Southern Natural Gas Company; Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for the Proposed Cypress Pipeline Project, Request for Comments on Environmental Issues, and Notice of Public Scoping Meetings, 9299-9302 [E5-782]

Agencies

• DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
• Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 37 (Friday, February 25, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Pages 9299-9302]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E5-782]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket No. PF05-7-000]


Southern Natural Gas Company; Notice of Intent To Prepare an 
Environmental Impact Statement for the Proposed Cypress Pipeline 
Project, Request for Comments on Environmental Issues, and Notice of 
Public Scoping Meetings

February 18, 2005.
    The staff of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC or 
Commission) will prepare an environmental impact statement (EIS) that 
will discuss the environmental impacts of Southern Natural Gas 
Company's (Southern) proposed Cypress Pipeline Project. The project 
involves the construction and operation of natural gas pipeline and 
compressor facilities in various counties in Georgia and Florida as 
discussed below.
    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 EIS. Please note that the scoping period 
will close on April 7, 2005.
    This notice is being sent to affected landowners; Federal, state, 
and local government agencies; elected officials; environmental and 
public interest groups; Native American tribes; other interested 
parties; and local libraries and newspapers. State and local government 
representatives are asked to notify their constituents along this 
proposed project and encourage them to comment on their areas of 
concern.
    Comments regarding this project may be submitted in written form or 
verbally. Further details on how to submit written or electronic 
comments are provided in the public participation section of this 
notice. In lieu of or in addition to sending written comments, we 
invite you to attend the public scoping meetings we have scheduled as 
follows:
    Date: Tuesday, March 8, 2005, 7 p.m. (EST).
    Location: Bloomingdale Community Center, 202 East Moore Street,

[[Page 9300]]

Bloomingdale, Georgia 31302, (912) 748-0970.
    Date: Wednesday, March 9, 2005, 7 p.m. (EST).
    Location: Embassy Suites, 500 Mall Boulevard, Glynn Place Mall, 
Brunswick, Georgia 31525, (912) 264-6100.
    Date: Thursday, March 10, 2005, 7 p.m. (EST).
    Location: Clarion Hotel Airport, Conference Center, 2101 Dixie 
Clipper Drive, Jacksonville, Florida 32218, (904) 741-1997.
    The FERC will be the lead Federal agency for the preparation of the 
EIS. The document will satisfy the requirements of the National 
Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (COE) 
has agreed to participate as a cooperating agency in the preparation of 
the EIS to satisfy its NEPA responsibilities under section 404 of the 
Clean Water Act and section 10 of the Rivers and Harbors Act.
    With this notice, we\1\ are asking other Federal, state, local, and 
tribal agencies with jurisdiction and/or special expertise with respect 
to environmental issues to cooperate with us in the preparation of the 
EIS. These agencies may choose to participate once they have evaluated 
Southern's proposal relative to their responsibilities. Agencies that 
would like to request cooperating status should follow the instructions 
for filing comments described later in this notice.
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    \1\ ``We,'' ``us,'' and ``our'' refer to the environmental staff 
of the Office of Energy Projects.
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    If you are a landowner receiving this notice, you may be contacted 
by a Southern representative about the acquisition of an easement to 
construct, operate, and maintain the proposed facilities. The pipeline 
company would seek to negotiate a mutually acceptable agreement. 
However, if the project is approved by the FERC, 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 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?'' is available for 
viewing on the FERC Internet Web site (https://www.ferc.gov). This fact 
sheet addresses a number of typically asked questions, including the 
use of eminent domain and how to participate in the FERC's proceedings.

Summary of the Proposed Project

    Southern proposes to construct and operate new pipeline facilities 
to provide approximately 500 million cubic feet per day of natural gas 
capacity to the project area in southeastern Georgia and northern 
Florida. Specifically, Southern seeks authority to construct and 
operate:
    About 165 miles of 24-inch-diameter mainline pipeline in Chatham, 
Effingham, Bryan, Liberty, Long, McIntosh, Glynn, Camden, and Charlton 
Counties, Georgia, and Nassau, Duval, and Clay Counties, Florida;
    About 10 miles of 30-inch-diameter pipeline loop \2\ in Chatham and 
Effingham Counties, Georgia;
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    \2\ A loop is segment of pipeline that is usually installed 
adjacent to an existing pipeline and connected to it at both ends. 
The loop allows more gas to be moved through the system.
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    10,350 horsepower (hp) of gas turbine-driven compression at the 
proposed Compressor Station 1 in Liberty County, Georgia;
    10,350 hp of gas-turbine driven compression at the proposed 
Compressor Station 2 in Glynn County, Georgia;
    10,350 hp of gas-turbine driven compression at the proposed 
Compressor Station 3 in Nassau County, Florida;
    Four new meter stations including:

