Transwestern Pipeline Company, LLC; Notice of Availability of the Draft Environmental Impact Statement and Draft General Conformity Determination for the Proposed Phoenix Expansion Project, 25287-25290 [E7-8524]

Download as PDF Federal Register / Vol. 72, No. 86 / Friday, May 4, 2007 / Notices Commission, 888 First St., NE., Room 1A, Washington, DC 20426. • Label one copy of your comments to the attention of Gas Branch 2, DG2E; and Reference Docket No. CP07–44–000 on the original and both copies. • Mail your comments so that they will be received in Washington, DC on or before June 18, 2007. Please note that the Commission strongly encourages the electronic filing (‘‘eFiling’’) of comments. Instructions on how to ‘‘eFile’’ comments can be found on the Commission’s Web site at www.ferc.gov under the ‘‘Documents and Filings’’ link. In lieu of or in addition to sending written comments, 25287 we invite you to attend the public comment meetings the FERC will conduct in the project area to receive comments on the Draft EIS. All meetings will begin at 6 p.m. (CDT), and are scheduled as follows: Date and time Location Monday, May 21, 6:00 p.m ...................................................................... Lucedale Rocky Creek Inn, 120 Woods Ridge Road, Lucedale, MS 39452, (601) 947–6900. La Quinta Inn—Mississippi Ballroom, 6563 U.S. Highway 49 North, Hattiesburg, MS 39401, (601) 268–2850. Multipurpose Building, West Gallman Road, Gallman, MS 39077, (601) 953–9907. Tuesday, May 22, 6:00 p.m ..................................................................... cprice-sewell on DSK89S0YB1PROD with NOTICES Thursday, May 24, 6:00 p.m .................................................................... The public comment meetings will be posted on the FERC’s calendar located at www.ferc.gov/EventCalendar/ EventsList.aspx. Interested groups and individuals are encouraged to attend and present oral comments on the Draft EIS. Transcripts of the meetings will be prepared. After the comments received are reviewed, any significant new issues are investigated, and modifications are made to the Draft EIS, a Final EIS will be published and distributed by the FERC staff. The Final EIS will contain the staff’s responses to timely comments received on the Draft EIS. Comments will be considered by the Commission but will not serve to make the commentor a party to the proceeding. Any person seeking to become a party to the proceeding must file a motion to intervene pursuant to Rule 214 of the Commission’s Rules of Practice and Procedures (18 CFR 385.214). Anyone may intervene in this proceeding based on this Draft EIS. You must file your request to intervene as specified above.1 You do not need intervenor status to have your comments considered. The Draft EIS has been placed in the public files of the FERC and is available for public inspection at: Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, Public Reference Room, 888 First Street, NE., Room 2A, Washington, DC 20426, (202) 502–8371. A limited number of copies of the Draft EIS are available from the Public Reference Room identified above. In addition, CD copies of the Draft EIS have been mailed to affected landowners; various federal, state, and local government agencies; elected officials; environmental and public interest groups; Native American tribes; local libraries and newspapers; intervenors; and other individuals that expressed an interest in the proposed Project. Hard-copies of the Draft EIS have also been mailed to those who requested that format during the scoping and comment periods for the proposed Project. Additional information about the proposed Project is available from the Commission’s Office of External Affairs, at 1–866–208–FERC or on the FERC Internet Web site (www.ferc.gov). To access information via the FERC website click on the ‘‘eLibrary’’ link then 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. The ‘‘eLibrary’’ link provides access to the texts of formal documents issued by the Commission, such as orders, notices, and rulemakings. For assistance with ‘‘eLibrary’’, please contact FERC Online Support at FercOnlineSupport@ferc.gov or toll free at 1–866–208–3676, or for TTY, contact (202) 502–8659. 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 these documents. To learn more about eSubscription and to sign up for this service please go to www.ferc.gov/ esubscribenow.htm. 1 Interventions may also be filed electronically via the Internet in lieu of paper. See the previous discussion on filing comments electronically. [FR Doc. E7–8519 Filed 5–3–07; 8:45 am] VerDate Nov<24>2008 14:51 Apr 20, 2010 Jkt 220001 Kimberly D. Bose, Secretary. BILLING CODE 6717–01–P PO 00000 Frm 00046 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY Federal Energy Regulatory Commission [ FERC Docket No. CP06–459–000] Transwestern Pipeline Company, LLC; Notice of Availability of the Draft Environmental Impact Statement and Draft General Conformity Determination for the Proposed Phoenix Expansion Project April 27, 2007. The environmental staffs