Kinder Morgan Louisiana Pipeline, L.L.C.; Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for the Proposed Kinder Morgan Pipeline Project and Request for Comments on Environmental Issues, 16141-16143 [E6-4643]
Download as PDF
<![CDATA[
Federal Register / Vol. 71, No. 61 / Thursday, March 30, 2006 / Notices
land and 229.00 acres of Forest Service
land, the Merwin Project occupies
142.65 acres of BLM land, and the Swift
No. 2 Project occupies 3.79 acres of
Forest Service land.
The final EIS contains staff
evaluations of the applicant’s proposal
and the alternatives for relicensing the
Lewis River Projects. The final EIS
documents the views of governmental
agencies, non-governmental
organizations, affected Indian tribes, the
public, the license applicant, and
Commission staff.
A copy of the final EIS is available for
review in the Commission’s Public
Reference Branch, Room 2A, located at
888 First Street, NE., Washington, DC
20426. The final EIS also may be viewed
on the Commission’s Web site at https://
www.ferc.gov under the eLibrary link.
Enter the docket number excluding the
last three digits in the docket number
field to access the document. For
assistance, contact FERC Online
Support at
FERCOnlineSupport@ferc.gov or tollfree at 1–866–208–3676, or for TTY,
(202) 502–8659.
You may also register online at https://
www.ferc.gov/docs-filing/
esubscription.asp to be notified via email of new filings and issuances
related to this or other pending projects.
For assistance, contact FERC Online
Support.
For further information, contact AnnAriel Vecchio at (202) 502–6351 or at
ann-ariel.vecchio@ferc.gov.
or may be viewed on the Commission’s
Web site at https://www.ferc.gov using
the ‘‘eLibrary’’ link. Enter the docket
number excluding the last three digits in
the docket number field to access
documents. For assistance, contact
FERC Online Support at
FERCOnlineSupport@ferc.gov or tollfree at 1–866–208–3676, or for TTY,
(202) 502–8659.
Anyone may file comments on the
draft EA. The public as well as federal
and state resource agencies are
encouraged to provide comments. All
written comments must be filed within
30 days of the issuance date of this
notice shown above. Send an original
and eight copies of all comments
marked with the project number, P–
516–417, to: The Secretary, Federal
Energy Regulatory Commission, 888
First Street, NE., Washington, DC 20426.
Comments, protests and interventions
may be filed electronically via the
Internet in lieu of paper; see 18 CFR
385.2001(a)(1)(iii) and the instructions
on the Commission’s Web site under the
‘‘e-Filing’’ link. The Commission
strongly encourages electronic filings.
If you have any questions regarding
this notice, please call Shana High at
(202) 502–8674.
Magalie R. Salas,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. E6–4648 Filed 3–29–06; 8:45 am]
Federal Energy Regulatory
Commission
Federal Energy Regulatory
Commission
[Project No. 516–417]
March 24, 2006.
South Carolina Electric & Gas
Company; Notice of Availability of
Draft Environmental Assessment
March 23, 2006.
cprice-sewell on PROD1PC66 with NOTICES
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Kinder Morgan Louisiana Pipeline,
L.L.C.; Notice of Intent To Prepare an
Environmental Impact Statement for
the Proposed Kinder Morgan Pipeline
Project and Request for Comments on
Environmental Issues
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
A draft environmental assessment
(EA) is available for public review. The
draft EA analyzes the environmental
impacts of an application for nonproject use of project lands and waters
filed for the Saluda Project. The project
is located on Lake Murray in Lexington
County, South Carolina.
The draft EA was written by staff in
the Office of Energy Projects, Federal
Energy Regulatory Commission, and is
available for review at the Commission
15:32 Mar 29, 2006
BILLING CODE 6717–01–P
[Docket No. PF06–16–000]
BILLING CODE 6717–01–P
VerDate Aug<31>2005
Magalie R. Salas,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. E6–4588 Filed 3–29–06; 8:45 am]
Jkt 208001
The staff of the Federal Energy
Regulatory Commission (FERC or
Commission) will prepare an
environmental impact statement (EIS)
for the Kinder Morgan Pipeline Project
proposed in southwest Louisiana by
Kinder Morgan Louisiana Pipeline,
L.L.C. This notice describes the
proposed project, the EIS process and
how the public can participate in our 1
analysis.
