Gulfstream Natural Gas System, L.L.C.; Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Assessment for the Proposed Gulfstream Phase IV Expansion Project and Request for Comments on Environmental Issues, 38635-38637 [E6-10618]
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Federal Register / Vol. 71, No. 130 / Friday, July 7, 2006 / Notices
Filed Date: 6/23/2006.
Accession Number: 20060627–0057.
Comment Date: 5 p.m. eastern time on
Friday, July 14, 2006.
Docket Numbers: ER06–1123–001.
Applicants: American Electric Power
Service Corporation.
Description: American Electric Power
Service Corp on behalf of Ohio Power
Co submits a revised Notice of
Termination of Interconnection and
Operating Agreement with Lawrence
Energy Center, LLC.
Filed Date: 6/23/2006.
Accession Number: 20060627–0055.
Comment Date: 5 p.m. eastern time on
Friday, July 14, 2006.
Any person desiring to intervene or to
protest in any of the above proceedings
must file in accordance with Rules 211
and 214 of the Commission’s Rules of
Practice and Procedure (18 CFR 385.211
and 385.214) on or before 5 p.m. eastern
time on the specified comment date. It
is not necessary to separately intervene
again in a subdocket related to a
compliance filing if you have previously
intervened in the same docket. 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.
Anyone filing a motion to intervene or
protest must serve a copy of that
document on the Applicant. In reference
to filings initiating a new proceeding,
interventions or protests submitted on
or before the comment deadline need
not be served on persons other than the
Applicant.
The Commission encourages
electronic submission of protests and
interventions in lieu of paper, using the
FERC Online links at https://
www.ferc.gov. To facilitate electronic
service, persons with Internet access
who will eFile a document and/or be
listed as a contact for an intervenor
must create and validate an
eRegistration account using the
eRegistration link. Select the eFiling
link to log on and submit the
intervention or protests.
Persons unable to file electronically
should submit an original and 14 copies
of the intervention or protest to the
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission,
888 First St., NE., Washington, DC
20426.
The filings in the above proceedings
are accessible in the Commission’s
eLibrary system by clicking on the
appropriate link in the above list. They
are also 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
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notification when a document is added
to a subscribed dockets(s). For
assistance with any FERC Online
service, please e-mail
FERCOnlineSupport@ferc.gov. or call
(866) 208–3676 (toll free). For TTY, call
(202) 502–8659.
Magalie R. Salas,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. E6–10608 Filed 7–6–06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717–01–P
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory
Commission
[Docket No. PF06–29–000]
Gulfstream Natural Gas System, L.L.C.;
Notice of Intent To Prepare an
Environmental Assessment for the
Proposed Gulfstream Phase IV
Expansion Project and Request for
Comments on Environmental Issues
June 28, 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
Gulfstream Natural Gas System, L.L.C.’s
(Gulfstream) planned Phase IV
Expansion Project located in Florida
and Alabama. This notice announces
the opening of the scoping process we
will use to gather input from the public
and interested agencies on the projects.
Your input will help the Commission
staff determine which issues need to be
evaluated in the EA. Please note that the
scoping period will close on July 31,
2006.
This notice is being sent to affected
landowners; Federal, State, and local
government representatives and
agencies; environmental and public
interest groups; Native American tribes;
other interested parties in this
proceeding; and local libraries and
newspapers. We encourage government
representatives to notify their
constituents of this planned project and
encourage them to comment on their
areas of concern.
At this time we request that
comments be submitted in written form.
Further details on how to submit
written comments are provided in the
public participation section of this
notice. For further information and an
opportunity to provide comments, you
are invited to attend Gulfstream’s public
open house meetings that are scheduled
as follows:
Tuesday, July 11, 2006, 6–8 p.m.:
Hillsborough County Commission
PO 00000
Frm 00038
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
38635
Building, 601 East Kennedy Blvd.,
18th Floor, Tampa, FL 33602.
Wednesday, July 12, 2006, 6–8 p.m.:
Weedon Island Preserve, Cultural and
Natural History Center, 1800 Weedon
Drive, St. Petersburg, FL 33702.
