[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 5 (Friday, January 7, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 1146-1148]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-46]
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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Assessment for the
Proposed Northeast Supply Diversification Project and Ellisburg to
Craigs Project, and Request for Comments on Environmental Issues
December 30, 2010.
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Tennessee Gas Pipeline Company............ Docket No. CP11-30-000
Dominion Transmission, Inc................ Docket No. CP11-41-000
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The staff of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC or
Commission) will prepare an environmental assessment (EA) that will
discuss the environmental impacts of two related projects proposed by
Tennessee Gas Pipeline Company (TGP) and Dominion Transmission, Inc.
(DTI). TGP's Northeast Supply Diversification Project would involve
construction and operation of facilities in Tioga and Bradford
Counties, Pennsylvania and in Niagara, Erie, and Livingston Counties,
New York. DTI's Ellisburg to Craigs Project would involve construction
and operation of facilities in Livingston and Wyoming Counties, New
York and Potter County, Pennsylvania. This EA will be used by the
Commission in its decision-making process to determine whether the
projects are 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 the Commission staff
determine what issues need to be evaluated in the EA. Please note that
the scoping period will close on January 31, 2011.
This notice is being sent to the Commission's current environmental
mailing list for these projects. State and local government
representatives are asked to notify their constituents of these planned
projects and encourage them to comment on their areas of concern.
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.
The company would seek to negotiate a mutually acceptable agreement.
However, if the projects are approved by the Commission, 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 where compensation would be
determined 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?'' was attached to the
project notice TGP and DTI provided to 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 also available for viewing on the FERC Web site (http://www.ferc.gov).
Summary of the Proposed Projects
TGP proposes to construct and operate 6.8 miles of natural gas
pipeline loop,\1\ modifications at an existing meter station and
compressor station, and other appurtenant facilities. The Northeast
Supply Diversification Project would provide TGP with up to 150,000
dekatherms (Dth/d) per day of leased capacity from DTI. According to
TGP and DTI, their projects would increase natural gas delivery
capacity in the northeast region of the U.S.
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\1\ A pipeline loop is constructed parallel to an existing
pipeline to increase capacity.
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The Northeast Supply Diversification Project would consist of the
following facilities:
6.8 miles of 30-inch-diameter natural gas pipeline in
Tioga and Bradford Counties, Pennsylvania;
Piping/valve modifications at existing Compressor Station
230C in Niagara County, New York;
A new pig \2\ receiver at existing Compressor Station 317
in Bradford County, Pennsylvania;
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\2\ A ``pig'' is a tool that is inserted into and moves through
the pipeline, and is used for cleaning the pipeline, internal
inspections, or other purposes.
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Modifications at five existing meter stations in Erie and
Niagara Counties, New York; and
Tap replacement at an existing interconnection between
TGP's 200 Line and DTI's pipeline system in Livingston County, New
York.
DTI proposes to construct compression, metering, pipeline, and
pressure regulation facilities to provide the proposed leased capacity
to TGP. The Ellisburg to Craigs Project would consist of the following
facilities:
A new 10,800 horsepower compressor station in Wyoming
County, New York;
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Replacement of 2,875 feet of 8-inch-diameter pipeline with
16-inch-diameter pipeline and a new meter station in Livingston County,
New York; and
Construction of new pressure regulation facilities at
existing meter stations in Livingston County, New York and Potter
County, Pennsylvania.
The general locations of the projects' facilities are shown in
appendix 1.\3\
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\3\ The appendices referenced in this notice are not being
printed in the Federal Register. Copies of appendices were sent to
all those receiving this notice in the mail and are available at
http://www.ferc.gov using the link called ``eLibrary'' 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.
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Land Requirements for Construction
TGP's project would disturb approximately 111 acres of land for the
aboveground facilities and the pipeline. Following construction, about
51 acres would be maintained for permanent operation of the project's
facilities; the remaining acreage would be restored and allowed to
revert to former uses. The entire proposed pipeline route parallels
TGP's existing pipeline right-of-way.
DTI's project would disturb approximately 38 acres of land for the
aboveground facilities and the pipeline. Following construction, about
11 acres would be maintained for permanent operation of the project's
facilities; the remaining acreage would be restored and allowed to
revert to former uses. The aboveground facilities would be constructed
adjacent to existing aboveground facilities owned by DTI. The pipeline
replacement would involve replacing the existing pipeline with a larger
diameter pipeline in the same right-of-way.
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
\4\ 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, the Commission requests 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.
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\4\ ``We'', ``us'', and ``our'' refer to the environmental staff
of the Commission's Office of Energy Projects.
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In the EA we will discuss impacts that could occur as a result of
the construction and operation of the proposed projects under these
general headings:
Geology and soils;
Land use;
Water resources, fisheries, and wetlands;
Cultural resources;
Vegetation and wildlife;
Air quality and noise;
Endangered and threatened species; and
Public safety.
