SHAHEEN & HASSAN APPLAUD ANNOUNCEMENT OF ADDITIONAL COOS COUNTY PUBLIC HEARING ON NORTHERN PASS AND EXTENSION OF PUBLIC COMMENT DEADLINE
**Public input improvements follow calls from Senator Shaheen and Governor Hassan**
(Washington, DC) – Today, the Department of Energy (DOE) announced changes to the public review process for the proposed Northern Pass Transmission project to include a hearing in Colebrook, New Hampshire, following requests from Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) and Governor Maggie Hassan. Shaheen called DOE Secretary Ernest Moniz and Hassan wrote a letter, urging DOE to include a hearing in northern Coos County in its public hearings schedule to better accommodate citizens in the North Country. The comment period on the project will also now be extended to April 4, 2016 and the public hearings slated for December will be rescheduled. The public hearings provide an opportunity for Granite Staters to comment on DOE’s Draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the project, announced this summer, and the Supplement to the Draft EIS, announced in November.
“Granite Staters must have ample opportunity to review this project and have their voices heard,” said Shaheen. “A hearing in Colebrook will provide a forum for Coos County residents to participate in this review process. I’m pleased that the change Governor Hassan and I requested was quickly accommodated.”
“As we consider the siting of proposed energy projects, we must ensure a thorough and transparent review so that the most impacted communities have the opportunity to be heard,” Governor Hassan said. “I applaud the Department of Energy for heeding my and Senator Shaheen's call to improve the public review process. I will continue to work to ensure that all Granite Staters have an opportunity to have their voices heard and to push the company and the federal government to continue to address their concerns.”
In addition to the hearing in Colebrook, DOE will reschedule the following public hearings in New Hampshire. New dates are yet to be announced:
· Whitefield, Tuesday, December 15th
· Concord, Wednesday, December 16th
· Plymouth, Thursday, December 17th
