Henry Gas Storage, LLC; Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Assessment for the Proposed Henry Gas Storage Project Request for Comments on Environmental Issues and Notice of Public Meeting, 4180-4182 [E9-1348]
Download as PDF
4180
Federal Register / Vol. 74, No. 14 / Friday, January 23, 2009 / Notices
dockets(s). For assistance with any
FERC Online service, please e-mail
FERCOnlineSupport@ferc.gov. or call
(866) 208–3676 (toll free). For TTY, call
(202) 502–8659.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. E9–1352 Filed 1–22–09; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717–01–P
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory
Commission
[Docket No. ER09–514–000]
Cyprus Energy Futures, LLC;
Supplemental Notice That Initial
Market-Based Rate Filing Includes
Request for Blanket Section 204
Authorization
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. E9–1354 Filed 1–22–09; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717–01–P
mstockstill on PROD1PC66 with NOTICES
January 14, 2009.
This is a supplemental notice in the
above-referenced proceeding of Cyprus
Energy Futures, LLC’s application for
market-based rate authority, with an
accompanying rate tariff, noting that
such application includes a request for
blanket authorization, under 18 CFR
Part 34, of future issuances of securities
and assumptions of liability.
Any person desiring to intervene or to
protest should file with the Federal
Energy Regulatory Commission, 888
First Street, NE., Washington, DC 20426,
in accordance with Rules 211 and 214
of the Commission’s Rules of Practice
and Procedure (18 CFR 385.211 and
385.214). Anyone filing a motion to
intervene or protest must serve a copy
of that document on the Applicant.
Notice is hereby given that the
deadline for filing protests with regard
to the applicant’s request for blanket
authorization, under 18 CFR Part 34, of
future issuances of securities and
assumptions of liability, is February 3,
2009.
The Commission encourages
electronic submission of protests and
interventions in lieu of paper, using the
FERC Online links at https://
www.ferc.gov. To facilitate electronic
service, persons with Internet access
who will eFile a document and/or be
listed as a contact for an intervenor
must create and validate an
eRegistration account using the
eRegistration link. Select the eFiling
link to log on and submit the
intervention or protests.
Persons unable to file electronically
should submit an original and 14 copies
of the intervention or protest to the
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission,
VerDate Nov<24>2008
18:32 Jan 22, 2009
Jkt 217001
888 First St. NE., Washington, DC
20426.
The filings in the above-referenced
proceeding 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
dockets(s). For assistance with any
FERC Online service, please e-mail
FERCOnlineSupport@ferc.gov. or call
(866) 208–3676 (toll free). For TTY, call
(202) 502–8659.
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory
Commission
[Docket No. PF08–28–000]
Henry Gas Storage, LLC; Notice of
Intent To Prepare an Environmental
Assessment for the Proposed Henry
Gas Storage Project Request for
Comments on Environmental Issues
and Notice of Public Meeting
January 14, 2009.
The Federal Energy Regulatory
Commission (FERC or Commission) is
in the process of preparing an
environmental assessment (EA) on the
environmental impacts of the Henry Gas
Storage Project (HGS Project) involving
the construction and operation of a new
natural gas storage facility and new
natural gas pipeline proposed by Henry
Gas Storage, LLC (HGS).
This notice announces the opening of
the scoping process that will be used to
gather input from the public and
interested agencies on the Project. Your
input will help determine which issues
will be evaluated in the EA. Please note
that the scoping period for this Project
will close on February 13, 2009.
Comments on the Project may be
submitted in written form or verbally. In
lieu of, or in addition, to sending
written comments, we also invite you to
attend the public scoping meeting that
has been scheduled in the Project area
on January 27, 2009. Details on how to
submit comments and additional details
of the public scoping meeting are
provided in the Public Participation
section of this notice.
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Frm 00047
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
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; and local
libraries and newspapers. We 1
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 pipeline 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
federal 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 HGS provided to landowners.
This fact sheet addresses a number of
typically asked questions, including the
use of eminent domain and how to
participate in the Commission’s
proceedings. It is available for viewing
on the FERC Internet Web site (https://
www.ferc.gov).
Summary of the Proposed Project
HGS proposes to construction and
operate an 11.5 billion cubic-feet
capacity natural gas salt-dome storage
facility on Cote Blanche Island in St.
Mary Parish, Louisiana as well as a 12mile, 24-inch-diameter pipeline lateral.
The HGS Project would have a
withdrawal capacity of 2.6 billion cubic
feet (bcf) of natural gas per day and an
injection capacity of up to 1 bcf per day.
