Texas Eastern Transmission, LP; Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Assessment for the Proposed Texas Eastern Incremental Market Expansion II Project and Request for Comments on Environmental Issues, 32073-32075 [E6-8595]
Download as PDF
Federal Register / Vol. 71, No. 106 / Friday, June 2, 2006 / Notices
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).5 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.
jlentini on PROD1PC65 with NOTICES
Site Visit
On June 20, 2006, the OEP staff will
conduct a pre-certification site visit of
the planned Cape Cod Project.
We will view the proposed route and
variations that are being considered for
the planned pipeline. Staff will view the
area by automobile and on foot.
Representatives of Algonquin will be
accompanying the OEP staff.
All interested parties may attend the
site visit on June 20, 2006. Those
planning to attend must provide their
own transportation. If you are interested
in attending the site visit, please meet
us at 9 a.m. in the parking lot of ENSR,
95 State Road, Sagamore Beach,
Massachusetts.
If you plan on attending and will be
entering the Massachusetts Military
Reservation along with FERC on the site
visit, it will be necessary that you
provide certain information no later
than Monday, June 12, 2006. We will
attempt to get pre-approval for anyone
attending. Please e-mail the following
information to jzimmer@ensr.com:
Name; Drivers License Number;
Agency/Affiliation; Vehicle make,
model, color, year, and license plate
number of vehicle entering the base.
Anyone attending who will be
entering the Massachusetts Military
Reservation needs to be pre-approved
and must bring a Photo ID to gain
access.
For additional information, please
contact the Commission’s Office of
External Affairs at 1–866–208–FERC
(3372).
Additional Information
Additional information about the
project is available from the
5 Interventions may also be filed electronically via
the Internet in lieu of paper. See the previous
discussion on filing comments electronically.
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18:05 Jun 01, 2006
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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.
Magalie R. Salas,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. E6–8596 Filed 6–1–06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717–01–P
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory
Commission
[Docket No. CP06–115–000]
Texas Eastern Transmission, LP;
Notice of Intent To Prepare an
Environmental Assessment for the
Proposed Texas Eastern Incremental
Market Expansion II Project and
Request for Comments on
Environmental Issues
May 26, 2006.
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 Texas Eastern Incremental Market
Expansion (TIME) II Project involving
construction, replacement, and
operation of facilities by Texas Eastern
Transmission, LP (Texas Eastern) in
Pickaway and Monroe Counties, Ohio
and Somerset, Bedford, Franklin, Bucks,
Fayette, and Adams Counties,
Pennsylvania. The TIME II Project
would provide additional natural gas
pipeline capacity to the New Jersey
market area, alleviating the constraints
currently experienced as a result of
PO 00000
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Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
32073
increasing market demand. The TIME II
Project would provide up to 150,000
dekatherms per day (dth/d) of
transportation capacity.
This notice announces the opening of
the scoping period that will be used to
gather environmental input from the
public and interested agencies on the
project. Please note that the scoping
period will close on June 30, 2006.
This notice is being sent to potentially
affected landowners; Federal, state, and
local government agencies; elected
officials; environmental and public
interest groups; Native American Tribes,
other interested parties; local libraries
and newspapers. State and local
government representatives are asked to
notify their constituents of this planned
project and encourage them to comment
on their areas of concern.
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?’’ 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
Commission’s proceedings.
Summary of the Proposed Project 1
In 2007, Texas Eastern proposes to:
• Remove about 6.4 miles of its
existing 24-inch-diameter Line 1
pipeline and replace it, within the same
trench, with a 36-inch-diameter pipeline
in Somerset and Bedford Counties,
Pennsylvania (Uniontown Discharge);
• Remove about 4.9 miles of its
existing 24-inch-diameter Line 1
pipeline and replace it, within the same
trench, with a 36-inch-diameter pipeline
in Franklin County, Pennsylvania
(Bedford Discharge);
• Remove about 10.3 miles of its
existing 20-inch-diameter Line 2
pipeline and replace it, within the same
1 Texas Eastern’s application was filed with the
Commission under section 7 of the Natural Gas Act
and part 157 of the Commission’s regulations.
