Florida Gas Transmission Company; Transcontinental Gas Pipe Line Corporation; Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Assessment for the Proposed Mobile Bay Lateral Extension Project and the Pascagoula Expansion Project and Request for Comments on Environmental Issues, 79464-79466 [E8-30744]
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dwashington3 on PROD1PC60 with NOTICES
79464
Federal Register / Vol. 73, No. 249 / Monday, December 29, 2008 / Notices
Filed Date: 12/16/2008.
Accession Number: 20081218–0202.
Comment Date: 5 p.m. Eastern Time
on Monday, December 29, 2008.
Docket Numbers: RP09–166–000.
Applicants: Cheyenne Plains Gas
Pipeline Company, LLC.
Description: Cheyenne Plains Gas
Pipeline Co, LLC submits First Revised
Sheet 30 et al. to FERC Gas Tariff,
Original Volume 1.
Filed Date: 12/16/2008.
Accession Number: 20081218–0201.
Comment Date: 5 p.m. Eastern Time
on Monday, December 29, 2008.
Docket Numbers: RP09–167–000.
Applicants: Wyoming Interstate
Company, Ltd.
Description: Wyoming Interstate Co,
Ltd submits Third Revised Sheet 5B et
al. to FERC Gas Tariff, Second Revised
Volume 2, proposed to be effective.
Filed Date: 12/16/2008.
Accession Number: 20081218–0200.
Comment Date: 5 p.m. Eastern Time
on Monday, December 29, 2008.
Docket Numbers: RP09–168–000.
Applicants: Maritimes & Northeast
Pipeline, L.L.C.
Description: Maritimes & Northeast
Pipeline, LLC submits First Revised
Sheet 494A to FERC Gas Tariff, First
Revised Volume 1, to be effective 1/1/
09.
Filed Date: 12/17/2008.
Accession Number: 20081218–0003.
Comment Date: 5 p.m. Eastern Time
on Monday, December 29, 2008.
Any person desiring to intervene or to
protest in any of the above proceedings
must file in accordance with Rules 211
and 214 of the Commission’s Rules of
Practice and Procedure (18 CFR 385.211
and 385.214) on or before 5 p.m. Eastern
time on the specified comment date. It
is not necessary to separately intervene
again in a subdocket related to a
compliance filing if you have previously
intervened in the same docket. Protests
will be considered by the Commission
in determining the appropriate action to
be taken, but will not serve to make
protestants parties to the proceeding.
Anyone filing a motion to intervene or
protest must serve a copy of that
document on the Applicant. In reference
to filings initiating a new proceeding,
interventions or protests submitted on
or before the comment deadline need
not be served on persons other than the
Applicant.
The Commission encourages
electronic submission of protests and
interventions in lieu of paper, using the
FERC Online links at https://
www.ferc.gov. To facilitate electronic
service, persons with Internet access
who will eFile a document and/or be
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13:19 Dec 24, 2008
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listed as a contact for an intervenor
must create and validate an
eRegistration account using the
eRegistration link. Select the eFiling
link to log on and submit the
intervention or protests.
Persons unable to file electronically
should submit an original and 14 copies
of the intervention or protest to the
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission,
888 First St., NE., Washington, DC
20426.
The filings in the above proceedings
are accessible in the Commission’s
eLibrary system by clicking on the
appropriate link in the above list. They
are also available for review in the
Commission’s Public Reference Room in
Washington, DC. There is an
eSubscription link on the Web site that
enables subscribers to receive e-mail
notification when a document is added
to a subscribed docket(s). For assistance
with any FERC Online service, please email FERCOnlineSupport@ferc.gov. or
call (866) 208–3676 (toll free). For TTY,
call (202) 502–8659.
Nathaniel J. Davis, Sr.,
Deputy Secretary.
[FR Doc. E8–30756 Filed 12–24–08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717–01–P
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory
Commission
[Docket No. PF08–31–000; Docket No.