of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (Commission or FERC); the U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management (BLM); the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service (FS); the U.S. Department of Transportation, Office of Pipeline Safety (OPS); the U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA); and the Navajo Nation, collectively referred to as the Agency Staffs, have prepared the draft environmental impact statement (draft EIS) to address Transwestern Pipeline Company, LLC’s (Transwestern) proposed expansion of its natural gas pipeline system. A draft General Conformity Determination was also prepared by the FERC to assess the potential air quality impacts associated with construction and operation of the proposed project and is included as Appendix Q of the draft EIS. The draft EIS was prepared to satisfy the requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). The Agency Staffs have concluded that if the project is constructed and operated in accordance with applicable laws and regulations, Transwestern’s proposed mitigation, and the Agency Staffs’ additional mitigation measures, it would have limited adverse environmental impact. E:\FR\FM\04MYN1.SGM 04MYN1 cprice-sewell on DSK89S0YB1PROD with NOTICES 25288 Federal Register / Vol. 72, No. 86 / Friday, May 4, 2007 / Notices The FERC is the lead federal agency and will use the EIS to consider the environmental impacts that could result if it issues Transwestern a Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity under section 7 of the Natural Gas Act. The BLM and the FS are federal land management agencies affected by Transwestern’s proposal and have elected to act as cooperating agencies in preparing the draft EIS. The BLM will use the document to meet its NEPA responsibilities in considering Transwestern’s application for a Rightof-Way Grant and obtain Temporary Use Permits for the portion of the project on federal lands under section 185(f) of the Mineral Leasing Act of 1920. The BLM would issue the Right-of-Way Grant and Temporary Use Permits for the crossing of BLM-managed lands and the Kaibab and Prescott National Forests, which are managed by the FS, and for crossing lands managed by the U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Reclamation (BOR). The BLM would consider the concurrence or non-concurrence of the FS and BOR, as well as FERC approval or denial, in making its decision whether to issue the Right-of-Way Grant and Temporary Use Permits. The BLM’s decision would be documented in a Record of Decision. The OPS is participating as a cooperating agency in preparing the draft EIS because it is responsible for ensuring the safe, reliable, and environmentally sound operation of the nation’s transportation system and for providing oversight for oil and natural gas pipelines. The OPS’ authority is found under the Natural Gas Pipeline Safety Act of 1968 (49 U.S.C. 1671 et seq.) and the Hazardous Liquids Pipeline Safety Act of 1979 (49 U.S.C. 2001 et seq.). The BIA and the Navajo Nation have also elected to act as cooperating agencies in preparing the draft EIS because the proposed project would be near tribal lands in Arizona and would cross two classes of Navajo Nation lands in New Mexico: Tribal lands and allotted lands. Tribal lands are owned in fee by the Navajo Nation, and access to these lands would be acquired through direct negotiation between Transwestern and officials of the Navajo Nation Tribal Headquarters in Window Rock, Arizona. Allotted lands are held in trust by the United States government VerDate Nov<24>2008 14:51 Apr 20, 2010 Jkt 220001 and managed by the BIA for the benefit of individual allottees. The Phoenix Expansion Project is designed to transport up to 500 million cubic feet per day of natural gas to the Phoenix area, which is one of the fastest-growing regions in the United States. The project would not only help to satisfy the increasing demand for electricity and natural gas, but would also increase competition in the regional energy market, thereby working to stabilize costs to the consumer. The draft EIS addresses the potential environmental effects of the construction and operation of the following facilities proposed by Transwestern: • 24.6 miles of new 36-inch-diameter pipeline loop 1 (the San Juan Lateral Loops A and B) extending along the existing San Juan Lateral in San Juan and McKinley Counties, New Mexico; • 259.3 miles of new 42- and 36-inchdiameter lateral 2 pipeline (the Phoenix Lateral), consisting of 95.7 miles of 42inch-diameter pipeline extending from milepost (MP) 0.0 in Yavapai County, Arizona to MP 95.2 in Maricopa County, Arizona, and 163.6 miles of 36-inchdiameter pipeline extending from MP 95.2 in Maricopa County, Arizona to MP 255.1 in Pinal County, Arizona; • 1.4 miles of new 24-, 20-, 16-, and 6-inch-diameter lateral pipeline (the customer laterals) connecting the Phoenix Lateral to meter stations that are not located immediately adjacent to the Phoenix Lateral right-of-way; • Minor piping and pressure control modifications at the existing Bloomfield Compressor Station in San Juan County, New Mexico and at the existing Seligman Compressor Station No. 1 in Mohave County, Arizona; • Installation of the Ash Fork Facility at MP 0.0 of the Phoenix Lateral in Yavapai County, Arizona including 2 filter separators, odorant injection facilities, and telecommunications equipment; and • Installation of 4 taps, 31 valves, 11 meter stations, 6 pig launchers, and 3 pig receivers. 