[Federal Register: November 9, 2007 (Volume 72, Number 217)]
[Notices]
[Page 63567-63569]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr09no07-54]
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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
[Docket No. CP08-2-000]
El Paso Natural Gas Company; Notice of Intent To Prepare an
Environmental Assessment for the Proposed Eunice Replacement Project
and Request for Comments on Environmental Issues
November 2, 2007.
The staff of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC or
Commission) will prepare an environmental assessment (EA) that will
discuss the environmental impacts of the Eunice Replacement Project
(Project) involving the abandonment of existing natural gas compression
facilities, and construction and operation of new natural gas
compression facilities by El Paso Natural Gas Company (EPNG) in Lea
County, New Mexico.\1\ The EA will be used by the Commission in its
decisionmaking process to determine whether the project is in the
public convenience and necessity.
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\1\ On October 2, 2007, EPNG filed its application with the
Commission under section 7(c) of the Natural Gas Act, 15 United
States Code Sec. 717(b)(a), and Parts 157 and 284 of the
Commission's regulations. The Commission filed its notice of
application on October 11, 2007.
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A fact sheet prepared by the FERC entitled ``An Interstate Natural
Gas Facility On My Land? What Do I Need To Know?'' was attached to the
project notice EPNG provided to affected landowners. 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.
It is available for viewing on the FERC Internet Web site
(http://www.ferc.gov).
Summary of the Proposed Project
EPNG seeks authority to abandon in place:
Its existing Eunice Mainline Compressor Station consisting
of 11 Clark BA-5 and one Clark HBA-5 reciprocating compressor units,
rated at approximately 12,100 ISO HP, with appurtenances and related
structures; and
an existing pig launcher.
EPNG also seeks authority to construct on land owned by EPNG:
A 600 foot segment of 30 pipeline to connect
the discharge of the proposed Eunice C Compressor Station to the
California Line and serve as a bypass of the abandoned Eunice Mainline
Compressor Station;
Two gas turbine-drive Taurus 60 compressor units on the
Eunice C Compressor Station site, totaling approximately 15,600 ISO HP;
A compressor unit building to house the compressor units;
A pig launcher/check meter station within the proposed
Eunice C Compressor Station site; and
A valve station within the proposed Eunice C Compressor
Station site.
In addition, EPNG seeks authority to up-rate, on land owned by
EPNG, a 1,700 foot segment of pipeline (Line 1135) to a maximum
allowable operating pressure (MAOP) of 837 psig. EPNG would connect
this segment of Line 1135, currently located on the suction side of the
existing Eunice Mainline Compressor Station, to the discharge of the
proposed Eunice C Compressor Station.
The general location of the project facilities is shown in Appendix
1.\2\
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\2\ The appendices referenced in this notice are not being
printed in the Federal Register. Copies of all appendices, other
than Appendix 1 (maps), are available on the Commission's website at
the ``eLibrary'' link or from the Commission's Public Reference
Room, 888 First Street, NE., Washington, DC 20426, or call (202)
502-8371. For instructions on connecting to eLibrary, refer to the
last page of this notice. Copies of the appendices were sent to all
those receiving this notice in the mail.
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Land Requirements for Construction
Construction of the proposed facilities would require about 16.8
acres of land. Following construction, about 3.0 acres would be
permanently impacted by the new Eunice C Compressor Station. All
project facilities would be maintained within existing EPNG property.
The EA Process
The National Environmental Policy Act (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 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. By this Notice of Intent, the Commission staff
requests public comments on the scope of the issues to address in the
EA. All comments received are considered during the preparation of the
EA. State and local government representatives are encouraged to notify
their constituents of this proposed action and encourage them to
comment on their areas of concern.
[[Page 63568]]
In the EA, we \3\ will discuss impacts that could occur as a result
of the construction and operation of the proposed project under these
general headings:
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\3\ ``We'', ``us'', and ``our'' refer to the environmental staff
of the Office of Energy Projects (OEP).
