Northern Natural Gas Company; Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Assessment for the Proposed Cunningham Withdrawal Wells Project and Request for Comments on Environmental Issues, 11006-11007 [E5-905]
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11006
Federal Register / Vol. 70, No. 43 / Monday, March 7, 2005 / Notices
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory
Commission
[Docket No. CP05–55–000]
Northern Natural Gas Company; Notice
of Intent To Prepare an Environmental
Assessment for the Proposed
Cunningham Withdrawal Wells Project
and Request for Comments on
Environmental Issues
March 1, 2005.
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 Cunningham Withdrawal Wells
Project involving construction and
operation of facilities by Northern
Natural Gas Company (Northern) in
Pratt and Kingman Counties, Kansas.1
These facilities would consist of two
withdrawal wells, associated pipeline
and 200 horsepower (hp) of electrically
powered compression. This EA will be
used by the Commission in its decisionmaking process to determine whether
the project is in the public convenience
and necessity.
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 pipeline
company 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, 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?’’ was attached to the project
notice Northern 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
available for viewing on the FERC
Internet Web site (https://www.ferc.gov).
Summary of the Proposed Project
Based on recent testing and analyses,
Northern has determined that gas is
migrating away from its Cunningham
1 Northern’s application was filed with the
Commission under section 7 of the Natural Gas Act
and Part 157 of the Commission’s regulations.
VerDate jul<14>2003
18:15 Mar 04, 2005
Jkt 205001
Storage Field. Northern is seeking
authorization to construct and operate
two additional withdrawal wells and
associated facilities to recapture the gas
and integrate it into its existing pipeline
infrastructure. Specifically, Northern
proposes to install two new wells (#19–
14 and #24–42), associated surface
equipment, two sections totaling 4,500
feet of 4-inch-diameter gas pipeline, two
sections totaling 3,700 feet of 3-inchdiameter liquid pipeline, and a 200
horsepower electrical compressor unit.
To support these facilities, Northern
would use a temporary workspace of
about 500 square feet at each well site
and would permanently use a 100-foot
by 200-foot rock or gravel pad and a 50foot by 360-foot ground bed at each well
site. Northern would also use 20-foot
wide rock or gravel driveways for access
to the well sites.
The proposed facilities would operate
within the existing certified parameters
of the Cunningham Storage Field.
The location of the project facilities is
shown in Appendix 1.2
Land Requirements for Construction
Construction of the proposed facilities
would require about 29.0 acres of land.
Following construction, about 0.9 acre
would be maintained as new
aboveground facility sites and 1.3 acres
would be maintained as access roads.
The remaining 26.8 acres of land would
be restored and allowed to revert to its
former use.
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 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, the Commission staff
requests public comments on the scope
of the issues to address in the EA. All
comments received are considered
during the preparation of the EA. State
and local government representatives
are encouraged to notify their
2 The appendices referenced in this notice are not
being printed in the Federal Register. Copies of all
appendices, other than Appendix 1 (maps), 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 last page of
this notice. Copies of the appendices were sent to
all those receiving this notice in the mail.
PO 00000
Frm 00072
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
constituents of this proposed action and
encourage them to comment on their
areas of concern.
In the EA we 3 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.
• Cultural resources.
• Vegetation and wildlife.
• Air quality and noise.
• Endangered and threatened species.
• Public safety.
We will also evaluate possible
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.
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
considered, please carefully follow the
instructions in the public participation
section below.
Currently Identified Environmental
Issues
We have already identified issues that
we think deserve attention based on a
preliminary review of the proposed
facilities and the environmental
information provided by Northern. This
preliminary list of issues may be
changed based on your comments and
our analysis.
• A potential surface water feature
that could potentially contain Arkansas
darter habitat may be located within the
project area.
• The installation of additional
compression may contribute to an
increase in noise levels at nearby noise
sensitive areas.
• Topsoil separation, restoration and
revegetation may need to be addressed
through specific mitigation measures.
3 ‘‘We’’, ‘‘us’’, and ‘‘our’’ refer to the
environmental staff of the Office of Energy Projects
(OEP).
E:\FR\FM\07MRN1.SGM
07MRN1
Federal Register / Vol. 70, No. 43 / Monday, March 7, 2005 / Notices
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,
alternatives to the proposed locations,
and measures to avoid or lessen
environmental impacts. 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: 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 Gas Branch 2.