1 A loop is a segment of pipeline that is usually installed adjacent to an existing pipeline and connected to it at both ends. The loop allows more gas to be moved through the system. 2 A lateral pipeline typically takes gas from the main system to deliver it to a customer, local distribution system, or another interstate transmission system. PO 00000 Frm 00047 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 Transwestern would also acquire an undivided interest in the existing East Valley Lateral consisting of 36.7 miles of 24-inch-diameter lateral pipeline in Pinal and Maricopa Counties, Arizona. Comment Procedures and Public Meetings Any person wishing to comment on the draft EIS and/or draft General Conformity Determination is encouraged to do so. To ensure consideration prior to a Commission decision on the proposal, it is important that your comments be received before the date specified below. Please note that the Commission strongly encourages electronic filing of any comments, interventions, or protests to this proceeding. See Title 18 CFR 385.2001(a)(1)(iii) and the instructions on the FERC Internet Web site (www.ferc.gov) under the eFiling link and the link to the User’s Guide. Before you can submit comments, you will need to create a free account by clicking on ‘‘Sign-up’’ under ‘‘New User.’’ You will be asked to select the type of submission you are making. This type of submission is considered a ‘‘Comment on Filing.’’ Comments submitted electronically must be submitted by June 18, 2007. If you wish to mail comments, please mail your comments so that they will be received in Washington, DC on or before June 18, 2007. 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 comments to: Kimberly D. Bose, Secretary, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 First St. NE; Room 1A, Washington, DC 20426; • Reference Docket No. CP06–459– 000; and • Label one copy of your comments for the attention of Gas 2, DG2E. In addition to or in lieu of sending written comments, the FERC and the cooperating agencies invite you to attend public meetings the Agency Staffs will conduct in the project area to receive comments on the draft EIS and draft General Conformity Determination. The dates, times, and locations of these meetings are as follows: E:\FR\FM\04MYN1.SGM 04MYN1 Federal Register / Vol. 72, No. 86 / Friday, May 4, 2007 / Notices 25289 Date Location Monday, June 4, 2007; 7 p.m. (MST) ...................................................... Central Arizona Seniors Association, 9360 East Manzanita Circle, Prescott Valley, AZ 86314, (928) 772–3337. Albins Civic Center, Black Canyon Community Association,19055 East K-Mine Road, Black Canyon City, AZ 85375, (623) 374–5553. Buckeye Community Center, 201 East Centre Avenue, Buckeye, AZ 85326, (623) 349–6600. Hotel Casa Grande, Cotton/Copper Room, 777 North Pinal Avenue, Casa Grande, AZ 85222, (520) 426–3500. Navajo Technical College, (former Crownpoint Institute of Technology), Lower Point Road and State Highway 371, Crownpoint, NM 87313, (505) 786–4100. Tuesday, June 5, 2007; 7 p.m. (MST) ..................................................... Wednesday, June 6, 2007; 7 p.m. (MST) ................................................ Thursday, June 7, 2007; 7 p.m. (MST) .................................................... cprice-sewell on DSK89S0YB1PROD with NOTICES Tuesday, June 12, 2007; 1 p.m. (MST) ................................................... These public meetings will be posted on the FERC’s calendar located at https://www.ferc.gov/EventCalendar/ EventsList.aspx. Interested groups and individuals are encouraged to attend and present written or oral comments on the draft EIS and/or draft General Conformity Determination. Transcripts of the meetings will be prepared. After the comments are reviewed, any significant new issues are investigated, and necessary modifications are made to the draft EIS and draft General Conformity Determination, a final EIS, including a final General Conformity Determination, will be published and distributed. The final EIS will contain the Agency Staffs’ responses to timely comments filed on the draft EIS and draft General Conformity Determination that are related to environmental issues. Comments will be considered by the Commission and the cooperating agencies but will not serve to make the commentor a party to the proceeding. Any person seeking to become a party to the proceeding must file a motion to intervene pursuant to Rule 214 of the Commission’s Rules of Practice and Procedure (Title 18 CFR Part 385.214). Anyone may intervene in this proceeding based on the draft EIS and draft General