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Geology and Soils
Land Use
Water Resources, Fisheries, and Wetlands
Cultural Resources
Vegetation and Wildlife
Threatened and Endangered Species
Air Quality and Noise
We will also evaluate reasonable alternatives to the proposed
project or portions of the project, and make recommendations on how to
lessen or avoid impacts on the various resource areas.
Our independent analysis of the issues will be in the EA. Depending
on the comments received during the scoping process, the EA may be
published and mailed to federal, state, and local agencies, public
interest groups, interested individuals, affected landowners,
newspapers, libraries, and the Commission's official service list for
this proceeding. A comment period will be allotted for review if the EA
is published. We will consider all comments on the EA before we make
our recommendations to the Commission.
To ensure your comments are considered, please carefully follow the
instructions in the public participation section below.
Currently Identified Environmental Issues
We have already identified the following issues that we think
deserve attention based on a preliminary review of the proposed
facilities and the environmental information provided by EPNG. This
preliminary list of issues may be changed based on your comments and
our analysis.
The net impact on air quality and noise of the general
project area may be positively affected by the abandonment of the
existing compressor station and operation of the proposed new
compressor station.
No impacts would occur to water resources, fisheries or
wetlands. Other than air emissions and noise, all impacts would occur
within existing EPNG property.
Public Participation
You can make a difference by providing us with your specific
comments or concerns about the project. By becoming a commenter, your
concerns will be addressed in the EA and considered by the Commission.
You should focus on the potential environmental effects of the
proposal, alternatives to the proposal (including alternative
locations), and measures to avoid or lessen environmental impact. The
more specific your comments, the more useful they will be. Please
carefully follow these instructions to ensure that your comments are
received in time and properly recorded:
Send an original and two copies of your letter to:
Kimberly D. Bose, Secretary, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 888
First St., NE., Room 1A, Washington, DC 20426.
Label one copy of the comments for the attention of OEP/
DG2E, Gas Branch 3.
Reference Docket No. CP08-2-000.
Mail your comments so that they will be received in
Washington, DC on or before December 3, 2007.
We will include all comments that we receive within a reasonable
time frame in our environmental analysis of this project. However, the
Commission strongly encourages electronic filing of any comments or
interventions or protests to this proceeding. See 18 CFR
385.2001(a)(1)(iii) and the instructions on the Commission's Web site
at http://www.ferc.gov under the ``e-Filing'' link and the link to the
User's Guide. Before you can file comments you will need to create a
free account which can be created on-line.
We may mail the EA for comment. If you are interested in receiving
it, please return the Information Request (Appendix 3). If you do not
return the Information Request, you will be taken off the mailing list.
Becoming an Intervenor
In addition to involvement in the EA scoping process, you may want
to become an official party to the proceeding, or ``intervenor''. To
become an intervenor you must file a motion to intervene according to
Rule 214 of the Commission's Rules of Practice and Procedure (18 CFR
385.214). Intervenors have the right to seek rehearing of the
Commission's decision. Motions to Intervene should be electronically
submitted using the Commission's eFiling system at http://www.ferc.gov.
Persons without Internet access should send an original and 14 copies
of their motion to the Secretary of the Commission at the address
indicated previously. Persons filing Motions to Intervene on or before
the comment deadline indicated above must send a copy of the motion to
the Applicant. All filings, including late interventions, submitted
after the comment deadline must be served on the Applicant and all
other intervenors identified on the Commission's service list for this
proceeding. Persons on the service list with e-mail addresses may be
served electronically; others must be served a hard copy of the filing.
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 which would not be
adequately represented by any other parties. You do not need intervenor
status to have your environmental comments considered.
Environmental Mailing List
An effort is being made to send this notice to all individuals,
organizations, and government entities interested in and/or potentially
affected by the proposed project. This includes all landowners who are
potential right-of-way grantors, whose property may be used temporarily
for project purposes, or who own land within distances defined in the
Commission's regulations of certain aboveground facilities. By this
notice we are also asking governmental agencies, especially those in
Appendix 2, to express their interest in becoming cooperating agencies
for the preparation of the EA.
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,
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 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 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. Go to http://www.ferc.gov/esubscribenow.htm.
[[Page 63569]]
Finally, 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.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. E7-22022 Filed 11-8-07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P