PF08–32–000 ]
Florida Gas Transmission Company;
Transcontinental Gas Pipe Line
Corporation; Notice of Intent To
Prepare an Environmental Assessment
for the Proposed Mobile Bay Lateral
Extension Project and the Pascagoula
Expansion Project and Request for
Comments on Environmental Issues
December 18, 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 construction and operation of
facilities proposed by Florida Gas
Transmission Company’s (FGT) Mobile
Bay Lateral Extension Project in Mobile
County, Alabama and Transcontinental
Gas Pipe Line Corporation’s (Transco)
and FGT’s Pascagoula Expansion Project
in Jackson County, Mississippi and
Mobile County, Alabama.
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
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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 January 15,
2009.
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
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 Transco and/or FGT 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 Projects
FGT’s Mobile Bay Lateral Extension
Project (Mobile Bay Project) would be
located in Mobile County, Alabama. The
existing Mobile Bay Lateral extends
from FGT’s mainlines near Citronelle,
Alabama, to FGT’s Compressor Station
44 (CS 44) in Mobile Bay, Alabama. FGT
is requesting authorization to construct,
own, and operate the facilities necessary
to provide incremental firm
transportation capacity of 342,610
million British thermal units per day
(MMBtu/d) of natural gas from the
proposed Gulf LNG Energy, LLC (Gulf
LNG) Terminal Facility in Pascagoula,
Mississippi to FGT’s existing Mobile
Bay Lateral. The new infrastructure
would allow FGT to connect regassified
liquefied natural gas (LNG) supply in
south Alabama to the existing FGT
system.
E:\FR\FM\29DEN1.SGM
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dwashington3 on PROD1PC60 with NOTICES
Federal Register / Vol. 73, No. 249 / Monday, December 29, 2008 / Notices
The Mobile Bay Project would consist
of the following facilities:
• Installation of approximately 8.9
miles of 24-inch-diameter mainline
pipeline, from near Grand Bay in Mobile
County, Alabama to the existing FGT CS
44, (milepost [MP] 0.0);
• Installation of one new Meter and
Regulation (M&R) Station (15–600
million cubic feet per day [mmcfd] with
pig launcher at the tie-in with the
proposed Pascagoula Expansion Project
[MP 8.9]);
• Installation of one new Over
Pressure Protection Regulator Station
with pig receiver at the existing 30-inch
Mobile Bay Lateral tie-in to the
mainlines (located approximately 28.8
miles upstream from CS 44); and
• Station facility modifications at the
existing FGT CS 44 (MP 0.0).
FGT and Transco jointly propose to
construct the Pascagoula Expansion
Project, which would connect to the
approved Gulf LNG Facility in
Pascagoula Mississippi. The project
would involve the construction of about
15 miles of 26-inch-diameter pipeline
extending from this receipt point
interconnect to FGT’s and Transco’s
existing Mobile Bay Lateral in Mobile
County, Alabama (Pascagoula Supply
Line) and modifications to FGT’s and
Transco’s existing Compressor Station
82 in Mobile County, Alabama. The
Pascagoula Supply Line would have a
total capacity of 810,000 dekatherms per
day.
The Pascagoula Expansion Project
will consist of the following facilities:
• A receipt meter station near
Pascagoula in Jackson County,
Mississippi, at the terminus of the Gulf
LNG Pipeline;
• Approximately 15 miles of 26-inchdiameter pipeline extending from this
receipt point interconnect to FGT/
Transco’s existing Mobile Bay Lateral in
Mobile County, Alabama (‘‘Pascagoula
Supply Line’’);
• Modifications to FGT/Transco’s
existing Compressor Station 82 in
Mobile County, Alabama; and
• Minor above-ground facilities.
The Pascagoula Expansion Project is
directly related to FGT’s proposed
Mobile Bay Project in Docket No. PF08–
31–000 and will be evaluated in a single
environmental document. The
Pascagoula Expansion Project would be
the upstream pipeline delivering gas
into FGT’s proposed Mobile Bay Project.
