[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 18 (Monday, January 28, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 4856-4858]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-1421]
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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
[Docket No. PF07-12-000]
Dominion Transmission, Inc.; Notice of Intent to Prepare an
Environmental Assessment for the Proposed Storage Factory Project,
Request for Comments on Environmental Issues, and Notice of Public
Scoping Meetings and Site Visit
January 18, 2008.
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 Storage Factory Project,
involving construction and operation of facilities by Dominion
Transmission, Inc. (Dominion) in Tioga County, Pennsylvania and
Frederick County, Maryland. The EA will be used by the Commission in
its decisionmaking process to determine whether the project is in the
public convenience and necessity.
This notice announces the opening of a second scoping period (due
to changes in the project and design) that will be used to gather
environmental 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 February 19, 2008.
Comments may be submitted in written or verbal form. Further
details on how to submit written comments are provided in the Public
Participation section of this notice. In lieu of sending written
comments, you may choose to attend the public scoping meeting scheduled
as follows:
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Date and time Location
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Wednesday, February 6, 2008, 7 p.m. to 9 Middletown Middle School,
p.m. (EST). 100 High Street,
Middletown, MD 21769,
Telephone: (240) 236-4200.
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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 \1\
encourage government representatives to notify their constituents of
this planned project and encourage them to comment on their areas of
concern.
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\1\ ``We'' ``us'' and ``our'' refer to the environmental staff
of the Office of Energy Projects, part of the Commission staff.
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If you are a landowner receiving this notice, you may be contacted
by a Dominion representative about the acquisition of an easement to
construct, operate, and maintain the proposed project facilities. The
pipeline company would seek to negotiate a mutually acceptable
agreement. However, if the project is approved by the Commission, that
approval conveys with it the right of eminent domain. Therefore, if
easement negotiations fail to produce an agreement, Dominion could
initiate condemnation proceedings in accordance with State law.
A fact sheet prepared by the FERC entitled ``An Interstate Natural
Gas Facility on My Land? What Do I Need to Know?'' 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
On August 29, 2007, we issued a Notice of Intent to Prepare an
Environmental Assessment for the Proposed Storage Factory Project,
Request for Comments on Environmental Issues, and Notice of Public
Scoping Meetings and Site Visit. At the time of that Notice, the
project facilities were all in Pennsylvania. Subsequently, Dominion
made modifications to its project design, which have resulted in the
removal of some facilities and the addition of others. The current
configuration of the proposed facilities is detailed below.
The Storage Factory Project would involve the leaching of two salt
caverns and placing the first cavern in service by 2014. The project
consists of constructing leaching/pumping facilities, a brine
processing facility, water and brine pipelines, and a new compressor
station for gas storage injection/withdrawal purposes in Tioga County,
Pennsylvania. Alternative water sources for leaching of the salt
caverns are also being investigated. Dominion is also proposing piping
upgrades to its existing Sabinsville Storage Pool in Tioga County. In
addition, Dominion proposes construction of a new 14,000 horsepower
compressor station (Middletown Compressor Station) located off of
Marker Road approximately two miles west of Middletown in Frederick
County, Maryland.
As part of its modifications, Dominion has removed the proposed
additional compression at Dominion's existing Ardell Station located in
Elk County, Pennsylvania and approximately 7.5 miles of new 30-inch-
diameter pipeline looping in Clinton County, Pennsylvania.
Dominion anticipates filing an application with the FERC after
March 2008 and to seek the Commission's approval in time for Dominion
to begin construction by March 2009, with a proposed in-service date of
January 2014.
Project location maps are included in Appendix A.\2\
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\2\ The appendices referenced in this notice are not being
printed in the Federal Register. Copies of all appendices are
available on the Commission's Web site 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 ``Additional Information''
section 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 Dominion.
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[[Page 4857]]
Land Requirements for Construction
The Storage Factory Project is in the preliminary planning stage.
The precise facility design, pipeline route, rights-of-way, and other
details have not yet been finalized. Specific information on the
proposed project location and the land used by it will be made
available to the public when it is finalized.
Construction of the proposed project would affect a total of about
190.03 acres during construction. Following construction, about 87.13
acres would be allowed to revert to its previous conditions.
Disturbance associated with aboveground facilities would permanently
impact 57.23 acres of land. This includes the compressor station in
Frederick County which would be located on approximately 11 acres
within a 135 acre site that Dominion is seeking to acquire. The land is
currently used for agriculture.
Dominion proposes to construct the pipelines associated with the
Sabinsville Storage Pool in existing rights-of-way and it would seek a
construction right-of-way width varying between 100-feet and 75-feet
for the pipelines associated with the leaching and proposed gas storage
areas.
The EA Process
For this project, the FERC staff has initiated its National
Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) review prior to receiving the
application. The purpose of the Commission's 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 (PF07-12-000) has been established to place
information filed by Dominion, and related documents issued by the
Commission, into the public record. Once a formal application is filed
with the FERC, a new docket number will be established. The FERC will
be the lead Federal agency for the preparation of the EA which will
satisfy the requirements of NEPA.
The 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, we are requesting public comments on the scope of the
issues that should be addressed in the EA. We will consider all
comments received during scoping in the preparation of the EA.