--Atlanta Gas Light Meter Station in Glynn County, Georgia,
--South Georgia Natural Gas Meter Station in Nassau County, Florida,
--Brandy Branch Power Plant Meter Station in Duval County, Florida,
--Florida Gas Transmission Meter Station in Clay County, Florida;

    A pig \3\ launcher/receiver facility at the beginning of the 30-
inch-diameter pipeline loop at Port Wentworth in Chatham County, 
Georgia; a regulator setting and a pig launcher/receiver facility at 
the end of the 30-inch-diameter pipeline loop near Rincon in Effingham 
County, Georgia; a pig launcher/receiver facility at the beginning of 
the 24-inch-diameter mainline pipeline near Rincon in Effingham County, 
Georgia; two pig launcher/receiver facilities at the Compressor Station 
2 site in Glynn County, Georgia; and a pig launcher/receiver 
facility at the end of the 24-inch-diameter mainline pipeline at the 
Florida Gas Transmission Meter Station in Clay County, Florida; and
    14 mainline valves.
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    \3\ A pig is an internal tool that can be used to clean and dry 
a pipeline and/or to inspect it for damage or corrosion.
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    Southern is requesting approval to begin construction of the 
proposed facilities in the Fall of 2006 and proposes an in-service date 
of Spring 2007. A general overview map of the major project facilities 
is provided in Appendix 1.\4\
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    \4\ The appendices referenced in this notice are not being 
printed in the Federal Register. Copies are available on the 
Commission's Internet Web site (https://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 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 proposed facilities should be made directly to Southern (see 
https://www.cypresspipeline.com for contact information).
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Land Requirements for Construction

    Construction of the proposed facilities would require about 2,105.2 
acres of land. Following construction, about 1,045.0 acres would be 
maintained as permanent right-of-way and aboveground facility sites. 
The remaining 1,060.2 acres of temporary workspace would be restored 
and allowed to revert to its former use. About 98 percent of the 
pipeline route would parallel existing utility rights-of-way.
    The typical construction right-of-way for the mainline pipeline 
would be 95 feet wide, consisting of 28 feet within an existing 
powerline easement and 67 feet of new temporary workspace. Additional 
right-of-way width and temporary extra workspace would be required at 
certain feature crossings (e.g., roads, railroads, waterbodies) and 
areas requiring topsoil segregation and special construction 
techniques. After construction, Southern would retain a 50-foot-wide 
permanent right-of-way adjacent to the existing powerline right-of-way.
    The typical construction right-of-way for the pipeline loop would 
be 95 feet wide, consisting of 50 feet within Southern's existing 
easement and 45 feet of new temporary workspace. Additional temporary 
extra workspace would be required as described above for the mainline 
pipeline. The loop would be installed within Southern's existing 
easement at a 20-foot offset from the existing 20-inch-diameter 
pipeline. No new permanent right-of-way would be required.
    Each compressor station would be located on an approximate 30-acre 
parcel of land that Southern would acquire. After construction, each 
compressor station would require 15 acres for operation; the remaining 
acreage would be retained as a buffer. The meter stations would each 
require about 1.5 acres of land. The pig launcher and receiver 
facilities and mainline valves would be installed

[[Page 9301]]

within the permanent right-of-way or within the boundaries of other 
aboveground facility sites.

The EIS Process

    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 the Commission 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 EIS on the important environmental issues and 
reasonable alternatives.
    Although no formal application has been filed, we have already 
initiated our NEPA review under the FERC's 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.
    As part of our Pre-Filing Process review, representatives from the 
FERC met with the COE on February 8, 2005 to discuss the involvement of 
the COE in the scoping process and the preparation of the EIS. In 
addition, representatives from the FERC participated in public open 
houses sponsored by Southern in the project area on February 15-17, 
2005 to explain the environmental review process to interested 
stakeholders and take comments about the project. During March 2005, 
the FERC staff will be conducting interagency scoping meetings in the 
project area to solicit comments and concerns about the project from 
jurisdictional agencies. By this notice, we are formally announcing our 
preparation of the EIS and requesting additional agency and public 
comments to help us focus the analysis in the EIS on the potentially 
significant environmental issues related to the proposed action.
    Our independent analysis of the issues will be included in a draft 
EIS. The draft EIS will be mailed to Federal, state, and local 
government agencies; elected officials; environmental and public 
interest groups; Native American tribes; affected landowners; other 
interested parties; local libraries and newspapers; and the FERC's 
official service list for this proceeding. A 45-day comment period will 
be allotted for review of the draft EIS. We will consider all timely 
comments on the draft EIS and revise the document, as necessary, before 
issuing a final EIS.

