[Federal Register: July 26, 2004 (Volume 69, Number 142)]
[Notices]
[Page 44530-44533]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr26jy04-49]
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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
[Docket No. PF04-10-000]
Northwest Pipeline Corporation; Notice of Intent To Prepare an
Environmental Impact Statement for the Proposed Capacity Replacement
Project, Request for Comments on Environmental Issues, and Notice of
Public Scoping Meetings
July 19, 2004.
The staff of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (Commission)
will prepare an environmental impact statement (EIS) that will discuss
the environmental impacts of Northwest Pipeline Corporation's
(Northwest), a Williams Gas Pipeline company, proposed Capacity
Replacement Project. This notice explains the scoping process that will
be used 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 EIS. Please note that the scoping period for the
project will close on August 18, 2004.
Comments may be submitted electronically, in written form, or
verbally. In lieu of sending comments, we invite you to attend the
public scoping meetings that have been scheduled in the project area.
These meetings are scheduled for August 2, 2004, in Arlington,
Washington; August 3, 2004, in Redmond, Washington; and August 4, 2004,
in Yelm, Washington. Further instructions on how to submit comments and
additional details of the public scoping meetings are provided in the
public participation section of this notice.
The FERC will be the lead Federal agency for the preparation of the
EIS. The document will satisfy the requirements of the National
Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). The Washington Department of Ecology
(Ecology) will be the lead State agency with responsibility for
complying with the State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA) and has agreed
to participate as a cooperating agency in the preparation of the EIS.
This notice serves as Ecology's Determination of Significance and
Request for Comments on the Scope of the EIS. The U.S. Army Corps of
Engineers (COE) has also agreed to participate as a cooperating agency
in the preparation of the EIS to satisfy its NEPA responsibilities
under section 404 of the Clean Water Act and section 10 of the Rivers
and Harbors Act. It is the goal of the FERC, Ecology, and the COE to
avoid duplication of effort and prepare a single EIS that can be used
to satisfy their respective NEPA and SEPA responsibilities.
With this notice, we \1\ are asking other Federal, State, local,
and tribal agencies with jurisdiction and/or special expertise with
respect to environmental issues to cooperate with us in the preparation
of the EIS. These agencies may choose to participate once they have
evaluated Northwest's proposal relative to their responsibilities.
Agencies that would like to request cooperating status should follow
the instructions for filing comments described later in this notice.
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\1\ ''We,'' ``us,'' and ``our'' refer to the environmental staff
of the Office of Energy Projects.
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This notice is being sent to affected landowners; Federal, State,
and local government agencies; elected officials; environmental and
public interest groups; Native American tribes; other interested
parties; 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.
If you are a landowner receiving this notice, you may be contacted
by a Northwest representative about the acquisition of an easement to
construct, operate, and maintain the proposed facilities. The pipeline
company would seek to negotiate a mutually acceptable agreement.
However, if the project is approved by the FERC, that approval conveys
with it the right of eminent domain. Therefore, if easement
negotiations fail to produce an agreement, the pipeline company could
initiate condemnation proceedings in accordance with Washington state
law.
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 FERC's proceedings.
Summary of the Proposed Project
Northwest proposes to construct approximately 81 miles of new 36-
inch-diameter pipeline in four loops \2\ located in Whatcom, Skagit,
Snohomish, King, Pierce, and Thurston Counties, Washington. The new
loops would be adjacent to Northwest's existing 26-inch- and 30-inch-
diameter mainlines and primarily within Northwest's
[[Page 44531]]
existing right-of-way. Mainline block valves and pig \3\ launcher/
receiver facilities would be installed along the loops. The Capacity
Replacement Project would also involve the total net addition of 17,120
horsepower at five existing compressor stations (one each in Whatcom,
Skagit, Snohomish, Lewis, and Clark Counties, Washington). A general
overview of the major project facilities is shown on figure 1 in
appendix 1.\4\
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\2\ A loop is a segment of pipeline that is usually installed
adjacent to an existing pipeline and connected to it at both ends.
The loop allows more gas to be moved through the system.
\3\ A pig is an internal tool that can be used to clean and dry
a pipeline and/or to inspect it for damage or corrosion.
