[Federal Register: January 2, 2004 (Volume 69, Number 1)]
[Notices]
[Page 64-65]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr02ja04-44]
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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
[Docket No. PF03-8-000]
Transwestern Pipeline Company; Notice of Intent To Prepare an
Environmental Assessment for Transwestern's Proposed San Juan 2005
Expansion Project and Request for Comments on Environmental Issues
December 24, 2003.
The staff of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC or
Commission) will prepare an environmental assessment (EA) that will
discuss the environmental impacts of Transwestern Pipeline Company's
(Transwestern) proposed San Juan 2005 Expansion Project in New Mexico.
This notice announces the opening of the scoping process we \1\ will
use to gather input from the public and interested agencies on the
project. Your input will help us determine which issues need to be
evaluated in the EA. The Commission will use the EA in its decision-
making process to determine whether or not to authorize the project.
Please note that the scoping period will close on January 26, 2004.
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\1\ ``We,'' ``us,'' and ``our'' refer to the environmental
staffs of the FERC's Office of Energy Projects.
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The San Juan 2005 Expansion Project is in the preliminary design
stage. At this time no formal application has been filed with the FERC.
For this project, the FERC staff is initiating its National
Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) review prior to receiving the
application. The purpose of the NEPA Pre-filing Process is to involve
interested stakeholders early in project planning and to identify and
resolve issues before an application is filed with the FERC. A docket
number (PF03-8-000) has been established to place information filed by
Transwestern and related documents issued by the Commission, into the
public record.\2\ Once a formal application is filed with the FERC, a
new docket number will be established.
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\2\ To view information in the docket, follow the instructions
for using the eLibrary link at the end of this notice.
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On November 3-6, 2003, the FERC staff held interagency meetings in
Albuquerque, Bloomfield, and Gallup, New Mexico to discuss the project
and the environmental review process with Transwestern and other key
Federal, tribal, and state agencies. These agencies included: Navajo
Nation Environmental Protection Agency, Navajo Nation Department of
Fish and Wildlife, Navajo Nation Historic Preservation Office, U.S.
Bureau of Land Management; Bureau of Indian Affairs, State of New
Mexico Environment Department, and the New Mexico State Lands Office.
Currently, all agencies above have expressed their intention to
participate as cooperating agencies in the preparation of the EA.
This notice is being sent to landowners; Federal, state, Navajo
Nation, and local government agencies; elected officials; environmental
and public interest groups; Native American tribes; and local libraries
and newspapers. We encourage government representatives to notify their
constituents of this planned project and encourage them to comment on
their areas of concern.
Some affected landowners may be contacted by a project
representative about the acquisition of an easement to construct,
operate, and maintain the proposed facilities. If they are, the company
would seek to negotiate a mutually acceptable agreement. However, in
the event that the project is certificated by the Commission, that
approval conveys the right of eminent domain for securing easements for
the pipeline. Therefore, if easement negotiations fail to produce an
agreement, the company could initiate condemnation proceedings in
accordance with state law.
Summary of the Proposed Project
Transwestern proposes to expand its natural gas system by the
construction of approximately 72.6 miles of pipeline loop \3\ (the San
Juan Lateral Loop) and modifying facilities at seven existing
compressor stations in New Mexico. More specifically, Transwestern
requests Commission authorization to:
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\3\ A pipeline ``loop'' is a segment of pipe installed adjacent
to an existing pipeline and connected to the existing pipeline at
both ends. A loop increases the amount of gas that can move through
that portion of the system.
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[sbull] Construct and operate approximately 63.2 miles of 36-inch
diameter pipeline loop starting at approximate milepost (MP) 8.7 on the
existing Transwestern San Juan Lateral, in San Juan County, New Mexico,
extending south-southwest to the existing mainline valve (MLV) south of
Navajo Highway 9 at about MP 71.9;
[sbull] Construct and operate an additional approximately 9.4 miles
of 36-inch diameter pipeline loop starting at the existing MLV just
south of Pinedale Road in McKinley County, New Mexico (about MP 87.7),
and extending south-southwest to terminate at the existing Transwestern
Gallup Compressor Station in McKinley County, New Mexico. The Gallup
Compressor Station is located at approximate MP 97.1 of the existing
San Juan Lateral;
[sbull] Bloomfield Compressor Station--Install and operate one, new
15,000 horsepower (HP) electric-drive compressor unit and associated
facilities at its existing station, located in San Juan County, New
Mexico;
[sbull] Bisti Compressor Station--Remove an existing 10,000 HP
electric-drive compressor unit and replace it with a new 15,000 HP
electric drive compressor unit (de-rated to run at 12,000 HP) at its
existing station, located in San Juan County, New Mexico;
[sbull] Gallup Compressor Station--Remove an existing compressor
unit (compressor only, not the motor) and replace it with a new
compressor unit at its existing station in McKinley County, New Mexico;
[sbull] Compressor Station 5--Rewheel an existing compressor unit
and modify station piping at its existing station located near Thoreau,
McKinley County, New Mexico;
[sbull] Compressor Station 6--Install cylinder unloaders on an
existing compressor unit at its existing station located near Laguna,
Cibola County, New Mexico;
[sbull] Compressor Station 7--Rewheel an existing compressor unit
at its existing station located near Mountainair, Torrance County, New
Mexico;
[sbull] Compressor Station 9--Rewheel an existing compressor unit
and install a new gas scrubber and associated station piping at its
existing station located near Roswell, Chaves County, New Mexico;
[sbull] Install side valves at new tie-in locations and MLVs at
various locations
[[Page 65]]
as required by U.S. Department of Transportation regulations.