Conformity Determination. You must file your request to intervene as specified above.3 You do not need intervenor status to have your comments considered. The draft EIS, including the draft General Conformity Determination, has been placed in the public files of the FERC and is available for distribution and public inspection at: Federal Regulatory Energy Commission, Public Reference Room, 888 First St. NE; Room 2A, Washington, DC 20426, (202) 208–1371. A limited number of copies are available from the FERC’s Public Reference Room identified above. These copies may be requested in hard copy or as .pdf files on a CD that can be read by 3 Interventions may also be filed electronically via the Internet in lieu of paper. See the previous discussion on filing comments electronically. VerDate Nov<24>2008 14:51 Apr 20, 2010 Jkt 220001 a computer with a CD–ROM drive. The draft EIS, including the draft General Conformity Determination, is also available for viewing on the FERC Internet Web site at www.ferc.gov. In addition, copies of the document have been mailed to federal, state, and local government agencies; elected officials; Native American tribes; affected landowners; local libraries and newspapers; intervenors to the FERC’s proceeding; and other interested parties. Hard copies of the draft EIS, including the draft General Conformity Determination, can be viewed at the following libraries in the project area: Ash Fork Public Library, 518 Lewis Avenue, Ash Fork, AZ 86320. Avondale-Goodyear Public Library, 328 West Western Avenue, Avondale, AZ 85323. Black Canyon City Community Library, 34701 South Old Black Canyon Hwy, Black Canyon, AZ 85324. Buckeye Public Library, 310 North 6th Street, Buckeye, AZ 85032. Casa Grande Public Library, 449 North Dry Lake, Casa Grande, AZ 85222. Chino Valley Public Library, 1020 West Palomino Road, Chino Valley, AZ 86323. Coolidge Public Library, 160 West Central Avenue, Coolidge, AZ 85228. Flagstaff Public Library, 300 West Aspen, Flagstaff, AZ 86001. Fredonia Public Library, 118 North Main Street, Fredonia, AZ 86022. Mayer Public Library, 10004 Wicks Street, Mayer, AZ 86333. Arizona State Library, 1700 West Washington Street, Phoenix, AZ 85007. North Central Regional Library, 17811 North 32nd Street, Phoenix, AZ 85032. Yavapai County Library District, 172 East Merritt Street, Suite E, Prescott, AZ 86301. Prescott Public Library, 215 East Goodwin, Prescott, AZ 86303. Prescott Valley Public Library, 7501 East Civic Circle, Prescott Valley, AZ 86314. Williams Public Library, 113 South First Street, Williams, AZ 86046. PO 00000 Frm 00048 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 Bloomfield Public Library, 333 South First Street, Bloomfield, NM 87413. Farmington Public Library, 100 West Broadway, Farmington, NM 87401– 6420. Octavia Fellin Public Library, 115 West Hill, Gallup, NM 87301. 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 (www.ferc.gov) using the eLibrary link. Click on the eLibrary link, click on ‘‘General Search,’’ and enter the docket number excluding the last three digits in the Docket Number field. Be sure you have selected an appropriate date range. For assistance, please contact FERC Online Support at FERCOnlineSupport@ferc.gov or toll free at 1–866–208–3676, or for TTY, contact (202) 502–8659. The eLibrary link on the FERC Internet website also provides access to the texts of formal documents issued by the Commission, such as orders, notices, and rulemakings. In addition, the Commission now offers a free service called eSubscription that allows you to keep track of all formal issuances and submittals in specific dockets. This can reduce the amount of time you spend researching proceedings by automatically providing you with notification of these filings, document summaries, and direct links to the documents. To register for this service, go to the eSubscription link on the FERC Internet Web site. Information concerning the involvement of the cooperating agencies in the EIS process may be obtained from: U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management, Mark Mackiewicz, (435) 636–3616. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Prescott National Forest, Ken Simeral, (928) 443–8010. Kaibab National Forest, Tom Mutz, (928) 635–5661. U.S. Department of Transportation, Office of Pipeline Safety, John Pepper, (713) 272–2849. E:\FR\FM\04MYN1.SGM 04MYN1 25290 Federal Register / Vol. 72, No. 86 / Friday, May 4, 2007 / Notices U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Indian Affairs, Navajo Area Office, Harrilene Yazzi, (505) 863–8286. Phoenix Area Office, Amy Heuslein, (602) 379–6750. Navajo Nation, Ron Maldonado, (928) 871–7139. Kimberly D. Bose, Secretary. [FR Doc. E7–8524 Filed 5–3–07; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 6717–01–P DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY Federal Energy Regulatory Commission [Docket No. PF07–6–000] Colorado Interstate Gas Company; Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Assessment for the Proposed Totem Storage Field Project and Request for Comments on Environmental Issues cprice-sewell on DSK89S0YB1PROD with NOTICES April 30, 2007. 