Dominion South Carolina Gas, Inc; Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Assessment for the Proposed Columbia to Eastover Project and Request for Comments on Environmental Issues, 43419-43421 [2015-17944]

Download as PDF tkelley on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 140 / Wednesday, July 22, 2015 / Notices 29. Title: FERC–545, Gas Pipeline Rates: Rate Change (Non-formal). 30. Action: Revisions to an information collection. 31. OMB Control No.: 1902–0154. 32. Respondents: Business or other for profit enterprise (Natural Gas Pipelines). 33. Frequency of Responses: Ongoing. 34. Necessity of Information: The Commission is establishing a policy to allow interstate natural gas pipelines to seek to recover certain capital expenditures made to modernize system infrastructure through a surcharge mechanism, subject to certain conditions. The information that the pipeline should share with its shippers and submit to the Commission is intended to ensure that the resulting rates are just and reasonable and protect natural gas consumers from excessive costs 35. Internal Review: The Commission has reviewed the guidance in the Policy Statement and has determined that the information is necessary. These requirements conform to the Commission’s plan for efficient information collection, communication, and management within the natural gas pipeline industry. The Commission has assured itself, by means of its internal review, that there is specific, objective support for the burden estimates associated with the information requirements. 36. Interested persons may obtain information on the reporting requirements by contacting the following: Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 First Street NE., Washington, DC 20426 [Attention: Ellen Brown, Office of the Executive Director, email: DataClearance@ferc.gov, phone: (202) 502–8663, fax: (202) 273–0873]. 37. Comments filed with OMB, identified by the OMB Control No. 1902–0154 should be sent via email to the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs: oira_submission@omb.gov, Attention: Federal Energy Regulatory Commission Desk Officer. The Desk Officer may also be reached via telephone at 202–395–0710. A copy of the comments should also be sent to the Commission, in Docket No. PL15–1– 000. Comments concerning the collection of information and the associated burden estimate should be submitted by August 21, 2015. The Commission orders: The requests for clarification are denied as discussed above. By the Commission. VerDate Sep<11>2014 19:59 Jul 21, 2015 Jkt 235001 Issued: July 16, 2015. Kimberly D. Bose, Secretary. [FR Doc. 2015–17949 Filed 7–21–15; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 6717–01–P DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY Federal Energy Regulatory Commission [Docket No. CP15–504–000] Dominion South Carolina Gas, Inc; Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Assessment for the Proposed Columbia to Eastover Project and Request for Comments on Environmental Issues 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 Columbia to Eastover Project involving construction and operation of facilities by Dominion South Carolina Gas, Inc (DCG) in Calhoun, Richland, and Lexington Counties, South Carolina. The Commission will use this EA 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. You can make a difference by providing us with your specific comments or concerns about the project. Your comments should focus on the potential environmental effects, reasonable alternatives, and measures to avoid or lessen environmental impacts. Your input will help the Commission staff determine what issues they need to evaluate in the EA. To ensure that your comments are timely and properly recorded, please send your comments so that the Commission receives them in Washington, DC on or before August 17, 2015. If you sent comments on this project to the Commission before the opening of this docket on May 29, 2015, you will need to file those comments in Docket No. CP15–504–000 to ensure they are considered as part of this proceeding. This notice is being sent to the Commission’s current environmental mailing list for this project. State and local government representatives should notify their constituents of this proposed project and encourage them to comment on their areas of concern. If you are a landowner receiving this notice, a pipeline company representative may contact you about PO 00000 Frm 00034 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 43419 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 Commission approves the project, 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. DCG provided landowners with a fact sheet prepared by the FERC entitled ‘‘An Interstate Natural Gas Facility On My Land? What Do I Need To Know?’’ 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 (www.ferc.gov). Public Participation For your convenience, there are three methods you can use to submit your comments to the Commission. The Commission encourages electronic filing of comments and has expert staff available to assist you at (202) 502–8258 or efiling@ferc.gov. Please carefully follow these instructions so that your comments are properly recorded. (1) You can file your comments electronically using the eComment feature on the Commission’s Web site (www.ferc.gov) under the link to Documents and Filings. This is an easy method for submitting brief, text-only comments on a project; (2) You can file your comments electronically by using the eFiling feature on the Commission’s Web site (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.’’ If you are filing a comment on a particular project, please select ‘‘Comment on a Filing’’ as the filing type; or (3) You can file a paper copy of your comments by mailing them to the following address. Be sure to reference the project docket number (CP15–504– 000) with your submission: Kimberly D. Bose, Secretary, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 First Street NE., Room 1A, Washington, DC 20426. Summary of the Proposed Project DCG proposes the Columbia to Eastover Project to construct and operate 28 miles of new 8-inch-diameter E:\FR\FM\22JYN1.SGM 22JYN1 43420 Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 140 / Wednesday, July 22, 2015 / Notices pipeline in Calhoun and Richland Counties, South Carolina, with sections of access roads in Lexington County, South Carolina. The Project would deliver 18,000 dekatherms per day of firm transmission natural gas service to International Paper Company to replace the current use of coal and fuel oil, as well as trucked-delivered natural gas, as a means of complying with maximum achievable control technology environmental air quality standards mandated by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The pipeline would originate from DCG’s existing 20-inch-diameter Salley to Eastman pipeline at the DAK Americas industrial facility. In addition to the pipeline, DCG proposes to install the following ancillary facilities: • a tap and pig launcher; 1 • a metering and regulation station and pig receiver; and • eight mainline valves. The general location of the project facilities is shown in appendix 1.2 Land Requirements for Construction Construction of the proposed facilities would disturb about 423 acres of land for the aboveground facilities and the pipeline. Following construction, DCG would maintain about 121 acres for permanent operation of the project’s facilities; the remaining acreage would be restored and revert to former uses. About 75 percent of the proposed pipeline route parallels existing pipeline or utility rights-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 3 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 tkelley on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES 1A ‘‘pig’’ is a tool that the pipeline company inserts into and pushes through the pipeline for cleaning the pipeline, conducting internal inspections, or other purposes. 2 The appendices referenced in this notice will not appear in the Federal Register. Copies of appendices were sent to all those receiving this notice in the mail and are available at 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. 3 ‘‘We,’’ ‘‘us,’’ and ‘‘our’’ refer to the environmental staff of the Commission’s Office of Energy Projects. VerDate Sep<11>2014 19:59 Jul 21, 2015 Jkt 235001 comments on the scope of the issues to address in the EA. We will consider all filed comments during the preparation of the EA. In the EA we 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; • land use; • water resources, fisheries, and wetlands; • vegetation and wildlife; • endangered and threatened species; • cultural resources; • air quality and noise; • public safety; and • cumulative impacts 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. The EA will present our independent analysis of the issues. The EA will be available in the public record through eLibrary. Depending on the comments received during the scoping process, we may also publish and distribute the EA to the public for an allotted comment period. We will consider all comments on the EA before making our recommendations to the Commission. To ensure we have the opportunity to consider and address your comments, please carefully follow the instructions in the Public Participation section, beginning on page 2. With this notice, we are asking agencies with jurisdiction by law and/ or special expertise with respect to the environmental issues of this project to formally cooperate with us in the preparation of the EA.4 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. 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 the applicable State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO), and to solicit their views and those of other government agencies, interested Indian tribes, and the public 4 The Council on Environmental Quality regulations addressing cooperating agency responsibilities are at Title 40, Code of Federal Regulations, Part 1501.6. PO 00000 Frm 00035 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 on the project’s potential effects on historic properties.5 We will define the project-specific Area of Potential Effects (APE) in consultation with the SHPO as the project develops. 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, aboveground facilities, and access roads). Our EA for this project will document our findings on the impacts on historic properties and summarize the status of consultations under Section 106. Environmental Mailing List The environmental mailing list includes federal, state, and local government representatives and agencies; elected officials; environmental 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 project. 