This notice is being sent to affected
landowners; federal, state, and local
1 ‘‘We,’’ ‘‘us,’’ and ‘‘our’’ refer to the
environmental staff of the FERC’s Office of Energy
Projects.
PO 00000
Frm 00029
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
16141
government agencies; elected officials;
environmental and public interest
groups; Native American tribes; other
interested parties; and local libraries
and newspapers. We encourage
government representatives to notify
their constituents of this proposed
project and encourage them to comment
on their areas of concern.
Summary of the Proposed Project
Kinder Morgan proposes to construct,
operate and maintain approximately 133
miles of natural gas pipeline in
Cameron, Calcasieu, Jefferson Davis,
Acadia and Evangeline Parishes,
Louisiana. According to Kinder Morgan,
the purpose of this project is to provide
an additional source of long-term,
competitively priced natural gas from
the Sabine Pass Liquefied Natural Gas
(LNG) Terminal to intrastate and
interstate natural gas markets. Kinder
Morgan has stated that this project is
necessary to help meet the growing
imbalance between national supply and
demand.
Specifically, Kinder Morgan is
proposing to construct, operate and
maintain:
• 130 miles of 42-inch-diameter
pipeline beginning within the Sabine
Pass LNG Terminal in Cameron Parish
and extending northward and easterly
through Calcasieu, Jefferson Davis and
Acadia Parishes until it connects with
an existing Columbia Gulf Transmission
interstate pipeline in Evangeline Parish,
Louisiana.
• 1 mile of 36-inch-diameter bidirectional pipeline beginning within
the Sabine Pass LNG Terminal and
extending northward until it connects
with the existing Natural Gas Pipeline
Company of America pipeline
approximately one mile north of the
LNG terminal in Cameron Parish,
Louisiana.
• 2.2 miles of 24-inch-diameter
pipeline extending eastwardly from
approximately Milepost 109 of the 130mile leg described above until it
connects with the existing Florida Gas
Transmission Company’s Compressor
Station #7 near the town of Williams in
Acadia Parish, Louisiana.
• Associated mainline block valves,
metering, tie-in and pigging facilities.
The Kinder Morgan Pipeline would
deliver approximately 3.4 million
decatherms (Dth) of natural gas per day
and would connect with fourteen
intrastate and interstate pipeline
facilities. No compressor stations would
be included as part of the project.
A general location of the proposed
pipeline is provided in Appendix 1.2
E:\FR\FM\30MRN1.SGM
30MRN1
16142
Federal Register / Vol. 71, No. 61 / Thursday, March 30, 2006 / Notices
Land Requirements
Kinder Morgan is proposing that
construction of the 42-inch-diameter
and 36-inch-diameter pipelines would
require between 85–130 feet of
construction right-of-way (ROW).
Construction of the 24-inch-diameter
pipeline would require the use of 75–95
feet of construction ROW. Temporary
work spaces (TWS) would also be
required for construction of the
proposed project. The size of
construction ROW and TWS required
for construction would vary depending
on land type and construction method.
Approximately 1,600 acres of land
would be temporarily affected by
construction of the proposed project. In
addition, during construction additional
lands would also be temporarily
affected by pipeline storage yards,
contractor staging areas, temporary work
spaces and access roads.
Kinder Morgan proposes that 50 feet
of permanent ROW would be necessary
for all three pipeline segments.
Approximately 800 acres of land would
be permanently affected by operation of
the proposed project.
If you are a landowner receiving this
notice, you may be contacted by a
Kinder Morgan representative about the
acquisition of an easement to construct,
operate and maintain the proposed
project 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.
cprice-sewell on PROD1PC66 with NOTICES
The EIS Process
The National Environmental Policy
Act (NEPA) requires the Commission to
take into account the environmental
impacts that could result from the
approval of an interstate natural gas
pipeline. The FERC will use the EIS to
assess the environmental impact that
could result if the Kinder Morgan
Pipeline Project is authorized under
section 7 of the Natural Gas Act. NEPA
also requires us to discover and address
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 Public
Participation section 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
Kinder Morgan.