Location maps depicting the proposed
facilities are attached to this NOI as
Appendix 1.2 HGS anticipates filing its
application in March 2009 with a
request that the Commission issue a
certificate by September 2009. HGS
1 ‘‘We’’, ‘‘us’’, and ‘‘our’’ refer to the
environmental staff of the Office of Energy Projects
(OEP).
2 The appendices referenced in this notice are not
printed in the Federal Register, but they are being
provided to all those who receive this notice in the
mail. Copies of the NOI can be obtained from the
Commission’s Web site at the ‘‘eLibrary’’ link, from
the Commission’s Public Reference Room, or by
calling (202) 502–8371. For instructions on
connecting to eLibrary, refer to the end of this
notice.
E:\FR\FM\23JAN1.SGM
23JAN1
Federal Register / Vol. 74, No. 14 / Friday, January 23, 2009 / Notices
plans to complete the proposed project
and commence service by April 2012.
Specifically, HGS proposes the
following primary components for the
HGS Project:
• Main Plant Site—Approximately
367 acres which would include the
following:
‰ Solution mining equipment;
‰ Gas dehydration system;
‰ Gas meter and pig launcher and
receiving facilities;
‰ Power generation, utility systems,
safety and fire equipment; and
‰ Compressor Station which would
consist of 14 reciprocating gas-fired
engine/compressor packages with a total
of 66,220 horsepower;
• Four salt dome natural gas storage
caverns;
• Brine decanting tank site;
• Raw water intake;
• Ferry landing, barge dock & helipad
site;
• Approximately 25 miles of subsea
24-inch diameter brine disposal
pipeline terminating at the brine
disposal outlet;
• Brine disposal outlet approximately
6.5 miles south-southeast of Marsh
Island in Iberia Parish Louisiana;
• Approximately 12 miles of 24-inch
diameter natural gas pipeline;
• Eight tie-in and metering facilities
along the natural gas pipeline route; and
• Pipe fabrication yard.
mstockstill on PROD1PC66 with NOTICES
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 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.
• Water Resources.
• Aquatic Resources.
VerDate Nov<24>2008
18:32 Jan 22, 2009
Jkt 217001
• Vegetation and Wildlife.
• Threatened and Endangered
Species.
• Land use, Recreation, and Visual
Resources.
• Cultural Resources.
• Socioeconomics.
• Air Quality and Noise.
• Reliability and Safety.
• Cumulative Impacts.
We will also evaluate reasonable
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 issues that
we think deserve attention based on our
previous experience with similar
projects in the region. This preliminary
list of issues, which is presented below,
may be revised based on your comments
and our continuing analyses specific to
the HGS Project.
• Impacts of the pipeline on
waterbodies, wetlands and endangered
species;
• Air quality impacts due to
emissions from compressor station;
• Water quality and fisheries impacts
due to brine disposal; and
• Impacts to fisheries and oyster beds
from the brine disposal pipeline.
PO 00000
Frm 00048
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
4181
Public Participation
You can make a difference by
providing us with your specific
comments or concerns about the HGS
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 February
13, 2009.
For your convenience, there are three
methods which you can use to submit
your written comments to the
Commission. In all instances please
reference the Project docket number
PF08–28–000 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 3, PJ–11.3.
The public scoping meeting (date,
time, and location listed below) are
designed to provide another opportunity
to offer comments on the proposed
Project. Interested groups and
individuals are encouraged to attend the
E:\FR\FM\23JAN1.SGM
23JAN1
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Federal Register / Vol. 74, No. 14 / Friday, January 23, 2009 / Notices
meetings and to present comments on
the environmental issues that they
believe should be addressed in the EA.
A transcript of the scoping meeting will
be generated so that your comments can
be accurately recorded.
Date: Tuesday, January 27, Scoping
Meeting, 6 to 8 p.m.
Location: Best Western, Forest Motor
Inn & Restaurant, 1909 Main St.,
Franklin, LA 70538.
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 whose property may be
used temporarily for project purposes,
who have existing easements from the
pipeline, or who own homes within
distances defined in the Commission’s
regulations of certain aboveground
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.
mstockstill on PROD1PC66 with NOTICES
Becoming an Intervenor
Once HGS formally files 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.