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32074
Federal Register / Vol. 71, No. 106 / Friday, June 2, 2006 / Notices
trench, with a 36-inch-diameter pipeline
in Bucks County, Pennsylvania (Eagle
Discharge);
• Construct the new Heidlersburg
Compressor Station, which would
include a 16,000 horsepower (hp)
electric motor/centrifugal compressor
and related facilities near Heidlersburg
in Adams County, Pennsylvania; and
• Remove, relocate, or install
appurtenant facilities.
In 2008, Texas Eastern proposes to:
• Remove about 6.3 miles of its
existing 24-inch-diameter Line 1
pipeline and replace it, within the same
trench, with a 36-inch-diameter pipeline
in Pickaway County, Ohio (Five Points
Discharge);
• Construct about 4.0 miles of 36inch-diameter pipeline loop 2 in Monroe
County, Ohio (Berne Discharge);
• Install a 16,000 hp electric motor/
centrifugal compressor unit at its
existing Uniontown Compressor Station
in Fayette County, Pennsylvania; and
• Install appurtenant facilities.
The general location of Texas
Eastern’s proposed facilities is shown
on the map attached as Appendix 1.3
Land Requirements for Construction
jlentini on PROD1PC65 with NOTICES
Construction of Texas Eastern’s
proposed pipeline facilities would
require about 571.6 acres of land,
including construction rights-of-way for
the loop and replacements, additional
temporary workspaces, access roads,
staging areas, and pipeyards/wareyards.
Following construction, about 319.9
acres would be maintained as
permanent rights-of-way. The remaining
251.7 acres would be restored and
allowed to revert to its former use.
Construction at the existing
Uniontown Compressor Station would
require disturbance of about 0.5 acre
within the existing compressor station
site and would not require the clearing
of additional land.
Construction of the Heidlersburg
Compressor Station would require about
6.3 acres of land. Following
construction, about 6.2 acres would be
maintained as a new aboveground
facility site.
2 A loop is a segment of pipeline that is installed
adjacent to an existing pipeline and connected to
it on both ends. The loop allows more gas to be
moved through the pipeline system.
3 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.
VerDate Aug<31>2005
18:05 Jun 01, 2006
Jkt 208001
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 4 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. By
this notice, we are also asking Federal,
state, and local agencies with
jurisdiction and/or special expertise
with respect to environmental issues to
formally cooperate with us in the
preparation of the EA. Agencies that
would like to request cooperating status
should follow the instructions for filing
comments below.
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.
Currently Identified Environmental
Issues
In the EA, we will discuss impacts
that could occur as a result of the
construction and operation of the
project. We will also evaluate possible
alternatives to the proposed project or
portions of the project.
We have already identified several
issues that we think deserve attention
based on a preliminary review of the
proposed facilities, environmental
information provided by Texas Eastern,
and comments gathered from concerned
citizens at Texas Eastern’s open houses.
This preliminary list of issues may be
changed based on your comments and
our analysis.
• Potential noise levels due to the
operation of the compressor stations;
• Safety concerns;
4 ’’We’’, ‘‘us’’, and ‘‘our’’, refer to the
environmental staff of the Office of Energy Projects
(OEP).
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• Eight federally-listed threatened
and endangered species may potentially
occur in the project areas;
• 56 perennial waterbodies would be
crossed; and
• About 6.2 acres of agricultural land
would be converted to industrial use for
the Heidlersburg Compressor Station.
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 proposal (including
alternative locations and routes), and
measures to avoid or lessen
environmental impact. 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 1.
• Reference Docket No. CP06–115–
000.
• Mail your comments so that they
will be received in Washington, DC on
or before June 30, 2006.