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 Totem Storage Field Project involving construction and operation of facilities by Colorado Interstate Gas Company (CIG) in Adams County, Colorado. This notice announces the opening of the scoping process we will use to gather input from the public and interested agencies on the project. 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 May 30, 2007. 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. 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 VerDate Nov<24>2008 14:51 Apr 20, 2010 Jkt 220001 with it the right of eminent domain. Therefore, if easement negotiations fail to produce an agreement, the pipeline company could initiate condemnation proceedings in accordance with state law. A fact sheet prepared by the FERC entitled ‘‘An Interstate Natural Gas Facility On My Land? What Do I Need To Know?’’ was attached to the project notice CIG provided to landowners. This fact sheet addresses a number of typically asked questions, including the use of eminent domain and how to participate in the Commission’s proceedings. It is available for viewing on the FERC Internet Web site (https:// www.ferc.gov). Summary of the Proposed Project CIG proposes to convert a depleted natural gas production field in eastern Adams County, Colorado located 34 miles northeast of the City of Denver into the proposed Totem Storage Field Project. The storage field design would have a total gas inventory of approximately 10.7 Bcf, comprised of 7.0 Bcf of working gas and 3.7 Bcf of base gas. CIG seeks authority to: • Construct and operate a 9,400 horsepower compressor station in Adams County, Colorado; • Reenter 16 abandoned wells and replug 10 of the 16 wells and convert the remaining six wells to observation wells; • Plug and abandon three of seven currently operational oil and gas wells and convert the remaining four operational oil and gas wells to observation wells; • Drill eight horizontal injection withdrawal wells from three separate well pad locations. Horizontal wells (Nos. 1, 2. and 3) would be drilled at Site Pad No. 1 near the north end of the field in the vicinity of an existing well pad (Well No. 8–10); horizontal well (Nos. 4, 7, and 8) would be grouped at Site Pad No. 2 located in the center of the field; and horizontal wells (Nos. 5 and 6) would be drilled at Site Pad No. 3 in the south central portion of the field in the vicinity of an existing well pad location (Well No. 48–2); • Drill one salt water disposal well; and • Construct about 3 miles of 6-inchdiameter gathering pipeline and 1.5 miles of 4-inch-diameter saltwater pipeline. The gathering lines would be highpressure, steel line. The brine disposal line would be high-pressure, fiberglass line. Fiberglass pipe will also be used to collect brine and other fluids from the individual well head separators and dehydrators and will conduct these PO 00000 Frm 00049 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 fluids to the dew point control plant located at the compressor station site. These pipes will occupy the same trench as the main gathering lines, fuel gas lines, electrical and communication lines. The location of the project facilities is shown in Appendix 1.1 Land Requirements for Construction Construction of the proposed facilities would require about 442.5 acres of land. Following construction, about 29.9 acres would be maintained as permanent pipeline right-of-way, well sites, or new aboveground facility sites. The remaining 412.6 acres of land would be restored and allowed to revert to its former use. The EA Process The National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) requires the Commission to take into account the environmental impacts that could result from an action whenever it considers the issuance of a Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity. NEPA also requires us to discover and address concerns the public may have about proposals. This process is referred to as ‘‘scoping.’’ The main goal of the scoping process is to focus the analysis in the EA on the important environmental issues. By this Notice of Intent, the Commission staff requests public comments on the scope of the issues to address in the EA. All comments received are considered during the preparation of the EA. State and local government representatives are encouraged to notify their constituents of this proposed action and encourage them to comment on their areas of concern. In the EA we 2 will discuss impacts that could occur as a result of the construction and operation of the proposed project under these general headings: • Geology and soils. • Land use. • Water resources, fisheries, and wetlands. • Cultural resources. • Vegetation and wildlife. • Air quality and noise. • Endangered and threatened species. • Hazardous waste. 1 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. 2 ‘‘We’’, ‘‘us’’ ‘‘our’’ refer to the environmental staff of the Office of Energy Projects (OEP). E:\FR\FM\04MYN1.SGM 04MYN1

