Northwest Pipeline Corporation; Notice of Availability of the Final Environmental Impact Statement for the Proposed Capacity Replacement Project, 45717-45718 [E5-4241]
Download as PDF
Federal Register / Vol. 70, No. 151 / Monday, August 8, 2005 / Notices
Issued at Washington, DC on August 2,
2005.
R. Samuel,
Deputy Advisory Committee Management
Officer.
[FR Doc. 05–15600 Filed 8–5–05; 8:45 am]
Online service, please e-mail
FERCOnlineSupport@ferc.gov, or call
(866) 208–3676 (toll free). For TTY, call
(202) 502–8659.
Comment Date: 5 pm Eastern Time on
August 15, 2005.
BILLING CODE 6450–01–P
Magalie R. Salas,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. E5–4239 Filed 8–5–05; 8:45 am]
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
BILLING CODE 6717–01–P
Federal Energy Regulatory
Commission
[Docket No. EC05–111–000]
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Avista Corporation; Notice of Filing
Federal Energy Regulatory
Commission
August 1, 2005.
[Docket Nos. CP05–32–000, CP05–32–001]
Take notice that on July 25, 2005,
Avista Corporation filed with the
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
an application pursuant to section 203
of the Federal Power Act for
authorization of a disposition of
jurisdictional facilities whereby Avista
Corporation will sell to Modern Electric
Water Company various substation
equipment and real estate which are a
part of Avista’s Opportunity substation
located in Spokane County,
Washington.
Any person desiring to intervene or to
protest this filing must file in
accordance with Rules 211 and 214 of
the Commission’s Rules of Practice and
Procedure (18 CFR 385.211, 385.214).
Protests will be considered by the
Commission in determining the
appropriate action to be taken, but will
not serve to make protestants parties to
the proceeding. Any person wishing to
become a party must file a notice of
intervention or motion to intervene, as
appropriate. Such notices, motions, or
protests must be filed on or before the
comment date. Anyone filing a motion
to intervene or protest must serve a copy
of that document on the Applicant and
all the parties in this proceeding.
The Commission encourages
electronic submission of protests and
interventions in lieu of paper using the
‘‘eFiling’’ link at https://www.ferc.gov.
Persons unable to file electronically
should submit an original and 14 copies
of the protest or intervention to the
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission,
888 First Street, NE., Washington, DC
20426.
This filing is accessible on-line at
https://www.ferc.gov, using the
‘‘eLibrary’’ link and is available for
review in the Commission’s Public
Reference Room in Washington, DC.
There is an ‘‘eSubscription’’ link on the
Web site that enables subscribers to
receive e-mail notification when a
document is added to a subscribed
docket(s). For assistance with any FERC
VerDate jul<14>2003
20:13 Aug 05, 2005
Jkt 205001
Northwest Pipeline Corporation; Notice
of Availability of the Final
Environmental Impact Statement for
the Proposed Capacity Replacement
Project
August 1, 2005.
The staff of the Federal Energy
Regulatory Commission (Commission or
FERC) has prepared the final
environmental impact statement (EIS)
on the natural gas pipeline facilities and
abandonment activities proposed by
Northwest Pipeline Corporation
(Northwest) in the above-referenced
dockets. The Capacity Replacement
Project would be located in various
counties in Washington.
The final EIS was prepared to satisfy
the requirements of the National
Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). The
FERC staff concludes that approval of
the proposed project, with appropriate
mitigating measures as recommended,
would have limited adverse
environmental impact.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
(COE) is participating as a cooperating
agency in the preparation of the EIS
because the project would require
permits pursuant to section 404 of the
Clean Water Act (33 United States Code
(U.S.C.) 1344) and section 10 of the
Rivers and Harbors Act (33 U.S.C. 403).
The COE would adopt the EIS pursuant
to Title 40 Code of Federal Regulations
Part 1506.3 if, after an independent
review of the document, it concludes
that its comments and suggestions have
been satisfied.