The location of the project facilities is
shown in Appendix 1.1
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
VerDate Aug<31>2005
13:19 Dec 24, 2008
Jkt 217001
Land Requirements for Construction
Mobile Bay Project
Construction of the Mobile Bay
Project’s proposed facilities would
require about 116.0 acres of land
including above-ground facilities,
pipeline, and access roads. Following
construction, about 54.9 acres would be
used for operation of the project’s
facilities. Of the remaining 61.1 acres of
land, 33.8 acres would be overlapping
existing permanent right-of-way and
27.3 acres would be restored or allowed
to revert to former use along the
pipeline right-of-way and above-ground
facility sites.
Pascagoula Expansion Project
Construction of the proposed facilities
for the Pascagoula Expansion Project
would require about 191.7 acres of land
including above-ground facilities,
pipeline, and access roads. Following
construction, about 97.7 acres would be
used for operation of the project’s
facilities. The remaining 94.0 acres of
land would be restored or allowed to
revert to former use along the pipeline
right-of-way.
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
‘‘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’’, and ‘‘our’’ refer to the
environmental staff of the Office of Energy Projects
(OEP).
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79465
• Land use
• Water resources, fisheries, and
wetlands
• Cultural resources
• Vegetation and wildlife
• Air quality and noise
• Endangered and threatened species
• Public safety
We will also evaluate possible
alternatives to the proposed project or
portions of the project, and make
recommendations on how to lessen or
avoid impacts on the various resource
areas.
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. To ensure your comments
are considered, please carefully follow
the instructions in the public
participation section below.
With this NOI, we are 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. These agencies
may choose to participate once they
have evaluated the proposal relative to
their responsibilities. Additional
agencies that would like to request
cooperating agency status should follow
the instructions for filing comments
provided under the Public Participation
section of this NOI.
Currently Identified Environmental
Issues
We have already identified several
issues that we think deserve attention
based on a preliminary review of the
proposed facilities and the
environmental information provided by
Transco. This preliminary list of issues
may be changed based on your
comments and our analysis.
• Cultural resources may be affected
by the project.
• Potential impacts may occur to
streams and wetlands.
• The project could potentially affect
threatened or endangered species.
• Nearby residences may be affected
by construction activities.
• We received comments from the
public during FGT’s and Transco’s open
house meetings suggesting that an
alternative route for the Pascagoula
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Federal Register / Vol. 73, No. 249 / Monday, December 29, 2008 / Notices
dwashington3 on PROD1PC60 with NOTICES
Expansion Project should parallel
Interstate Route 90 through the Grand
Bay National Wildlife Refuge (GBNWR).
We welcome additional comments on
this alternative route, including from
the GBNWR.
Public Participation
You can make a difference by
providing us with your specific
comments or concerns about the Mobile
Bay Lateral Extension Project and the
Pascagoula Expansion 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. To ensure that your
comments are timely and properly
recorded, please send in your comments
so that they will be received in
Washington, DC on or before January 21,
2009.
For your convenience, there are three
methods in which you can use to submit
your comments to the Commission. In
all instances please reference the project
docket numbers PF08–31–000 and
PF08–32–000 with your submission.
The docket numbers can be found on
the front of this notice. The Commission
encourages electronic filing of
comments and has dedicated eFiling
expert staff available to assist you at
202–502–8258 or efiling@ferc.gov.
(1) You may file your comments
electronically by using the Quick
Comment feature, which is located on
the Commission’s Internet Web site at
https://www.ferc.gov under the link to
Documents and Filings. A Quick
Comment is an easy method for
interested persons to submit text-only
comments on a project;
(2) You may file your comments
electronically by using the eFiling
feature, which is located on the
Commission’s Internet Web site at
https://www.ferc.gov under the link to
Documents and Filings. eFiling involves
preparing your submission in the same
manner as you would if filing on paper,
and then saving the file on your
computer’s hard drive. You will attach
that file as your submission. 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. A
comment on a particular project is
considered a ‘‘Comment on a Filing;’’ or
(3) You may file your comments via
mail to the Commission by sending an
original and two copies of your letter to:
Kimberly D. Bose, Secretary, Federal
Energy Regulatory Commission, 888
First St., NE., Room 1A, Washington, DC
20426.
