Heavenly Valley, L.P.; Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Assessment for the Proposed Powderbowl Pipeline Project and Request for Comments on Environmental Issues, 6025-6026 [E9-2290]

Download as PDF Federal Register / Vol. 74, No. 22 / Wednesday, February 4, 2009 / Notices Filed Date: 01/26/2009. Accession Number: 20090127–0133. Comment Date: 5 p.m. Eastern Time on Monday, February 9, 2009. Docket Numbers: RP09–277–000. Applicants: Dominion Transmission, Inc. Description: Dominion Transmission, Inc submits Fourth Revised Sheet 1142 et al. to FERC Gas Tariff, Third Revised Volume 1. Filed Date: 01/26/2009. Accession Number: 20090127–0132. Comment Date: 5 p.m. Eastern Time on Monday, February 9, 2009. Docket Numbers: RP09–278–000. Applicants: OkTex Pipeline Company, LLC. Description: OkTex Pipeline Company, LLC submits Sixth Revised Sheet 17 et al. to FERC Gas Tariff, Original Volume 1. Filed Date: 01/26/2009. Accession Number: 20090127–0196. Comment Date: 5 p.m. Eastern Time on Monday, February 9, 2009. Docket Numbers: RP09–279–000. Applicants: Viking Gas Transmission Company. Description: Viking Gas Transmission Company submits Third Revised Sheet 13A et al. to FERC Gas Tariff, Original Volume 1, to be effective 2/1/09. Filed Date: 01/26/2009. Accession Number: 20090127–0195. Comment Date: 5 p.m. Eastern Time on Monday, February 9, 2009. 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 listed as a contact for an intervenor VerDate Nov<24>2008 14:33 Feb 03, 2009 Jkt 217001 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 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. Nathaniel J. Davis, Sr., Deputy Secretary. [FR Doc. E9–2348 Filed 2–3–09; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 6717–01–P DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY Federal Energy Regulatory Commission [Docket No. CP09–43–000] Heavenly Valley, L.P.; Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Assessment for the Proposed Powderbowl Pipeline Project and Request for Comments on Environmental Issues January 28, 2009. The staff of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC or Commission) will prepare an environmental assessment (EA) that will discuss the potential environmental impacts of a pipeline project proposed by Heavenly Valley, L.P. (Heavenly Valley). The Powderbowl Pipeline Project involves the construction of a 1.86-mile-long, 4-inch-diameter natural gas pipeline in Douglas County, Nevada and El Dorado County, California. The EA will be used by the Commission in its decision-making process to determine whether the project is in the public convenience and necessity. This notice announces the opening of the scoping process the Commission will use to gather input from the public and interested agencies on the project. Your input will help determine which PO 00000 Frm 00014 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 6025 issues need to be evaluated in the EA. Please note that the scoping period will close on February 27, 2009. Details on how to submit comments 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; elected officials; Native American tribes; other interested parties; and local libraries and newspapers. State and local government representatives are asked to notify their constituents of this proposed project and to encourage them to comment on their areas of concern. We anticipate that the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) will participate as a cooperating agency in the preparation of the EA. 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 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 Heavenly Valley proposes to construct 1.86 miles of 4-inch-diameter natural gas pipeline to service the future Powderbowl Lodge (planned for construction in 2009). The pipeline would begin at an existing Southwest Gas Corporation meter station in Douglas County, Nevada and terminate approximately 1.86 miles southwest at the Powderbowl Lodge site in El Dorado County, California. The pipeline would parallel an existing access road and utility corridor. Existing access roads would be used for pipeline construction. The project is located entirely within the Heavenly Mountain Ski Resort, on land owned by the USFS and leased to Heavenly Valley under a 40 year Ski Area Special Use Permit issued in 1997. Construction of the project would temporarily impact approximately 7.9 acres. Upon completion of the project, 2.3 acres would be maintained as permanent easement. In addition, Heavenly Valley seeks approval to continue operation of a 4,500-foot-long, 2- and 3-inch diameter pipeline installed in 2000 by the previous resort owner to provide natural gas to resort facilities1. This existing 1 Heavenly Valley stated that the prior resort owners believed the pipeline could be constructed as a ‘‘house’’ line or ‘‘plant’’ line not subject to FERC jurisdiction. Heavenly Valley was alerted to the fact that the existing pipeline may be subject to FERC jurisdiction when it initiated discussions E:\FR\FM\04FEN1.SGM Continued 04FEN1 6026 Federal Register / Vol. 74, No. 22 / Wednesday, February 4, 2009 / Notices pipeline, referred to as the Gondala/ Mid-Station Pipeline, is also located entirely within the Heavenly Valley property. No ground disturbance or new environmental impacts would occur from continued operation of this pipeline. A map showing the general location of the proposed project is included as appendix 1.2 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 (NOI), the Commission staff requests public comments on the scope of the issues to address in the EA. All comments received will be considered during the preparation of the EA. In the EA, we3 will discuss impacts that could occur as a result of the construction and operation of the proposed project under these general headings: • Geology and soils; • land use; • 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 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 with Southwest Gas to obtain increased service for the Powderbowl Pipeline. 2 The appendix referenced in this notice is not being printed in the Federal Register. Copies of the appendix 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 by calling (202) 502– 8371. For instructions on connecting to eLibrary, refer to the ‘‘Additional Information’’ section of this notice. Copies of the appendix were sent to all those receiving this notice in the mail. Requests for detailed maps of the proposed facilities should be made directly to Heavenly Valley. 3 ‘‘We,’’ ‘‘us,’’ and ‘‘our’’ refer to the environmental staff of the FERC’s Office of Energy Projects. VerDate Nov<24>2008 14:33 Feb 03, 2009 Jkt 217001 groups; interested individuals; affected landowners; newspapers; libraries; and the Commission’s official service list for this proceeding. A comment period will be allotted for the 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. Public Participation You can make a difference by providing us with your specific comments or concerns about Heavenly Valley’s Powderbowl Pipeline Project. Your comments should focus on the potential environmental effects of the proposal, reasonable alternatives, and measures to avoid or lessen the 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 27, 2009. For your convenience, there are three methods which you can use to submit your comments to the Commission. In all instances please reference the project docket number (CP09–43–000) with your submission. 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 by sending an original and two copies of your letter to: Kimberly D. PO 00000 Frm 00015 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 Bose, Secretary, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 First Street, NE., Room 1A, Washington, DC 20426. Label one copy of the comments for the attention of Gas Branch 1, PJ–11.1. Becoming an Intervenor In addition to involvement in the EA scoping process, 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. 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, then on ‘‘General Search’’ and enter the docket number excluding the last three digits (i.e., CP09–43) 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, any 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. E9–2290 Filed 2–3–09; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 6717–01–P E:\FR\FM\04FEN1.SGM 04FEN1

