Notice of Pre-Filing Environmental Review for the Ruby Pipeline Project, Request for Comments on Environmental Issues, and Notice of Public Scoping Meetings; Ruby Pipeline, LLC, 18788-18790 [E8-7104]
Download as PDF
<![CDATA[
18788
Federal Register / Vol. 73, No. 67 / Monday, April 7, 2008 / Notices
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory
Commission
[Project No. 1888–025]
York Haven Power Company; York
Haven Power Company, LLC; Notice of
Application for Transfer of License,
and Soliciting Comments, Motions To
Intervene, and Protests
rfrederick on PROD1PC67 with NOTICES
March 28, 2007.
Take notice that the following
hydroelectric application has been filed
with the Commission and is available
for public inspection:
a. Application Type: Transfer of
License.
b. Project No.: 1888–025.
c. Date Filed: March 24, 2008.
d. Applicants: York Haven Power
Company. (Transferor) York Haven
Power Company, LLC (Transferee).
e. Name and Location of Project: York
Haven Hydroelectric Project is located
on the Susquehanna River in Lancaster
and York Counties Pennsylvania.
f. Filed Pursuant to: Federal Power
Act, 16 U.S.C. 791a–825r.
g. Applicant Contacts: For the
transferor: Mr. Michael E. Haddad, York
Haven Power Company, C/O Hunton &
Williams LLP, 1900 K Street, NW., Suite
1200, Washington, DC 20006–1500.
For the transferee: Mr. Michael E.
Haddad, York Haven Power Company,
C/O Hunton & Williams LLP, 1900 K
Street, NW., Suite 1200, Washington,
DC 20006–1500
h. FERC Contact: Robert Bell at (202)
502–6062.
i. Deadline for filing comments,
protests, and motions to intervene: 15
days after the issuance date of this
notice.
All documents (original and eight
copies) should be filed with: Kimberly
D. Bose, Secretary, Federal Energy
Regulatory Commission, 888 First
Street, NE., Washington, DC 20426.
Comments, protests, and interventions
may be filed electronically via the
Internet in lieu of paper. See 18 CFR
385.2001(a)(1)(iii) and the instructions
on the Commission’s Web site under the
‘‘e-Filing’’ link. The Commission
strongly encourages electronic filings.
Please include the Project Number on
any comments or motions filed.
The Commission’s Rules of Practice
and Procedure require all intervenors
filing a document with the Commission
to serve a copy of that document on
each person in the official service list
for the project. Further, if an intervenor
files comments or documents with the
Commission relating to the merits of an
issue that may affect the responsibilities
VerDate Aug<31>2005
15:24 Apr 04, 2008
Jkt 214001
of a particular resource agency, they
must also serve a copy of the documents
on that resource agency.
j. Description of Application:
Applicants seek Commission approval
to transfer the license for the York
Haven Hydroelectric Project from York
Haven Power Company, to York Haven
Power Company, LLC.
k. This filing is available for review at
the Commission in the Public Reference
Room or may be viewed on the
Commission’s Web site at https://
www.ferc.gov using the eLibrary link.
Enter the docket number (P–2512) in the
docket number field to access the
document. For assistance, call toll-free
1–866–208–3676 or e-mail
FERCOnlineSupport@ferc.gov. For TTY,
call (202) 502–8659. A copy is also
available for inspection and
reproduction at the addresses in item g
above.
l. Individuals desiring to be included
on the Commission’s mailing list should
so indicate by writing to the Secretary
of the Commission.
m. Comments, Protests, or Motions to
Intervene—Anyone may submit
comments, a protest, or a motion to
intervene in accordance with the
requirements of Rules of Practice and
Procedure, 18 CFR 385.210, .211, .214.
In determining the appropriate action to
take, the Commission will consider all
protests or other comments filed, but
only those who file a motion to
intervene in accordance with the
Commission’s Rules may become a
party to the proceeding. Any comments,
protests, or motions to intervene must
be received on or before the specified
comment date for the particular
application.
n. Filing and Service of Responsive
Documents—Any filings must bear in
all capital letters the title
‘‘COMMENTS’’, ‘‘PROTEST’’, OR
‘‘MOTION TO INTERVENE’’, as
applicable, and the Project Number of
the particular application to which the
filing refers. Any of the above-named
documents must be filed by providing
the original and eight copies to: The
Secretary, Federal Energy Regulatory
Commission, 888 First Street, NE.,
Washington, DC 20426. A copy of any
motion to intervene must also be served
upon each representative of the
Applicants specified in the particular
application.
o. Agency Comments—Federal, state,
and local agencies are invited to file
comments on the described application.