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 project. If we publish and distribute the EA, 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 5 The Advisory Council on Historic Preservation’s regulations are at Title 36, Code of Federal Regulations, Part 800. Those regulations define historic properties as any prehistoric or historic district, site, building, structure, or object included in or eligible for inclusion in the National Register of Historic Places. E:\FR\FM\22JYN1.SGM 22JYN1 Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 140 / Wednesday, July 22, 2015 / Notices intervene. Instructions for becoming an intervenor are in the User’s Guide under the ‘‘e-filing’’ link on the Commission’s Web site. Additional Information Additional information about the project is available from the Commission’s Office of External Affairs, at (866) 208–FERC, or on the FERC Web site at 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., CP15–504). Be sure you have selected an appropriate date range. For assistance, please contact FERC Online Support at FercOnlineSupport@ferc.gov 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 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 www.ferc.gov/docsfiling/esubscription.asp. Finally, public meetings or site visits will be posted on the Commission’s calendar located at www.ferc.gov/ EventCalendar/EventsList.aspx along with other related information. Comments Due: 5 p.m. ET 7/21/15. Docket Numbers: RP15–1117–000. Applicants: Kern River Gas Transmission Company. Description: Section 4(d) Rate Filing: 2015 Converted Contracts to be effective 8/1/2015. Filed Date: 7/14/15. Accession Number: 20150714–5047. Comments Due: 5 p.m. ET 7/27/15. The filings are accessible in the Commission’s eLibrary system by clicking on the links or querying the docket number. Any person desiring to intervene or protest in any of the above proceedings must file in accordance with Rules 211 and 214 of the Commission’s Regulations (18 CFR 385.211 and 385.214) on or before 5:00 p.m. Eastern time on the specified comment date. Protests may be considered, but intervention is necessary to become a party to the proceeding. eFiling is encouraged. More detailed information relating to filing requirements, interventions, protests, service, and qualifying facilities filings can be found at: https://www.ferc.gov/ docs-filing/efiling/filing-req.pdf. For other information, call (866) 208–3676 (toll free). For TTY, call (202) 502–8659. Dated: July 15, 2015. Nathaniel J. Davis, Sr., Deputy Secretary. [FR Doc. 2015–17916 Filed 7–21–15; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 6717–01–P DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY Dated: July 16, 2015. Kimberly D. Bose, Secretary. Federal Energy Regulatory Commission [FR Doc. 2015–17944 Filed 7–21–15; 8:45 am] [Docket No. AD15–11–000] [FR Doc. 2015–17947 Filed 7–21–15; 8:45 am] Electronic Filing Protocols for Commission Forms; Notice of Meeting of North American Energy Standards Board DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY Federal Energy Regulatory Commission Combined Notice of Filings Take notice that the Commission has received the following Natural Gas Pipeline Rate and Refund Report filings: tkelley on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES Filings Instituting Proceedings Docket Numbers: RP15–1116–000. Applicants: Questar Overthrust Pipeline Company. Description: Annual Fuel Gas Reimbursement Percentage Report for 2015 of Questar Overthrust Pipeline Company under RP15–1116. Filed Date: 7/9/15. Accession Number: 20150709–5228. 19:59 Jul 21, 2015 develop standards for filing forms.1 On June 10, 2015, Commission staff held a technical conference to explore a transition to XML format, as well as NAESB’s assistance in that transition process. After the staff technical conference, the Commission received five comments generally supportive of moving forward with the NAESB process. NAESB has agreed to sponsor this project and the August 13, 2015 conference call is to establish procedures for moving forward. The comments also posed certain questions that should be addressed during the NAESB meetings. NAESB has posted details regarding the conference at https:// www.naesb.org/pdf4/naesb_weq-wgq_ ffs_081315ma.pdf. Further information regarding participation can be obtained by contacting NAESB by phone (713– 356–0060) or email (naesb@naesb.org). Commission notices for future meetings will not be issued. The Commission will post the time and dates for future meetings on its Web site at https://www.ferc.gov/docs-filing/ forms/eforms-refresh.asp, Information also may be found on the NAESB Web site at https://www.naesb.org/ferc_ forms.asp (NAESB Members) or https:// www.naesb.org/committee_ activities.asp (non-Members). For more information about this conference call or the proceeding, please contact Robert Hudson, Office of Enforcement, at (202) 502–6620 or Robert.Hudson@ferc.gov or Nicholas Gladd, Office of General Counsel, at (202) 502–8836 or Nicholas.Gladd@ ferc.gov. Dated: July 16, 2015. Kimberly D. Bose, Secretary. BILLING CODE 6717–01–P VerDate Sep<11>2014 43421 Jkt 235001 BILLING CODE 6717–01–P Take notice that the North American Energy Standards Board (NAESB) has announced that it will hold its first conference call on August 13, 2015, from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time, to initiate its process for developing standards for the submission of Commission forms in XML format. In the Commission’s April 16, 2015, Order in this proceeding, the Commission announced it was beginning a process to develop a revised method for natural gas pipelines, public utilities, and oil pipelines to file forms, and asked NAESB and the electric, natural gas, and oil industries to establish a collaborative process with Commission staff to Federal Energy Regulatory Commission PO 00000 Frm 00036 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY Combined Notice of Filings #2 Take notice that the Commission received the following electric rate filings: Docket Numbers: ER14–694–004. Applicants: Entergy Services, Inc. Description: Tariff Amendment: EAI– ESI_Response_7–16–2015 to be effective 12/31/9998. Filed Date: 7/16/15. Accession Number: 20150716–5154. 1 Electronic Filing Protocols for Commission Forms, 151 FERC ¶ 61,025 (2015). E:\FR\FM\22JYN1.SGM 22JYN1