Agencies

[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 22 (Wednesday, February 4, 2009)]
[Notices]
[Pages 6025-6026]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-2290]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket No. CP09-43-000]


Heavenly Valley, L.P.; Notice of Intent To Prepare an 
Environmental Assessment for the Proposed Powderbowl Pipeline Project 
and Request for Comments on Environmental Issues

January 28, 2009.
    The staff of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC or 
Commission) will prepare an environmental assessment (EA) that will 
discuss the potential environmental impacts of a pipeline project 
proposed by Heavenly Valley, L.P. (Heavenly Valley). The Powderbowl 
Pipeline Project involves the construction of a 1.86-mile-long, 4-inch-
diameter natural gas pipeline in Douglas County, Nevada and El Dorado 
County, California. The EA will be used by the Commission in its 
decision-making process to determine whether the project is in the 
public convenience and necessity.
    This notice announces the opening of the scoping process the 
Commission will use to gather input from the public and interested 
agencies on the project. Your input will help determine which issues 
need to be evaluated in the EA. Please note that the scoping period 
will close on February 27, 2009. Details on how to submit comments 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; elected officials; 
Native American tribes; other interested parties; and local libraries 
and newspapers. State and local government representatives are asked to 
notify their constituents of this proposed project and to encourage 
them to comment on their areas of concern. We anticipate that the U.S. 
Forest Service (USFS) will participate as a cooperating agency in the 
preparation of the EA.
    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 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