A copy of the application may be
obtained by agencies directly from the
Applicants. If an agency does not file
comments within the time specified for
filing comments, it will be presumed to
PO 00000
Frm 00057
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
have no comments. One copy of an
agency’s comments must also be sent to
the Applicants’ representatives.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. E8–7105 Filed 4–4–08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717–01–P
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory
Commission
[FERC Docket No. PF08–9–000]
Notice of Pre-Filing Environmental
Review for the Ruby Pipeline Project,
Request for Comments on
Environmental Issues, and Notice of
Public Scoping Meetings; Ruby
Pipeline, LLC
March 28, 2008.
On January 31, 2008, the staff of the
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
(FERC or Commission) initiated its prefiling environmental review of the Ruby
Pipeline Project, planned by Ruby
Pipeline, LLC (Ruby). FERC staff is now
beginning to obtain and evaluate
information for the preparation of an
environmental impact statement (EIS)
that will assess and disclose the
environmental impacts of the project,
which would involve construction and
operation of facilities by Ruby in
Wyoming, Utah, Nevada, and Oregon.
These facilities would consist of about
680 miles of 42-inch-diameter pipeline,
2 new compressor stations, and related
appurtenant facilities. The EIS will be
used by the Commission in its decisionmaking process to determine if the
project is in the public convenience and
necessity.
This notice announces the opening of
a scoping period that will be used to
gather environmental input from the
public and agencies during the early
stages of the project. Comments may be
submitted either in written form or
verbally. In lieu of or in addition to
sending written comments, you are
invited to attend the public scoping
meetings scheduled in the project area.
Further instructions on how to submit
written comments and additional details
of the public scoping meetings are
provided in the Public Participation
section of this notice. The scoping
period will close on April 30, 2008.
WEEK 1
April 15, 2008—Elko, Nevada, Hilton
Garden Inn, 3650 East Idaho St., (775)
777–1200.
E:\FR\FM\07APN1.SGM
07APN1
Federal Register / Vol. 73, No. 67 / Monday, April 7, 2008 / Notices
April 16, 2008—Kemmerer, Wyoming,
Kemmerer Senior Center, 105 JC Penney
Drive, (307) 877–3806.
April 17, 2008—Brigham City, Utah,
Box Elder High School Auditorium, 380
South 600 West, (435) 734–4840.
WEEK 2
April 22, 2008—Malin, Oregon, Malin
Community Hall, 2307 Front Street,
(541) 947–2258.
April 23, 2008—Lakeview, Oregon,
Elks Lodge, 323 N. F Street, (541) 947–
2258.
April 24, 2008—Winnemucca,
Nevada, Winnemucca Convention
Center, 50 W. Winnemucca Blvd., (775)
23–5071.
These meetings are designed to
provide state and local agencies,
interested groups, affected landowners,
and the general public with an
opportunity to offer comments on the
project and on the environmental issues
they believe should be addressed in the
EIS. A transcript of each meeting will be
made so that your comments will be
accurately recorded. All meetings are
scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. in each
respective time zone. All public
meetings will be posted on the
Commission’s calendar located at
https://www.ferc.gov/EventCalendar/
EventsList.aspx along with other related
information.
Comments collected during scoping
will be a valuable part of the Pre-Filing
Process and will help us 1 determine
which issues/impacts need to be
evaluated in the EIS. As more details of
the project route and design become
available, additional scoping may be
warranted and the public will be
provided with additional opportunities
to comment.
A ‘‘Pre-Filing Process’’ Has Begun
rfrederick on PROD1PC67 with NOTICES
The Commission is initiating its
National Environmental Policy Act
(NEPA) review for the Ruby Pipeline
Project prior to receiving Ruby’s formal
application. This Pre-Filing Process
allows interested stakeholders to
become involved early in the project
planning with the intent of identifying
and resolving issues before a formal
application is filed with the FERC. A
docket number (PF08–9–000) has been
established to place information filed by
Ruby and related documents issued or
received by the Commission into the
public record.2 Once a formal
1 ‘‘We,’’ ‘‘us,’’ and ‘‘our’’ refer to the
environmental staff of the Commission’s Office of
Energy Projects.