Please note that 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 an account which can be created
online.
Becoming an Intervenor
In addition to involvement in the EA
scoping process, you may want to
become an official party to the
proceeding, or ‘‘intervenor’’. 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). Intervenors
have the right to seek rehearing of the
Commission’s decision. Motions to
Intervene should be electronically
submitted using the Commission’s
eFiling system at https://www.ferc.gov.
Persons without Internet access should
send an original and 14 copies of their
motion to the Secretary of the
Commission at the address indicated
E:\FR\FM\02JNN1.SGM
02JNN1
Federal Register / Vol. 71, No. 106 / Friday, June 2, 2006 / Notices
previously. Persons filing Motions to
Intervene on or before the comment
deadline indicated above must send a
copy of the motion to the Applicant. All
filings, including late interventions,
submitted after the comment deadline
must be served on the Applicant and all
other intervenors identified on the
Commission’s service list for this
proceeding. Persons on the service list
with e-mail addresses may be served
electronically; others must be served a
hard copy of the filing.
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.
jlentini on PROD1PC65 with NOTICES
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.
VerDate Aug<31>2005
18:05 Jun 01, 2006
Jkt 208001
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. E6–8595 Filed 6–1–06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717–01–P
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory
Commission
[Docket No. CP06–126–000]
Texas Gas Transmission, LLC; Notice
of Intent To Prepare an Environmental
Assessment for the Proposed Texas
Gas Storage Expansion Project—
Phase 2 and Request for Comments on
Environmental Issues
May 25, 2006.
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 Texas Gas Storage Expansion
Project—Phase 2 involving construction
and operation of facilities by Texas Gas
Transmission, LLC (Texas Gas) in
Webster, Hopkins, and Muhlenberg
Counties, Kentucky.1 Texas Gas’ project
purpose is to enable it to withdraw on
a firm basis up to an additional 100,749
MMBtu per day from the Midland and
Hanson Gas Storage Fields. Also the
project would enable Texas Gas to
utilize an additional 9,320,500 MMBtu
in the Midland Gas Storage Field to
accommodate demand on Texas Gas’
system. In general these facilities would
consist of 7 new horizontal injection/
withdrawal wells, abandoning 2
horizontal injection/withdrawal wells,
several segments of pipeline connecting
the wells to lateral pipelines and
replacing several segments of pipeline,
addition of compression at 2 compressor
stations, and increasing the certificated
field capacity at one of the storage
fields. 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.
Summary of the Proposed Project
Texas Gas proposes to add three
compressor units at two existing
compressor stations (CS), add seven
new horizontal injection/withdrawal
1 Texas Gas’ application was filed with the
Commission under section 7 of the Natural Gas Act
and part 157 of the Commission’s regulations.
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Fmt 4703
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32075
wells and related field piping
modifications at two existing gas storage
fields, and abandon two existing
injection/withdrawal wells all in
Kentucky. Also Texas Gas proposes an
increase in certificated field capacity at
one gas storage field. Specifically, the
project includes:
• Slaughters CS (Webster County,
KY)—A new 13,338 horsepower (hp)
turbine compressor unit and associated
equipment, and a new power generator
to be installed at an existing compressor
station site;
• Hanson CS (Hopkins County, KY)—
Two new 1,774 hp reciprocating
compressor units and associated
equipment replacing two existing
reciprocating units, a new power
generator, a dehydration plant, and a
new boiler to be installed at an existing
compressor station site;
• Hanson Gas Storage Field (Hopkins
County, KY)—Two new horizontal
injection/withdrawal wells (Well Nos.
17567 and 17568); and
• Midland Gas Storage Field
(Muhlenberg County, KY)—Five new
horizontal injection/withdrawal wells
(Well Nos. 17562, 17563, 17564, 17565,
and 17566), plugging existing Well Nos.