Currently Identified Environmental Issues

    The EIS will discuss impacts that could occur as a result of the 
construction and operation of the proposed project under the general 
resource headings listed below. We have already identified several 
issues that we think deserve attention based on a preliminary review of 
the proposed facilities and the environmental information provided by 
Southern. This preliminary list of issues may be changed based on your 
comments and our additional analysis.
 Geology and Soils.
    --Assessment of potential geologic hazards, including sinkholes.
    --Potential impact on mineral resources and mining operations.
    --Effect on hydric soils and soils with a high potential for 
compaction.
 Water Resources and Wetlands.
    --Effect on groundwater resources.
    --Potential effect on perennial streams, intermittent streams, and 
ponds crossed by or close to the route.
    --Effect on waterbodies designated under federal or state programs, 
including the Altamaha, Satilla, and St. Mary's Rivers.
    --Evaluation of temporary and permanent effects on wetlands.
 Fisheries, Wildlife, and Vegetation.
    --Effect on fisheries, wildlife, and vegetation resources, 
including planted pine and forested habitats.
    --Effect on vegetative nuisance species.
 Endangered and Threatened Species.
    --Potential effect on federally and state-listed species, including 
the red-cockaded woodpecker, eastern indigo snake, flatwoods 
salamander, gopher tortoise, and gopher frog.
 Cultural Resources.
    --Effect on historic and prehistoric sites.
    --Native American and tribal concerns.
 Land Use.
    --Impact on residential areas.
    --Effect on existing and future land use along the proposed right-
of-way, including forested wetlands and pine plantations.
    --Effect on recreation and public interest areas, including 
wildlife management areas, State Forests, a historic canal, and scenic 
trail systems.
    --Visual effect of the aboveground facilities on surrounding areas.
 Socioeconomics.
    --Effect of construction workforce demands on public services and 
temporary housing.
 Air Quality and Noise.
    --Effect on local air quality and noise environment from 
construction and operation of the proposed facilities.
 Reliability and Safety.
    --Assessment of public safety factors associated with natural gas 
facilities.
 Alternatives.
    --Assessment of alternative routes, systems, and energy sources to 
reduce or avoid environmental impacts.
    --Assessment of alternative compressor station sites.
 Cumulative Impacts.
    --Assessment of the effect of the proposed project when combined 
with other projects that have been or may be proposed in the same 
region and similar time frame.

Public Participation

    You can make a difference by providing us with your specific 
comments or concerns about the proposal. Your comments should focus on 
the potential environmental effects, reasonable alternatives, and 
measures to avoid or lessen environmental impact. The more specific 
your comments, the more useful they will be. To ensure that your 
comments are timely and properly recorded, please mail your comments so 
that they will be received in Washington, DC on or before April 7, 2005 
and carefully follow these instructions:
     Send an original and two copies of your letter to: Magalie 
R. Salas, Secretary, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 First 
St., NE., Room 1A, Washington, DC 20426;
     Label one copy of the comments for the attention of the 
Gas Branch 1, DG2E; and
     Reference Docket No. PF05-7-000 on the original and both 
copies.
    The public scoping meetings to be held on March 8-10, 2005 in 
Bloomingdale and Brunswick, Georgia and Jacksonville, Florida, 
respectively, are designed to provide another opportunity to offer 
comments on the proposed project. Interested groups and individuals are 
encouraged to attend these meetings and to present comments on the 
environmental issues they believe should be addressed in the EIS. 
Transcripts of the meetings will be made so that your comments will be 
accurately recorded.
    We will include all comments that we receive within a reasonable 
time frame in our environmental analysis of the project. To expedite 
our receipt and consideration of your comments, the Commission strongly 
encourages

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electronic submission of any comments on this project. See Title 18 
Code of Federal Regulations 385.2001(a)(1)(iii) and the instructions on 
the Commission's Web site at https://www.ferc.gov under the ``e-Filing'' 
link and the link to the User's Guide. Before you can submit comments, 
you will need to create a free account which can be created on-line.
    Once Southern 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 ``eFiling'' 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.
    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 that would not be 
adequately represented by any other parties. You do not need intervenor 
status to have your environmental comments considered.

Environmental Mailing List

    If you received this notice, you are on the environmental mailing 
list for this project and will continue to receive project updates 
including the draft and final EIS. If you do not want to remain on our 
mailing list, please return the Remove From Mailing List Form included 
in Appendix 2. If you return this form, you will be removed from the 
Commission's environmental mailing list.

Availability of 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 (https://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., PF05-7). 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 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 FERC now offers a free service called 
eSubscription that 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. To register for this service, go to https://www.ferc.gov/
esubscribenow.htm.
    Finally, Southern has established an Internet Web site for its 
project at https://www.cypresspipeline.com. The Web site includes a 
description of the project and links to related documents.

Magalie R. Salas,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. E5-782 Filed 2-24-05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P