2 To view information in the docket, follow the
instructions for using the eLibrary link at the end
of this notice.
VerDate Aug<31>2005
15:24 Apr 04, 2008
Jkt 214001
application is filed with the FERC, a
new docket number will be established.
The U.S. Bureau of Land Management
(BLM) is participating as a cooperating
agency in the preparation of the EIS
because the project would cross
federally administered lands in
Wyoming, Utah, Nevada, and Oregon.
The U.S. Forest Service (USFS) is also
participating as a cooperating agency
because the project would cross the
Cache and Fremont-Winema National
Forests in Utah and Oregon,
respectively. As a cooperating agency,
the BLM intends to adopt the EIS per
Title 40 of the Code of Federal
Regulations (CFR), Part 1506.3 to meet
its responsibilities under NEPA
regarding Ruby’s application for a Rightof-Way Grant and Temporary Use
Permit for crossing federally
administered lands, including the Cache
and Fremont-Winema National Forests.
The concurrence or non-concurrence of
the USFS would be considered in the
BLM’s decision as well as impacts on
resources and programs, and the
proposed project’s conformance with
land use plans.
With this notice, we are asking other
federal, state, local, and tribal agencies
with jurisdiction and/or special
expertise with respect to environmental
issues in the project area to formally
cooperate with us in the preparation of
the EIS. These agencies may choose to
participate once they have evaluated
Ruby’s proposal relative to their
responsibilities. Agencies which would
like to request cooperating status should
follow the instructions for filing
comments described later in this notice.
We encourage government
representatives to notify their
constituents of this planned project and
encourage them to comment on their
areas of concern.
This notice is being sent to potentially
affected landowners along and adjacent
to the project route and within 0.5 mile
of proposed compressor station sites;
federal, state, and local government
agencies; elected officials;
environmental and public interest
groups; Native American tribes; local
libraries and newspapers; and other
interested parties.
To assist potentially affected
landowners, 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
potential 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).
PO 00000
Frm 00058
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
18789
Summary of the Proposed Project
Ruby is proposing to construct a new
pipeline system in order to transport
natural gas reserves in the Rocky
Mountain region to the growing markets
in the Western United States.
Specifically, Ruby is proposing to
construct the following facilities:
• Approximately 680 miles of 42inch-diameter pipeline between the
Opal Hub in Lincoln County, Wyoming
and the Malin Hub in Klamath County,
Oregon;
• Two new compressor stations
located in Lincoln County, Wyoming
and Elko County, Nevada;
• 5 metering facilities;
• 40 mainline block valves; and
• 10 pig launcher/receivers facilities.3
A map depicting the general location
of project facilities is shown in Figure
1.4 Ruby has identified a preferred
project route, which is shown on the
map as a dark solid line. Ruby had
originally considered a more northern
route coming out of Wyoming, as shown
on the map as a dotted red line.
Although no longer preferred by Ruby,
we are currently including the northern
route in our evaluation as a route
alternative.
The project, if completed, would have
a capacity for transporting
approximately 1.2 billion cubic feet of
natural gas per day. Ruby anticipates
filing its formal application with the
FERC in January 2009 and would
request approval such that the proposed
facilities are put into service in the first
quarter of 2011. By this schedule,
construction of the Ruby Pipeline
Project would begin in the first or
second quarter of 2010.
Land Requirements for Construction
Ruby would use a nominal 115-footwide construction right-of-way for the
project. Additional work area would be
required at certain feature crossings
(e.g., waterbodies, wetlands, roads, and
railroads), staging areas, pipe yards,
contractor’s yards, and widening of
certain access roads.
Based on preliminary information, we
estimate that construction of the
3 A pipeline ‘‘pig’’ is a device designed to
internally clean or inspect the pipeline. A pig
launcher/receiver is an aboveground facility where
pigs are inserted or retrieved from the pipeline.
4 Figure 1 (general project map) is not being
printed in the Federal Register. Copies are available
on the Commission’s Internet Web site
(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. The project map was sent to all
those receiving this notice in the mail. Requests for
detailed maps of the proposed facilities should be
made directly to Ruby by calling 1–877–598–5263
(toll free) or 719–520–4450.