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13:19 Dec 24, 2008
Jkt 217001
Label one copy of the comments for
the attention of Gas Branch 2, PJ11.2.
Environmental Mailing List
An effort is being made to send this
notice to all individuals, organizations,
and government entities interested in
and/or potentially affected by the
proposed project. This includes all
landowners who are potential right-ofway grantors, whose property may be
used temporarily for project purposes,
or who own homes within distances
defined in the Commission’s regulations
of certain above-ground facilities.
If you do not want to send comments
at this time but still want to remain on
our mailing list, please return the
Information Request (Appendix 2). If
you do not return the Information
Request, you will be taken off the
mailing list.
Becoming an Intervenor
Once FGT and Transco formally file
its applications with the Commission,
you may want to become an
‘‘intervenor,’’ which is an official party
to the proceeding. 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 formal
applications are filed with the
Commission.
Availability of 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
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Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
specific dockets. This can reduce the
amount of time you spend researching
proceedings by automatically providing
you with notification of these filings,
document summaries and direct links to
the documents. Go to https://
www.ferc.gov/esubscribenow.htm.
Finally, public meetings or site visits
will be posted on the Commission’s
calendar located at https://www.ferc.gov/
EventCalendar/EventsList.aspx along
with other related information.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. E8–30744 Filed 12–24–08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717–01–P
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory
Commission
[Docket Nos. EL03–147–006; EL03–182–007]
City of Glendale, California; Notice of
Filing
December 18, 2008.
Take notice that on December 16,
2008, City of Glendale, California filed
an amendment to the Agreement and
Stipulation jointly filed with the
Commission Trial Staff on January 26,
2004, in compliance with the
Commission’s November 14, 2008,
Order Denying Rehearing. Coral Power
L.L.C., et al., 125 FERC ¶ 61,176 (2008).
Any person desiring to intervene or to
protest this filing must file in
accordance with Rules 211 and 214 of
the Commission’s Rules of Practice and
Procedure (18 CFR 385.211, 385.214).
Protests will be considered by the
Commission in determining the
appropriate action to be taken, but will
not serve to make protestants parties to
the proceeding. Any person wishing to
become a party must file a notice of
intervention or motion to intervene, as
appropriate. Such notices, motions, or
protests must be filed on or before the
comment date. Anyone filing a motion
to intervene or protest must serve a copy
of that document on the Applicant and
all the parties in this proceeding.
The Commission encourages
electronic submission of protests and
interventions in lieu of paper using the
‘‘eFiling’’ link at https://www.ferc.gov.
Persons unable to file electronically
should submit an original and 14 copies
of the protest or intervention to the
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission,
888 First Street, NE., Washington, DC
20426.
This filing is accessible on-line at
https://www.ferc.gov, using the
‘‘eLibrary’’ link and is available for
E:\FR\FM\29DEN1.SGM
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Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 249 (Monday, December 29, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 79464-79466]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-30744]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
[Docket No. PF08-31-000; Docket No. PF08-32-000 ]
Florida Gas Transmission Company; Transcontinental Gas Pipe Line
Corporation; Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Assessment
for the Proposed Mobile Bay Lateral Extension Project and the
Pascagoula Expansion Project and Request for Comments on Environmental
Issues
December 18, 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 construction and operation of
facilities proposed by Florida Gas Transmission Company's (FGT) Mobile
Bay Lateral Extension Project in Mobile County, Alabama and
Transcontinental Gas Pipe Line Corporation's (Transco) and FGT's
Pascagoula Expansion Project in Jackson County, Mississippi and Mobile
County, Alabama.
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 January 15, 2009.
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 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 Transco and/or FGT 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 Projects
FGT's Mobile Bay Lateral Extension Project (Mobile Bay Project)
would be located in Mobile County, Alabama. The existing Mobile Bay
Lateral extends from FGT's mainlines near Citronelle, Alabama, to FGT's
Compressor Station 44 (CS 44) in Mobile Bay, Alabama. FGT is requesting
authorization to construct, own, and operate the facilities necessary
to provide incremental firm transportation capacity of 342,610 million
British thermal units per day (MMBtu/d) of natural gas from the
proposed Gulf LNG Energy, LLC (Gulf LNG) Terminal Facility in
Pascagoula, Mississippi to FGT's existing Mobile Bay Lateral. The new
infrastructure would allow FGT to connect regassified liquefied natural
gas (LNG) supply in south Alabama to the existing FGT system.