Our independent analysis and evaluation of the issues will be
included in the EA. The EA will also include possible alternatives to
the proposed project or portions of the project, and we will make
recommendations on how to lessen or avoid impacts on the various
resource areas of concern. Depending on the comments received during
the scoping process, the EA may be published and mailed to Federal,
State, and local agencies; elected officials; environmental and public
interest groups; other interested parties; affected landowners; Native
American tribes; 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
submitted on the EA in any Commission Order that is issued for the
project.
We are currently involved in discussions with other jurisdictional
agencies to identify their issues and concerns. These agencies include
the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service,
Susquehanna River Basin Commission, and Pennsylvania Department of
Environmental Protection.
By this notice, we are asking these and other Federal, State, and
local agencies with jurisdiction and/or special expertise with respect
to environmental issues to formally cooperate with us in the
preparation of the EA. Agencies that would like to request cooperating
status should follow the instructions for filing comments provided
below.
Currently Identified Environmental Issues
The EA will discuss impacts that could occur as a result of the
construction and operation of the proposed project. We have already
identified several issues that we think deserve attention based on a
preliminary review of the project site and the facility information
provided by Dominion. This preliminary list of issues and potential
impacts may change based on your comments and our analysis.
Impacts on perennial and intermittent streams and
waterbodies.
Evaluation of temporary and permanent impacts on wetlands
and development of appropriate mitigation.
Effect on federally and State-listed species.
Alternative leaching water sources.
Impacts on existing land uses.
Visual impacts of the aboveground facilities on
surrounding areas.
Impacts on local air and noise quality associated with
construction and operation.
Impacts on cultural resources.
Public safety and potential hazards associated with the
transport of natural gas and the proposed compressor facilities.
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.
Your comments should focus on the potential environmental effects of
the proposal, reasonable alternatives to the proposal (including
alternative locations and routes), and measures to avoid or lessen
environmental impact. The more specific your comments, the more useful
they will be. If you have already mailed in comments in response to the
initial Notice for this project, your comments will still be considered
and you do not need to resubmit your comments. 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 Street, NE., Room 1A, Washington, DC 20426.
Label one copy of the comments for the attention of Gas
Branch 1;
Reference Docket No. PF07-12-000;
Mail your comments so that they will be received in
Washington, DC, on or before February 19, 2008.
Please note that the Commission strongly encourages electronic
filing of comments. See 18 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR)
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. 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 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.''
The public scoping meeting (date, time, and location is listed
above) is designed to provide state and local agencies, interested
groups, affected landowners, and the general public with
[[Page 4858]]
another opportunity to offer your comments on the project. Interested
groups and individuals are encouraged to attend the meeting and to
present comments on the environmental issues they believe should be
addressed in the EA. A transcript of the meeting will be made so that
your comments will be accurately recorded.\3\
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\3\ We previously held a public scoping meeting on September 18,
2007, in Lawrenceville, Pennsylvania to address Dominion's proposed
facilities in Pennsylvania.
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All public meetings will be posted on the Commission's calendar
located at http://www.ferc.gov/EventCalendar/EventsList.aspx along with
other related information.
Once Dominion 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 ``e-filing'' 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.
Site Visit
On February 6, 2008, the Office of Energy Projects staff will
conduct a pre-certification site visit of the proposed Middletown
Compressor Station in Middletown, Maryland. We will view Dominion's
proposed compressor station site and possibly alternative sites that
are being considered for the proposed project. Staff will tour these
proposed project areas by automobile and on foot. Representatives of
Dominion will accompany the OEP staff.
All interested parties may attend the site visit. Those planning to
attend must provide their own transportation. If you are interested in
attending the site visit, please meet us at 1:30 p.m. at the proposed
Middletown Compressor Station Site. The directions to the location of
the proposed compressor station from Middletown, Maryland are as
follows:
Take US-40-Alt West to Marker Road, turn left. Travel on Marker
Road about 1.5 miles until you pass PL-1 pipeline and power lines.
The proposed compressor station property will be on your left (see
Appendix A map for location).
For additional information, please contact the Commission's Office
of External Affairs at 1-866-208-FERC (3372).
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 homes within distances defined in the
Commission's regulations of certain aboveground facilities. If you do
not return the attached form (Appendix B), you will be removed from the
Commission's environmental mailing list. All individuals who provide
written comments, attend the scoping meeting, or return the ``Keep on
Mailing List Form'' will remain on our environmental mailing list for
this project.
Any individual who participated in the first scoping period will
remain on our mailing list and does not need to mail back the enclosed
``Keep on Mailing List Form''. This includes those who already have:
Mailed in comments to FERC;
Mailed back the ``Keep on the Mailing List Form'' ; or
Attended the scoping meeting in Lawrenceville,
Pennsylvania, on September 18, 2007.
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 Internet 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'' excluding the last
three digits (i.e., PF07-12), and follow the instructions. For
assistance with access to eLibrary, the helpline can be reached at 1-
866-208-3676, TTY (202) 502-8659, or at [email protected]. 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 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.
Finally, Dominion has established an Internet Web site for this
project at http://www.dom.com/about/gas-transmission/storage/index.jsp.
The Web site includes a project overview, status, and answers to
frequently asked questions. You can also request additional information
by calling Dominion at 1-888-882-5055.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. E8-1421 Filed 1-25-08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P