E:\FR\FM\07APN1.SGM
07APN1
18790
Federal Register / Vol. 73, No. 67 / Monday, April 7, 2008 / Notices
rfrederick on PROD1PC67 with NOTICES
proposed facilities would disturb about
12,000 acres of land. Of the 12,000
acres, about 8,000 acres would be
temporarily disturbed and about 4,000
acres would be permanently maintained
for operation of the pipeline within a
50-foot-wide permanent right-of-way
and as aboveground facility sites.
Following construction, all temporary
workspaces would be restored and
allowed to revert to former use. About
60 percent of the proposed route would
cross federally administered land
managed by the BLM or USFS.
The EIS Process
The FERC will be the lead federal
agency for the preparation of the EIS. As
noted above, the BLM and USFS will be
cooperating agencies. NEPA requires the
FERC 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 under
Section 7 of the Natural Gas Act. NEPA
also requires us to identify and address
concerns the public may have about
proposals. This is the ‘‘scoping’’ process
referred to earlier. The main goal of the
scoping process is to focus the analysis
in the EIS on important environmental
issues and reasonable alternatives. By
this Notice, we are requesting agency
and public comments on the scope on
the issues to be addressed in the EIS. All
comments received will be considered
during the preparation of the EIS.
We have already started to meet with
Ruby personnel, agencies, and other
interested stakeholders to discuss the
project and identify issues/impacts and
concerns. Between February 19 and
March 18, 2008, representatives of FERC
staff participated in public open houses
sponsored by Ruby in the project area.
FERC staff explained the NEPA
environmental review process to
interested stakeholders and noted
comments related to the project.
Our independent analysis of the
issues will be included in a draft EIS.
The draft EIS will be mailed to federal,
state, and local government agencies;
elected officials; environmental and
public interest groups; Native American
tribes; affected landowners; other
interested parties; local libraries and
newspapers; and the FERC’s official
service list for this proceeding. A
comment period will be allotted for
review of the draft EIS. We will consider
all timely comments on the draft EIS
and revise the document, as necessary,
before issuing a final EIS.
Public Participation
You are encouraged to become
involved in this process and provide
VerDate Aug<31>2005
15:24 Apr 04, 2008
Jkt 214001
your specific comments or concerns
about Ruby’s planned project. Your
comments should focus on the potential
environmental effects, reasonable
alternatives, and measures to avoid or
lessen environmental impacts. The more
specific your comments, the more useful
they will be. If you wish to mail
comments, please carefully follow these
instructions:
• Send an original and two copies of
your letter to:
Kimberly D. Bose, Secretary, Federal
Energy Regulatory Commission, 888
First Street, NE.; Room 1A, Washington,
DC 20426.
• Label one copy of your comments
for the attention of Gas 1, DG2E; and
• Reference Docket No. PF08–9–000
on the original and both copies.
• Mail your comments so that they
will be received in Washington, DC, on
or before April 30, 2008.
The Commission encourages
electronic filing of comments. See 18
CFR 385.2001(a)(1)(iii) and the
instructions on the Commission’s
Internet Web site at https://www.ferc.gov
under the link to ‘‘Documents and
Filings’’ and ‘‘eFiling.’’ eFiling is a file
attachment process and requires that
you prepare your submission in the
same manner as you would if filing on
paper, and save it to a file on your
computer’s hard drive. New eFiling
users must first create an account by
clicking on ‘‘Sign up’’ or ‘‘eRegister.’’
You will be asked to select the type of
filing you are making. This filing is
considered a ‘‘Comment on Filing.’’ In
addition, there is a ‘‘Quick Comment’’
option available, which is an easy
method for interested persons to submit
text only comments on a Project. The
Quick-Comment User Guide can be
viewed at www.ferc.gov/docs-filing/
efiling/quick-comment-guide.pdf. Quick
Comment does not require a FERC
eRegistration account; however, you
will be asked to provide a valid e-mail
address. All comments submitted under
either eFiling or the Quick Comment
option are placed in the public record
for the specified docket or Project
number(s). Comments submitted
electronically must be submitted by
April 30, 2008.
Availability of Additional Information
Additional information about the
Project is available from the FERC’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 (i.e., PF08–9).