• Reference Docket No. CP05–55–
000.
• Mail your comments so that they
will be received in Washington, DC on
or before March 30, 2005.
Please note that we are continuing to
experience delays in mail deliveries
from the U.S. Postal Service. As a result,
we will include all comments that we
receive within a reasonable time frame
in our environmental analysis of this
project. However, the Commission
strongly encourages electronic filing of
any comments or interventions or
protests to this proceeding. See 18 CFR
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 file comments
you will need to create a free account
which can be created online.
We may mail the EA for comment. If
you are interested in receiving it, please
return the Information Request
(Appendix 4). If you do not return the
Information Request, 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
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
VerDate jul<14>2003
18:15 Mar 04, 2005
Jkt 205001
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).4 Only
intervenors have the right to seek
rehearing of the Commission’s decision.
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.
Environmental Mailing List
An effort is being made to send this
notice to all individuals, organizations,
and government entities interested in
and/or potentially affected by the
proposed project. This includes all
landowners who are potential right-ofway grantors, whose property may be
used temporarily for project purposes,
or who own homes within distances
defined in the Commission’s regulations
of certain aboveground facilities.
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. 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 https://
www.ferc.gov/esubscribenow.htm.
4 Interventions may also be filed electronically via
the Internet in lieu of paper. See the previous
discussion on filing comments electronically.
PO 00000
Frm 00073
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
11007
Finally, public meetings or site visits
will be posted on the Commission’s
calendar located at https://www.ferc.gov/
EventCalendar/EventsList.aspx along
with other related information.
Magalie R. Salas,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. E5–905 Filed 3–4–05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717–01–P
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory
Commission
[Project No. 2738–054]
New York State Electric & Gas
Corporation; Notice Soliciting Scoping
Comments
February 28, 2005.
Take notice that the following
hydroelectric application has been filed
with the Commission and is available
for public inspection.
a. Type of Application: New major
license.
b. Project No.: P–2738–054.
c. Date Filed: April 4, 2004.
d. Applicant: New York State Electric
& Gas Corporation.
e. Name of Project: Saranac River
Hydroelectric Project.
f. Location: On the Saranac River, in
Clinton County, New York. This project
does not occupy Federal lands.
g. Filed Pursuant to: Federal Power
Act 16 U.S.C. 791(a)–825(r).
h. Applicant Contact: Hugh Ives, New
York State Electric & Gas Corporation,
Corporate Drive, Kirkwood Industrial
Park, P.O. Box 5224, Binghampton, NY
13902, (585) 724–8209.
i. FERC Contact: Tom Dean, (202)
502–6041 or thomas.dean@ferc.gov.
j. Deadline for Filing Scoping
Comments: March 31, 2005.
All Documents (Original and Eight
Copies) Should Be Filed With: Magalie
R. Salas, Secretary, Federal Energy
Regulatory Commission, 888 First
Street, NE., Washington, DC 20426.
The Commission’s Rules of Practice
require all intervenors filing documents
with the Commission to serve a copy of
that document on each person on the
official service list for the project.
Further, if an intervenor files comments
or documents with the Commission
relating to the merits of an issue that
may affect the responsibilities of a
particular resource agency, they must
also serve a copy of the document on
that resource agency.
Scoping comments may be filed
electronically via the Internet in lieu of
paper. The Commission strongly
E:\FR\FM\07MRN1.SGM
07MRN1
Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 43 (Monday, March 7, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Pages 11006-11007]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E5-905]
[[Page 11006]]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
[Docket No. CP05-55-000]
Northern Natural Gas Company; Notice of Intent To Prepare an
Environmental Assessment for the Proposed Cunningham Withdrawal Wells
Project and Request for Comments on Environmental Issues
March 1, 2005.
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 Cunningham Withdrawal Wells
Project involving construction and operation of facilities by Northern
Natural Gas Company (Northern) in Pratt and Kingman Counties,
Kansas.\1\ These facilities would consist of two withdrawal wells,
associated pipeline and 200 horsepower (hp) of electrically powered
compression. This EA will be used by the Commission in its decision-
making process to determine whether the project is in the public
convenience and necessity.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ Northern's application was filed with the Commission under
section 7 of the Natural Gas Act and Part 157 of the Commission's
regulations.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
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 pipeline company 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, 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?'' was attached to the
project notice Northern 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 available for viewing on the FERC Internet Web site (https://
www.ferc.gov).
