North Baja Pipeline, LLC; Notice of Intent to Prepare an Environmental Assessment for the Proposed Yuma Lateral Project and Request for Comments on Environmental Issues, 2240-2241 [E8-395]
Download as PDF
2240
Federal Register / Vol. 73, No. 9 / Monday, January 14, 2008 / Notices
as specified above.1 You do not need
intervenor status to have your
comments considered.
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. 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 too 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 learn more about
eSubscription and to sign-up for this
service please go to https://www.ferc.gov/
esubscribenow.htm.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. E8–396 Filed 1–11–08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717–01–P
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory
Commission
[Docket No. PF07–11–000]
North Baja Pipeline, LLC; Notice of
Intent to Prepare an Environmental
Assessment for the Proposed Yuma
Lateral Project and Request for
Comments on Environmental Issues
rmajette on PROD1PC64 with NOTICES
January 4, 2008.
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 proposed Yuma Lateral Project
involving construction and operation of
natural gas facilities by North Baja
Pipeline, LLC (North Baja) in Yuma
County, Arizona. The EA will be used
by the Commission in its decision1 Interventions may also be filed electronically via
the Internet in lieu of paper. See the previous
discussion on filing comments electronically.
VerDate Aug<31>2005
15:22 Jan 11, 2008
Jkt 214001
making process to determine whether
the project is in the public convenience
and necessity.
This notice announces the opening of
the scoping process the Commission
will use to gather input from the public
and interested agencies on the project.
Your input will help determine which
issues need to be evaluated in the EA.
Please note that the scoping period will
close on February 4, 2008. Details on
how to submit comments are provided
in the Public Participation section of
this notice.
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. North Baja 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, North Baja could initiate
condemnation proceedings in
accordance with state law.
This notice is being sent to affected
landowners; federal, state, and local
government representatives and
agencies; elected officials; Native
American tribes; other interested
parties; and local libraries and
newspapers. State and local government
representatives are asked to notify their
constituents of this proposed project
and to encourage them to comment on
their areas of concern.
A fact sheet prepared by the FERC
entitled ‘‘An Interstate Natural Gas
Facility On My Land? What Do I Need
To Know?’’ 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
The Yuma Lateral Project would
involve construction of approximately
3.3 miles of 12-inch-diameter pipeline
from the international border at the
Colorado River to the Yucca Power
Plant, also in Yuma County, Arizona.
An additional 3.1 miles would be
constructed in Mexico. A meter station
would be constructed at the Yucca
Power Plant along with a pig receiver.
The majority of the Yuma Lateral would
be constructed on public lands,
primarily a Bureau of Reclamation
(BOR) canal right-of-way (ROW). The
majority of the proposed pipeline ROW
route is co-located immediately adjacent
to an existing railroad ROW.
PO 00000
Frm 00029
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
The purpose of the proposed project
is to provide the Yucca Power Plant
with access to existing and future power
generation needs. Gas would be shipped
from Sempra’s Gasoducto Bajanorte
pipeline through a new 3.1-mile-long
lateral in Mexico to the international
border, from which 81,250 Dth/day of
gas would be shipped via the Yuma
Lateral to supply the Yucca Power
Plant.
The general location of the proposed
project is shown in Appendix 1.1
Land Requirements for Construction
Construction of the proposed project
would affect a total of about 29.5 acres
during construction. Following
construction, about 21.0 acres would be
allowed to revert to its previous
conditions. Disturbance associated with
aboveground facilities would
permanently impact 0.5 acre of land.
North Baja proposes a typical
construction ROW for the proposed
pipeline of between 52 and 80 feet,
which is 32 to 60 feet of temporary
workspace and 20 feet of permanent
ROW.
The EA Process
We 2 are preparing this EA to comply
with the National Environmental Policy
Act (NEPA) which requires the
Commission to take into account the
environmental impact that could result
if it authorizes North Baja’s proposal. 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 provided below.
NEPA also requires the FERC 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, we are requesting
public comments on the scope of the
issues to address in the EA. All
1 The appendices referenced in this notice are not
being printed in the Federal Register. Copies are
available on the Commission’s Internet Web site
(https://www.ferc.gov) at the ‘‘eLibrary’’ link or from
the Commission’s Public Reference Room at (202)
502–8371. For instructions on connecting to
eLibrary, refer to the ‘‘Additional Information’’
section at the end of this notice. Copies of the
appendices were sent to all those receiving this
notice in the mail. Requests for detailed maps of the
well locations and other proposed facilities should
be made directly to North Baja.