[[Page 79465]]
The Mobile Bay Project would consist of the following facilities:
Installation of approximately 8.9 miles of 24-inch-
diameter mainline pipeline, from near Grand Bay in Mobile County,
Alabama to the existing FGT CS 44, (milepost [MP] 0.0);
Installation of one new Meter and Regulation (M&R) Station
(15-600 million cubic feet per day [mmcfd] with pig launcher at the
tie-in with the proposed Pascagoula Expansion Project [MP 8.9]);
Installation of one new Over Pressure Protection Regulator
Station with pig receiver at the existing 30-inch Mobile Bay Lateral
tie-in to the mainlines (located approximately 28.8 miles upstream from
CS 44); and
Station facility modifications at the existing FGT CS 44
(MP 0.0).
FGT and Transco jointly propose to construct the Pascagoula
Expansion Project, which would connect to the approved Gulf LNG
Facility in Pascagoula Mississippi. The project would involve the
construction of about 15 miles of 26-inch-diameter pipeline extending
from this receipt point interconnect to FGT's and Transco's existing
Mobile Bay Lateral in Mobile County, Alabama (Pascagoula Supply Line)
and modifications to FGT's and Transco's existing Compressor Station 82
in Mobile County, Alabama. The Pascagoula Supply Line would have a
total capacity of 810,000 dekatherms per day.
The Pascagoula Expansion Project will consist of the following
facilities:
A receipt meter station near Pascagoula in Jackson County,
Mississippi, at the terminus of the Gulf LNG Pipeline;
Approximately 15 miles of 26-inch-diameter pipeline
extending from this receipt point interconnect to FGT/Transco's
existing Mobile Bay Lateral in Mobile County, Alabama (``Pascagoula
Supply Line'');
Modifications to FGT/Transco's existing Compressor Station
82 in Mobile County, Alabama; and
Minor above-ground facilities.
The Pascagoula Expansion Project is directly related to FGT's
proposed Mobile Bay Project in Docket No. PF08-31-000 and will be
evaluated in a single environmental document. The Pascagoula Expansion
Project would be the upstream pipeline delivering gas into FGT's
proposed Mobile Bay Project.
The location of the project facilities is shown in Appendix 1.\1\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\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.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Land Requirements for Construction
Mobile Bay Project
Construction of the Mobile Bay Project's proposed facilities would
require about 116.0 acres of land including above-ground facilities,
pipeline, and access roads. Following construction, about 54.9 acres
would be used for operation of the project's facilities. Of the
remaining 61.1 acres of land, 33.8 acres would be overlapping existing
permanent right-of-way and 27.3 acres would be restored or allowed to
revert to former use along the pipeline right-of-way and above-ground
facility sites.
Pascagoula Expansion Project
Construction of the proposed facilities for the Pascagoula
Expansion Project would require about 191.7 acres of land including
above-ground facilities, pipeline, and access roads. Following
construction, about 97.7 acres would be used for operation of the
project's facilities. The remaining 94.0 acres of land would be
restored or allowed to revert to former use along the pipeline right-
of-way.
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:
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\2\ ``We'', ``us'', and ``our'' refer to the environmental staff
of the Office of Energy Projects (OEP).
Geology and soils
Land use
Water resources, fisheries, and wetlands
Cultural resources
Vegetation and wildlife
Air quality and noise
Endangered and threatened species
Public safety
We will also evaluate possible alternatives to the proposed project
or portions of the project, and make recommendations on how to lessen
or avoid impacts on the various resource areas.
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. To ensure your comments are
considered, please carefully follow the instructions in the public
participation section below.
With this NOI, we are 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. These agencies may choose to participate once they have
evaluated the proposal relative to their responsibilities. Additional
agencies that would like to request cooperating agency status should
follow the instructions for filing comments provided under the Public
Participation section of this NOI.
