[Federal Register: March 7, 2005 (Volume 70, Number 43)]
[Notices]
[Page 11004-11005]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr07mr05-59]
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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
[Docket Nos. CP05-32-000 and CP05-32-001]
Northwest Pipeline Corporation; Notice of Availability of the
Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the Proposed Capacity
Replacement Project
March 1, 2005.
The staff of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (Commission
or FERC) has prepared a draft environmental impact statement (EIS) on
the natural gas pipeline facilities and abandonment activities proposed
by Northwest Pipeline Corporation (Northwest) in the above-referenced
docket. The Capacity Replacement Project would be located in various
counties in Washington.
The draft EIS was prepared to satisfy the requirements of the
National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). The FERC staff concludes that
approval of the proposed project with appropriate mitigating measures
as recommended, would have limited adverse environmental impact.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (COE) is participating as a
cooperating agency in the preparation of the EIS because the project
would require permits pursuant to section 404 of the Clean Water Act
(33 United States Code (U.S.C.) 1344) and section 10 of the Rivers and
Harbors Act (33 U.S.C. 403). The COE would adopt the EIS pursuant to
Title 40 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Section 1506.3 if, after an
independent review of the document, it concludes that its comments and
suggestions have been satisfied.
The Washington State Department of Ecology (WDOE) is participating
as a cooperating agency in the preparation of the EIS because it has
been designated the lead agency under the State Environmental Policy
Act (SEPA) and is responsible for compliance with SEPA procedural
requirements as well as for compiling and assessing information on the
environmental aspects of the proposal for all agencies with
jurisdiction in Washington. NEPA documents may be used to meet SEPA
requirements if the requirements of the State of Washington
Administrative Code (WAC) 197-11-610 and 197-11-630 are met. In
compliance with SEPA requirements, this Notice of Availability includes
the information required for a SEPA EIS Cover Letter and Fact Sheet.
When the final EIS is completed, the WDOE would adopt it if an
independent review of the document confirms that it meets the WDOE's
environmental review standards.
The purpose of the Capacity Replacement Project is to replace the
majority of the delivery capacity of Northwest's existing 268-mile-
long, 26-inch-diameter pipeline between Sumas and Washougal, Washington
in response to a Corrective Action Order issued by the U.S. Department
of Transportation. The proposed facilities are designed to provide up
to 360 thousand dekatherms per day of natural gas transportation
capacity.
This draft EIS addresses the potential environmental effects
(beneficial and adverse) of Northwest's proposal to:
Construct and operate 79.5 miles of new 36-inch-diameter
pipeline in 4 separate loops \1\ in Whatcom, Skagit, Snohomish, King,
Pierce, and Thurston Counties;
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\1\ 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.
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Modify 5 existing compressor stations, one each in
Whatcom, Skagit, Snohomish, Lewis, and Clark Counties for a total of
10,760 net horsepower of new compression;
Install various pig \2\ launchers, pig receivers, and
mainline valves;
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\2\ 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.
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Abandon the existing 26-inch-diameter pipeline between
Sumas and Washougal with the exception of a short segment within and
between the existing Jackson Prairie Meter Station and the Chehalis
Compressor Station; and
Use 13 pipe storage and contractor yards on a temporary
basis to support construction activities.
Northwest proposes to begin construction in March 2006 \3\ and
place the facilities in service by November 1, 2006. Abandonment of the
26-inch-diameter facilities that are currently in service cannot be
completed until the Capacity Replacement Project is placed in service.
All abandonment activities would be completed on or before December 31,
2006.
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\3\ Northwest has requested that three river crossings be
authorized to begin in late 2005 if weather permits.
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The FERC, the COE, and the WDOE have three alternative courses of
action in considering Northwest's proposal. These options include
granting authorizations with or without conditions, denying
authorizations, or postponing action pending further study. In
accordance with the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) regulations
implementing NEPA, no agency decision on the proposed action may be
made until 30 days after the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
publishes a Notice of Availability of the final EIS in the Federal
Register. However, the CEQ regulations provide an exception to this
rule when an agency decision is subject to a formal internal appeal
process that allows other agencies or the public to make their views
known. This is the case at the FERC, where any Commission decision on
the proposed action would be subject to a 30-day rehearing period.
Therefore, the lead agency decision may be made at the same time that
notice of the final EIS is published by the EPA, allowing the appeal
periods to run concurrently.
After notice of the final EIS is published by the EPA, the COE
would issue its own Record of Decision (ROD) adopting the EIS. The ROD
would include the COE's section 404(b)(1) analysis. After issuance of
the ROD, the COE could issue the section 404 and section 10 permits.