2 ‘‘We,’’ ‘‘us,’’ and ‘‘our’’ refer to the
environmental staff of the FERC’s Office of Energy
Projects.
E:\FR\FM\14JAN1.SGM
14JAN1
Federal Register / Vol. 73, No. 9 / Monday, January 14, 2008 / Notices
comments received will be considered
during the preparation of the EA.
The EA 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
• wetlands and waterbodies
• land use
• cultural resources
• vegetation and wildlife (including
sensitive species)
• air and noise quality
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.
Although no formal application has
been filed, the FERC staff has already
initiated its NEPA review under its Prefiling Process. The purpose of the Prefiling Process is to encourage the early
involvement of interested stakeholders
and to identify and resolve issues before
an application is filed with the FERC.
Once a formal application is filed with
the FERC, a new docket number will be
established.
rmajette on PROD1PC64 with NOTICES
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,
reasonable 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: Kimberley D. Bose,
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. PF07–11–000.
VerDate Aug<31>2005
15:22 Jan 11, 2008
Jkt 214001
• Mail your comments so that they
will be received in Washington, DC on
or before February 4, 2008.
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.’’
We may mail the EA for comment. If
you are interested in receiving it, please
return the Information Request
(Appendix 2). If you do not return the
Information Request, you will be taken
off the mailing list.
Once North Baja formally files its
application with the Commission, you
may want to become an official party to
the proceeding known as an
‘‘intervenor.’’ Intervenors play a more
formal role in the process and are able
to file briefs, appear at hearings, and be
heard by the courts if they choose to
appeal the Commission’s final ruling.
An intervenor formally participates in a
Commission proceeding by filing a
request to intervene. Instructions for
becoming an intervenor are included in
the User’s Guide under the ‘‘e-filing’’
link on the Commission’s web site.
Please note that you may not request
intervenor status at this time. You must
wait until a formal application is filed
with the Commission.
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
PO 00000
Frm 00030
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
2241
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.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. E8–395 Filed 1–11–08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717–01–P
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory
Commission
Notice of Commission Staff
Attendance at Midwest ISO Meetings
January 4, 2008.
The Federal Energy Regulatory
Commission hereby gives notice that
members of the Commission and
Commission staff may attend the
following Midwest ISO-related
meetings:
• Advisory Committee (10 a.m.–4 p.m.,
EST)
Æ January 16
Æ February 20
Æ March 12
Æ May 14
Æ June 18
Æ July 16
Æ August 20 (St. Paul Hotel, 350
Market St., St. Paul, MN)
Æ September 17
Æ October 15
Æ November 19
Æ December 10
• Board of Directors (8:30 a.m.–10 a.m.,
EST)
Æ January 17
Æ March 13
Æ April 17
Æ June 19
Æ August 21 (St. Paul Hotel, 350
Market St., St. Paul, MN)
Æ October 16
Æ December 11
• Board of Directors Markets Committee
(8 a.m.–10 a.m., EST)
Æ March 12
Æ May 14
Æ June 18
Æ July 16
Æ August 20 (St. Paul Hotel, 350
Market St., St. Paul, MN)
Æ September 17
Æ October 15
Æ November 19
Æ December 10
• Midwest ISO Informational Forum (3
p.m.–5 p.m., EST)
Æ January 15
Æ February 19
E:\FR\FM\14JAN1.SGM
14JAN1
Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 9 (Monday, January 14, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 2240-2241]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-395]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
[Docket No. PF07-11-000]
North Baja Pipeline, LLC; Notice of Intent to Prepare an
Environmental Assessment for the Proposed Yuma Lateral Project and
Request for Comments on Environmental Issues
January 4, 2008.
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 proposed Yuma Lateral Project
involving construction and operation of natural gas facilities by North
Baja Pipeline, LLC (North Baja) in Yuma County, Arizona. The EA will be
used by the Commission in its decision-making process to determine
whether the project is in the public convenience and necessity.
