[Federal Register: October 30, 2006 (Volume 71, Number 209)]
[Notices]
[Page 63305-63307]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr30oc06-76]
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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
[Docket No. PF06-32-000]
Transcontinental Gas Pipe Line Corporation; Notice of Intent To
Prepare an Environmental Assessment for the Proposed Sentinel Expansion
Project; Request for Comments on Environmental Issues and Notice of
Public Scoping Meeting
October 18, 2006.
The staff of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC or
Commission) will prepare an environmental assessment (EA) that will
discuss the environmental impacts of Transcontinental Gas Pipe Line
Corporation's (Transco's) planned Sentinel Expansion Project located in
Pennsylvania and New Jersey. 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 the Commission staff
determine which issues need to be evaluated in the EA. Please note that
the scoping period will close on November 18, 2006.
Comments may be submitted in written form or verbally. In lieu of
sending written comments, you are invited to attend the public scoping
meeting that has been scheduled in the project area in Exton,
Pennsylvania, on November 8, 2006. Further details on how to submit
written comments and additional details of the public scoping meeting
area are provided in the public participation section of this notice.
The FERC will be the lead Federal agency for the preparation of the
EA. The document will satisfy the requirements of the National
Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and will be used by the FERC to
consider the environmental impacts that could result if it issues
Transco a Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity under Section
7 of the Natural Gas Act.
With this notice, the FERC staff is 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 EA. These agencies may choose to participate once
they have evaluated Transco'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.
This notice is being sent to affected landowners; Federal, State,
and local government representatives and agencies; environmental and
public interest groups; Native American tribes; other interested
parties in this proceeding; 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 Transco 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 State law.
A fact sheet prepared by the FERC, ``An Interstate Natural Gas
Facility on My Land? What Do I Need To Know?'' is available for viewing
on the FERC Web site (http://www.ferc.gov). This fact sheet addresses a
number of typically asked questions, including those focusing on the
use of eminent domain and how to participate in the FERC's proceedings.
Summary of the Proposed Project
Transco proposes to expand its natural gas transmission system to
provide incremental firm service of 151,000 dekatherms per day (Dt/d)
in Transco's market area. More specifically, Transco seeks authority to
construct the following facilities in various counties in Pennsylvania
and New Jersey:
Construct approximately 10.58 miles of 42-inch-diameter
pipeline loop in Chester County, Pennsylvania (Downingtown Loop);
Construct approximately 5.48 miles of 42-inch-diameter
extension in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania (Conygham Loop);
[[Page 63306]]
Construct approximately 5.27 miles of 42-inch-diameter
pipeline extension in Northampton and Monroe Counties, Pennsylvania
(Wind Gap Loop);
Construct approximately 3.78 miles of 42-inch-diameter
pipeline loop in Somerset County, New Jersey (Mountain View Loop);
Construct approximately 1.25 miles of 42-inch-diameter
pipeline extension in Union County, New Jersey (Turnpike Loop); and
Modifications at two existing compressor stations in York
and Chester Counties, Pennsylvania.
Location maps depicting Transco's proposed facilities and alternate
sites are provided in Appendix 1.\1\
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\1\ The appendices referenced in this notice are not being
printed in the Federal Register. Copies are available on the
Commission's Web site (excluding maps) at the eLibrary link or from
the Commission's Public Reference Room or by calling (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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The EA 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. The EA
will give the FERC the information needed to do that.
Although no formal application has been filed, we have already
initiated a NEPA review under the FERC's Pre-filing Process, which was
established in Docket No. RM05-31-000 and Order No. 665. The purpose of
the Pre-filing Process is to seek public and agency input early in the
project planning phase and encourage involvement by interested
stakeholders in a manner that allows for the early identification and
resolution of environmental issues. We will work with all interested
stakeholders to identify and attempt to address issues before Transco
files its application with the FERC. A diagram depicting the
environmental review process for the proposed project is attached to
this notice as Appendix 2.
As part of the Pre-filing Process review, FERC staff
representatives participated in public open houses sponsored by Transco
in the project area on August 21-23, 2006, to explain the environmental
review process to interested stakeholders and take comments about the
project. In November 2006, we plan to continue the Pre-filing Process
review by conducting interagency scoping meetings in the project area
to solicit comments and concerns about the project from other
jurisdictional agencies.
