NORTHFIELD — FirstLight Hydro Generating Co. is seeking approval from local officials to submit a four-month filing extension for relicensing with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), with the Northfield Selectboard approving a letter stating its non-opposition to the request on Tuesday.
FirstLight, which has submitted its Amended Final License Application to FERC for a new 50-year license to operate, has three facilities up for relicensing. Those facilities, the hydro-pump facility at Northfield Mountain and two hydroelectric dams in Turners Falls, have been criticized for their impact on fish populations, the Connecticut River and the surrounding environment.
“The extension actually … helps deal with erosion questions, which are still not quite resolved, as well as some technical water issues with the water below the dam,” explained Selectboard Chair Barbara “Bee” Jacque. “We want to make sure we stay abreast of any topics of erosion on the river because that does affect Northfield.”
In a statement, Len Greene, head of external affairs at FirstLight, said the company has “continued to engage with federal and state resource agencies, local communities, environmental organizations, Native American tribes and other stakeholders on reaching a comprehensive settlement for the Turners Falls Hydroelectric Project and Northfield Mountain Pumped Storage Project.”
The extension, if accepted, would grant FirstLight until Dec. 31 to file a settlement with FERC.
“We have made substantial progress toward realizing this goal and are continuing to work on a finite list of remaining issues,” Greene said of the request for an extension. “Several state, federal and local stakeholder groups that have been working on these negotiations have also filed letters with the FERC in support of this extension. … FirstLight continues to believe that a comprehensive settlement is the most expeditious way to get to a final license with terms acceptable to the majority of the licensing stakeholders.”
Greene said Northfield is the only town of the four to respond to the request. As of Tuesday morning, he had not received confirmations from selectboards in Montague, Gill and Erving.
Northfield Town Administrator Andrea Llamas said she received a phone call on Friday from Carter Wall, FirstLight’s manager of government affairs and community relations, asking for support in the company’s request for an extension on the filing, currently due Aug. 31.
“We followed up with stakeholders that have been in negotiations with us, and quite a few of the stakeholders have submitted letters of support,” Jacque noted. “It’s a very simple letter.”
An earlier version of this story stated FirstLight was requesting a three-month extension. The extension, from Aug. 31 to Dec. 31, is four months.
Reporter Mary Byrne can be reached at mbyrne@recorder.com or 413-930-4429. Twitter: @MaryEByrne.