Hydroelectric Project (P-1889)

 Tour of Turners Falls Hydroelectric Project Facilities
    Date and Time: October 5, 2012 at 8 a.m.
    Location: Northfield Mountain Visitors Center, 99 Millers Falls 
Road, Northfield, MA 01360.

Directions and Logistics

    For safety purposes, individuals attending an environmental site 
review and/or Reservoir Tour are asked to dress accordingly. Please 
wear pants, long sleeve shirts, and closed-toe shoes. Failure to comply 
with this request may result in limiting the attendee's access to 
project facilities.
    To facilitate logistical arrangements, if you plan to attend an 
environmental site review and/or reservoir tour, please R.S.V.P. to the 
appropriate licensee point-of-contact (see below) by September 15, 
2012, and identify the number of individuals in your group.

Licensee Points-of-Contact

    TransCanada Projects: Mr. John Ragonese, FERC License Manager, 
TransCanada, 4 Park Street, Concord, NH 03301, Phone: (603) 225-5528; 
Cell/VM (603) 498-2851, Email: john_ragonese@transcanada.com.
    FirstLight Projects: Mr. John Howard, Station Manager, FirstLight, 
99 Millers Falls Road, Northfield, MA 01360, Phone: (413) 659-4489, 
Email: John.Howard@gdfsuezna.com.
    If you need further logistical information or directions, please 
contact the appropriate licensee point-of-contact identified above. All 
other questions regarding the environmental site review(s) or the 
Commission's Integrated Licensing Process may be directed to Kenneth 
Hogan of the Commission's staff at (202) 502-8434 or via email at: 
Kenneth.Hogan@ferc.gov.

    Dated: August 3, 2012.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2012-19513 Filed 8-8-12; 8:45 am]
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