Agencies

[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 140 (Wednesday, July 22, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 43419-43421]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-17944]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket No. CP15-504-000]


Dominion South Carolina Gas, Inc; Notice of Intent To Prepare an 
Environmental Assessment for the Proposed Columbia to Eastover Project 
and Request for Comments on Environmental Issues

    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 Columbia to Eastover Project 
involving construction and operation of facilities by Dominion South 
Carolina Gas, Inc (DCG) in Calhoun, Richland, and Lexington Counties, 
South Carolina. The Commission will use this EA 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. You can make a difference by providing us with 
your specific comments or concerns about the project. Your comments 
should focus on the potential environmental effects, reasonable 
alternatives, and measures to avoid or lessen environmental impacts. 
Your input will help the Commission staff determine what issues they 
need to evaluate in the EA. To ensure that your comments are timely and 
properly recorded, please send your comments so that the Commission 
receives them in Washington, DC on or before August 17, 2015.
    If you sent comments on this project to the Commission before the 
opening of this docket on May 29, 2015, you will need to file those 
comments in Docket No. CP15-504-000 to ensure they are considered as 
part of this proceeding.
    This notice is being sent to the Commission's current environmental 
mailing list for this project. State and local government 
representatives should notify their constituents of this proposed 
project and encourage them to comment on their areas of concern.
    If you are a landowner receiving this notice, a pipeline company 
representative may contact you 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 Commission approves the project, 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.
    DCG provided landowners with a fact sheet prepared by the FERC 
entitled ``An Interstate Natural Gas Facility On My Land? What Do I 
Need To Know?'' 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 (www.ferc.gov).

Public Participation

    For your convenience, there are three methods you can use to submit 
your comments to the Commission. The Commission encourages electronic 
filing of comments and has expert staff available to assist you at 
(202) 502-8258 or efiling@ferc.gov. Please carefully follow these 
instructions so that your comments are properly recorded.
    (1) You can file your comments electronically using the eComment 
feature on the Commission's Web site (www.ferc.gov) under the link to 
Documents and Filings. This is an easy method for submitting brief, 
text-only comments on a project;
    (2) You can file your comments electronically by using the eFiling 
feature on the Commission's Web site (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.'' If you are filing a comment on a particular project, 
please select ``Comment on a Filing'' as the filing type; or
    (3) You can file a paper copy of your comments by mailing them to 
the following address. Be sure to reference the project docket number 
(CP15-504-000) with your submission: Kimberly D. Bose, Secretary, 
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 First Street NE., Room 1A, 
Washington, DC 20426.