The Washington State Department of
Ecology (WDOE) and the Washington
Department of Fish and Wildlife
(WDFW) are participating as
cooperating agencies in the preparation
of the EIS. The WDOE has been
designated the lead agency under the
State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA)
and is responsible for compliance with
SEPA procedural requirements as well
PO 00000
Frm 00076
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
45717
as for compiling and assessing
information on the environmental
aspects of the proposal for all agencies
with jurisdiction in Washington. NEPA
documents may be used to meet SEPA
requirements if the requirements of the
State of Washington Administrative
Code (WAC) 197–11–610 and 197–11–
630 are met. In compliance with SEPA
requirements, this Notice of Availability
includes the information required for a
SEPA EIS Cover Letter and Fact Sheet.
After the final EIS is issued by the
FERC, the WDOE would adopt it if an
independent review of the document
confirms that it meets the WDOE’s
environmental review standards.
The purpose of the Capacity
Replacement Project is to replace the
majority of the delivery capacity of
Northwest’s existing 268-mile-long, 26inch-diameter pipeline between Sumas
and Washougal, Washington in response
to a Corrective Action Order issued by
the U.S. Department of Transportation.
The proposed facilities are designed to
provide up to 360 thousand dekatherms
per day of natural gas transportation
capacity.
The final EIS addresses the potential
environmental effects (beneficial and
adverse) of Northwest’s proposal to:
• Construct and operate 79.5 miles of
new 36-inch-diameter pipeline in 4
separate loops 1 in Whatcom, Skagit,
Snohomish, King, Pierce, and Thurston
Counties;
• Modify 5 existing compressor
stations, one each in Whatcom, Skagit,
Snohomish, Lewis, and Clark Counties
for a total of 10,760 net horsepower of
new compression;
• Install various pig 2 launchers, pig
receivers, and mainline valves;
• Abandon the existing 26-inchdiameter pipeline between Sumas and
Washougal with the exception of a short
segment within and between the
existing Jackson Prairie Meter Station
and the Chehalis Compressor Station;
and
• Use 13 pipe storage and contractor
yards on a temporary basis to support
construction activities.
Northwest proposes to begin
construction in March 2006 3 and place
the facilities in service by November 1,
2006. Abandonment of the 26-inchdiameter facilities that are currently in
1 A loop is a 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.
2 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.
3 Northwest has requested that three river
crossings be authorized to begin in late 2005 if
weather permits.
E:\FR\FM\08AUN1.SGM
08AUN1
45718
Federal Register / Vol. 70, No. 151 / Monday, August 8, 2005 / Notices
service cannot be completed until the
Capacity Replacement Project is placed
in service. All abandonment activities
would be completed on or before
December 31, 2006.
The FERC, the COE, the WDOE, and
the WDFW have three alternative
courses of action in considering
Northwest’s proposal. These options
include granting authorizations with or
without conditions, denying
authorizations, or postponing action
pending further study. In accordance
with the Council on Environmental
Quality (CEQ) regulations implementing
NEPA, no agency decision on the
proposed action may be made until 30
days after the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA) publishes a
Notice of Availability of the final EIS in
the Federal Register. However, the CEQ
regulations provide an exception to this
rule when an agency decision is subject
to a formal internal appeal process that
allows other agencies or the public to
make their views known. This is the
case at the FERC, where any
Commission decision on the proposed
action would be subject to a 30-day
rehearing period. Therefore, the lead
agency decision may be made at the
same time that notice of the final EIS is
published by the EPA, allowing the
appeal periods to run concurrently.
After notice of the final EIS is
published by the EPA, the COE would
issue its own Record of Decision (ROD)
adopting the EIS. The ROD would
include the COE’s section 404(b)(1)
analysis. After issuance of the ROD, the
COE could issue the section 404 and
section 10 permits.
