Document Accession #: 20140408-3044 Filed Date: 04/08/2014 UNITED STATES OF AMERICA FEDERAL ENERGY REGULATORY COMMISSION S.D. Warren Company Project No. 2984-042 NOTICE OF AVAILABILITY OF SUPPLEMENTAL ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT (April 8, 2014) In accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission’s (Commission) regulations, 18 CFR Part 380 (Order No. 486, 52 FR 47897), the Office of Energy Projects has reviewed the application for new license for the Eel Weir Project, located at the outlet of Sebago Lake on the Presumpscot River, in Cumberland County, Maine, and has prepared a supplemental Environmental Assessment (supplemental EA) for the project. The supplemental EA contains the staff’s analysis of the potential environmental impacts of the project and concludes that licensing the project, with appropriate environmental protective measures, would not constitute a major federal action that would significantly affect the quality of the human environment. A copy of the supplemental EA is available for review at the Commission in the Public Reference Room or may be viewed on the Commission’s website 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 [email protected], at (866) 208-3676 (toll free), or (202) 502-8659 (TTY). You may also register online at http://www.ferc.gov/docs-filing/esubscription.asp to be notified via e-mail of new filings and issuances related to this or other pending projects. For assistance, contact FERC Online Support. Any comments should be filed within 30 days from the date of this notice. The Commission strongly encourages electronic filing. Please file comments 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. In lieu of electronic filing, please send a paper copy to: Secretary, Federal Energy Regulatory Document Accession #: 20140408-3044 Filed Date: 04/08/2014 Project No. 2984-042 2 Commission, 888 First Street, NE, Washington, DC 20426. The first page of any filing should include docket number P-2984-042. For further information, contact Tom Dean at (202) 502- 6041. Kimberly D. Bose, Secretary. Document Accession #: 20140408-3044 Filed Date: 04/08/2014 SUPPLEMENTAL ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT FOR HYDROPOWER LICENSE Eel Weir Hydroelectric Project FERC Project No. 2984-042 Maine Federal Energy Regulatory Commission Office of Energy Projects Division of Hydropower Licensing 888 First Street, NE Washington, DC 20426 April 2014 Document Accession #: 20140408-3044 Filed Date: 04/08/2014 TABLE OF CONTENTS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ............................................................................................ ix I. APPLICATION...........................................................................................- 1 - II. PURPOSE AND NEED FOR ACTION ......................................................- 2 - A. Purpose of Action........................................................................................- 2 - B. Need for Power............................................................................................- 3 - III. PROPOSED ACTION AND ALTERNATIVES .........................................- 4 - A. Description of Existing Project Facilities.....................................................- 4 - B. Description of Existing Project Operation....................................................- 4 - C. Proposed Action ..........................................................................................- 9 - D. Proposed Action with Additional Environmental Measures.......................- 11 - 1. Agency- and Interested Party-Recommended Changes to the LLMP ........................................................................................- 11 - 2. Staff Alternative.........................................................................- 18 - 3. 2014 Staff Alternative with Mandatory Conditions ....................- 20 - E. No-Action .................................................................................................- 21 - F. Alternatives Considered but Eliminated from Detailed Study ....................- 21 - IV. AGENCY CONSULTATION AND COMPLIANCE.........................................- 22 - A. Agency Consultation .................................................................................- 22 - 1. Scoping......................................................................................- 22 - 2. Interventions..............................................................................- 23 - 3. Comments on the Application ....................................................- 24 - 4. Comments on the Draft Environmental Assessment ...................- 25 - B. Compliance with Mandatory Requirements ...............................................- 26 - 1. Water Quality Certification .......................................................- 26 - 2. Section 18 Fishway Prescription ...............................................- 26 - 3. Coastal Zone Management Act..................................................- 27 - 4. Endangered Species Act ............................................................- 27 - 5. Section 106 Consultation...........................................................- 28 - V. AFFECTED ENVIRONMENT AND ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSIS............- 29 - A. General Description of the Locale .............................................................- 29 - B. Cumulative Effects Analysis......................................................................- 31 - 1. Geographic Scope .....................................................................- 32 - 2. Temporal Scope.........................................................................- 32 - C. Environmental Analysis.............................................................................- 33 - 1. Geological and Soil Resources ..................................................- 33 - 2. Water Resources........................................................................- 60 - 3. Fisheries and Aquatic Resources.............................................- 119 - 4. Terrestrial Resources ..............................................................- 190 - 5. Recreational Resources and Land Use ....................................- 204 - 6. Archeological and Historic Resources.....................................- 239 - 7. Socioeconomic Resources........................................................- 244 - i Document Accession #: 20140408-3044 Filed Date: 04/08/2014 D. No-Action Alternative .............................................................................- 250 - VI. DEVELOPMENTAL ANALYSIS ...................................................................- 252 - A. Power and Economic Benefits of the Project ...........................................- 252 - B. Power and Economic Benefits of the No-Action Alternative ...................- 253 - C. Cost of Environmental Measures .............................................................- 253 - D. Power and Economic Benefits of the Applicant’s Proposed Project.........- 266 - E. Power and Economic Benefits of the Proposed Action with Additional Staff- Recommended Measures .........................................................................- 266 - F. Power and Economic Benefits of the Proposed Action with Additional Staff- Recommended Measures and Mandatory Conditions...............................- 267 - G. Economic Comparison of the Alternatives (Supplemental EA).................- 267 - VII. COMPREHENSIVE DEVELOPMENT AND RECOMMENDED ALTERNATIVE ................................................................................................................................- 268 - A. Measures Proposed by S.D. Warren ........................................................- 269 - B. Additional Measures Recommended by Staff ...........................................- 270 - C. Additional Recommended Measures ........................................................- 272 - D. Measures Not Recommended...................................................................- 281 - VIII. CONSISTENCY WITH FISH AND WILDLIFE RECOMMENDATIONS...- 282 - A. Recommendations Pursuant to Section 10(j) of the FPA..........................- 286 - B. Recommendations under Section 10(a) of the FPA..................................- 292 - IX. CONSISTENCY WITH COMPREHENSIVE PLANS.....................................- 294 - X. FINDING OF NO SIGNIFICANT IMPACT .....................................................- 295 - XI. LITERATURE CITED.....................................................................................- 296 - XII. LIST OF PREPARERS ...................................................................................- 307 - Appendix A – Figures Appendix B – Maine’s LLMP Proposal Appendix C – LLMP Wetlands Monitoring Survey Results Appendix D – Maine Department of Environmental Protection Water Quality Certification Conditions ii Document Accession #: 20140408-3044 Filed Date: 04/08/2014 LIST OF FIGURES Figure Page Figure 1. Maine’s recommended changes to the LLMP for Sebago Lake