Thursday, July 13, 2006, 6–8 p.m.:
Manatee Civic Center, Palma Sola
Room, One Haben Blvd., Palmetto, FL
34221.
The primary purpose for the open
house sessions is to identify potential
siting issues so that they could be
appropriately addressed. At the open
houses, Gulfstream representatives will
be available to discuss the various
aspects of the project (e.g., land,
construction, environmental, design/
engineering, and operations) and will
meet individually with attendees to
outline how pipelines and related
facilities are sited, approved, built, and
operated. Aerial photography and
offshore survey maps showing route
alternatives will be made available to
encourage comments on the proposed
project. Information on the FERC
process will also be available.
In addition to the open houses,
Gulfstream has established a toll-free
phone number (888–GAS–4–FLA), an email address
(gulfstream@williams.com), and has
developed a project Web site (https://
www.gulfstreamgas.com/phase4.htm).
Information included on the project
Web site includes: The route selection
process; the regulatory overview, with
links to the FERC Web site; construction
procedures; pipeline safety; and contact
information.
Summary of the Proposed Project
Progress Energy Florida, Inc. (Progress
Energy) is scheduled to re-power its
Bartow Power Plant. The 472-megawatt
(MW) oil-fired plant is scheduled to be
re-powered with three combined cycle
gas turbines that will generate 1,100
MW of power. Progress Energy has
requested, and Gulfstream has agreed to
provide 0.155 billion cubic feet per day
of firm natural gas transportation service
to the Bartow Plant. In order to provide
the requested transportation service, it
is necessary for Gulfstream to expand its
current system, as described below.
Gulfstream is proposing to construct
approximately 17.74 miles of 20-inchdiameter offshore pipeline from a
proposed underwater hot tap with the
existing 36-inch-diameter Gulfstream
Pipeline (Line 200) in Hillsborough
County waters of Tampa Bay and
connecting to the existing Progress
Energy Bartow Power Plant (Bartow
Plant) on the east shore of St. Petersburg
in Pinellas County, Florida. The project
would also require the installation of
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Federal Register / Vol. 71, No. 130 / Friday, July 7, 2006 / Notices
45,000 horsepower (hp) of new
compression. One 15,000 hp compressor
unit would be added at Gulfstream’s
existing compressor station in Coden,
Alabama and a new compressor station
with two 15,000-hp units would be
constructed at an existing pressure
reduction station site in Manatee
County, Florida.
The proposed offshore pipeline would
head north-northeast from the proposed
hot tap location and would cross Port
Manatee channel, cross Cut ‘‘C’’ of
Tampa Bay channel, turn in a northnorthwest direction, cross Cut ‘‘G’’ of
Tampa Bay channel and Cut ‘‘K’’ of
Tampa Bay channel, enter Pinellas
County waters, turn almost due west,
cross the Bartow Channel and enter the
south side of the Bartow Plant. The
pipeline would be buried to maintain a
minimum of 3 feet of cover between the
top of the pipeline and the natural bay
bottom, in accordance with U.S.
Department of Transportation
regulations. The four channel crossings
would be installed by horizontal
directional drills (HDD) under each
channel and would be buried with a
cover of 10 or more feet below the
design bottom of each channel. The
shore approach to the Bartow Plant
would also be installed by HDD and
would start at the Bartow Channel,
thereby avoiding sensitive nearshore
habitats.
In order to meet the in-service dates
requested by Progress Energy,
Gulfstream intends to place the
proposed pipeline in service by
September 1, 2008, and the compression
in service by January 1, 2009.
Location maps depicting Gulfstream’s
proposed facilities are provided in
Appendix 1.1
Currently Identified Environmental
Issues
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At this time no formal application has
been filed with the FERC. For this
project, the FERC staff has initiated its
NEPA review prior to receiving the
application. The purpose of our PreFiling Process is to involve interested
stakeholders early in project planning
and to identify and resolve issues before
an application is filed with the FERC.