VerDate Aug<31>2005
15:32 Mar 29, 2006
Jkt 208001
concerns the public may have about
proposals under consideration by the
Commission. 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. With this Notice
of Intent, the Commission staff is
requesting public comments on the
scope of the issues to be addressed in
the EIS. All comments received will be
considered during preparation of the
EIS. Please note that the scoping period
will close on April 24, 2006.
In the EIS, 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;
• Water resources;
• Wetlands and vegetation;
• Fish and wildlife;
• Threatened and endangered
species;
• Land use, recreation and visual
resources;
• Air quality and noise;
• Cultural resources;
• Socioeconomics;
• Reliability and safety; and
• Cumulative impacts.
In the EIS, 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 affected
resources.
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;
commentors; 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 comments on
the draft EIS and revise the document,
as necessary, before issuing a final EIS.
We will consider all comments on the
final EIS before we make our
recommendations to the Commission.
To ensure that your comments are
considered, please follow the
instructions in the Public Participation
section of this notice.
Although no formal application has
been filed, the FERC staff has already
initiated its NEPA review under its Prefiling Process. The purpose of the Prefiling Process is to encourage the early
involvement of interested stakeholders
and to identify and resolve issues before
an application is filed.
With this notice, we are asking
Federal, State and local governmental
PO 00000
Frm 00030
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
agencies with jurisdiction and/or
special expertise with respect to
environmental issues to express their
interest in becoming cooperating
agencies for the preparation of the EIS.
These agencies may choose to
participate once they have evaluated the
proposal relative to their
responsibilities. Agencies that would
like to request cooperating status should
send a letter expressing that interest and
expected level of involvement to the
Secretary of the Commission at the
address provided in the public
participation section of this notice.
Currently Identified Environmental
Issues
The EIS will discuss impacts that
could occur as a result of the
construction, operation and
maintenance of the proposed project.
We have already identified several
issues that we think deserve attention
based on a preliminary review of the
project site and the facility information
provided by Kinder Morgan. This
preliminary list of issues may be
changed based on your comments and
our analysis.
• Potential impacts to Sabine Lake,
including oyster reefs.
• Potential impacts to perennial and
intermittent waterbodies, including
waterbodies with Federal and/or State
designations.
• Evaluation of temporary and
permanent impacts on wetlands and
development of appropriate mitigation.
• Potential impacts to fish and
wildlife habitat, including the potential
for impacts to federally and state-listed
threatened and endangered species, as
well as the potential for impacts to
wildlife refuges.
• Potential impacts to existing land
uses, including residences, agricultural
and managed forested lands.
• Potential impacts and potential
benefits of construction workforce on
local housing, infrastructure, public
services and economy.
• Alternative alignments for the
pipeline route, alternative construction
methods and alternative sites for
associated surface facilities, such as
staging areas temporarily used during
construction.
Public Participation
You can make a difference by
providing us with your specific
comments or concerns about the
proposed project. By becoming a
commentor, your concerns will be
addressed in the EIS and considered by
the Commission. Your comments
should focus on the potential
environmental effects, reasonable
E:\FR\FM\30MRN1.SGM
30MRN1
cprice-sewell on PROD1PC66 with NOTICES
Federal Register / Vol. 71, No. 61 / Thursday, March 30, 2006 / Notices
alternatives (including alternative
facility sites and pipeline routes), and
measures to avoid or lessen
environmental impacts. The more
specific your comments, the more useful
they will be. To ensure that your
comments are timely and properly
recorded, please 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 your comments
for the attention of Gas Branch 2, DG2E.
• Reference Docket No. PF06–16–000
on the original and both copies.
• Mail your comments so that they
will be received in Washington, DC on
or before April 24, 2006.
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. The Commission strongly
encourages electronic filing of any
comments in response to this Notice of
Intent. For information on electronically
filing comments, please see the
instructions on the Commission’s Web
site at https://www.ferc.gov under the ‘‘eFiling’’ link and the link to the User’s
Guide, as well as information in 18 CFR
385.2001(a)(1)(iii). Before you can
submit comments you will need to
create a free account, which can be
created on-line.
Public scoping meetings are designed
to provide another opportunity to offer
comments on the proposed project. The
FERC is arranging and will announce
plans for public scoping meetings in the
vicinity of the proposed project before
the close of the scoping period on April
24, 2006. 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.