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
VerDate Nov<24>2008
18:32 Jan 22, 2009
Jkt 217001
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. E9–1348 Filed 1–22–09; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717–01–P
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory
Commission
[Project No. 9988–015–Georgia; King Mill
Hydroelectric Project]
Augusta Canal Authority; Notice of
Proposed Restricted Service List for a
Programmatic Agreement for
Managing Properties Included In or
Eligible for Inclusion In the National
Register of Historic Places
January 14, 2009.
Rule 2010 of the Federal Energy
Regulatory Commission’s (Commission)
Rules of Practice and Procedure
provides that, to eliminate unnecessary
expense or improve administrative
efficiency, the Secretary may establish a
restricted service list for a particular
phase or issue in a proceeding.1 The
restricted service list should contain the
names of persons on the service list
who, in the judgment of the decisional
authority establishing the list, are active
participants with respect to the phase or
issue in the proceeding for which the
list is established.
The Commission staff is consulting
with the Georgia State Historic
Preservation Officer (Georgia SHPO)
pursuant to the Council’s regulations, 36
CFR Part 800, implementing section 106
of the National Historic Preservation
Act, as amended, (16 U.S.C. 470f), to
prepare and execute a programmatic
agreement for managing properties
1 18
PO 00000
CFR 385.2010.
Frm 00049
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
included in, or eligible for inclusion in,
the National Register of Historic Places
at the King Mill Project No. 9988–015
(Georgia SHPO Reference Number HP–
060707–003). The Commission staff will
also provide the Advisory Council on
Historic Preservation an opportunity to
comment.
The programmatic agreement, when
executed by the Commission and the
Georgia SHPO, would satisfy the
Commission’s section 106
responsibilities for all individual
undertakings carried out in accordance
with the license until the license expires
or is terminated (36 CFR 800.13[e]). The
Commission’s responsibilities pursuant
to section 106 for the King Mill Project
would be fulfilled through the
programmatic agreement, which the
Commission proposes to draft in
consultation with certain parties listed
below. The executed programmatic
agreement would be incorporated into
any Order issuing a license.
The Augusta Canal Authority, as
licensee for Project No. 9988–015 is
invited to participate in consultations to
develop the programmatic agreement.
For purposes of commenting on the
programmatic agreement, we propose to
restrict the service list for the
aforementioned project as follows:
Dayton Sherrouse, Executive Director,
Augusta Canal Authority, 1450 Green
Street, Suite 400, Augusta, GA 30901.
Don Klima or Representative,
Advisory Council on Historic
Preservation, The Old Post Office
Building, Suite 803, 1100 Pennsylvania
Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20004.
Elizabeth Shirk or Representative,
Historic Preservation Division,
Department of Natural Resources, 34
Peachtree Street, NW., Suite 1600,
Atlanta, GA 30303.
Alan Stuart, Kleinschmidt Associates,
204 Caughman Farm Lane, Suite 301,
Lexington, SC 29072.
Any person on the official service list
for the above-captioned proceeding may
request inclusion on the restricted
service list, or may request that a
restricted service list not be established,
by filing a motion to that effect within
15 days of this notice date. In a request
for inclusion, please identify the
reason(s) why there is an interest to be
included. Also please identify any
concerns about historic properties,
including Traditional Cultural
Properties. If historic properties are to
be identified within the motion, please
use a separate page, and label it NONPUBLIC Information.
An original and 8 copies of any such
motion must be filed with Kimberly D.
Bose, the Secretary of the Commission
(888 First Street, NE., Washington, DC
E:\FR\FM\23JAN1.SGM
23JAN1
Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 14 (Friday, January 23, 2009)]
[Notices]
[Pages 4180-4182]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-1348]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
[Docket No. PF08-28-000]
Henry Gas Storage, LLC; Notice of Intent To Prepare an
Environmental Assessment for the Proposed Henry Gas Storage Project
Request for Comments on Environmental Issues and Notice of Public
Meeting
January 14, 2009.
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC or Commission) is in
the process of preparing an environmental assessment (EA) on the
environmental impacts of the Henry Gas Storage Project (HGS Project)
involving the construction and operation of a new natural gas storage
facility and new natural gas pipeline proposed by Henry Gas Storage,
LLC (HGS).
This notice announces the opening of the scoping process that will
be used to gather input from the public and interested agencies on the
Project. Your input will help determine which issues will be evaluated
in the EA. Please note that the scoping period for this Project will
close on February 13, 2009.
Comments on the Project may be submitted in written form or
verbally. In lieu of, or in addition, to sending written comments, we
also invite you to attend the public scoping meeting that has been
scheduled in the Project area on January 27, 2009. Details on how to
submit comments and additional details of the public scoping meeting
are provided in the Public Participation section of this notice.