Agencies

[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 86 (Friday, May 4, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Pages 25287-25290]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E7-8524]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[ FERC Docket No. CP06-459-000]


Transwestern Pipeline Company, LLC; Notice of Availability of the 
Draft Environmental Impact Statement and Draft General Conformity 
Determination for the Proposed Phoenix Expansion Project

April 27, 2007.
    The environmental staffs of the Federal Energy Regulatory 
Commission (Commission or FERC); the U.S. Department of the Interior, 
Bureau of Land Management (BLM); the U.S. Department of Agriculture, 
Forest Service (FS); the U.S. Department of Transportation, Office of 
Pipeline Safety (OPS); the U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of 
Indian Affairs (BIA); and the Navajo Nation, collectively referred to 
as the Agency Staffs, have prepared the draft environmental impact 
statement (draft EIS) to address Transwestern Pipeline Company, LLC's 
(Transwestern) proposed expansion of its natural gas pipeline system. A 
draft General Conformity Determination was also prepared by the FERC to 
assess the potential air quality impacts associated with construction 
and operation of the proposed project and is included as Appendix Q of 
the draft EIS.
    The draft EIS was prepared to satisfy the requirements of the 
National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). The Agency Staffs have 
concluded that if the project is constructed and operated in accordance 
with applicable laws and regulations, Transwestern's proposed 
mitigation, and the Agency Staffs' additional mitigation measures, it 
would have limited adverse environmental impact.

[[Page 25288]]

    The FERC is the lead federal agency and will use the EIS to 
consider the environmental impacts that could result if it issues 
Transwestern a Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity under 
section 7 of the Natural Gas Act.
    The BLM and the FS are federal land management agencies affected by 
Transwestern's proposal and have elected to act as cooperating agencies 
in preparing the draft EIS. The BLM will use the document to meet its 
NEPA responsibilities in considering Transwestern's application for a 
Right-of-Way Grant and obtain Temporary Use Permits for the portion of 
the project on federal lands under section 185(f) of the Mineral 
Leasing Act of 1920. The BLM would issue the Right-of-Way Grant and 
Temporary Use Permits for the crossing of BLM-managed lands and the 
Kaibab and Prescott National Forests, which are managed by the FS, and 
for crossing lands managed by the U.S. Department of the Interior, 
Bureau of Reclamation (BOR). The BLM would consider the concurrence or 
non-concurrence of the FS and BOR, as well as FERC approval or denial, 
in making its decision whether to issue the Right-of-Way Grant and 
Temporary Use Permits. The BLM's decision would be documented in a 
Record of Decision.
    The OPS is participating as a cooperating agency in preparing the 
draft EIS because it is responsible for ensuring the safe, reliable, 
and environmentally sound operation of the nation's transportation 
system and for providing oversight for oil and natural gas pipelines. 
The OPS' authority is found under the Natural Gas Pipeline Safety Act 
of 1968 (49 U.S.C. 1671 et seq.) and the Hazardous Liquids Pipeline 
Safety Act of 1979 (49 U.S.C. 2001 et seq.).
    The BIA and the Navajo Nation have also elected to act as 
cooperating agencies in preparing the draft EIS because the proposed 
project would be near tribal lands in Arizona and would cross two 
classes of Navajo Nation lands in New Mexico: Tribal lands and allotted 
lands. Tribal lands are owned in fee by the Navajo Nation, and access 
to these lands would be acquired through direct negotiation between 
Transwestern and officials of the Navajo Nation Tribal Headquarters in 
Window Rock, Arizona. Allotted lands are held in trust by the United 
States government and managed by the BIA for the benefit of individual 
allottees.
    The Phoenix Expansion Project is designed to transport up to 500 
million cubic feet per day of natural gas to the Phoenix area, which is 
one of the fastest-growing regions in the United States. The project 
would not only help to satisfy the increasing demand for electricity 
and natural gas, but would also increase competition in the regional 
energy market, thereby working to stabilize costs to the consumer.
    The draft EIS addresses the potential environmental effects of the 
construction and operation of the following facilities proposed by 
Transwestern:
     24.6 miles of new 36-inch-diameter pipeline loop \1\ (the 
San Juan Lateral Loops A and B) extending along the existing San Juan 
Lateral in San Juan and McKinley Counties, New Mexico;
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \1\ A loop is a segment of pipeline that is usually installed 
adjacent to an existing pipeline and connected to it at both ends. 
The loop allows more gas to be moved through the system.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

     259.3 miles of new 42- and 36-inch-diameter lateral \2\ 
pipeline (the Phoenix Lateral), consisting of 95.7 miles of 42-inch-
diameter pipeline extending from milepost (MP) 0.0 in Yavapai County, 
Arizona to MP 95.2 in Maricopa County, Arizona, and 163.6 miles of 36-
inch-diameter pipeline extending from MP 95.2 in Maricopa County, 
Arizona to MP 255.1 in Pinal County, Arizona;
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \2\ A lateral pipeline typically takes gas from the main system 
to deliver it to a customer, local distribution system, or another 
interstate transmission system.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