After the final EIS is issued by the
FERC, the WDOE would adopt it by
identifying the document and stating
why it is being adopted using the
adoption form in WAC 197–11–965. The
adoption form would be circulated to
agencies with jurisdiction and to
persons or organizations that have
expressed an interest in the proposal.
No action may be taken on the proposal
until 7 days after the statement of
adoption form has been issued. Once
the 7-day waiting period and adoption
procedures are complete, state and local
agencies can issue permits.
The key environmental issues facing
the agency decision makers relate to
impacts on residential areas,
waterbodies, and wetlands. These issues
are addressed in the final EIS. The final
EIS also evaluates alternatives to the
proposal, including system alternatives,
new pipeline corridors, and alternative
configurations of Northwest’s system;
route variations and non-standard
parallel offsets; abandonment
alternatives; and construction method
VerDate jul<14>2003
20:13 Aug 05, 2005
Jkt 205001
alternatives. The permits, approvals,
and consultations required for the
project are listed in section 1.5 of the
final EIS; Appendix U lists the authors
and principal contributors to the final
EIS.
The final EIS has been placed in the
public files of the FERC, the COE, and
the WDOE and is available for public
inspection at:
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission,
Public Reference Room, 888 First
Street, NE, Room 2A, Washington, DC
20426, (202) 502–8371.
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Seattle
District Library. 4735 East Marginal
Way South, Seattle, WA 98134, (206)
764–3728.
Washington State Department of
Ecology, Northwest Regional Office,
Central File Room, 3190 160th
Avenue, SE, Bellevue, WA 98008,
(425) 649–7190 or (425) 649–7239.
Washington State Department of
Ecology, Southwest Regional Office,
Central File Room, 300 Desmond
Drive, Lacey, WA 98503, (360) 407–
6365.
The final EIS is available for viewing
on the FERC Internet website (https://
www.ferc.gov) using the eLibrary link
(see instructions for using eLibrary
below). The final EIS is also available
for viewing on the WDOE’s Internet
Web site at https://www.ecy.wa.gov/
programs/sea/nwcapacityreplacement.
A limited number of copies are
available from the FERC’s Public
Reference Room identified above, at no
cost to the public. In addition, copies of
the final EIS have been mailed to
federal, state, and local government
agencies; elected officials; Native
American tribes; local libraries and
newspapers; intervenors in the FERC’s
proceeding; and other interested parties
(i.e., landowners, miscellaneous
individuals, and environmental groups
who provided scoping comments,
commented on the draft EIS, asked to
remain on the mailing list, or wrote to
the FERC or one of the cooperating
agencies asking to receive a copy of the
final EIS).
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 website (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
PO 00000
Frm 00077
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
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
rulemakings.
In addition, the Commission 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 the eSubscription link on
the FERC Internet Web site.
Information concerning the
involvement of the COE is available
from Olivia Romano at (206) 764–6960.
Information concerning the involvement
of the WDOE is available from Sally
Toteff at (360) 407–6957. Information
concerning the involvement of the
WDFW is available from Gary Sprague
at (360) 902–2539.
Magalie R. Salas,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. E5–4241 Filed 8–5–05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717–01–P
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory
Commission
Notice of Application for Non-Project
Use of Project Lands and Waters and
Soliciting Comments, Motions To
Intervene, and Protests
July 29, 2005.
Take notice that the following
application has been filed with the
Commission and is available for public
inspection:
a. Application Type: Non-Project Use
of Project Lands and Waters.
b. Project No: 516–412.
c. Date Filed: June 23, 2005.
d. Applicant: South Carolina Electric
& Gas Company.
e. Name of Project: Saluda Project.
f. Location: Lake Murray in Lexington
County, South Carolina. This project
does not occupy any Federal or tribal
lands.
g. Filed Pursuant to: Federal Power
Act, 16 U.S.C. 791(a)–825(r).
h. Applicant Contact: Mr. Randolph
R. Mahan, Manager, Environmental
Programs and Special Projects, SCANA
Services, Inc., Columbia, SC, 29218;
(803) 217–9538.
