[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 110 (Wednesday, June 8, 2022)]
[Notices]
[Pages 34867-34869]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2022-12334]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Project No. 2905-035]


Village of Enosburg Falls, Vermont; 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: Subsequent Minor License.
    b. Project No.: 2905-035.
    c. Date Filed: April 30, 2021.
    d. Applicant: Village of Enosburg Falls, Vermont (Village).
    e. Name of Project: Enosburg Falls Hydroelectric Project (project).
    f. Location: On the Missisquoi River in Franklin County, Vermont. 
The project does not occupy any federal land.
    g. Filed Pursuant to: Federal Power Act, 16 U.S.C. 791(a)-825(r).
    h. Applicant Contact: Abbey Miller, Director of Finance, Village of 
Enosburg Falls, 42 Village Drive, Village of Enosburg Falls, VT 05450; 
phone at (802) 933-4443; email at [email protected].
    i. FERC Contact: John Baummer at (202) 502-6837, or 
[email protected].
    j. Deadline for filing motions to intervene and 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 and protests, comments,

[[Page 34868]]

recommendations, terms and conditions, and prescriptions using the 
Commission's eFiling system at https://ferconline.ferc.gov/FERCOnline.aspx. Commenters can submit brief comments up to 6,000 
characters, without prior registration, using the eComment system at 
https://ferconline.ferc.gov/QuickComment.aspx. 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, you may submit a paper copy. 
Submissions sent via the U.S. Postal Service must be addressed to: 
Kimberly D. Bose, Secretary, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 
First Street NE, Room 1A, Washington, DC 20426. Submissions sent via 
any other carrier must be addressed to: Kimberly D. Bose, Secretary, 
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 12225 Wilkins Avenue, Rockville, 
Maryland 20852. The first page of any filing should include docket 
number P-2905-035.
    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.
    The Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) issued a final rule on 
April 20, 2022, revising the regulations under 40 CFR parts 1502, 1507, 
and 1508 that federal agencies use to implement the National 
Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) (see National Environmental Policy Act 
Implementing Regulations Revisions, 87 FR 23,453-70). The final rule 
became effective on May 20, 2022. Commission staff intends to conduct 
its NEPA review in accordance with CEQ's new regulations.
    l. Project Description: The existing Enosburg Falls Project 
consists of: (1) a 284-foot-long, 18.5-foot-high concrete and steel 
gravity dam that includes the following sections: (a) a 5-foot-long 
east abutment section; (b) a 105-foot-long east spillway section with a 
2-foot-high pneumatic crest gate and an elevation of 386.87 feet 
National Geodetic Vertical Datum of 1929 (NGVD 29) at the top of the 
gate; (c) a 4-foot-long pier; (d) a 60-foot-long west spillway section 
with a 2-foot-high pneumatic crest gate and an elevation of 386.87 feet 
NGVD 29 at the top of the gate; (e) a 46-foot-long west abutment 
section; and (f) an approximately 64-foot-long, 24-foot-high steel 
headgate structure that is equipped with: (i) a 60-foot-wide, 20-foot-
high inclined steel trashrack with 1-inch clear bar spacing; (ii) two 
10-foot-wide, 8-foot-high hydraulically-powered sluice gates; and (iii) 
a 12-foot-wide, 8-foot-high hydraulically-powered intake gate; (2) a 
121-acre impoundment at surface elevation of 386.87 feet NGVD 29; (3) 
an 80-foot-long, 5.6-foot-diameter steel penstock that extends from the 
intake gate; (4) a 39.9-foot-long, 24.3-foot-wide concrete and brick 
masonry powerhouse (Kendall Plant) containing a 375-kilowatt (kW) semi-
Kaplan regulated turbine-generator unit that discharges into the 
Missisquoi River approximately 170 feet downstream of the project dam; 
(5) an approximately 210-foot-long, 29-foot-wide headrace canal; (6) an 
intake structure at the downstream end of the headrace canal that is 
equipped with an approximately 30.1-foot-wide, 11.4-foot-high stoplog 
slot and an approximately 30.1-foot-wide, 11.4-foot-high inclined 
trashrack; (7) a 28.7-foot-long, 29.9-foot-wide concrete and brick 
masonry powerhouse (Village Plant) containing a 600-kW vertical Kaplan 
turbine-generator unit that discharges to an approximately 240-foot-
long, 25-foot-wide tailrace; (8) two 2.4-kilovolt (kV) generator lead 
lines, respectively 200-foot-long and 250-foot-long, and a 4.16/12.47-
kV transformer that connect the project to the local utility 
distribution system; and (9) appurtenant facilities. The project 
creates an approximately 1,400-foot-long bypassed reach of the 
Missisquoi River.
    The Village voluntarily operates the project in a run-of-river mode 
using an automatic pond level control system to regulate turbines 
operation, such that outflow from the project approximates inflow. 
Article 401 of the current license requires the Village to: (1) 
maintain a minimum flow of 293 cubic feet per second (cfs) from April 
15-June 15, and 120 cfs from J une 16-April 14, or inflow, whichever is 
less, from the Kendall Plant to the bypassed reach; and (2) maintain a 
year-round minimum flow of 293 cfs or inflow, whichever is less, from 
the Village Plant to the downstream reach of the Missisquoi River. 
Downstream fish passage is provided by a bypass facility located on the 
west abutment that consists of a 3-foot-wide, 5-foot-high weir gate, a 
3-foot-wide, 6-foot-long concrete fish collection box, and an 
approximately 65-foot-long, 2-foot-diameter concrete encased fish 
passage pipe that empties into the bypassed reach approximately 110 
feet downstream of the dam.
    The Village proposes to: (1) continue operating the project in a 
run-of-river mode; (2) provide a year-round minimum flow of 243 cfs or 
inflow, whichever is less, from the Kendall Plant to the bypassed 
reach; (3) develop a recreation management plan for improving 
recreation at the project; (4) release 1 inch of spill over the top of 
the project dam crest gates to provide an aesthetic veil of flow over 
the dam; (5) develop an operation compliance monitoring plan for 
maintaining minimum flows, impoundment levels, and run-of-river 
operation; and (6) develop a historic properties management plan to 
address and mitigate project effects on historic properties.
    m. A copy of the application can be viewed on the Commission's 
website at https://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.
    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

[[Page 34869]]

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 on the service list prepared by the Commission in this 
proceeding, in accordance with 18 CFR 4.34(b) and 385.2010.
    You may also register online at https://www.ferc.gov/ferc-online/overview to be notified via email of new filings and issuances related 
to this or other pending projects. For assistance, contact FERC Online 
Support.
    o. The applicant must file no later than 60 days following the date 
of issuance of this notice: (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. Please note 
that the certification request must comply with 40 CFR 121.5(b), 
including documentation that a pre-filing meeting request was submitted 
to the certifying authority at least 30 days prior to submitting the 
certification request. Please also note that the certification request 
must be sent to the certifying authority and to the Commission 
concurrently.
    p. Procedural schedule: The application will be processed according 
to the following preliminary schedule. Revisions to the schedule will 
be made as appropriate.

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                  Milestone                           Target date
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Deadline for filing interventions, protests,  August 2022.
 comments, recommendations, preliminary
 terms and conditions, and preliminary
 fishway prescriptions.
Deadline for filing reply comments..........  September 2022.
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    q. Final amendments to the application must be filed with the 
Commission no later than 30 days from the issuance date of this notice.

    Dated: June 2, 2022.
Debbie-Anne A. Reese,
Deputy Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2022-12334 Filed 6-7-22; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P