We have already identified several
issues that we think deserve attention
based on a preliminary review of the
1 The appendices referenced in this notice are not
being printed in the Federal Register. Copies are
available on the Commission’s Web site (excluding
maps) at the ‘‘eLibrary’’ link or from the
Commission’s Public Reference Room or call (202)
502–8371. For instructions on connecting to
eLibrary refer to the end of this notice. Copies of
the appendices were sent to all those receiving this
notice in the mail.
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proposed facilities, environmental
information provided by Gulfstream,
and comments provided by other
agencies. This preliminary list of issues
may be changed based on your
comments and our analysis.;
• Potential indirect impacts (e.g.,
turbidity and sedimentation) to
submerged aquatic vegetation;
• Safety and noise concerns for the
new compressor station facilities;
• Potential conflicts with future ship
channel improvements;
• Potential impacts to aquatic
preserves;
• Net benefits to air quality;
• Potential impacts to manatees, sea
turtles, and sawfish.
The EA Process
The FERC will use the EA to consider
the environmental impact that could
result if it issues Gulfstream a Certificate
of Public Convenience and Necessity.
This notice formally announces our
preparation of the EA and the beginning
of the process referred to as ‘‘scoping.’’
We 2 are soliciting input from the public
and interested agencies to help us focus
the analysis in the EA on the potentially
significant environmental issues related
to the proposed action.
Our independent analysis of the
issues will be included in an EA that
will be prepared for the project. Our
evaluation will also include possible
alternatives to the proposed project or
portions of the project, and we will
make recommendations on how to
lessen or avoid impacts on the various
resource areas of concern.
The EA will be mailed to Federal,
State, and local government agencies;
elected officials; environmental and
public interest groups; Native American
tribes; affected landowners; other
interested parties; local libraries and
newspapers; and the FERC’s official
service list for this proceeding. A 30-day
comment period will be allotted for
review of the EA. We will consider all
comments submitted on the EA in any
Commission Order that is issued for the
project.
We are currently involved in
discussions with other jurisdictional
agencies to identify their issues and
concerns. These agencies include the
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, National
Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration, U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service, Florida Department of
Environmental Protection, and the U.S.
Department of Transportation. By this
notice, we are asking these and other
Federal, State, and local agencies with
2 ‘‘We,’’ ‘‘us,’’ and ‘‘our’’ refer to the
environmental staff of the Office of Energy Projects.
PO 00000
Frm 00039
Fmt 4703
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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 provided below.
Public Participation
You can make a difference by
providing us with your specific
comments or concerns about the
proposals. Your comments should focus
on the potential environmental effects,
reasonable alternatives and measures to
avoid or lessen environmental impact.
The more specific your comments, the
more useful they will be. To ensure that
your comments are timely and properly
recorded, please mail your comments so
that they will be received in
Washington, DC on or before July 31,
2006 and carefully follow these
instructions:
• Send an original and two copies of
your letter to: Magalie R. Salas,
Secretary, Federal Energy Regulatory
Commission, 888 First St., NE., Room
1A, Washington, DC 20426;
• Label one copy of the comments for
the attention of Gas Branch 3, DG2E;
and
• Reference Docket No. PF06–29–000
on the original and both copies.
Please note that the Commission
encourages electronic filing of
comments. See 18 Code of Federal
Regulations 385.2001(a)(1)(iii) and the
instructions on the Commission’s
Internet Web site at https://www.ferc.gov
under the ‘‘eFiling’’ link and the link to
the User’s Guide. Prepare your
submission in the same manner as you
would if filing on paper and save it to
a file on your hard drive. Before you can
file comments you will need to create an
account by clicking on ‘‘Login to File’’
and then ‘‘New User Account.’’ You will
be asked to select the type of filing you
are making. This filing is considered a
‘‘Comment on Filing.’’
When Gulfstream submits its
application for authorization to
construct and operate the Phase IV
Expansion Project, the Commission will
publish a Notice of Application in the
Federal Register and will establish a
deadline for interested persons to
intervene in the proceeding. Because the
Commission’s Pre-filing Process occurs
before an application to begin a
proceeding is officially filed, petitions
to intervene during this process are
premature and will not be accepted by
the Commission.
