[Federal Register: January 14, 2008 (Volume 73, Number 9)]
[Notices]
[Page 2240-2241]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr14ja08-53]
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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
[Docket No. PF07-11-000]
North Baja Pipeline, LLC; Notice of Intent to Prepare an
Environmental Assessment for the Proposed Yuma Lateral Project and
Request for Comments on Environmental Issues
January 4, 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 proposed Yuma Lateral Project
involving construction and operation of natural gas facilities by North
Baja Pipeline, LLC (North Baja) in Yuma County, Arizona. 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 4, 2008. Details on how to submit comments are
provided in the Public Participation section of this notice.
If you are a landowner receiving this notice, you may be contacted
by a pipeline company representative about the acquisition of an
easement to construct, operate, and maintain the proposed facilities.
North Baja 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, North Baja could initiate
condemnation proceedings in accordance with state law.
This notice is being sent to affected landowners; federal, state,
and local government representatives and 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 on the FERC Internet Web site (http://www.ferc.gov).
Summary of the Proposed Project
The Yuma Lateral Project would involve construction of
approximately 3.3 miles of 12-inch-diameter pipeline from the
international border at the Colorado River to the Yucca Power Plant,
also in Yuma County, Arizona. An additional 3.1 miles would be
constructed in Mexico. A meter station would be constructed at the
Yucca Power Plant along with a pig receiver. The majority of the Yuma
Lateral would be constructed on public lands, primarily a Bureau of
Reclamation (BOR) canal right-of-way (ROW). The majority of the
proposed pipeline ROW route is co-located immediately adjacent to an
existing railroad ROW.
The purpose of the proposed project is to provide the Yucca Power
Plant with access to existing and future power generation needs. Gas
would be shipped from Sempra's Gasoducto Bajanorte pipeline through a
new 3.1-mile-long lateral in Mexico to the international border, from
which 81,250 Dth/day of gas would be shipped via the Yuma Lateral to
supply the Yucca Power Plant.
The general location of the proposed project is shown 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 Internet Web site (http://www.ferc.gov) at the
``eLibrary'' link or from the Commission's Public Reference Room at
(202) 502-8371. For instructions on connecting to eLibrary, refer to
the ``Additional Information'' section at the end of this notice.
Copies of the appendices were sent to all those receiving this
notice in the mail. Requests for detailed maps of the well locations
and other proposed facilities should be made directly to North Baja.
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Land Requirements for Construction
Construction of the proposed project would affect a total of about
29.5 acres during construction. Following construction, about 21.0
acres would be allowed to revert to its previous conditions.
Disturbance associated with aboveground facilities would permanently
impact 0.5 acre of land.
North Baja proposes a typical construction ROW for the proposed
pipeline of between 52 and 80 feet, which is 32 to 60 feet of temporary
workspace and 20 feet of permanent ROW.
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 North Baja'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.
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\2\ ``We,'' ``us,'' and ``our'' refer to the environmental staff
of the FERC's Office of Energy Projects.
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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
[[Page 2241]]
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
wetlands and waterbodies
land use
cultural resources
vegetation and wildlife (including sensitive species)
air and noise quality
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.
Although no formal application has been filed, the FERC staff has
already initiated its NEPA review under its Pre-filing Process. The
purpose of the Pre-filing Process is to encourage the early involvement
of interested stakeholders and to identify and resolve issues before an
application is filed with the FERC. Once a formal application is filed
with the FERC, a new docket number will be established.
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, 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.
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 1.
Reference Docket No. PF07-11-000.
Mail your comments so that they will be received in
Washington, DC on or before February 4, 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.''
We may mail the EA for comment. If you are interested in receiving
it, please return the Information Request (Appendix 2). If you do not
return the Information Request, you will be taken off the mailing list.
Once North Baja 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.
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.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. E8-395 Filed 1-11-08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P