\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 Room 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. Requests for detailed maps
of the proposed facilities should be made directly to Northwest via
e-mail at nwpcapacityreplacement@williams.com or by calling 1-866-
623-4336.
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The purpose of the project is to replace the delivery capacity of
Northwest's existing 26-inch-diameter mainline within a 3-year
timeframe established by the U.S. Department of Transportation under a
Corrective Action Order. Once the new loops are installed, Northwest
would disconnect the entire 26-inch-diameter pipeline and abandon \5\
the system in place.
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\5\ In utility law, the term abandonment refers to government
authorization for a utility to cease provision of a particular
service and/or to shut down a particular facility.
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The Capacity Replacement Project is scheduled to be in service by
November 1, 2006. Northwest is requesting approval to begin compressor
station work in March 2006 and pipeline construction in May 2006. The
compressor station modifications would take a maximum of 7 months;
pipeline construction is estimated to take approximately 5 months.
Land Requirements for Construction
Construction of Northwest's proposed pipeline facilities would
require about 929.6 acres of land, of which 733.9 acres would be within
Northwest's existing maintained right-of-way and 195.7 acres would be
new temporary disturbance. The typical construction right-of-way for
the pipeline would be 95 feet wide, consisting of Northwest's existing
75-foot-wide maintained right-of-way and 20 feet of new temporary
workspace. Additional right-of-way width and temporary extra workspace
would be required at certain feature crossings and areas requiring
topsoil segregation and special construction techniques.
The pipeline loops would be generally installed within Northwest's
existing 75-foot-wide right-of-way using a standard 20-foot offset from
the existing 30-inch-diameter mainline. At certain locations (e.g.,
utility and road crossings), variations from this standard offset would
be needed. Most variations would still be located within the existing
right-of-way but offset at slightly wider or narrower intervals. In
some areas, the proposed pipeline would deviate from the existing
right-of-way due to topographic or resource/land use constraints. In
certain areas where encroachment, development, or other limitations
confine available workspace to the existing right-of-way, Northwest
would remove the existing 26-inch-diameter mainline and install the new
36-inch-diameter pipeline loop in the same ditch.
Northwest currently retains a 75-foot-wide permanent right-of-way
for the majority of its existing pipelines. Because the majority of the
new pipeline loops would be installed within the existing 75-foot-wide
right-of-way, no additional permanent right-of-way would be required.
However, in some locations, Northwest retains only a 60-foot-wide
permanent right-of-way. In these areas, Northwest may request
additional operational right-of-way to bring the easement up to 75 feet
if space is available and the landowner is willing to expand the
easement. If the proposed pipeline loop would deviate from the existing
right-of-way, Northwest would typically retain a 75-foot-wide new
permanent right-of-way (37.5 feet on either side of the pipeline).
The modifications to the existing compressor stations would be
constructed within the existing facility sites, except for a 1.6-acre
extra workspace that would be temporarily needed at the Sumas
Compressor Station and a 1.0-acre extra workspace that would be
temporarily needed at the Chehalis Compressor Station.
Mainline block valves would be installed within the permanent
right-of-way at the beginning and end points of each loop and at
intermediate locations as necessary. The majority of the proposed
mainline valves would be collocated with existing mainline valves and
other aboveground facilities. Pig launchers and receivers would be
installed within the permanent right-of-way at the beginning and end
points of each loop. The majority of the proposed pig launchers and
receivers would be collocated with existing aboveground facilities.
The EIS Process
NEPA requires the FERC 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. Ecology,
as the lead State agency, is required to consider the same potential
impacts under SEPA. The EIS we are preparing will give both the FERC
and Ecology the information needed to do that.
Although no formal application has been filed, we have already
initiated our NEPA review under the FERC's NEPA Pre-Filing Process. The
purpose of the Pre-Filing Process is to encourage the early involvement
of interested stakeholders and to identify and resolve issues before an
application is filed with the FERC. Ecology has agreed to conduct its
SEPA review in conjunction with the NEPA Pre-Filing Process. A diagram
depicting the environmental review process for the project is attached
to this notice as appendix 2.
