Fayetteville Express Pipeline, LLC; Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Assessment for the Fayetteville Express Pipeline Project, Request for Comments on Environmental Issues, and Notice of Public Scoping Meetings, 6279-6281 [E9-2526]
Download as PDF
<![CDATA[
dwashington3 on PROD1PC60 with NOTICES
Federal Register / Vol. 74, No. 24 / Friday, February 6, 2009 / Notices
Description: Millennium Pipeline
Company, LLC submits First Revised
Sheet 6 to FERC Gas Tariff, Original
Volume 1, to be effective 2/1/09.
Filed Date: 01/29/2009.
Accession Number: 20090202–0545.
Comment Date: 5 p.m. Eastern Time
on Tuesday, February 10, 2009.
Docket Numbers: RP09–313–000.
Applicants: Gulf Crossing Pipeline
Company LLC.
Description: Gulf Crossing Pipeline
Company, LLC submits the Interim
Negotiated Rate Agreement re the Gulf
Crossing Project.
Filed Date: 01/30/2009.
Accession Number: 20090203–0021.
Comment Date: 5 p.m. Eastern Time
on Wednesday, February 11, 2009.
Docket Numbers: RP09–315–000.
Applicants: East Tennessee Natural
Gas, LLC.
Description: East Tennessee Natural
Gas, LLC submits Fourth Revised Sheet
306 and 373 to its FERC Gas Tariff,
Third Revised Volume 1, to be effective
4/1/09.
Filed Date: 01/30/2009.
Accession Number: 20090203–0019.
Comment Date: 5 p.m. Eastern Time
on Wednesday, February 11, 2009.
Docket Numbers: RP09–317–000.
Applicants: Texas Gas Transmission,
LLC.
Description: Texas Gas Transmission,
LLC submits Second Revised Sheet
2200, and First Revised Sheet 3201 to
FERC Gas Tariff, Third Revised Volume
1, to be effective 3/1/09.
Filed Date: 01/30/2009.
Accession Number: 20090203–0034.
Comment Date: 5 p.m. Eastern Time
on Wednesday, February 11, 2009.
Docket Numbers: RP09–318–000.
Applicants: Northern Natural Gas
Company.
Description: Northern Natural Gas Co
submits 81 Revised Sheet 53 et al. to
FERC Gas Tariff, Fifth Revised Volume
1, to be effective 4/1/09.
Filed Date: 01/30/2009.
Accession Number: 20090203–0033.
Comment Date: 5 p.m. Eastern Time
on Wednesday, February 11, 2009.
Docket Numbers: RP09–319–000.
Applicants: Texas Gas Transmission,
LLC.
Description: Texas Gas Transmission,
LLC submits First Revised Sheet 5225 et
al. to FERC Gas Tariff, Third Revised
Volume 1, to be effective 3/1/09.
Filed Date: 01/30/2009.
Accession Number: 20090203–0032.
Comment Date: 5 p.m. Eastern Time
on Wednesday, February 11, 2009.
Docket Numbers: RP09–320–000.
VerDate Nov<24>2008
14:16 Feb 05, 2009
Jkt 217001
Applicants: Millennium Pipeline
Company, L.L.C.
Description: Millennium Pipeline Co,
LLC submits First Revised Sheet 178 et
al. to FERC Gas Tariff, Original Volume
1, to be effective 3/1/09.
Filed Date: 01/30/2009.
Accession Number: 20090203–0031.
Comment Date: 5 p.m. Eastern Time
on Wednesday, February 11, 2009.
Docket Numbers: RP09–321–000.
Applicants: MarkWest Pioneer, L.L.C.
Description: Markwest Pioneer, LLC
submits its FERC Gas Tariff, Original
Volume 1 for the Arkoma Connector
Pipeline to be effective 4/1/09.
Filed Date: 01/30/2009.
Accession Number: 20090203–0030.
Comment Date: 5 p.m. Eastern Time
on Wednesday, February 11, 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
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
PO 00000
Frm 00016
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
6279
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. E9–2567 Filed 2–5–09; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717–01–P
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory
Commission
[Docket No. PF09–4–000]
Fayetteville Express Pipeline, LLC;
Notice of Intent To Prepare an
Environmental Assessment for the
Fayetteville Express Pipeline Project,
Request for Comments on
Environmental Issues, and Notice of
Public Scoping Meetings
January 30, 2009.
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 Fayetteville Express Pipeline Project
(project) planned by Fayetteville
Express Pipeline, LLC (FEP). The project
consists of about 185 miles of 42-inchdiameter pipeline within the states of
Arkansas and Mississippi.
This notice announces the opening of
the scoping process used 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.
The staff will also use the scoping
process to determine whether
preparation of an environmental impact
statement is more appropriate for this
project based on the anticipated level of
impacts. Please note that the scoping
period will close on March 2, 2009.