We will also evaluate reasonable alternatives to the proposed
projects or portions of the projects, and make recommendations on how
to lessen or avoid impacts on the various resource areas.
Our independent analysis of the issues will be presented in the EA.
The EA will be placed in the public record and, depending on the
comments received during the scoping process, may be published and
distributed to the public. A comment period will be allotted if the EA
is published for review. 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.
With this notice, we are asking agencies with jurisdiction and/or
special expertise with respect to environmental issues to formally
cooperate with us in the preparation of the EA. These agencies may
choose to participate once they have evaluated the proposals relative
to their responsibilities. Agencies that would like to request
cooperating agency status should follow the instructions for filing
comments provided under the Public Participation section of this
notice. Currently, the New York Department of Agriculture and Markets
has expressed its intention to participate as a cooperating agency in
the preparation of the EA.
Consultations Under Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation
Act
In accordance with the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation's
implementing regulations for section 106 of the National Historic
Preservation Act, we are using this notice to initiate consultation
with applicable State Historic Preservation Offices (SHPO), and to
solicit their views and those of other government agencies, interested
Indian tribes, and the public on the projects' potential effects on
historic properties.\5\ We will define the project-specific Area of
Potential Effects (APE) in consultation with the SHPOs as the projects
are further developed. On natural gas facility projects, the APE at a
minimum encompasses all areas subject to ground disturbance (examples
include construction right-of-way, contractor/pipe storage yards,
compressor stations, and access roads). Our EA for these projects will
document our findings on the impacts on historic properties and
summarize the status of consultations under section 106.
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\5\ The Advisory Council on Historic Preservation's regulations
are at Title 36, Code of Federal Regulations, Part 800. Historic
properties are defined in those regulations as any prehistoric or
historic district, site, building, structure, or object included in
or eligible for inclusion in the National Register for Historic
Places.
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Public Participation
You can make a difference by providing us with your specific
comments or concerns about the projects. Your comments should focus on
the potential environmental effects, reasonable alternatives, and
measures to avoid or lessen environmental impacts. The more specific
your comments, the more useful they will be. To ensure that your
comments are timely and properly recorded, please send your comments so
that they will be received in Washington, DC on or before January 31,
2011.
For your convenience, there are three methods which you can use to
submit your comments to the Commission. In all instances please
reference the project docket number (CP11-30-000 and CP11-41-000) with
your submission. The Commission encourages electronic filing of
comments and has expert eFiling staff available to assist you at (202)
502-8258 or [email protected].
(1) You may file your comments electronically by using the eComment
feature, which is located on the Commission's Web site at http://www.ferc.gov under the link to Documents and Filings. An eComment is an
easy method for interested persons to submit brief, text-only comments
on a project;
(2) You may file your comments electronically by using the eFiling
feature, which is located on the Commission's website at http://www.ferc.gov under the link to Documents and Filings. With eFiling you
can provide comments in a variety of formats by attaching them as a
file with your submission. New eFiling users must first create an
account by clicking on ``eRegister.'' You will be
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asked to select the type of filing you are making. A comment on a
particular project is considered a ``Comment on a Filing''; or
(3) You may file a paper copy of your comments at the following
address: Kimberly D. Bose, Secretary, Federal Energy Regulatory
Commission, 888 First Street, NE., Room 1A, Washington, DC 20426.
Environmental Mailing List
The environmental mailing list includes federal, state, and local
government representatives and agencies; elected officials;
environmental and public interest groups; Native American Tribes; other
interested parties; and local libraries and newspapers. This list also
includes all affected landowners (as defined in the Commission's
regulations) who are potential right-of-way grantors, whose property
may be used temporarily for project purposes, or who own homes within
certain distances of aboveground facilities, and anyone who submits
comments on the projects. We will update the environmental mailing list
as the analysis proceeds to ensure that we send the information related
to this environmental review to all individuals, organizations, and
government entities interested in and/or potentially affected by the
proposed projects.
If the EA is published for distribution, copies will be sent to the
environmental mailing list for public review and comment. If you would
prefer to receive a paper copy of the document instead of the CD
version or would like to remove your name from the mailing list, please
return the attached Information Request (appendix 2).
Becoming an Intervenor
In addition to involvement in the EA scoping process, you may want
to become an ``intervenor'' which is an official party to the
Commission's proceeding. 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 the 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.
Additional Information
Additional information about the projects is available from the
Commission's Office of External Affairs, at (866) 208-FERC, or on the
FERC Web site at 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
(i.e., CP11-30 or CP11-41). Be sure you have selected an appropriate
date range. For assistance, please contact FERC Online Support at
[email protected] or toll free at (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. 2011-46 Filed 1-6-11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P