A transcript of each meeting will be
generated so that your comments will be
accurately recorded.
Once Kinder Morgan 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 ‘‘e-filing’’
VerDate Aug<31>2005
15:32 Mar 29, 2006
Jkt 208001
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.
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.
If you received this notice, you are on
the environmental mailing list for this
project. If you do not want to send
comments at this time, but still want to
remain on our mailing list, please return
the Information Request (Appendix 2). If
you do not return the Information
Request, you will be removed from the
Commission’s environmental mailing
list.
Availability of Additional Information
Additional information about this
project can be obtained by contacting
the Commission’s Office of External
Affairs, at 1–866–208–FERC (3372).
Additional information is also available
on the Internet at https://www.ferc.gov.
The ‘‘eLibrary link’’ on the FERC Web
site provides access to documents
submitted to and issued by the
Commission, such as comments, orders,
notices and rulemakings. Once on the
FERC website, click on the ‘‘eLibrary
link,’’ select ‘‘General Search’’ and in
the ‘‘Docket Number’’ field enter the
project docket number excluding the
last three digits (PF06–16). When
researching information be sure to select
an appropriate date range. In addition,
the FERC now offers a free e-mail
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.
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.
For assistance with the FERC Web site
or with eSubscription, please contact
FERC Online Support at
FERCOnlineSupport@ferc.gov or toll
PO 00000
Frm 00031
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
16143
free at 1–866–208–3676, or TTY, contact
(202) 502–8659.
Kinder Morgan has also established
an Internet Web site for this project at
https://www.kindermorgan.com/
business/gas_pipelines/KMLP. This Web
site includes a description of the
project, a map of the proposed pipeline
route and answers to frequently asked
questions. You can also request
additional information or provide
comments directly to Kinder Morgan at
1–877–751–7626 or by e-mail at
kmlpinfo@kindermorgan.com.
Magalie R. Salas,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. E6–4643 Filed 3–29–06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717–01–P
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory
Commission
[Docket No. PF06–14–000; COTP
Savannah–06–04]
Southern LNG, Inc. and Elba Express
Company, L.L.C.; Notice of Intent To
Prepare an Environmental Impact
Statement and U.S. Coast Guard Letter
of Recommendation for the Proposed
Elba III Project, Request for Comments
on Environmental Issues, and Notice
of Public Comment Meetings
March 24, 2006.
The Federal Energy Regulatory
Commission (FERC or Commission) and
the U.S. Department of Homeland
Security, U.S. Coast Guard (Coast
Guard) are in the process of evaluating
the Elba III Project planned by Southern
LNG, Inc. and Elba Express Company,
L.L.C., both wholly-owned subsidiaries
of Southern Natural Gas Company
(SNG). The project would consist of an
expansion of SNG’s existing onshore
Elba Island Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG)
Import Terminal on the Savannah River
in Georgia, and construction and
operation of onshore natural gas
pipeline and compressor facilities in
various counties in Georgia and South
Carolina.
As a part of this evaluation, the FERC
staff will prepare an environmental
impact statement (EIS) that will address
the environmental impacts of the
project. The Commission will use the
EIS in its decision-making process to
determine whether or not to authorize
the project. The Coast Guard will assess
the safety and security of the import
terminal expansion portion of the
project and issue a Letter of
Recommendation. As described below,
the FERC and the Coast Guard will hold
E:\FR\FM\30MRN1.SGM
30MRN1
]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 61 (Thursday, March 30, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 16141-16143]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-4643]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
[Docket No. PF06-16-000]
Kinder Morgan Louisiana Pipeline, L.L.C.; Notice of Intent To
Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for the Proposed Kinder
Morgan Pipeline Project and Request for Comments on Environmental
Issues
March 24, 2006.
The staff of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC or
Commission) will prepare an environmental impact statement (EIS) for
the Kinder Morgan Pipeline Project proposed in southwest Louisiana by
Kinder Morgan Louisiana Pipeline, L.L.C. This notice describes the
proposed project, the EIS process and how the public can participate in
our \1\ analysis.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ ``We,'' ``us,'' and ``our'' refer to the environmental staff
of the FERC's Office of Energy Projects.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
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. We encourage government
representatives to notify their constituents of this proposed project
and encourage them to comment on their areas of concern.