As part of our NEPA Pre-Filing Process review, representatives from
the FERC participated in public open houses sponsored by Northwest in
the project area on June 28-30 and July 12-15, 2004, to explain the
environmental review process to interested stakeholders and take
comments about the project. On July 1, 2004, the FERC staff conducted
an interagency scoping meeting in the project area to solicit comments
and concerns about the project from jurisdictional agencies. Agencies
present at the meeting included the COE, NOAA Fisheries, Fort Lewis
Army Base, Ecology, the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, the
Washington Department of Natural Resources, and the Washington
Utilities and Transportation Commission. The Lummi Nation was also
represented.
By this notice, we are formally announcing our preparation of the
EIS and requesting additional agency and public comments to help us
focus the analysis in the EIS on the potentially significant
environmental issues related to the proposed action. If you provided
comments at the interagency scoping meeting discussed above, you do not
need to resubmit the same comments.
Our independent analysis of the issues will be included in a draft
EIS. The draft EIS will be mailed to Federal, 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 FERC's
official service list for this proceeding. A 45-day comment period will
be allotted for review of the draft EIS. We will consider all timely
comments on the draft EIS and revise the document, as necessary, before
issuing a final EIS.
[[Page 44532]]
Currently Identified Environmental Issues
The EIS will discuss impacts that could occur as a result of the
construction and operation of the proposed project. We have already
identified a number of issues and alternatives that we think deserve
attention based on a preliminary review of the proposed facilities, the
environmental information provided by Northwest, and the scoping
comments received to date. This preliminary list of issues and
alternatives may be changed based on your comments and our additional
analysis.
Geology and Soils:
--Assessment of potential geological hazards.
--Erosion and sedimentation control.
--Right-of-way restoration.
Water Resources:
--Impact on groundwater and surface water supplies.
--Impact on wetland hydrology and assessment of wetland mitigation
options.
--Effect of pipeline crossings on perennial and intermittent
waterbodies.
--Assessment of special measures for the crossing of Saar Creek,
North Fork Nooksack River, Pilchuck Creek, North Fork Stillaguamish
River, South Fork Stillaguamish River, and the Nisqually River.
--Assessment of contingency plans for frac-outs associated with
horizontal directional drills.
--Assessment of alternative waterbody crossing methods.
--Effect of streambottom scour on the new and existing pipelines.
--Assessment of hydrostatic test water sources and discharge
locations.
Fish, Wildlife, and Vegetation:
--Effect on coldwater and sensitive fisheries.
--Effect on wildlife resources and their habitat.
--Effect on migratory birds.
--Assessment of construction time window restrictions.
--Effect on riparian vegetation.
--Assessment of measures to successfully revegetate the right-of-
way.
Special Status Species:
--Potential effect on federally listed or proposed species
(including the northern spotted owl).
--Assessment of mitigation for impacts on the northern spotted owl
and its designated critical habitat.
--Potential effect on State-listed sensitive species.
Cultural Resources:
--Assessment of survey methodologies.
--Effect on historic and prehistoric sites.
--Native American and tribal concerns, including impacts on
traditional cultural properties and fishing rights.
Land Use, Recreation and Special Interest Areas, and Visual
Resources:
--Impacts on 16.4 miles of agricultural land.
--Impacts on approximately 182 residences within 50 feet of the
construction work area.
--Impacts on Fort Lewis.
--Evaluation of the project's consistency with regional and local
land use management plans, policies, and ordinances, including the
Shoreline Management Act and Shoreline Master Programs.
--Impacts associated with contaminated sites.
--Visual impacts.
Socioeconomics:
--Effects on transportation and traffic.
--Effects of construction workforce demands on public services and
temporary housing.
Air Quality and Noise:
--Effects on local air quality and noise environment from
construction and operation of the proposed facilities.
Reliability and Safety:
--Assessment of hazards associated with natural gas pipelines.
Alternatives:
--Assessment of the potential to add compression to eliminate or
minimize pipeline construction.
--Assessment of the potential to change the locations of the
pipeline loops to lessen or avoid impacts on residences and various
resource and special interest areas.
--Identification of route variations and/or non-standard parallel
offsets to lessen or avoid impacts.
--Assessment of returning the existing 26-inch-diameter pipeline to
permanent service to eliminate or minimize new pipeline construction.
--Evaluation of removing the 26-inch-diameter pipeline and
installing the 36-inch-diameter pipeline loops in the same ditch for
the entire project.