A map depicting the proposed pipeline route and compressor stations
is provided in appendix 1.\4\
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\4\ The appendices referenced in this notice are not being
printed in the Federal Register. Copies are available on the
Commission's Internet Web site (http://www.ferc.gov) at the
``eLibrary'' link or from the Commission's Public Reference and
Files Maintenance Branch at 202.502.8371. For instructions on
connecting to eLibrary, refer to the end of this notice. Copies of
the appendices were sent to all those receiving this notice in the
mail.
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Transwestern proposes to place the project in service by June 2005.
To achieve this in-service date, Transwestern intends to request
approval to begin construction of the pipeline facilities in July 2004.
Land Requirements
Construction of the proposed facilities would require about 1,082.1
acres of land. The construction right-of-way width for the pipeline
would be 110 feet, and would be adjacent to existing rights-of-way for
its entire length (25 feet overlap of the existing right-of-way and 85
feet new construction right-of-way). Transwestern would maintain
approximately 220.1 acres of new permanent right-of-way (50 feet of
permanent easement, of which 25 feet would be overlap of the existing
right-of-way) for pipeline operation and maintenance following
construction.
The EA Process
NEPA requires the Commission to take into account the environmental
impacts that could result from an action whenever it considers the
issuance of a Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity. NEPA
also requires us to discover and address issues and concerns the public
may have about proposals. This process is referred to as ``scoping''.
The main goal of the scoping process is to focus the analysis in the EA
on the important environmental issues and reasonable alternatives. By
this notice, we are requesting agency and public comments on the scope
of the issues to be analyzed and presented in the EA. All scoping
comments received will be considered during the preparation of the EA.
To ensure your comments are considered, please carefully follow the
instructions in the public participation section of this notice. The
FERC will be the lead Federal agency in the preparation of the EA. The
document will satisfy the requirements of NEPA.
Our independent analysis of the issues will be included in an EA.
The EA will be mailed to Federal, Navajo Nation, state, and local
government agencies; elected officials; environmental and public
interest groups; Native American tribes; affected landowners; other
interested parties; local libraries and newspapers; and the
Commission's official service list for this proceeding. A 30-day
comment period will be allotted for review of the EA. We will consider
all comments on the EA and revise the document, before we make our
recommendations to the Commission.
Public Participation
You can make a difference by providing us with your specific
comments or concerns about the project. You should focus on the
potential environmental effects of the proposal, reasonable
alternatives routes to the proposal, and measures to avoid or lessen
environmental impact. The more specific your comments, the more useful
they will be. By becoming a commentor, your concerns will be addressed
in the EA and considered by the Commission. To ensure that your
comments are timely and properly recorded, please mail your comments so
that they will be received in Washington, DC on or before January 19,
2004, and carefully follow these instructions:
[sbull] Send an original and two copies of your letter to: Magalie
R. Salas, Secretary, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 First
St., NE., Room 1A, Washington, DC 20426;
[sbull] Label one copy of your comments for the attention of Gas
Branch 2; and
[sbull] Reference Docket No. PF03-8-000 on the original and both
copies.
Please note that we are continuing to experience delays in mail
deliveries from the U.S. Postal Service. Therefore, the Commission
encourages electronic filing of comments.
See 18 CFR 385.2001(a)(1)(iii) and the instructions on the
Commission's Internet Web site at http://www.ferc.gov under the ``e-
Filing'' link and the link to the User's Guide. Prepare your submission
in the same manner as you would if filing on paper and save it to a
file on your hard drive. Before you can file comments you will need to
create an free account by clicking on ``Login to File'' and then ``New
User Account.'' You will be asked to select the type of filing you are
making. This filing is considered a ``Comment on Filing.''
Availability of Additional Information
Additional information about the project is available from the
Commission's Office of External Affairs, at 1-866-208-FERC or on the
FERC Internet Web site (http://www.ferc.gov) using the eLibrary link. Click on
the eLibrary link, click on ``General Search'' and enter the docket
number excluding the last three digits in the Docket Number field. Be
sure you have selected an appropriate date range. For assistance with
eLibrary, the eLibrary helpline can be reached at 1-866-208-3676, TTY
(202) 502-8659, or at FERCONLINESUPPORT@FERC.GOV. The eLibrary link on
the FERC Internet Web site also provides access to the texts of formal
documents issued by the Commission, such as orders, notices, and
rulemakings.
In addition, the Commission now offers a free service called
eSubscription which allows you too keep track of all formal issuances
and submittals in specific dockets. This can reduce the amount of time
you spend researching proceedings by automatically providing you with
notification of these filings, document summaries and direct links to
the documents. Go to http://www.ferc.gov/esubscribenow.htm.
A fact sheet prepared by the FERC entitled ``An Interstate Natural
Gas Facility On My Land? What Do I Need To Know?'' is available for
viewing on the FERC Internet Web site (http://www.ferc.gov). This fact
sheet addresses a number of typically asked questions, including the
use of eminent domain and how to participate in the Commission's
proceedings.
Finally, Transwestern has established an Internet Web site for this
project at http://www.crosscountryenergy.com/about/tw.shtml. The Web
site includes helpful information about the project.
Linda Mitry,
Acting Secretary.
Appendix--Information Request
Please keep my name on the mailing list for the San Juan 2005
Expansion Project
Name--------------------
Agency------------------
Address------------------
City-------- State---- Zip Code----
[ ] Please provide detailed maps for the facilities closest to the
following area(s):
[ ] My mailing address.
[ ] My property.
(Requests for more than a single map location may be expedited
by asking the company directly.)
(Be as specific as you can about the location(s) of your area(s) of
interest. Please include any information that would help us
accurately locate these area(s). For example: county, town, cross-
streets, or landmarks.
[FR Doc. E3-00675 Filed 12-31-03; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P