Environmental Mailing List
If you wish to remain on the
environmental mailing list, please
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Federal Register / Vol. 71, No. 130 / Friday, July 7, 2006 / Notices
return the Mailing List Retention Form
included in Appendix 2. If you do not
return this form, you will be taken off
our mailing list.
Availability of Additional Information
Additional information about the
project is available from the
Commission’s Office of External Affairs
at 1–866–208 FERC (3372) or on the
FERC Internet Web site (https://
www.ferc.gov). Using the ‘‘eLibrary’’
link, select ‘‘General Search’’ from the
eLibrary menu, enter the selected date
range and ‘‘Docket Number’’ (i.e., PF06–
29–000), and follow the instructions.
Searches may also be done using the
phrase ‘‘Gulfstream Phase IV
Expansion’’ in the ‘‘Text Search’’ field.
For assistance with access to eLibrary,
the helpline can be reached at 1–866–
208–3676, TTY (202) 502–8659, or at
FERCOnlineSupport@ferc.gov. 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 FERC now offers a
free service called eSubscription that
allows you to keep track of all formal
issuances and submittals in specific
dockets. This can reduce the amount of
time you spend researching proceedings
by automatically providing you with
notification of these filings, document
summaries, and direct links to the
documents. To register for this service,
go to https://www.ferc.gov/
esubscribenow.htm.
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. As
indicated previously, Gulfstream has
established an Internet Web site for its
project at https://
www.gulfstreamgas.com/phase4.htm.
The Web site includes a project
overview, contact information,
regulatory overview, and construction
procedures.
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory
Commission
Federal Energy Regulatory
Commission
[Docket No. RP06–365–000; Docket No.
RP06–231–002]
Notice of Comment Meeting
Columbia Gas Transmission
Corporation; Norstar Operating, LLC v.
Columbia Gas Transmission
Corporation; Notice of Technical
Conference
Millennium Pipeline L.L.C. (Docket
Nos. CP98–150–006, CP98–150–007, and
CP98–150–008); Columbia Gas
Transmission Corporation (Docket Nos.
CP98–151–003, CP98–151–004, and
CP05–19–000); Empire State Pipeline
and Empire Pipeline, Inc. ( Docket Nos.
CP06–5–000, CP06–6–000, and CP06–7–
000); Algonquin Gas Transmission
System ( Docket No. CP06–76–000); and
Iroquois Gas Transmission System
(Docket No. CP02–31–002)
June 29, 2006.
Take notice that the Commission will
convene a technical conference in
reference to the above-captioned
proceeding on Tuesday, July 25, 2006, at
9 a.m. (EDT), in a room to be designated
at the offices of the Federal Energy
Regulatory Commission, 888 First
Street, NE., Washington, DC 20426.
The Commission’s June 21, 2006
order in this proceeding directed that a
technical conference be held to address
the technical, engineering and
operational issues raised by Columbia
Gas Transmission Corporation’s
(Columbia) proposed gas quality
specifications filed in Docket No. RP06–
365–000.1 The order also found that
Columbia’s filing in Docket No. RP06–
231–002 revising section 25.5(e) of its
General Terms and Conditions should
be addressed at the technical
conference.
FERC conferences are accessible
under section 508 of the Rehabilitation
Act of 1973. For accessibility
accommodations please send an e-mail
to accessibility@ferc.gov or call toll free
(866) 208–3372 (voice) or 202–502–8659
(TTY), or send a fax to 202–208–2106
with the required accommodations.
All interested persons are permitted
to attend. For further information please
contact David Faerberg at (202) 502–
8275 or e-mail david.faerberg@ferc.gov.
Magalie R. Salas,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. E6–10614 Filed 7–6–06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717–01–P
Magalie R. Salas,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. E6–10618 Filed 7–6–06; 8:45 am]
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BILLING CODE 6717–01–P
1 Columbia Gas Transmission Corporation, 115
FERC ¶ 61,351 (2006).