E:\FR\FM\08AUN1.SGM
08AUN1
Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 151 (Monday, August 8, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Pages 45717-45718]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E5-4241]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
[Docket Nos. CP05-32-000, CP05-32-001]
Northwest Pipeline Corporation; Notice of Availability of the
Final Environmental Impact Statement for the Proposed Capacity
Replacement Project
August 1, 2005.
The staff of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (Commission
or FERC) has prepared the final environmental impact statement (EIS) on
the natural gas pipeline facilities and abandonment activities proposed
by Northwest Pipeline Corporation (Northwest) in the above-referenced
dockets. The Capacity Replacement Project would be located in various
counties in Washington.
The final EIS was prepared to satisfy the requirements of the
National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). The FERC staff concludes that
approval of the proposed project, with appropriate mitigating measures
as recommended, would have limited adverse environmental impact.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (COE) is participating as a
cooperating agency in the preparation of the EIS because the project
would require permits pursuant to section 404 of the Clean Water Act
(33 United States Code (U.S.C.) 1344) and section 10 of the Rivers and
Harbors Act (33 U.S.C. 403). The COE would adopt the EIS pursuant to
Title 40 Code of Federal Regulations Part 1506.3 if, after an
independent review of the document, it concludes that its comments and
suggestions have been satisfied.
The Washington State Department of Ecology (WDOE) and the
Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) are participating as
cooperating agencies in the preparation of the EIS. The WDOE has been
designated the lead agency under the State Environmental Policy Act
(SEPA) and is responsible for compliance with SEPA procedural
requirements as well as for compiling and assessing information on the
environmental aspects of the proposal for all agencies with
jurisdiction in Washington. NEPA documents may be used to meet SEPA
requirements if the requirements of the State of Washington
Administrative Code (WAC) 197-11-610 and 197-11-630 are met. In
compliance with SEPA requirements, this Notice of Availability includes
the information required for a SEPA EIS Cover Letter and Fact Sheet.
After the final EIS is issued by the FERC, the WDOE would adopt it if
an independent review of the document confirms that it meets the WDOE's
environmental review standards.
The purpose of the Capacity Replacement Project is to replace the
majority of the delivery capacity of Northwest's existing 268-mile-
long, 26-inch-diameter pipeline between Sumas and Washougal, Washington
in response to a Corrective Action Order issued by the U.S. Department
of Transportation. The proposed facilities are designed to provide up
to 360 thousand dekatherms per day of natural gas transportation
capacity.
The final EIS addresses the potential environmental effects
(beneficial and adverse) of Northwest's proposal to:
Construct and operate 79.5 miles of new 36-inch-diameter
pipeline in 4 separate loops \1\ in Whatcom, Skagit, Snohomish, King,
Pierce, and Thurston Counties;
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ A loop is a 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.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Modify 5 existing compressor stations, one each in
Whatcom, Skagit, Snohomish, Lewis, and Clark Counties for a total of
10,760 net horsepower of new compression;
Install various pig \2\ launchers, pig receivers, and
mainline valves;
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\2\ 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.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Abandon the existing 26-inch-diameter pipeline between
Sumas and Washougal with the exception of a short segment within and
between the existing Jackson Prairie Meter Station and the Chehalis
Compressor Station; and
Use 13 pipe storage and contractor yards on a temporary
basis to support construction activities.