Summary of the Proposed Project

    DCG proposes the Columbia to Eastover Project to construct and 
operate 28 miles of new 8-inch-diameter

[[Page 43420]]

pipeline in Calhoun and Richland Counties, South Carolina, with 
sections of access roads in Lexington County, South Carolina. The 
Project would deliver 18,000 dekatherms per day of firm transmission 
natural gas service to International Paper Company to replace the 
current use of coal and fuel oil, as well as trucked-delivered natural 
gas, as a means of complying with maximum achievable control technology 
environmental air quality standards mandated by the U.S. Environmental 
Protection Agency.
    The pipeline would originate from DCG's existing 20-inch-diameter 
Salley to Eastman pipeline at the DAK Americas industrial facility. In 
addition to the pipeline, DCG proposes to install the following 
ancillary facilities:
     a tap and pig launcher; \1\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \1\ A ``pig'' is a tool that the pipeline company inserts into 
and pushes through the pipeline for cleaning the pipeline, 
conducting internal inspections, or other purposes.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

     a metering and regulation station and pig receiver; and
     eight mainline valves.
    The general location of the project facilities is shown in appendix 
1.\2\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \2\ The appendices referenced in this notice will not appear in 
the Federal Register. Copies of appendices were sent to all those 
receiving this notice in the mail and are available at 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.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Land Requirements for Construction

    Construction of the proposed facilities would disturb about 423 
acres of land for the aboveground facilities and the pipeline. 
Following construction, DCG would maintain about 121 acres for 
permanent operation of the project's facilities; the remaining acreage 
would be restored and revert to former uses. About 75 percent of the 
proposed pipeline route parallels existing pipeline or utility rights-
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 
\3\ 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. We will 
consider all filed comments during the preparation of the EA.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \3\ ``We,'' ``us,'' and ``our'' refer to the environmental staff 
of the Commission's Office of Energy Projects.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    In the EA we 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;
     land use;
     water resources, fisheries, and wetlands;
     vegetation and wildlife;
     endangered and threatened species;
     cultural resources;
     air quality and noise;
     public safety; and
     cumulative impacts
    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.
    The EA will present our independent analysis of the issues. The EA 
will be available in the public record through eLibrary. Depending on 
the comments received during the scoping process, we may also publish 
and distribute the EA to the public for an allotted comment period. We 
will consider all comments on the EA before making our recommendations 
to the Commission. To ensure we have the opportunity to consider and 
address your comments, please carefully follow the instructions in the 
Public Participation section, beginning on page 2.
    With this notice, we are asking agencies with jurisdiction by law 
and/or special expertise with respect to the environmental issues of 
this project to formally cooperate with us in the preparation of the 
EA.\4\ 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.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \4\ The Council on Environmental Quality regulations addressing 
cooperating agency responsibilities are at Title 40, Code of Federal 
Regulations, Part 1501.6.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

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 the applicable State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO), and to 
solicit their views and those of other government agencies, interested 
Indian tribes, and the public on the project's potential effects on 
historic properties.\5\ We will define the project-specific Area of 
Potential Effects (APE) in consultation with the SHPO as the project 
develops. 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, aboveground 
facilities, and access roads). Our EA for this project will document 
our findings on the impacts on historic properties and summarize the 
status of consultations under Section 106.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \5\ The Advisory Council on Historic Preservation's regulations 
are at Title 36, Code of Federal Regulations, Part 800. Those 
regulations define historic properties as any prehistoric or 
historic district, site, building, structure, or object included in 
or eligible for inclusion in the National Register of Historic 
Places.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Environmental Mailing List

    The environmental mailing list includes federal, state, and local 
government representatives and agencies; elected officials; 
environmental 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 project. 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 project.
    If we publish and distribute the EA, 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

[[Page 43421]]

intervene. Instructions for becoming an intervenor are in the User's 
Guide under the ``e-filing'' link on the Commission's Web site.

Additional Information

    Additional information about the project is available from the 
Commission's Office of External Affairs, at (866) 208-FERC, or on the 
FERC Web site at 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., CP15-
504). Be sure you have selected an appropriate date range. For 
assistance, please contact FERC Online Support at 
FercOnlineSupport@ferc.gov 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 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 www.ferc.gov/docs-filing/esubscription.asp.
    Finally, public meetings or site visits will be posted on the 
Commission's calendar located at www.ferc.gov/EventCalendar/EventsList.aspx along with other related information.

    Dated: July 16, 2015.
Kimberly D. Bose,
 Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2015-17944 Filed 7-21-15; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P
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