[Federal Register: February 4, 2008 (Volume 73, Number 23)]
[Notices]
[Page 6495-6497]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr04fe08-35]
=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
[Docket No. CP08-36-000]
Chestnut Ridge Storage L.P.; Notice of Intent To Prepare an
Environmental Assessment for the Proposed Junction Natural Gas Storage
Project and Request for Comments on Environmental Issues
January 28, 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 Junction Natural Gas Storage
Project involving construction and operation of natural gas storage and
pipeline header facilities by Chestnut Ridge Storage L.P. (Chestnut
Ridge) in Fayette County, Pennsylvania and Preston and Monongolia
Counties, West Virginia. The EA will be used by the Commission in its
decision-making process to determine whether the project is in the
public convenience and necessity.
This notice announces the opening of the scoping process the
Commission will use to gather input from the public and interested
agencies on the project. Your input will help determine which issues
need to be evaluated in the EA. Please note that the scoping period
will close on February 29, 2008. Details on how to submit comments are
provided in the Public Participation section of this notice.
This notice is being sent to affected landowners; federal, state,
and local government agencies; elected officials; Native American
tribes; other interested parties; and local libraries and newspapers.
State and local government representatives are asked to notify their
constituents of this proposed project and to encourage them to comment
on their areas of concern.
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
[[Page 6496]]
on the FERC Internet Web site (http://www.ferc.gov).
Summary of the Proposed Project
Chestnut Ridge proposes to convert an existing, depleted natural
gas production field--the West Summit Field, which extends from Fayette
County, Pennsylvania into Preston and Monongolia Counties, West
Virginia--into a high deliverability, multi-cycle gas storage facility
with up to 25 billion cubic feet of working gas capacity and up to
500,000 dekatherms per day of injection and withdrawal capacity.
Proposed construction would include:
Recompletion/drilling of up to 26 injection/withdrawal
wells and up to 11 observation wells;
Construction of approximately 17 miles of gathering
laterals from the individual wells to a new compressor station;
Construction of an approximate 25,000 horsepower
compressor station;
Construction of a 1,900 foot 24-inch pipeline header
connecting to a Columbia Gas pipeline;
Construction of a 21.5-mile 24-inch pipeline header
connecting to the Dominion Transmission, Inc./Texas Eastern interstate
pipeline; and
Construction of appurtenant facilities consisting of tap
valves, pig launcher and receivers, meter and regulator stations,
separation and control systems, and access roads.
The general location of the proposed facilities is shown in
Appendix 1.\1\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ 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 Chestnut
Ridge.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Land Requirements for Construction
The project would affect approximately 545 acres, 251 acres of
which would be permanently converted for project use. Additionally,
Chestnut Ridge is in the process of acquiring storage rights for an
additional 2,000 foot buffer zone surrounding the currently defined
boundaries of the West Summit Field. Construction of pipeline
facilities would affect approximately 415 acres, with 197 acres
required for operation, 98.5 percent of which would permanently convert
forested lands for project use. For its aboveground facilities--the
wells sites, the compressor station, appurtenant facilities, and access
roads--130 acres would be affected during construction and 53.7 acres
during operation, 58 percent of which would permanently convert
forested lands for project use.
The EA Process
We \2\ are preparing this EA to comply with the National
Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) which requires the Commission to take
into account the environmental impact that could result if it
authorizes Chestnut Ridge's proposal. By this notice, we are also
asking 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.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\2\ ``We,'' ``us,'' and ``our'' refer to the environmental staff
of the FERC's Office of Energy Projects.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NEPA also requires the FERC 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 to address in the EA. All comments received will be considered
during the preparation of the EA.
The EA will discuss impacts that could occur as a result of the
construction and operation of the proposed project under these general
headings:
Geology and soils.
Water resources.
Land use and visual quality.
Cultural resources.
Vegetation and wildlife (including threatened and
endangered species).
Air quality and noise.
Reliability and safety.
We will also evaluate possible alternatives to the proposed project
or portions of the project, where necessary, 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 received and considered, please
carefully follow the instructions in the Public Participation section
below.
Public Participation
You can make a difference by providing us with your specific
comments or concerns about the project. By becoming a commentor, your
concerns will be addressed in the EA and considered by the Commission.
You should focus on the potential environmental effects of the proposal
and alternatives to the proposal, including alternative compressor
station sites 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:
Kimberley 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 Gas
Branch 3, PJ-11.3;
Reference Docket No. CP08-36-000; and
Mail your comments so that they will be received in
Washington, DC on or before February 29, 2008.
The Commission encourages electronic filing of comments. See 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. 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.''
As described above, we may publish and distribute the EA for
comment. If you are interested in receiving an EA for review and/or
comment, please return the Environmental Mailing List Form (Appendix
3). If you do not return the Environmental Mailing List Form, 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 known as an
``intervenor.'' Intervenors play a more formal role in
[[Page 6497]]
the process. Among other things, intervenors have the right to receive
copies of case-related Commission documents and filings by other
intervenors. Likewise, each intervenor must send one electronic copy
(using the Commission's eFiling system) or 14 paper copies of its
filings to the Secretary of the Commission and must send a copy of its
filings to all other parties on the Commission's service list for this
proceeding.
If you want 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) (see Appendix 2).\3\ Only intervenors
have the right to seek rehearing of the Commission's decision.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\3\ Interventions may also be filed electronically via the
Internet in lieu of paper. See the previous discussion on filing
comments electronically.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
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.
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, then 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.
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. E8-1924 Filed 2-1-08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P