Northwest proposes to begin construction in March 2006 \3\ and
place the facilities in service by November 1, 2006. Abandonment of the
26-inch-diameter facilities that are currently in
[[Page 45718]]
service cannot be completed until the Capacity Replacement Project is
placed in service. All abandonment activities would be completed on or
before December 31, 2006.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\3\ Northwest has requested that three river crossings be
authorized to begin in late 2005 if weather permits.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
The FERC, the COE, the WDOE, and the WDFW have three alternative
courses of action in considering Northwest's proposal. These options
include granting authorizations with or without conditions, denying
authorizations, or postponing action pending further study. In
accordance with the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) regulations
implementing NEPA, no agency decision on the proposed action may be
made until 30 days after the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
publishes a Notice of Availability of the final EIS in the Federal
Register. However, the CEQ regulations provide an exception to this
rule when an agency decision is subject to a formal internal appeal
process that allows other agencies or the public to make their views
known. This is the case at the FERC, where any Commission decision on
the proposed action would be subject to a 30-day rehearing period.
Therefore, the lead agency decision may be made at the same time that
notice of the final EIS is published by the EPA, allowing the appeal
periods to run concurrently.
After notice of the final EIS is published by the EPA, the COE
would issue its own Record of Decision (ROD) adopting the EIS. The ROD
would include the COE's section 404(b)(1) analysis. After issuance of
the ROD, the COE could issue the section 404 and section 10 permits.
After the final EIS is issued by the FERC, the WDOE would adopt it
by identifying the document and stating why it is being adopted using
the adoption form in WAC 197-11-965. The adoption form would be
circulated to agencies with jurisdiction and to persons or
organizations that have expressed an interest in the proposal. No
action may be taken on the proposal until 7 days after the statement of
adoption form has been issued. Once the 7-day waiting period and
adoption procedures are complete, state and local agencies can issue
permits.
The key environmental issues facing the agency decision makers
relate to impacts on residential areas, waterbodies, and wetlands.
These issues are addressed in the final EIS. The final EIS also
evaluates alternatives to the proposal, including system alternatives,
new pipeline corridors, and alternative configurations of Northwest's
system; route variations and non-standard parallel offsets; abandonment
alternatives; and construction method alternatives. The permits,
approvals, and consultations required for the project are listed in
section 1.5 of the final EIS; Appendix U lists the authors and
principal contributors to the final EIS.
The final EIS has been placed in the public files of the FERC, the
COE, and the WDOE and is available for public inspection at:
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, Public Reference Room, 888 First
Street, NE, Room 2A, Washington, DC 20426, (202) 502-8371.
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Seattle District Library. 4735 East
Marginal Way South, Seattle, WA 98134, (206) 764-3728.
Washington State Department of Ecology, Northwest Regional Office,
Central File Room, 3190 160th Avenue, SE, Bellevue, WA 98008, (425)
649-7190 or (425) 649-7239.
Washington State Department of Ecology, Southwest Regional Office,
Central File Room, 300 Desmond Drive, Lacey, WA 98503, (360) 407-6365.
The final EIS is available for viewing on the FERC Internet website
(https://www.ferc.gov) using the eLibrary link (see instructions for
using eLibrary below). The final EIS is also available for viewing on
the WDOE's Internet Web site at https://www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/sea/
nwcapacityreplacement.
A limited number of copies are available from the FERC's Public
Reference Room identified above, at no cost to the public. In addition,
copies of the final EIS have been mailed to federal, state, and local
government agencies; elected officials; Native American tribes; local
libraries and newspapers; intervenors in the FERC's proceeding; and
other interested parties (i.e., landowners, miscellaneous individuals,
and environmental groups who provided scoping comments, commented on
the draft EIS, asked to remain on the mailing list, or wrote to the
FERC or one of the cooperating agencies asking to receive a copy of the
final EIS).
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 website (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 on the FERC Internet Web site
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 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 the eSubscription
link on the FERC Internet Web site.
Information concerning the involvement of the COE is available from
Olivia Romano at (206) 764-6960. Information concerning the involvement
of the WDOE is available from Sally Toteff at (360) 407-6957.
Information concerning the involvement of the WDFW is available from
Gary Sprague at (360) 902-2539.
Magalie R. Salas,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. E5-4241 Filed 8-5-05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P