Cumulative Impact:
--Assessment of the effect of the proposed project when combined
with other past, present, or future actions in the same region.
Public Participation
You can make a difference by providing us with your specific
comments or concerns about Northwest's proposal. Your comments should
focus on the potential environmental effects, reasonable alternatives,
and measures to avoid or lessen environmental impact. The more specific
your comments, the more useful they will be. To expedite our receipt
and consideration of your comments, the Commission strongly encourages
electronic submission of any comments on this project. See title 18
Code of Federal Regulations 385.2001(a)(1)(iii) and the instructions on
the Commission's Internet Web site at http://www.ferc.gov under the
``eFiling'' link and the link to the User's Guide. Before you can
submit comments you will need to create a free account by clicking on
``Sign-up'' under ``New User.'' You will be asked to select the type of
submission you are making. This type of submission is considered a
``Comment on Filing.'' Your comments must be submitted electronically
by August 18, 2004.
If you wish to mail comments, please mail your comments so that
they will be received in Washington, DC on or before August 18, 2004,
and carefully follow these instructions:
Send an original and two copies of your letter to:
Magalie R. Salas, Secretary, Federal Energy Regulatory
Commission, 888 First Street, NE., Room 1A, Washington, DC 20426;
Label one copy of your comments for the attention of the
Gas Branch 2, DG2E; and
Reference Docket No. PF04-10-000 on the original and both
copies.
The public scoping meetings, which will be joint NEPA/SEPA scoping
meetings, are designed to provide another opportunity to offer comments
on the proposed project. Interested groups and individuals are
encouraged to attend the meetings and to present comments on the
environmental issues they believe should be addressed in the EIS. A
transcript of the meetings will be generated so that your comments will
be accurately recorded. All meetings will begin at 7 p.m. (p.s.t.), and
are scheduled as follows:
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Date Location
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Monday, August 2, 2004....... Hawthorn Inn & Suites, 16710 Smokey Point
Blvd., Arlington, WA 98223; (360) 657-
0500.
Tuesday, August 3, 2004..... Marriott Redmond Town Center, 7401 164th
Avenue, NE., Redmond, WA 98052; (425)
498-4120.
Wednesday, August 4, 2004.... Prairie Hotel, 700 Prairie Park Lane,
Yelm, WA 98597; (360) 458-8300.
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Everyone who responds to this notice or provides comments
throughout the EIS process will be retained on our mailing list. If you
do not want to send comments at this time but still want to stay
informed and receive copies of the draft and final EISs, you must
return the Mailing List Retention Form (appendix 3). If you do not send
comments or return the Mailing List Retention Form asking to remain on
the mailing list, you will be taken off the mailing list.
Once Northwest formally files its application with the Commission,
you may want to become an official party to the proceeding known as an
``intervenor.'' Intervenors play a more formal role in the process and
are able to file briefs, appear at hearings, and be heard by the courts
if they choose to appeal the Commission's final ruling. An intervenor
formally participates in a Commission proceeding by filing a request to
intervene. Instructions for becoming an intervenor are included in the
User's Guide under the ``eFiling'' link on the Commission's Web site.
Please note that you may not request intervenor status at this time.
You must wait until a formal application is filed with the Commission.
Affected landowners and parties with environmental concerns may be
granted intervenor status upon showing good cause by stating that they
have a clear and direct interest in this proceeding that would not be
adequately represented by any other parties. You do not need intervenor
status to have your environmental comments considered.
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 (i.e., PFO4-10). Be sure you have selected an appropriate
date range. For assistance, please contact FERC Online Support at
http:http://www.FERCOnlineSupport@ferc.gov">//www.FERCOnlineSupport@ferc.gov or toll free at 1-866-208-3676,
or for TTY, contact (202) 502-8659. 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 rule makings.
In addition, the FERC now offers a free service called
eSubscription that allows you to 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. To register for this service, go to http://www.ferc.gov/esubscribenow.htm
.
Finally, Northwest has established an Internet Web site for its
project at http://www.williams.com/williamsinwashington/. The Web site
includes a description of the project and an overview map of the
proposed loops. Northwest will continue to update its Web site with
information about the project.
Magalie R. Salas,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. E4-1649 Filed 7-23-04; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P