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38637
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June 28, 2006.
On July 18, 2006, the Federal Energy
Regulatory Commission staff will
conduct comment meeting for the
purpose of hearing comments on the
draft supplemental environmental
impact statement (DSEIS) for the
Northeast (NE)–07 Project which was
issued on June 15, 2006 and which you
should have received. The NE–07
Project would involve the construction
and operation of natural gas facilities as
proposed and described in the abovereferenced dockets in the states of New
York, New Jersey, and Connecticut and
would include:
• The Millennium Pipeline Project—
Phase I proposed by Millennium
Pipeline L.L.C. and Columbia Gas
Transmission Corporation (Columbia);
• The Line A–5 Replacement Project
proposed by Columbia;
• The Empire Connector Project
proposed by Empire State Pipeline and
Empire Pipeline, Inc.;
• The Ramapo Expansion Project
proposed by Algonquin Gas
Transmission System; and
• The MarketAccess Project proposed
by Iroquois Gas Transmission System.
The SDEIS comment meeting will be
on July 18, 2006, and will begin at 6
p.m. and will end no later than 9 p.m.
(EST). The meeting will be held at:
Brookfield High School Auditorium, 45
Longmeadow Hill Road, Brookfield,
Connecticut.
Additional information about the
project and the comment meeting is
available from the Commission’s Office
of External Affairs, at 1–866–208–FERC.
Magalie R. Salas,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. E6–10619 Filed 7–6–06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717–01–P
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]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 130 (Friday, July 7, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 38635-38637]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-10618]
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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
[Docket No. PF06-29-000]
Gulfstream Natural Gas System, L.L.C.; Notice of Intent To
Prepare an Environmental Assessment for the Proposed Gulfstream Phase
IV Expansion Project and Request for Comments on Environmental Issues
June 28, 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 Gulfstream Natural Gas System,
L.L.C.'s (Gulfstream) planned Phase IV Expansion Project located in
Florida and Alabama. This notice announces the opening of the scoping
process we will use to gather input from the public and interested
agencies on the projects. Your input will help the Commission staff
determine which issues need to be evaluated in the EA. Please note that
the scoping period will close on July 31, 2006.
This notice is being sent to affected landowners; Federal, State,
and local government representatives and agencies; environmental and
public interest groups; Native American tribes; other interested
parties in this proceeding; and local libraries and newspapers. We
encourage government representatives to notify their constituents of
this planned project and encourage them to comment on their areas of
concern.
At this time we request that comments be submitted in written form.
Further details on how to submit written comments are provided in the
public participation section of this notice. For further information
and an opportunity to provide comments, you are invited to attend
Gulfstream's public open house meetings that are scheduled as follows:
Tuesday, July 11, 2006, 6-8 p.m.: Hillsborough County Commission
Building, 601 East Kennedy Blvd., 18th Floor, Tampa, FL 33602.
Wednesday, July 12, 2006, 6-8 p.m.: Weedon Island Preserve, Cultural
and Natural History Center, 1800 Weedon Drive, St. Petersburg, FL
33702.
Thursday, July 13, 2006, 6-8 p.m.: Manatee Civic Center, Palma Sola
Room, One Haben Blvd., Palmetto, FL 34221.
The primary purpose for the open house sessions is to identify
potential siting issues so that they could be appropriately addressed.
At the open houses, Gulfstream representatives will be available to
discuss the various aspects of the project (e.g., land, construction,
environmental, design/engineering, and operations) and will meet
individually with attendees to outline how pipelines and related
facilities are sited, approved, built, and operated. Aerial photography
and offshore survey maps showing route alternatives will be made
available to encourage comments on the proposed project. Information on
the FERC process will also be available.
In addition to the open houses, Gulfstream has established a toll-
free phone number (888-GAS-4-FLA), an e-mail address
(gulfstream@williams.com), and has developed a project Web site (http:/
/www.gulfstreamgas.com/phase4.htm). Information included on the project
Web site includes: The route selection process; the regulatory
overview, with links to the FERC Web site; construction procedures;
pipeline safety; and contact information.