Summary of the Proposed Project
Based on recent testing and analyses, Northern has determined that
gas is migrating away from its Cunningham Storage Field. Northern is
seeking authorization to construct and operate two additional
withdrawal wells and associated facilities to recapture the gas and
integrate it into its existing pipeline infrastructure. Specifically,
Northern proposes to install two new wells (19-14 and
24-42), associated surface equipment, two sections totaling
4,500 feet of 4-inch-diameter gas pipeline, two sections totaling 3,700
feet of 3-inch-diameter liquid pipeline, and a 200 horsepower
electrical compressor unit.
To support these facilities, Northern would use a temporary
workspace of about 500 square feet at each well site and would
permanently use a 100-foot by 200-foot rock or gravel pad and a 50-foot
by 360-foot ground bed at each well site. Northern would also use 20-
foot wide rock or gravel driveways for access to the well sites.
The proposed facilities would operate within the existing certified
parameters of the Cunningham Storage Field.
The location of the project facilities is shown in Appendix 1.\2\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\2\ The appendices referenced in this notice are not being
printed in the Federal Register. Copies of all appendices, other
than Appendix 1 (maps), 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
last page of this notice. Copies of the appendices were sent to all
those receiving this notice in the mail.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Land Requirements for Construction
Construction of the proposed facilities would require about 29.0
acres of land. Following construction, about 0.9 acre would be
maintained as new aboveground facility sites and 1.3 acres would be
maintained as access roads. The remaining 26.8 acres of land would be
restored and allowed to revert to its former use.
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
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, the Commission staff
requests public comments on the scope of the issues to address in the
EA. All comments received are considered during the preparation of the
EA. State and local government representatives are encouraged to notify
their constituents of this proposed action and encourage them to
comment on their areas of concern.
In the EA we \3\ will discuss impacts that could occur as a result
of the construction and operation of the proposed project under these
general headings:
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\3\ ``We'', ``us'', and ``our'' refer to the environmental staff
of the Office of Energy Projects (OEP).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Geology and soils.
Land use.
Water resources, fisheries, and wetlands.
Cultural resources.
Vegetation and wildlife.
Air quality and noise.
Endangered and threatened species.
Public safety.
We will also evaluate possible 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.
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 considered, please carefully follow the
instructions in the public participation section below.
Currently Identified Environmental Issues
We have already identified issues that we think deserve attention
based on a preliminary review of the proposed facilities and the
environmental information provided by Northern. This preliminary list
of issues may be changed based on your comments and our analysis.
A potential surface water feature that could potentially
contain Arkansas darter habitat may be located within the project area.
The installation of additional compression may contribute
to an increase in noise levels at nearby noise sensitive areas.
Topsoil separation, restoration and revegetation may need
to be addressed through specific mitigation measures.
[[Page 11007]]
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, alternatives to the proposed locations, and measures to avoid
or lessen environmental impacts. 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: 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 Gas
Branch 2.
Reference Docket No. CP05-55-000.
Mail your comments so that they will be received in
Washington, DC on or before March 30, 2005.
Please note that we are continuing to experience delays in mail
deliveries from the U.S. Postal Service. As a result, we will include
all comments that we receive within a reasonable time frame in our
environmental analysis of this project. However, the Commission
strongly encourages electronic filing of any comments or interventions
or protests to this proceeding. See 18 CFR 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
file comments you will need to create a free account which can be
created online.
We may mail the EA for comment. If you are interested in receiving
it, please return the Information Request (Appendix 4). If you do not
return the Information Request, 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 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).\4\ Only intervenors have
the right to seek rehearing of the Commission's decision.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\4\ 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.
Environmental Mailing List
An effort is being made to send this notice to all individuals,
organizations, and government entities interested in and/or potentially
affected by the proposed project. This includes all landowners who are
potential right-of-way grantors, whose property may be used temporarily
for project purposes, or who own homes within distances defined in the
Commission's regulations of certain aboveground facilities.
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. 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 https://www.ferc.gov/esubscribenow.htm.
Finally, public meetings or site visits will be posted on the
Commission's calendar located at https://www.ferc.gov/EventCalendar/
EventsList.aspx along with other related information.
Magalie R. Salas,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. E5-905 Filed 3-4-05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P