Be sure you have selected an
PO 00000
Frm 00059
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
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 Web site also
provides access to the text 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 the eSubscription link on the
FERC Internet Web site (https://
www.ferc.gov/docs-filing/
esubscription.asp). Information
concerning the involvement of the BLM
in the EIS process may be obtained from
Mark Mackiewicz, PMP, National
Project Manager, at (435) 636–3616.
Information concerning the involvement
of the USFS may be obtained from
Catherine Callaghan at the FremontWinema National Forest at (541) 947–
2151, and David Ream (801) 236–3400
at the Wasatch-Cache National Forest.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. E8–7104 Filed 4–4–08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717–01–P
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory
Commission
[Docket No. AD08–1–004]
Review of Cost Submittals by Other
Federal Agencies for Administering
Part I of the Federal Power Act; Notice
Requesting Questions and Comments
on Fiscal Year 2007 Other Federal
Agency Cost Submissions
March 28, 2008.
In its Order On Rehearing
Consolidating Administrative Annual
Charges Bill Appeals And Modifying
Annual Charges Billing Procedures (109
FERC 61,040), the Commission set forth
an annual deadline for Other Federal
Agencies (OFAs) to submit their costs
related to Administering Part I of the
Federal Power Act. The Commission
required the OFAs to submit their costs
by December 31st of each fiscal year
(FY) using the OFA Cost Submission
Form. The order also announced that a
technical conference would be held for
E:\FR\FM\07APN1.SGM
07APN1
]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 67 (Monday, April 7, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 18788-18790]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-7104]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
[FERC Docket No. PF08-9-000]
Notice of Pre-Filing Environmental Review for the Ruby Pipeline
Project, Request for Comments on Environmental Issues, and Notice of
Public Scoping Meetings; Ruby Pipeline, LLC
March 28, 2008.
On January 31, 2008, the staff of the Federal Energy Regulatory
Commission (FERC or Commission) initiated its pre-filing environmental
review of the Ruby Pipeline Project, planned by Ruby Pipeline, LLC
(Ruby). FERC staff is now beginning to obtain and evaluate information
for the preparation of an environmental impact statement (EIS) that
will assess and disclose the environmental impacts of the project,
which would involve construction and operation of facilities by Ruby in
Wyoming, Utah, Nevada, and Oregon. These facilities would consist of
about 680 miles of 42-inch-diameter pipeline, 2 new compressor
stations, and related appurtenant facilities. The EIS will be used by
the Commission in its decision-making process to determine if the
project is in the public convenience and necessity.
This notice announces the opening of a scoping period that will be
used to gather environmental input from the public and agencies during
the early stages of the project. Comments may be submitted either in
written form or verbally. In lieu of or in addition to sending written
comments, you are invited to attend the public scoping meetings
scheduled in the project area. Further instructions on how to submit
written comments and additional details of the public scoping meetings
are provided in the Public Participation section of this notice. The
scoping period will close on April 30, 2008.
WEEK 1
April 15, 2008--Elko, Nevada, Hilton Garden Inn, 3650 East Idaho
St., (775) 777-1200.
[[Page 18789]]
April 16, 2008--Kemmerer, Wyoming, Kemmerer Senior Center, 105 JC
Penney Drive, (307) 877-3806.
April 17, 2008--Brigham City, Utah, Box Elder High School
Auditorium, 380 South 600 West, (435) 734-4840.
WEEK 2
April 22, 2008--Malin, Oregon, Malin Community Hall, 2307 Front
Street, (541) 947-2258.
April 23, 2008--Lakeview, Oregon, Elks Lodge, 323 N. F Street,
(541) 947-2258.
April 24, 2008--Winnemucca, Nevada, Winnemucca Convention Center,
50 W. Winnemucca Blvd., (775) 23-5071.
These meetings are designed to provide state and local agencies,
interested groups, affected landowners, and the general public with an
opportunity to offer comments on the project and on the environmental
issues they believe should be addressed in the EIS. A transcript of
each meeting will be made so that your comments will be accurately
recorded. All meetings are scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. in each
respective time zone. All public meetings will be posted on the
Commission's calendar located at https://www.ferc.gov/EventCalendar/
EventsList.aspx along with other related information.