Summary of the Proposed Project
Progress Energy Florida, Inc. (Progress Energy) is scheduled to re-
power its Bartow Power Plant. The 472-megawatt (MW) oil-fired plant is
scheduled to be re-powered with three combined cycle gas turbines that
will generate 1,100 MW of power. Progress Energy has requested, and
Gulfstream has agreed to provide 0.155 billion cubic feet per day of
firm natural gas transportation service to the Bartow Plant. In order
to provide the requested transportation service, it is necessary for
Gulfstream to expand its current system, as described below.
Gulfstream is proposing to construct approximately 17.74 miles of
20-inch-diameter offshore pipeline from a proposed underwater hot tap
with the existing 36-inch-diameter Gulfstream Pipeline (Line 200) in
Hillsborough County waters of Tampa Bay and connecting to the existing
Progress Energy Bartow Power Plant (Bartow Plant) on the east shore of
St. Petersburg in Pinellas County, Florida. The project would also
require the installation of
[[Page 38636]]
45,000 horsepower (hp) of new compression. One 15,000 hp compressor
unit would be added at Gulfstream's existing compressor station in
Coden, Alabama and a new compressor station with two 15,000-hp units
would be constructed at an existing pressure reduction station site in
Manatee County, Florida.
The proposed offshore pipeline would head north-northeast from the
proposed hot tap location and would cross Port Manatee channel, cross
Cut ``C'' of Tampa Bay channel, turn in a north-northwest direction,
cross Cut ``G'' of Tampa Bay channel and Cut ``K'' of Tampa Bay
channel, enter Pinellas County waters, turn almost due west, cross the
Bartow Channel and enter the south side of the Bartow Plant. The
pipeline would be buried to maintain a minimum of 3 feet of cover
between the top of the pipeline and the natural bay bottom, in
accordance with U.S. Department of Transportation regulations. The four
channel crossings would be installed by horizontal directional drills
(HDD) under each channel and would be buried with a cover of 10 or more
feet below the design bottom of each channel. The shore approach to the
Bartow Plant would also be installed by HDD and would start at the
Bartow Channel, thereby avoiding sensitive nearshore habitats.
In order to meet the in-service dates requested by Progress Energy,
Gulfstream intends to place the proposed pipeline in service by
September 1, 2008, and the compression in service by January 1, 2009.
Location maps depicting Gulfstream's proposed facilities are
provided in Appendix 1.\1\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ The appendices referenced in this notice are not being
printed in the Federal Register. Copies are available on the
Commission's Web site (excluding maps) at the ``eLibrary'' link or
from the Commission's Public Reference Room or call (202) 502-8371.
For instructions on connecting to eLibrary refer to the end of this
notice. Copies of the appendices were sent to all those receiving
this notice in the mail.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Currently Identified Environmental Issues
At this time no formal application has been filed with the FERC.
For this project, the FERC staff has initiated its NEPA review prior to
receiving the application. The purpose of our Pre-Filing Process is to
involve interested stakeholders early in project planning and to
identify and resolve issues before an application is filed with the
FERC.
We have already identified several issues that we think deserve
attention based on a preliminary review of the proposed facilities,
environmental information provided by Gulfstream, and comments provided
by other agencies. This preliminary list of issues may be changed based
on your comments and our analysis.;
Potential indirect impacts (e.g., turbidity and
sedimentation) to submerged aquatic vegetation;
Safety and noise concerns for the new compressor station
facilities;
Potential conflicts with future ship channel improvements;
Potential impacts to aquatic preserves;
Net benefits to air quality;
Potential impacts to manatees, sea turtles, and sawfish.
The EA Process
The FERC will use the EA to consider the environmental impact that
could result if it issues Gulfstream a Certificate of Public
Convenience and Necessity.