16774 and 16812, new pig trap receiver/
launcher facilities, and increased
certificated field capacity by 2,000,000
MMBtu by increasing the maximum
allowable field pressure.
Also, Texas Gas indicates it would
construct and operate, under a Blanket
Certificate from Docket No. CP82–407–
000, the following facilities at the
Hanson and Midland Gas Storage
Fields:
• Hanson Gas Storage Field—900 feet
(ft) of new 8-inch (in) diameter pipeline
from Well No. 17567 to the 12-in East
Header pipeline, and 800 ft of new 8-in
diameter pipeline from Well No. 17568
to the 8-in West Header pipeline.
• Midland Gas Storage Field—1,200 ft
of new 8-in diameter pipeline from Well
No. 17562 to the E–11 lateral pipeline,
800 ft of new 8-in diameter pipeline
from Well No. 17563 to the E–7 lateral
pipeline, 1,000 ft of new 8-in diameter
pipeline from Well No. 17564 to the E–
4 lateral pipeline, 200 ft of new 8-in
diameter pipeline from Well No. 17565
to the E–1 lateral pipeline, 500 ft of new
8-in diameter pipeline from well No
17566 to the W–4 lateral pipeline, 1,600
ft of 6-in diameter pipeline to replace
the existing 4-in pipeline tributary to
existing Well No 16947, 1,500 ft of 6-in
pipeline to replace the existing 4-in and
6-in tributary pipeline segments
extending from the E–11 lateral pipeline
to the E–7 lateral pipeline.
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Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 106 (Friday, June 2, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 32073-32075]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-8595]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
[Docket No. CP06-115-000]
Texas Eastern Transmission, LP; Notice of Intent To Prepare an
Environmental Assessment for the Proposed Texas Eastern Incremental
Market Expansion II Project and Request for Comments on Environmental
Issues
May 26, 2006.
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 Texas Eastern Incremental
Market Expansion (TIME) II Project involving construction, replacement,
and operation of facilities by Texas Eastern Transmission, LP (Texas
Eastern) in Pickaway and Monroe Counties, Ohio and Somerset, Bedford,
Franklin, Bucks, Fayette, and Adams Counties, Pennsylvania. The TIME II
Project would provide additional natural gas pipeline capacity to the
New Jersey market area, alleviating the constraints currently
experienced as a result of increasing market demand. The TIME II
Project would provide up to 150,000 dekatherms per day (dth/d) of
transportation capacity.
This notice announces the opening of the scoping period that will
be used to gather environmental input from the public and interested
agencies on the project. Please note that the scoping period will close
on June 30, 2006.
This notice is being sent to potentially affected landowners;
Federal, state, and local government agencies; elected officials;
environmental and public interest groups; Native American Tribes, other
interested parties; local libraries and newspapers. State and local
government representatives are asked to notify their constituents of
this planned project and encourage them to comment on their areas of
concern.
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?'' 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 Commission's
proceedings.
Summary of the Proposed Project \1\
In 2007, Texas Eastern proposes to:
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ Texas Eastern's application was filed with the Commission
under section 7 of the Natural Gas Act and part 157 of the
Commission's regulations.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Remove about 6.4 miles of its existing 24-inch-diameter
Line 1 pipeline and replace it, within the same trench, with a 36-inch-
diameter pipeline in Somerset and Bedford Counties, Pennsylvania
(Uniontown Discharge);
Remove about 4.9 miles of its existing 24-inch-diameter
Line 1 pipeline and replace it, within the same trench, with a 36-inch-
diameter pipeline in Franklin County, Pennsylvania (Bedford Discharge);
Remove about 10.3 miles of its existing 20-inch-diameter
Line 2 pipeline and replace it, within the same
[[Page 32074]]
trench, with a 36-inch-diameter pipeline in Bucks County, Pennsylvania
(Eagle Discharge);
Construct the new Heidlersburg Compressor Station, which
would include a 16,000 horsepower (hp) electric motor/centrifugal
compressor and related facilities near Heidlersburg in Adams County,
Pennsylvania; and
Remove, relocate, or install appurtenant facilities.