Currently Identified Environmental Issues
We have already identified several issues that we think deserve
attention based on a preliminary review of the proposed facilities and
the environmental information provided by Transco. This preliminary
list of issues may be changed based on your comments and our analysis.
Cultural resources may be affected by the project.
Potential impacts may occur to streams and wetlands.
The project could potentially affect threatened or
endangered species.
Nearby residences may be affected by construction
activities.
We received comments from the public during FGT's and
Transco's open house meetings suggesting that an alternative route for
the Pascagoula
[[Page 79466]]
Expansion Project should parallel Interstate Route 90 through the Grand
Bay National Wildlife Refuge (GBNWR). We welcome additional comments on
this alternative route, including from the GBNWR.
Public Participation
You can make a difference by providing us with your specific
comments or concerns about the Mobile Bay Lateral Extension Project and
the Pascagoula Expansion 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. To ensure that your comments
are timely and properly recorded, please send in your comments so that
they will be received in Washington, DC on or before January 21, 2009.
For your convenience, there are three methods in which you can use
to submit your comments to the Commission. In all instances please
reference the project docket numbers PF08-31-000 and PF08-32-000 with
your submission. The docket numbers can be found on the front of this
notice. The Commission encourages electronic filing of comments and has
dedicated eFiling expert staff available to assist you at 202-502-8258
or efiling@ferc.gov.
(1) You may file your comments electronically by using the Quick
Comment feature, which is located on the Commission's Internet Web site
at https://www.ferc.gov under the link to Documents and Filings. A Quick
Comment is an easy method for interested persons to submit text-only
comments on a project;
(2) You may file your comments electronically by using the eFiling
feature, which is located on the Commission's Internet Web site at
https://www.ferc.gov under the link to Documents and Filings. eFiling
involves preparing your submission in the same manner as you would if
filing on paper, and then saving the file on your computer's hard
drive. You will attach that file as your submission. 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. A comment on a particular project is considered a ``Comment on
a Filing;'' or
(3) You may file your comments via mail to the Commission by
sending an original and two copies of your letter to: Kimberly 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 2,
PJ11.2.
Environmental Mailing List
An effort is being made to send this notice to all individuals,
organizations, and government entities interested in and/or potentially
affected by the proposed project. This includes all landowners who are
potential right-of-way grantors, whose property may be used temporarily
for project purposes, or who own homes within distances defined in the
Commission's regulations of certain above-ground facilities.
If you do not want to send comments at this time but still want to
remain on our mailing list, please return the Information Request
(Appendix 2). If you do not return the Information Request, you will be
taken off the mailing list.
Becoming an Intervenor
Once FGT and Transco formally file its applications with the
Commission, you may want to become an ``intervenor,'' which is an
official party to the proceeding. 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 formal applications
are filed with the Commission.
Availability of Additional Information
Additional information about the project is available from the
Commission's Office of External Affairs, at 1-866-208-FERC or on the
FERC Internet Web site (https://www.ferc.gov) using the eLibrary link.
Click on the eLibrary link, click on ``General Search'' and enter the
docket number excluding the last three digits in the Docket Number
field. Be sure you have selected an appropriate date range. For
assistance, please contact FERC Online Support at
FercOnlineSupport@ferc.gov or toll free at 1-866-208-3676, or for TTY,
contact (202) 502-8659. The eLibrary link also provides access to the
texts of formal documents issued by the Commission, such as orders,
notices, and rulemakings.
In addition, the Commission now offers a free service called
eSubscription which allows you to keep track of all formal issuances
and submittals in specific dockets. This can reduce the amount of time
you spend researching proceedings by automatically providing you with
notification of these filings, document summaries and direct links to
the documents. Go to https://www.ferc.gov/esubscribenow.htm.
Finally, public meetings or site visits will be posted on the
Commission's calendar located at https://www.ferc.gov/EventCalendar/
EventsList.aspx along with other related information.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. E8-30744 Filed 12-24-08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P