After the final EIS is issued, the WDOE would adopt it by
identifying the document and stating why it is being adopted using the
adoption form in WAC 197-11-965. The adoption form would be circulated
to agencies with jurisdiction and to persons or organizations that have
expressed an interest in the proposal. No action may be taken on the
proposal until 7 days after the statement of adoption form has been
issued. Once the 7-day waiting period is completed, the WDOE could
begin issuing permits. Other state and local agencies cannot issue
permits until the adoption procedure is complete.
[[Page 11005]]
The key environmental issues facing the agency decision makers
relate to impacts on residential areas, waterbodies, and wetlands.
These issues are addressed in the draft EIS. The draft EIS also
evaluates alternatives to the proposal, including system alternatives,
new pipeline corridors, and alternative configurations of Northwest's
system; route variations and non-standard parallel offsets; abandonment
alternatives; and construction method alternatives. The permits,
approvals, and consultations required for the project are listed in
section 1.5 of the draft EIS; Appendix T lists the authors and
principal contributors to the draft EIS.
Comment Procedures and Public Meetings
Any person wishing to comment on the draft EIS may do so. To
expedite the FERC staff's receipt and consideration of your comments,
the Commission strongly encourages electronic submission of comments on
the draft EIS. See Title 18 CFR 385.2001(a)(1)(iii) and the
instructions on the Commission's Internet Web site (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 April 25, 2005.
If you wish to mail comments, please mail your comments so that
they will be received in Washington, DC, on or before April 25, 2005
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;
Reference Docket Nos. CP05-32-000, -001 on the original
and both copies; and
Label one copy of your comments for the attention of the
Gas Branch 2, DG2E.
In addition to or in lieu of sending written comments, you are
invited to attend the public comment meetings the FERC staff will
conduct in the project area. All meetings will begin at 7 p.m. (PST),
and are scheduled as follows:
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Date Location
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Monday, April 11, 2005.................... Hawthorn Inn & Suites, 16710
Smokey Point Blvd.,
Arlington, WA 98223, (360)
657-0500.
Tuesday, April 12, 2005................... Marriott Redmond Town
Center, 7401 164th Avenue,
NE., Redmond, WA 98052,
(425) 498-4120.
Wednesday, April 13, 2005................. Prairie Hotel, 700 Prairie
Park Lane, Yelm, WA 98597,
(360) 458-8300.
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These meetings will be posted on the Commission's calendar located
at http://www.ferc.gov/EventCalendar/EventsList.aspx along with other
related information. Interested groups and individuals are encouraged
to attend and present oral comments on the draft EIS. Transcripts of
the meetings will be prepared.
After the comments are reviewed, any significant new issues are
investigated, and modifications are made to the draft EIS, a final EIS
will be published and distributed by the FERC staff. The final EIS will
contain the staff's responses to timely comments received on the draft
EIS.
Comments will be considered by the Commission but will not serve to
make the commentor a party to the proceeding. Any person seeking to
become a party to the proceeding must file a motion to intervene
pursuant to Rule 214 of the Commission's Rules of Practice and
Procedures (18 CFR 385.214).
Anyone may intervene in this proceeding based on this draft EIS.
You must file your request to intervene as specified above.\4\ You do
not need intervenor status to have your comments considered.
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\4\ Interventions may also be filed electronically via the
Internet in lieu of paper. See the previous discussion on filing
comments electronically.
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The draft EIS has been placed in the public files of the FERC, the
COE, and the WDOE and is available for public inspection at:
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, Public Reference Room, 888
First Street, NE, Room 2A, Washington, DC 20426, (202) 502-8371.
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Seattle District Library, 4735 East
Marginal Way South, Seattle, WA 98134, (206) 764-3728.
Washington State Department of Ecology, Northwest Regional Office,
Central File Room, 3190 160th Avenue, SE., Bellevue, WA 98008, (425)
649-7190 or (425) 649-7239.
Washington State Department of Ecology, Southwest Regional Office,
Central File Room, 300 Desmond Drive, Lacey, WA 98503, (360) 407-6365.
The draft EIS is also available for viewing on the WDOE's Internet
Web site at http://www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/sea/nw_capacity_replacement
.
A limited number of copies are available from the FERC's Public
Reference Room identified above, at no cost to the public. In addition,
copies of the draft EIS have been mailed to Federal, State, and local
government agencies; elected officials; Native American tribes; local
libraries and newspapers; intervenors in the FERC's proceeding; and
other interested parties (i.e., landowners, miscellaneous individuals,
and environmental groups who provided scoping comments or asked to
remain on the mailing list).
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, please contact FERC Online Support at
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 rulemakings.
In addition, the Commission 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 the eSubscription
link on the FERC Internet Web site.
Information concerning the involvement of the COE is available from
Olivia Romano at (206) 764-6960. Information concerning the involvement
of the WDOE is available from Tiffany Yelton at (425) 649-4310.
Magalie R. Salas,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. E5-906 Filed 3-4-05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P