In 2008, Texas Eastern proposes to:
Remove about 6.3 miles of its existing 24-inch-diameter
Line 1 pipeline and replace it, within the same trench, with a 36-inch-
diameter pipeline in Pickaway County, Ohio (Five Points Discharge);
Construct about 4.0 miles of 36-inch-diameter pipeline
loop \2\ in Monroe County, Ohio (Berne Discharge);
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\2\ A loop is a segment of pipeline that is installed adjacent
to an existing pipeline and connected to it on both ends. The loop
allows more gas to be moved through the pipeline system.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Install a 16,000 hp electric motor/centrifugal compressor
unit at its existing Uniontown Compressor Station in Fayette County,
Pennsylvania; and
Install appurtenant facilities.
The general location of Texas Eastern's proposed facilities is
shown on the map attached as Appendix 1.\3\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\3\ 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 Texas Eastern's proposed pipeline facilities would
require about 571.6 acres of land, including construction rights-of-way
for the loop and replacements, additional temporary workspaces, access
roads, staging areas, and pipeyards/wareyards. Following construction,
about 319.9 acres would be maintained as permanent rights-of-way. The
remaining 251.7 acres would be restored and allowed to revert to its
former use.
Construction at the existing Uniontown Compressor Station would
require disturbance of about 0.5 acre within the existing compressor
station site and would not require the clearing of additional land.
Construction of the Heidlersburg Compressor Station would require
about 6.3 acres of land. Following construction, about 6.2 acres would
be maintained as a new aboveground facility site.
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
\4\ 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. By this notice, we are also asking Federal, state, and local
agencies with jurisdiction and/or special expertise with respect to
environmental issues to formally cooperate with us in the preparation
of the EA. Agencies that would like to request cooperating status
should follow the instructions for filing comments below.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\4\ ''We'', ``us'', and ``our'', refer to the environmental
staff of the Office of Energy Projects (OEP).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
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.
Currently Identified Environmental Issues
In the EA, we will discuss impacts that could occur as a result of
the construction and operation of the project. We will also evaluate
possible alternatives to the proposed project or portions of the
project.
We have already identified several issues that we think deserve
attention based on a preliminary review of the proposed facilities,
environmental information provided by Texas Eastern, and comments
gathered from concerned citizens at Texas Eastern's open houses. This
preliminary list of issues may be changed based on your comments and
our analysis.
Potential noise levels due to the operation of the
compressor stations;
Safety concerns;
Eight federally-listed threatened and endangered species
may potentially occur in the project areas;
56 perennial waterbodies would be crossed; and
About 6.2 acres of agricultural land would be converted to
industrial use for the Heidlersburg Compressor Station.
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 proposal (including alternative locations
and routes), and measures to avoid or lessen environmental impact. 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 1.
Reference Docket No. CP06-115-000.
Mail your comments so that they will be received in
Washington, DC on or before June 30, 2006.
Please note that 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 an account which can be created online.
Becoming an Intervenor
In addition to involvement in the EA scoping process, you may want
to become an official party to the proceeding, or ``intervenor''. 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). Intervenors have the right to seek rehearing of the
Commission's decision. Motions to Intervene should be electronically
submitted using the Commission's eFiling system at https://www.ferc.gov.
Persons without Internet access should send an original and 14 copies
of their motion to the Secretary of the Commission at the address
indicated
[[Page 32075]]
previously. Persons filing Motions to Intervene on or before the
comment deadline indicated above must send a copy of the motion to the
Applicant. All filings, including late interventions, submitted after
the comment deadline must be served on the Applicant and all other
intervenors identified on the Commission's service list for this
proceeding. Persons on the service list with e-mail addresses may be
served electronically; others must be served a hard copy of the filing.
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. E6-8595 Filed 6-1-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P