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; and local libraries and newspapers. We \1\ encourage
government representatives to notify their constituents of this planned
project and encourage them to comment on their areas of concern.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ ``We'', ``us'', and ``our'' refer to the environmental staff
of the Office of Energy Projects (OEP).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
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 pipeline
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 federal 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 HGS provided to landowners. This fact sheet addresses a
number of typically asked questions, including the use of eminent
domain and how to participate in the Commission's proceedings. It is
available for viewing on the FERC Internet Web site (https://
www.ferc.gov).
Summary of the Proposed Project
HGS proposes to construction and operate an 11.5 billion cubic-feet
capacity natural gas salt-dome storage facility on Cote Blanche Island
in St. Mary Parish, Louisiana as well as a 12-mile, 24-inch-diameter
pipeline lateral. The HGS Project would have a withdrawal capacity of
2.6 billion cubic feet (bcf) of natural gas per day and an injection
capacity of up to 1 bcf per day.
Location maps depicting the proposed facilities are attached to
this NOI as Appendix 1.\2\ HGS anticipates filing its application in
March 2009 with a request that the Commission issue a certificate by
September 2009. HGS
[[Page 4181]]
plans to complete the proposed project and commence service by April
2012.
Specifically, HGS proposes the following primary components for the
HGS Project:
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\2\ The appendices referenced in this notice are not printed in
the Federal Register, but they are being provided to all those who
receive this notice in the mail. Copies of the NOI can be obtained
from the Commission's Web site at the ``eLibrary'' link, from the
Commission's Public Reference Room, or by calling (202) 502-8371.
For instructions on connecting to eLibrary, refer to the end of this
notice.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Main Plant Site--Approximately 367 acres which would
include the following:
>< Solution mining
equipment;
>< Gas dehydration
system;
>< Gas meter and pig
launcher and receiving facilities;
>< Power generation,
utility systems, safety and fire equipment; and
>< Compressor Station
which would consist of 14 reciprocating gas-fired engine/compressor
packages with a total of 66,220 horsepower;
Four salt dome natural gas storage caverns;
Brine decanting tank site;
Raw water intake;
Ferry landing, barge dock & helipad site;
Approximately 25 miles of subsea 24-inch diameter brine
disposal pipeline terminating at the brine disposal outlet;
Brine disposal outlet approximately 6.5 miles south-
southeast of Marsh Island in Iberia Parish Louisiana;
Approximately 12 miles of 24-inch diameter natural gas
pipeline;
Eight tie-in and metering facilities along the natural gas
pipeline route; and
Pipe fabrication yard.
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 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.
Water Resources.
Aquatic Resources.
Vegetation and Wildlife.
Threatened and Endangered Species.
Land use, Recreation, and Visual Resources.
Cultural Resources.
Socioeconomics.
Air Quality and Noise.
Reliability and Safety.
Cumulative Impacts.
We will also evaluate reasonable 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 issues that we think deserve attention
based on our previous experience with similar projects in the region.
This preliminary list of issues, which is presented below, may be
revised based on your comments and our continuing analyses specific to
the HGS Project.
Impacts of the pipeline on waterbodies, wetlands and
endangered species;
Air quality impacts due to emissions from compressor
station;
Water quality and fisheries impacts due to brine disposal;
and
Impacts to fisheries and oyster beds from the brine
disposal pipeline.
Public Participation
You can make a difference by providing us with your specific
comments or concerns about the HGS 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 February
13, 2009.
For your convenience, there are three methods which you can use to
submit your written comments to the Commission. In all instances please
reference the Project docket number PF08-28-000 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 3,
PJ-11.3.
The public scoping meeting (date, time, and location listed below)
are designed to provide another opportunity to offer comments on the
proposed Project. Interested groups and individuals are encouraged to
attend the
[[Page 4182]]
meetings and to present comments on the environmental issues that they
believe should be addressed in the EA. A transcript of the scoping
meeting will be generated so that your comments can be accurately
recorded.
Date: Tuesday, January 27, Scoping Meeting, 6 to 8 p.m.
Location: Best Western, Forest Motor Inn & Restaurant, 1909 Main
St., Franklin, LA 70538.
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 whose
property may be used temporarily for project purposes, who have
existing easements from the pipeline, or who own homes within distances
defined in the Commission's regulations of certain aboveground
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 HGS formally files 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.
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. E9-1348 Filed 1-22-09; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P