By this notice, the FERC Staff is formally announcing their
preparation of the EA and requesting agency and public comments to help
focus the analysis in the EA on the potentially significant
environmental issues related to the proposed action. If you provide
comments at an interagency scoping meeting, you do not need to resubmit
the same comments in response to this notice.
The FERC Staffs' independent analysis of the issues will be
included in the EA. The EA 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 30-day comment period will
be allotted for review of the EA. We will consider all comments
submitted on the EA in any Commission Order that is issued for the
project.
Currently Identified Environmental Issues
We have already identified several issues that we think deserve
attention based on a preliminary review of the proposed facilities,
environmental information provided by Transco, and comments gathered
from concerned citizens at Transco's open houses. This preliminary list
of issues may be changed based on your comments and our analysis:
Potential impacts on the Brandywine Creek;
Potential impacts on the coastal zone in New Jersey;
Potential impacts on wetlands;
Potential impacts on threatened or endangered species;
Potential impacts on the Appalachian Trail;
Safety concerns of the pipeline;
Potential impacts on residential areas; and
Potential impacts on historic resources.
Public Participation
You can make a difference by providing us with your specific
comments or concerns about the proposals. Your comments should focus on
the potential environmental effects and reasonable alternatives and
measures to avoid or lessen environmental impacts. The more specific
your comments, the more useful they will be. To expedite our receipt
and consideration of your comments, electronic submission of them is
strongly encouraged. See Title 18 CFR 385.2001(a)(1)(iii) and the
instructions on the FERC 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.
Comments submitted electronically must be submitted by November 18,
2006.
If you wish to mail your comments, please mail them so that they
will be received in Washington, DC, on or before November 18, 2006, 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
St., NE., Room 1A, Washington, DC 20426;
Label one copy of the comments for the attention of Gas
Branch 2, DG2E; and
Reference Docket No. PF06-32-000 on the original and both
copies.
The public scoping meeting is designed to provide another
opportunity to offer comments on the proposed project. Interested
groups and individuals are encouraged to attend the meeting and present
comments on the environmental issues they believe should be addressed
in the EA. A transcript of the meeting will be generated so that your
comments will be accurately recorded. The meeting is scheduled for
November 8, 2006, at 7 p.m. (EST) and will be held at: The Inn at
Chester Springs, The Pickering II Room, 815 North Pottstown Pike,
Exton, PA 19341; (610) 363-1100.
When Transco submits its application for authorization to construct
and operate the Sentinel Expansion Project, the Commission will publish
a Notice of Application in the Federal Register and will establish a
deadline for interested persons to intervene in the proceeding. Because
the Commission's Pre-filing Process occurs before an application to
begin a proceeding is officially filed, petitions to intervene during
this process are premature and will not be accepted by the Commission.
Environmental Mailing List
Everyone who responds to this notice or provides comments
throughout the EA process will be retained on the mailing list. If you
do not want to send comments at this time but still want to stay
informed and receive copies of the EA, 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
[[Page 63307]]
remain on the mailing list, you will be taken off the mailing list.
Availability of Additional Information
Additional information about the project is available from the
Commission's Office of External Affairs at 1-866-208 FERC (3372) or on
the FERC Web site (http://www.ferc.gov). Using the eLibrary link,
select General Search from the eLibrary menu, enter the selected date
range and Docket Number (i.e., PF06-32-000), and follow the
instructions. Searches may also be done using the phrase ``Sentinel
Expansion'' in the Text Search field. For assistance with access to
eLibrary, the helpline can be reached at 1-866-208-3676, TTY (202) 502-
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
.
Public meetings or site visits will be posted on the Commission's
calendar located at http://www.ferc.gov/EventCalendar/EventsList.aspx
along with other related information. Finally, Transco has established
a Web site for its project at http://www.williams.com/sentinel. The
site includes a project overview, contact information, regulatory
overview, and construction procedures. Transco will continue to update
its Web site with information about the project. You can also request
additional information by calling Transco directly, toll-free at 1-866-
455-9103.
Magalie R. Salas,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. E6-18099 Filed 10-27-06; 8:45am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P