     1.4 miles of new 24-, 20-, 16-, and 6-inch-diameter 
lateral pipeline (the customer laterals) connecting the Phoenix Lateral 
to meter stations that are not located immediately adjacent to the 
Phoenix Lateral right-of-way;
     Minor piping and pressure control modifications at the 
existing Bloomfield Compressor Station in San Juan County, New Mexico 
and at the existing Seligman Compressor Station No. 1 in Mohave County, 
Arizona;
     Installation of the Ash Fork Facility at MP 0.0 of the 
Phoenix Lateral in Yavapai County, Arizona including 2 filter 
separators, odorant injection facilities, and telecommunications 
equipment; and
     Installation of 4 taps, 31 valves, 11 meter stations, 6 
pig launchers, and 3 pig receivers.
    Transwestern would also acquire an undivided interest in the 
existing East Valley Lateral consisting of 36.7 miles of 24-inch-
diameter lateral pipeline in Pinal and Maricopa Counties, Arizona.

Comment Procedures and Public Meetings

    Any person wishing to comment on the draft EIS and/or draft General 
Conformity Determination is encouraged to do so. To ensure 
consideration prior to a Commission decision on the proposal, it is 
important that your comments be received before the date specified 
below.
    Please note that the Commission strongly encourages electronic 
filing of any comments, interventions, or protests to this proceeding. 
See Title 18 CFR 385.2001(a)(1)(iii) and the instructions on the FERC 
Internet Web site (www.ferc.gov) under the eFiling link and the link to 
the User's Guide. Before you can submit comments, you will need to 
create a free account by clicking on ``Sign-up'' under ``New User.'' 
You will be asked to select the type of submission you are making. This 
type of submission is considered a ``Comment on Filing.'' Comments 
submitted electronically must be submitted by June 18, 2007.
    If you wish to mail comments, please mail your comments so that 
they will be received in Washington, DC on or before June 18, 2007. 
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 comments to: 
Kimberly D. Bose, Secretary, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 
First St. NE; Room 1A, Washington, DC 20426;
     Reference Docket No. CP06-459-000; and
     Label one copy of your comments for the attention of Gas 
2, DG2E.
    In addition to or in lieu of sending written comments, the FERC and 
the cooperating agencies invite you to attend public meetings the 
Agency Staffs will conduct in the project area to receive comments on 
the draft EIS and draft General Conformity Determination. The dates, 
times, and locations of these meetings are as follows:

[[Page 25289]]



------------------------------------------------------------------------
                  Date                               Location
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Monday, June 4, 2007; 7 p.m. (MST).....  Central Arizona Seniors
                                          Association, 9360 East
                                          Manzanita Circle, Prescott
                                          Valley, AZ 86314, (928) 772-
                                          3337.
Tuesday, June 5, 2007; 7 p.m. (MST)....  Albins Civic Center, Black
                                          Canyon Community
                                          Association,19055 East K-Mine
                                          Road, Black Canyon City, AZ
                                          85375, (623) 374-5553.
Wednesday, June 6, 2007; 7 p.m. (MST)..  Buckeye Community Center, 201
                                          East Centre Avenue, Buckeye,
                                          AZ 85326, (623) 349-6600.
Thursday, June 7, 2007; 7 p.m. (MST)...  Hotel Casa Grande, Cotton/
                                          Copper Room, 777 North Pinal
                                          Avenue, Casa Grande, AZ 85222,
                                          (520) 426-3500.
Tuesday, June 12, 2007; 1 p.m. (MST)...  Navajo Technical College,
                                          (former Crownpoint Institute
                                          of Technology), Lower Point
                                          Road and State Highway 371,
                                          Crownpoint, NM 87313, (505)
                                          786-4100.
------------------------------------------------------------------------

    These public meetings will be posted on the FERC's calendar located 
at https://www.ferc.gov/EventCalendar/EventsList.aspx. Interested groups 
and individuals are encouraged to attend and present written or oral 
comments on the draft EIS and/or draft General Conformity 
Determination. Transcripts of the meetings will be prepared.
    After the comments are reviewed, any significant new issues are 
investigated, and necessary modifications are made to the draft EIS and 
draft General Conformity Determination, a final EIS, including a final 
General Conformity Determination, will be published and distributed. 
The final EIS will contain the Agency Staffs' responses to timely 
comments filed on the draft EIS and draft General Conformity 
Determination that are related to environmental issues.
    Comments will be considered by the Commission and the cooperating 
agencies but will not serve to make the commentor a party to the 
proceeding. Any person seeking to become a party to the proceeding must 
file a motion to intervene pursuant to Rule 214 of the Commission's 
Rules of Practice and Procedure (Title 18 CFR Part 385.214).
    Anyone may intervene in this proceeding based on the draft EIS and 
draft General Conformity Determination. You must file your request to 
intervene as specified above.\3\ You do not need intervenor status to 
have your comments considered.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \3\ Interventions may also be filed electronically via the 
Internet in lieu of paper. See the previous discussion on filing 
comments electronically.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    The draft EIS, including the draft General Conformity 
Determination, has been placed in the public files of the FERC and is 
available for distribution and public inspection at:

Federal Regulatory Energy Commission, Public Reference Room, 888 First 
St. NE; Room 2A, Washington, DC 20426, (202) 208-1371.