Summary of the Proposed Project
Kinder Morgan proposes to construct, operate and maintain
approximately 133 miles of natural gas pipeline in Cameron, Calcasieu,
Jefferson Davis, Acadia and Evangeline Parishes, Louisiana. According
to Kinder Morgan, the purpose of this project is to provide an
additional source of long-term, competitively priced natural gas from
the Sabine Pass Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) Terminal to intrastate and
interstate natural gas markets. Kinder Morgan has stated that this
project is necessary to help meet the growing imbalance between
national supply and demand.
Specifically, Kinder Morgan is proposing to construct, operate and
maintain:
130 miles of 42-inch-diameter pipeline beginning within
the Sabine Pass LNG Terminal in Cameron Parish and extending northward
and easterly through Calcasieu, Jefferson Davis and Acadia Parishes
until it connects with an existing Columbia Gulf Transmission
interstate pipeline in Evangeline Parish, Louisiana.
1 mile of 36-inch-diameter bi-directional pipeline
beginning within the Sabine Pass LNG Terminal and extending northward
until it connects with the existing Natural Gas Pipeline Company of
America pipeline approximately one mile north of the LNG terminal in
Cameron Parish, Louisiana.
2.2 miles of 24-inch-diameter pipeline extending
eastwardly from approximately Milepost 109 of the 130-mile leg
described above until it connects with the existing Florida Gas
Transmission Company's Compressor Station 7 near the town of
Williams in Acadia Parish, Louisiana.
Associated mainline block valves, metering, tie-in and
pigging facilities.
The Kinder Morgan Pipeline would deliver approximately 3.4 million
decatherms (Dth) of natural gas per day and would connect with fourteen
intrastate and interstate pipeline facilities. No compressor stations
would be included as part of the project.
A general location of the proposed pipeline is provided in Appendix
1.\2\
[[Page 16142]]
Land Requirements
Kinder Morgan is proposing that construction of the 42-inch-
diameter and 36-inch-diameter pipelines would require between 85-130
feet of construction right-of-way (ROW). Construction of the 24-inch-
diameter pipeline would require the use of 75-95 feet of construction
ROW. Temporary work spaces (TWS) would also be required for
construction of the proposed project. The size of construction ROW and
TWS required for construction would vary depending on land type and
construction method. Approximately 1,600 acres of land would be
temporarily affected by construction of the proposed project. In
addition, during construction additional lands would also be
temporarily affected by pipeline storage yards, contractor staging
areas, temporary work spaces and access roads.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\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
Public Participation section 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 Kinder Morgan.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Kinder Morgan proposes that 50 feet of permanent ROW would be
necessary for all three pipeline segments. Approximately 800 acres of
land would be permanently affected by operation of the proposed
project.
If you are a landowner receiving this notice, you may be contacted
by a Kinder Morgan representative about the acquisition of an easement
to construct, operate and maintain the proposed project 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.
The EIS Process
The National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) requires the
Commission to take into account the environmental impacts that could
result from the approval of an interstate natural gas pipeline. The
FERC will use the EIS to assess the environmental impact that could
result if the Kinder Morgan Pipeline Project is authorized under
section 7 of the Natural Gas Act. NEPA also requires us to discover and
address concerns the public may have about proposals under
consideration by the Commission. 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. With this
Notice of Intent, the Commission staff is requesting public comments on
the scope of the issues to be addressed in the EIS. All comments
received will be considered during preparation of the EIS. Please note
that the scoping period will close on April 24, 2006.
In the EIS, 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;
Water resources;
Wetlands and vegetation;
Fish and wildlife;
Threatened and endangered species;
Land use, recreation and visual resources;
Air quality and noise;
Cultural resources;
Socioeconomics;
Reliability and safety; and
Cumulative impacts.
In the EIS, 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 affected resources.
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;
commentors; 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 comments on the draft EIS and revise the document, as
necessary, before issuing a final EIS. We will consider all comments on
the final EIS before we make our recommendations to the Commission. To
ensure that your comments are considered, please follow the
instructions in the Public Participation section of this notice.