This notice announces the opening of the scoping process the
Commission will use to gather input from the public and interested
agencies on the project. Your input will help determine which issues
need to be evaluated in the EA. Please note that the scoping period
will close on February 4, 2008. Details on how to submit comments are
provided in the Public Participation section of this notice.
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.
North Baja 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, North Baja could initiate
condemnation proceedings in accordance with state law.
This notice is being sent to affected landowners; federal, state,
and local government representatives and agencies; elected officials;
Native American tribes; other interested parties; and local libraries
and newspapers. State and local government representatives are asked to
notify their constituents of this proposed project and to encourage
them to comment on their areas of concern.
A fact sheet prepared by the FERC entitled ``An Interstate Natural
Gas Facility On My Land? What Do I Need To Know?'' 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
The Yuma Lateral Project would involve construction of
approximately 3.3 miles of 12-inch-diameter pipeline from the
international border at the Colorado River to the Yucca Power Plant,
also in Yuma County, Arizona. An additional 3.1 miles would be
constructed in Mexico. A meter station would be constructed at the
Yucca Power Plant along with a pig receiver. The majority of the Yuma
Lateral would be constructed on public lands, primarily a Bureau of
Reclamation (BOR) canal right-of-way (ROW). The majority of the
proposed pipeline ROW route is co-located immediately adjacent to an
existing railroad ROW.
The purpose of the proposed project is to provide the Yucca Power
Plant with access to existing and future power generation needs. Gas
would be shipped from Sempra's Gasoducto Bajanorte pipeline through a
new 3.1-mile-long lateral in Mexico to the international border, from
which 81,250 Dth/day of gas would be shipped via the Yuma Lateral to
supply the Yucca Power Plant.
The general location of the proposed project is shown 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 Internet Web site (https://www.ferc.gov) at the
``eLibrary'' link or from the Commission's Public Reference Room at
(202) 502-8371. For instructions on connecting to eLibrary, refer to
the ``Additional Information'' section at the end of this notice.
Copies of the appendices were sent to all those receiving this
notice in the mail. Requests for detailed maps of the well locations
and other proposed facilities should be made directly to North Baja.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Land Requirements for Construction
Construction of the proposed project would affect a total of about
29.5 acres during construction. Following construction, about 21.0
acres would be allowed to revert to its previous conditions.
Disturbance associated with aboveground facilities would permanently
impact 0.5 acre of land.
North Baja proposes a typical construction ROW for the proposed
pipeline of between 52 and 80 feet, which is 32 to 60 feet of temporary
workspace and 20 feet of permanent ROW.
The EA Process
We \2\ are preparing this EA to comply with the National
Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) which requires the Commission to take
into account the environmental impact that could result if it
authorizes North Baja's proposal. 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 provided below.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\2\ ``We,'' ``us,'' and ``our'' refer to the environmental staff
of the FERC's Office of Energy Projects.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NEPA also requires the FERC 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, we are requesting public comments on the scope of the
issues to address in the EA. All
[[Page 2241]]
comments received will be considered during the preparation of the EA.
The EA 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
wetlands and waterbodies
land use
cultural resources
vegetation and wildlife (including sensitive species)
air and noise quality
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.
Although no formal application has been filed, the FERC staff has
already initiated its NEPA review under its Pre-filing Process. The
purpose of the Pre-filing Process is to encourage the early involvement
of interested stakeholders and to identify and resolve issues before an
application is filed with the FERC. Once a formal application is filed
with the FERC, a new docket number will be established.
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, reasonable 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:
Kimberley D. Bose, 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. PF07-11-000.
Mail your comments so that they will be received in
Washington, DC on or before February 4, 2008.
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.''
We may mail the EA for comment. If you are interested in receiving
it, please return the Information Request (Appendix 2). If you do not
return the Information Request, you will be taken off the mailing list.
Once North Baja formally files its application with the Commission,
you may want to become an official party to the proceeding known as an
``intervenor.'' Intervenors play a more formal role in the process and
are able to file briefs, appear at hearings, and be heard by the courts
if they choose to appeal the Commission's final ruling. An intervenor
formally participates in a Commission proceeding by filing a request to
intervene. Instructions for becoming an intervenor are included in the
User's Guide under the ``e-filing'' link on the Commission's web site.
Please note that you may not request intervenor status at this time.
You must wait until a formal application is filed with the Commission.
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.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. E8-395 Filed 1-11-08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P