    A limited number of copies are available from the FERC's Public 
Reference Room identified above. These copies may be requested in hard 
copy or as .pdf files on a CD that can be read by a computer with a CD-
ROM drive. The draft EIS, including the draft General Conformity 
Determination, is also available for viewing on the FERC Internet Web 
site at www.ferc.gov. In addition, copies of the document have been 
mailed to federal, state, and local government agencies; elected 
officials; Native American tribes; affected landowners; local libraries 
and newspapers; intervenors to the FERC's proceeding; and other 
interested parties. Hard copies of the draft EIS, including the draft 
General Conformity Determination, can be viewed at the following 
libraries in the project area:

Ash Fork Public Library, 518 Lewis Avenue, Ash Fork, AZ 86320.
Avondale-Goodyear Public Library, 328 West Western Avenue, Avondale, AZ 
85323.
Black Canyon City Community Library, 34701 South Old Black Canyon Hwy, 
Black Canyon, AZ 85324.
Buckeye Public Library, 310 North 6th Street, Buckeye, AZ 85032.
Casa Grande Public Library, 449 North Dry Lake, Casa Grande, AZ 85222.
Chino Valley Public Library, 1020 West Palomino Road, Chino Valley, AZ 
86323.
Coolidge Public Library, 160 West Central Avenue, Coolidge, AZ 85228.
Flagstaff Public Library, 300 West Aspen, Flagstaff, AZ 86001.
Fredonia Public Library, 118 North Main Street, Fredonia, AZ 86022.
Mayer Public Library, 10004 Wicks Street, Mayer, AZ 86333.
Arizona State Library, 1700 West Washington Street, Phoenix, AZ 85007.
North Central Regional Library, 17811 North 32nd Street, Phoenix, AZ 
85032.
Yavapai County Library District, 172 East Merritt Street, Suite E, 
Prescott, AZ 86301.
Prescott Public Library, 215 East Goodwin, Prescott, AZ 86303.
Prescott Valley Public Library, 7501 East Civic Circle, Prescott 
Valley, AZ 86314.
Williams Public Library, 113 South First Street, Williams, AZ 86046.
Bloomfield Public Library, 333 South First Street, Bloomfield, NM 
87413.
Farmington Public Library, 100 West Broadway, Farmington, NM 87401-
6420.
Octavia Fellin Public Library, 115 West Hill, Gallup, NM 87301.

    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 (www.ferc.gov) using the eLibrary link. Click on 
the eLibrary link, click on ``General Search,'' and enter the docket 
number excluding the last three digits in the Docket Number field. Be 
sure you have selected an appropriate date range. For assistance, 
please contact FERC Online Support at FERCOnlineSupport@ferc.gov or 
toll free at 1-866-208-3676, or for TTY, contact (202) 502-8659. The 
eLibrary link on the FERC Internet website also provides access to the 
texts of formal documents issued by the Commission, such as orders, 
notices, and rulemakings.
    In addition, the Commission now offers a free service called 
eSubscription that allows you to keep track of all formal issuances and 
submittals in specific dockets. This can reduce the amount of time you 
spend researching proceedings by automatically providing you with 
notification of these filings, document summaries, and direct links to 
the documents. To register for this service, go to the eSubscription 
link on the FERC Internet Web site.
    Information concerning the involvement of the cooperating agencies 
in the EIS process may be obtained from:

U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management, Mark 
Mackiewicz, (435) 636-3616.
U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Prescott National 
Forest, Ken Simeral, (928) 443-8010.
Kaibab National Forest, Tom Mutz, (928) 635-5661.
U.S. Department of Transportation, Office of Pipeline Safety, John 
Pepper, (713) 272-2849.

[[Page 25290]]

U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Indian Affairs, Navajo Area 
Office, Harrilene Yazzi, (505) 863-8286.
Phoenix Area Office, Amy Heuslein, (602) 379-6750.
Navajo Nation, Ron Maldonado, (928) 871-7139.

Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. E7-8524 Filed 5-3-07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P
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