Although no formal application has been filed, the FERC staff has
already initiated its NEPA review under its 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 this notice, we are asking Federal, State and local
governmental agencies with jurisdiction and/or special expertise with
respect to environmental issues to express their interest in becoming
cooperating agencies for the preparation of the EIS. These agencies may
choose to participate once they have evaluated the proposal relative to
their responsibilities. Agencies that would like to request cooperating
status should send a letter expressing that interest and expected level
of involvement to the Secretary of the Commission at the address
provided in the public participation section of this notice.
Currently Identified Environmental Issues
The EIS will discuss impacts that could occur as a result of the
construction, operation and maintenance of the proposed project. We
have already identified several issues that we think deserve attention
based on a preliminary review of the project site and the facility
information provided by Kinder Morgan. This preliminary list of issues
may be changed based on your comments and our analysis.
Potential impacts to Sabine Lake, including oyster reefs.
Potential impacts to perennial and intermittent
waterbodies, including waterbodies with Federal and/or State
designations.
Evaluation of temporary and permanent impacts on wetlands
and development of appropriate mitigation.
Potential impacts to fish and wildlife habitat, including
the potential for impacts to federally and state-listed threatened and
endangered species, as well as the potential for impacts to wildlife
refuges.
Potential impacts to existing land uses, including
residences, agricultural and managed forested lands.
Potential impacts and potential benefits of construction
workforce on local housing, infrastructure, public services and
economy.
Alternative alignments for the pipeline route, alternative
construction methods and alternative sites for associated surface
facilities, such as staging areas temporarily used during construction.
Public Participation
You can make a difference by providing us with your specific
comments or concerns about the proposed project. By becoming a
commentor, your concerns will be addressed in the EIS and considered by
the Commission. Your comments should focus on the potential
environmental effects, reasonable
[[Page 16143]]
alternatives (including alternative facility sites and pipeline
routes), and measures to avoid or lessen environmental impacts. The
more specific your comments, the more useful they will be. To ensure
that your comments are timely and properly recorded, please 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 your comments for the attention of Gas
Branch 2, DG2E.
Reference Docket No. PF06-16-000 on the original and both
copies.
Mail your comments so that they will be received in
Washington, DC on or before April 24, 2006.
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. The Commission strongly
encourages electronic filing of any comments in response to this Notice
of Intent. For information on electronically filing comments, please
see 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, as well as information in 18 CFR 385.2001(a)(1)(iii). Before you
can submit comments you will need to create a free account, which can
be created on-line.
Public scoping meetings are designed to provide another opportunity
to offer comments on the proposed project. The FERC is arranging and
will announce plans for public scoping meetings in the vicinity of the
proposed project before the close of the scoping period on April 24,
2006. 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. A transcript of each meeting
will be generated so that your comments will be accurately recorded.
Once Kinder Morgan 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 ``e-filing'' 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.
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.
If you received this notice, you are on the environmental mailing
list for this project. If you do not want to send comments at this
time, but still want to remain on our mailing list, please return the
Information Request (Appendix 2). If you do not return the Information
Request, you will be removed from the Commission's environmental
mailing list.
Availability of Additional Information
Additional information about this project can be obtained by
contacting the Commission's Office of External Affairs, at 1-866-208-
FERC (3372). Additional information is also available on the Internet
at https://www.ferc.gov. The ``eLibrary link'' on the FERC Web site
provides access to documents submitted to and issued by the Commission,
such as comments, orders, notices and rulemakings. Once on the FERC
website, click on the ``eLibrary link,'' select ``General Search'' and
in the ``Docket Number'' field enter the project docket number
excluding the last three digits (PF06-16). When researching information
be sure to select an appropriate date range. In addition, the FERC now
offers a free e-mail 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.
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.
For assistance with the FERC Web site or with eSubscription, please
contact FERC Online Support at FERCOnlineSupport@ferc.gov or toll free
at 1-866-208-3676, or TTY, contact (202) 502-8659.
Kinder Morgan has also established an Internet Web site for this
project at https://www.kindermorgan.com/business/gas_pipelines/KMLP.
This Web site includes a description of the project, a map of the
proposed pipeline route and answers to frequently asked questions. You
can also request additional information or provide comments directly to
Kinder Morgan at 1-877-751-7626 or by e-mail at
kmlpinfo@kindermorgan.com.
Magalie R. Salas,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. E6-4643 Filed 3-29-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P