Comments collected during scoping will be a valuable part of the
Pre-Filing Process and will help us \1\ determine which issues/impacts
need to be evaluated in the EIS. As more details of the project route
and design become available, additional scoping may be warranted and
the public will be provided with additional opportunities to comment.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ ``We,'' ``us,'' and ``our'' refer to the environmental staff
of the Commission's Office of Energy Projects.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
A ``Pre-Filing Process'' Has Begun
The Commission is initiating its National Environmental Policy Act
(NEPA) review for the Ruby Pipeline Project prior to receiving Ruby's
formal application. This Pre-Filing Process allows interested
stakeholders to become involved early in the project planning with the
intent of identifying and resolving issues before a formal application
is filed with the FERC. A docket number (PF08-9-000) has been
established to place information filed by Ruby and related documents
issued or received by the Commission into the public record.\2\ Once a
formal application is filed with the FERC, a new docket number will be
established.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\2\ To view information in the docket, follow the instructions
for using the eLibrary link at the end of this notice.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
The U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is participating as a
cooperating agency in the preparation of the EIS because the project
would cross federally administered lands in Wyoming, Utah, Nevada, and
Oregon. The U.S. Forest Service (USFS) is also participating as a
cooperating agency because the project would cross the Cache and
Fremont-Winema National Forests in Utah and Oregon, respectively. As a
cooperating agency, the BLM intends to adopt the EIS per Title 40 of
the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), Part 1506.3 to meet its
responsibilities under NEPA regarding Ruby's application for a Right-
of-Way Grant and Temporary Use Permit for crossing federally
administered lands, including the Cache and Fremont-Winema National
Forests. The concurrence or non-concurrence of the USFS would be
considered in the BLM's decision as well as impacts on resources and
programs, and the proposed project's conformance with land use plans.
With this notice, we are asking other federal, state, local, and
tribal agencies with jurisdiction and/or special expertise with respect
to environmental issues in the project area to formally cooperate with
us in the preparation of the EIS. These agencies may choose to
participate once they have evaluated Ruby's proposal relative to their
responsibilities. Agencies which would like to request cooperating
status should follow the instructions for filing comments described
later in this notice. We encourage government representatives to notify
their constituents of this planned project and encourage them to
comment on their areas of concern.
This notice is being sent to potentially affected landowners along
and adjacent to the project route and within 0.5 mile of proposed
compressor station sites; federal, state, and local government
agencies; elected officials; environmental and public interest groups;
Native American tribes; local libraries and newspapers; and other
interested parties.
To assist potentially affected landowners, 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 potential 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
Ruby is proposing to construct a new pipeline system in order to
transport natural gas reserves in the Rocky Mountain region to the
growing markets in the Western United States. Specifically, Ruby is
proposing to construct the following facilities:
Approximately 680 miles of 42-inch-diameter pipeline
between the Opal Hub in Lincoln County, Wyoming and the Malin Hub in
Klamath County, Oregon;
Two new compressor stations located in Lincoln County,
Wyoming and Elko County, Nevada;
5 metering facilities;
40 mainline block valves; and
10 pig launcher/receivers facilities.\3\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\3\ A pipeline ``pig'' is a device designed to internally clean
or inspect the pipeline. A pig launcher/receiver is an aboveground
facility where pigs are inserted or retrieved from the pipeline.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
A map depicting the general location of project facilities is shown
in Figure 1.\4\ Ruby has identified a preferred project route, which is
shown on the map as a dark solid line. Ruby had originally considered a
more northern route coming out of Wyoming, as shown on the map as a
dotted red line. Although no longer preferred by Ruby, we are currently
including the northern route in our evaluation as a route alternative.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\4\ Figure 1 (general project map) is not being printed in the
Federal Register. Copies are available on the Commission's Internet
Web site (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. The project map was
sent to all those receiving this notice in the mail. Requests for
detailed maps of the proposed facilities should be made directly to
Ruby by calling 1-877-598-5263 (toll free) or 719-520-4450.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
The project, if completed, would have a capacity for transporting
approximately 1.2 billion cubic feet of natural gas per day. Ruby
anticipates filing its formal application with the FERC in January 2009
and would request approval such that the proposed facilities are put
into service in the first quarter of 2011. By this schedule,
construction of the Ruby Pipeline Project would begin in the first or
second quarter of 2010.
Land Requirements for Construction
Ruby would use a nominal 115-foot-wide construction right-of-way
for the project. Additional work area would be required at certain
feature crossings (e.g., waterbodies, wetlands, roads, and railroads),
staging areas, pipe yards, contractor's yards, and widening of certain
access roads.