This notice formally announces our preparation of the EA and the
beginning of the process referred to as ``scoping.'' We \2\ are
soliciting input from the public and interested agencies to help us
focus the analysis in the EA on the potentially significant
environmental issues related to the proposed action.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\2\ ``We,'' ``us,'' and ``our'' refer to the environmental staff
of the Office of Energy Projects.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Our independent analysis of the issues will be included in an EA
that will be prepared for the project. Our evaluation will also include
possible alternatives to the proposed project or portions of the
project, and we will make recommendations on how to lessen or avoid
impacts on the various resource areas of concern.
The EA will be mailed to Federal, State, and local government
agencies; elected officials; environmental and public interest groups;
Native American tribes; affected landowners; other interested parties;
local libraries and newspapers; and the FERC's official service list
for this proceeding. A 30-day comment period will be allotted for
review of the EA. We will consider all comments submitted on the EA in
any Commission Order that is issued for the project.
We are currently involved in discussions with other jurisdictional
agencies to identify their issues and concerns. These agencies include
the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Florida Department of
Environmental Protection, and the U.S. Department of Transportation. By
this notice, we are asking these and other 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 provided below.
Public Participation
You can make a difference by providing us with your specific
comments or concerns about the proposals. Your comments should focus on
the potential environmental effects, reasonable alternatives and
measures to avoid or lessen environmental impact. The more specific
your comments, the more useful they will be. To ensure that your
comments are timely and properly recorded, please mail your comments so
that they will be received in Washington, DC on or before July 31, 2006
and carefully follow these instructions:
Send an original and two copies of your letter to: Magalie
R. Salas, Secretary, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 First
St., NE., Room 1A, Washington, DC 20426;
Label one copy of the comments for the attention of Gas
Branch 3, DG2E; and
Reference Docket No. PF06-29-000 on the original and both
copies.
Please note that the Commission encourages electronic filing of
comments. See 18 Code of Federal Regulations 385.2001(a)(1)(iii) and
the instructions on the Commission's Internet Web site at https://
www.ferc.gov under the ``eFiling'' link and the link to the User's
Guide. Prepare your submission in the same manner as you would if
filing on paper and save it to a file on your hard drive. Before you
can file comments you will need to create an account by clicking on
``Login to File'' and then ``New User Account.'' You will be asked to
select the type of filing you are making. This filing is considered a
``Comment on Filing.''
When Gulfstream submits its application for authorization to
construct and operate the Phase IV Expansion Project, the Commission
will publish a Notice of Application in the Federal Register and will
establish a deadline for interested persons to intervene in the
proceeding. Because the Commission's Pre-filing Process occurs before
an application to begin a proceeding is officially filed, petitions to
intervene during this process are premature and will not be accepted by
the Commission.
Environmental Mailing List
If you wish to remain on the environmental mailing list, please
[[Page 38637]]
return the Mailing List Retention Form included in Appendix 2. If you
do not return this form, you will be taken off our mailing list.
Availability of Additional Information
Additional information about the project is available from the
Commission's Office of External Affairs at 1-866-208 FERC (3372) or on
the FERC Internet Web site (https://www.ferc.gov). Using the
``eLibrary'' link, select ``General Search'' from the eLibrary menu,
enter the selected date range and ``Docket Number'' (i.e., PF06-29-
000), and follow the instructions. Searches may also be done using the
phrase ``Gulfstream Phase IV Expansion'' in the ``Text Search'' field.
For assistance with access to eLibrary, the helpline can be reached at
1-866-208-3676, TTY (202) 502-8659, or at FERCOnlineSupport@ferc.gov.
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 FERC now offers a free service called
eSubscription that allows you to keep track of all formal issuances and
submittals in specific dockets. This can reduce the amount of time you
spend researching proceedings by automatically providing you with
notification of these filings, document summaries, and direct links to
the documents. To register for this service, go to https://www.ferc.gov/
esubscribenow.htm.
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. As indicated previously,
Gulfstream has established an Internet Web site for its project at
https://www.gulfstreamgas.com/phase4.htm. The Web site includes a
project overview, contact information, regulatory overview, and
construction procedures.
Magalie R. Salas,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. E6-10618 Filed 7-6-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P