    Heavenly Valley proposes to construct 1.86 miles of 4-inch-diameter 
natural gas pipeline to service the future Powderbowl Lodge (planned 
for construction in 2009). The pipeline would begin at an existing 
Southwest Gas Corporation meter station in Douglas County, Nevada and 
terminate approximately 1.86 miles southwest at the Powderbowl Lodge 
site in El Dorado County, California. The pipeline would parallel an 
existing access road and utility corridor. Existing access roads would 
be used for pipeline construction. The project is located entirely 
within the Heavenly Mountain Ski Resort, on land owned by the USFS and 
leased to Heavenly Valley under a 40 year Ski Area Special Use Permit 
issued in 1997. Construction of the project would temporarily impact 
approximately 7.9 acres. Upon completion of the project, 2.3 acres 
would be maintained as permanent easement.
    In addition, Heavenly Valley seeks approval to continue operation 
of a 4,500-foot-long, 2- and 3-inch diameter pipeline installed in 2000 
by the previous resort owner to provide natural gas to resort 
facilities\1\. This existing

[[Page 6026]]

pipeline, referred to as the Gondala/Mid-Station Pipeline, is also 
located entirely within the Heavenly Valley property. No ground 
disturbance or new environmental impacts would occur from continued 
operation of this pipeline.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \1\ Heavenly Valley stated that the prior resort owners believed 
the pipeline could be constructed as a ``house'' line or ``plant'' 
line not subject to FERC jurisdiction. Heavenly Valley was alerted 
to the fact that the existing pipeline may be subject to FERC 
jurisdiction when it initiated discussions with Southwest Gas to 
obtain increased service for the Powderbowl Pipeline.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    A map showing the general location of the proposed project is 
included as appendix 1.\2\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \2\ The appendix referenced in this notice is not being printed 
in the Federal Register. Copies of the appendix 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 by calling (202) 502-8371. For instructions 
on connecting to eLibrary, refer to the ``Additional Information'' 
section of this notice. Copies of the appendix were sent to all 
those receiving this notice in the mail. Requests for detailed maps 
of the proposed facilities should be made directly to Heavenly 
Valley.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

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 (NOI), the Commission 
staff requests public comments on the scope of the issues to address in 
the EA. All comments received will be considered during the preparation 
of the EA.
    In the EA, we\3\ will discuss impacts that could occur as a result 
of the construction and operation of the proposed project under these 
general headings:
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \3\ ``We,'' ``us,'' and ``our'' refer to the environmental staff 
of the FERC's Office of Energy Projects.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

     Geology and soils;
     land use;
     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 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 the 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.

Public Participation

    You can make a difference by providing us with your specific 
comments or concerns about Heavenly Valley's Powderbowl Pipeline 
Project. Your comments should focus on the potential environmental 
effects of the proposal, reasonable alternatives, and measures to avoid 
or lessen the 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 27, 2009.
    For your convenience, there are three methods which you can use to 
submit your comments to the Commission. In all instances please 
reference the project docket number (CP09-43-000) with your submission. 
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 by sending 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 the comments for the attention of Gas Branch 1, 
PJ-11.1.

Becoming an Intervenor

    In addition to involvement in the EA scoping process, 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.

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, then on ``General Search'' and enter 
the docket number excluding the last three digits (i.e., CP09-43) 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, any 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. E9-2290 Filed 2-3-09; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P
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