Based on preliminary information, we estimate that construction of
the
[[Page 18790]]
proposed facilities would disturb about 12,000 acres of land. Of the
12,000 acres, about 8,000 acres would be temporarily disturbed and
about 4,000 acres would be permanently maintained for operation of the
pipeline within a 50-foot-wide permanent right-of-way and as
aboveground facility sites. Following construction, all temporary
workspaces would be restored and allowed to revert to former use. About
60 percent of the proposed route would cross federally administered
land managed by the BLM or USFS.
The EIS Process
The FERC will be the lead federal agency for the preparation of the
EIS. As noted above, the BLM and USFS will be cooperating agencies.
NEPA requires the FERC 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 under Section 7 of
the Natural Gas Act. NEPA also requires us to identify and address
concerns the public may have about proposals. This is the ``scoping''
process referred to earlier. The main goal of the scoping process is to
focus the analysis in the EIS on important environmental issues and
reasonable alternatives. By this Notice, we are requesting agency and
public comments on the scope on the issues to be addressed in the EIS.
All comments received will be considered during the preparation of the
EIS.
We have already started to meet with Ruby personnel, agencies, and
other interested stakeholders to discuss the project and identify
issues/impacts and concerns. Between February 19 and March 18, 2008,
representatives of FERC staff participated in public open houses
sponsored by Ruby in the project area. FERC staff explained the NEPA
environmental review process to interested stakeholders and noted
comments related to the project.
Our independent analysis of the issues will be included in a draft
EIS. The draft EIS will be mailed to federal, state, and local
government agencies; elected officials; environmental and public
interest groups; Native American tribes; affected landowners; other
interested parties; local libraries and newspapers; and the FERC's
official service list for this proceeding. A comment period will be
allotted for review of the draft EIS. We will consider all timely
comments on the draft EIS and revise the document, as necessary, before
issuing a final EIS.
Public Participation
You are encouraged to become involved in this process and provide
your specific comments or concerns about Ruby's planned project. Your
comments should focus on the potential environmental effects,
reasonable alternatives, and measures to avoid or lessen environmental
impacts. The more specific your comments, the more useful they will be.
If you wish to mail comments, please carefully follow these
instructions:
Send an original and two copies of your letter to:
Kimberly D. Bose, Secretary, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission,
888 First Street, NE.; Room 1A, Washington, DC 20426.
Label one copy of your comments for the attention of Gas
1, DG2E; and
Reference Docket No. PF08-9-000 on the original and both
copies.
Mail your comments so that they will be received in
Washington, DC, on or before April 30, 2008.
The Commission encourages electronic filing of comments. See 18 CFR
385.2001(a)(1)(iii) and the instructions on the Commission's Internet
Web site at https://www.ferc.gov under the link to ``Documents and
Filings'' and ``eFiling.'' eFiling is a file attachment process and
requires that you prepare your submission in the same manner as you
would if filing on paper, and save it to a file on your computer's hard
drive. New eFiling users must first create an account by clicking on
``Sign up'' or ``eRegister.'' You will be asked to select the type of
filing you are making. This filing is considered a ``Comment on
Filing.'' In addition, there is a ``Quick Comment'' option available,
which is an easy method for interested persons to submit text only
comments on a Project. The Quick-Comment User Guide can be viewed at
www.ferc.gov/docs-filing/efiling/quick-comment-guide.pdf. Quick Comment
does not require a FERC eRegistration account; however, you will be
asked to provide a valid e-mail address. All comments submitted under
either eFiling or the Quick Comment option are placed in the public
record for the specified docket or Project number(s). Comments
submitted electronically must be submitted by April 30, 2008.
Availability of Additional Information
Additional information about the Project is available from the
FERC'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
(i.e., PF08-9). 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 Web site
also provides access to the text 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 the eSubscription
link on the FERC Internet Web site (https://www.ferc.gov/docs-filing/
esubscription.asp). Information concerning the involvement of the BLM
in the EIS process may be obtained from Mark Mackiewicz, PMP, National
Project Manager, at (435) 636-3616. Information concerning the
involvement of the USFS may be obtained from Catherine Callaghan at the
Fremont-Winema National Forest at (541) 947-2151, and David Ream (801)
236-3400 at the Wasatch-Cache National Forest.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. E8-7104 Filed 4-4-08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P