Comments regarding this project may
be submitted in written form or
verbally. Further details on how to
submit written comments are provided
in the Public Participation section of
this notice. In lieu of or in addition to
sending written comments, we invite
you to attend the public scoping
meetings we have scheduled as follows:
E:\FR\FM\06FEN1.SGM
06FEN1
6280
Federal Register / Vol. 74, No. 24 / Friday, February 6, 2009 / Notices
Date and time
Location
Tuesday, February 17, 2009; 7 p.m .........................................................
Wednesday, February 18, 2009; 7 p.m ...................................................
Thursday, February 19, 2009; 7 p.m .......................................................
Carmichael Community Center, 801 S. Elm St., Searcy, AR 72143.
Forrest City Civic Center, 1335 N. Washington, Forrest City, AR 72335.
Batesville Civic Center, 290 Civic Center Drive, Batesville, MS 38606.
Interested groups and individuals are
encouraged to attend the meetings and
to present comments on the
environmental issues that they believe
should be addressed in the EA. A
transcript of the meetings will be
generated so that your comments will be
accurately recorded.
This Notice of Intent (NOI) 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 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
planned 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,
‘‘An Interstate Natural Gas Facility on
My Land? What Do I Need to Know?’’
is available for viewing on the FERC
Web site (https://www.ferc.gov). This fact
sheet addresses a number of typically
asked questions, including those
focusing on the use of eminent domain
and how to participate in the FERC’s
proceedings.
dwashington3 on PROD1PC60 with NOTICES
Summary of the Planned Projects
The planned Fayetteville Express
Pipeline Project would consist of the
following facilities:
• About 185 miles of 42-inchdiameter pipeline in Conway, Faulkner,
Cleburne, White, Woodruff, Saint
Francis, Lee, and Phillips Counties in
Arkansas; and Coahoma, Quitman, and
Panola Counties in Mississippi;
1 ‘‘We,’’ ‘‘us,’’ and ‘‘our’’ refer to the
environmental staff of the FERC’s Office of Energy
Projects.
VerDate Nov<24>2008
14:16 Feb 05, 2009
Jkt 217001
• A new 72,000 horsepower (hp)
compressor station in White County,
Arkansas;
• 18 metering and regulation (M&R)
stations at planned interconnections in
Conway, Faulkner, White, and Cleburne
Counties, Arkansas; and Coahoma,
Quitman, and Panola Counties,
Mississippi;
• 18 mainline valves; and
• Up to two pig 2 launcher and
receiver facilities at the beginning and
end of the pipeline, and a pig launcher
and receiver facility at the Natural Gas
Pipeline Company of America (NGPL)
interconnection site in White County,
Arkansas.
The Fayetteville Express Pipeline
Project would provide FEP with
approximately 2,000,000 dekatherms
per day of capacity to accommodate
new natural gas production from the
Fayetteville Shale in north-central
Arkansas to markets served by NGPL,
Texas Gas Transmission, LLC (TGT),
ANR Pipeline Company (ANR), and
Trunkline Gas Company, LLC
(Trunkline).
A general location map of FEP’s
planned facilities is provided in
Appendix 1.3
Land Requirements for Construction
Construction of FEP’s planned
facilities would require about 4,265
acres of land including aboveground
facilities, pipeline, and access roads.
Following construction, about 1,216
acres would be used for operation of the
project’s facilities. The remaining 3,049
acres of land would be restored or
allowed to revert to former use along the
pipeline right-of-way and aboveground
facility sites.
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
2 A pig is an internal tool that can be used to
clean and dry a pipeline and/or to inspect it for
damage or corrosion.
3 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.
PO 00000
Frm 00017
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
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
NOI, 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 planned 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
planned project under these general
headings:
• Geology and soils.
• Land use.
• Water resources, fisheries, and
wetlands.
• Cultural resources.
• Vegetation and wildlife.
• Air quality and noise.
• Endangered and threatened species.
• Safety and reliability.
• Alternatives.
We will also evaluate possible
alternatives to the planned project or
portions of the project, and make
recommendations on how to lessen or
avoid impacts on the various resource
areas.
Although no formal application has
been filed, we have already initiated our
NEPA review under the Commission’s
Pre-filing Process. The purpose of the
Pre-filing Process is to encourage early
involvement of interested stakeholders
and to identify and resolve issues before
an application is filed with the FERC.
As part of our Pre-filing Process review,
we have begun to contact some federal
and state agencies to discuss their
involvement in the scoping process and
the preparation of the EA. In addition,
representatives from the FERC
participated in public open houses
sponsored by FEP in the project area on
December 2–4 and December 9–10,
2008, to explain the environmental
review process to interested
stakeholders.
Our independent analysis of the
issues will be in the EA. Depending on
E:\FR\FM\06FEN1.SGM
06FEN1
Federal Register / Vol. 74, No. 24 / Friday, February 6, 2009 / Notices
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.
dwashington3 on PROD1PC60 with NOTICES
Currently Identified Environmental
Issues
We have already identified several
issues that we think deserve attention
based on a preliminary review of the
planned facilities and the
environmental information provided by
FEP. This preliminary list of issues may
be changed based on your comments
and our analysis.
• Potential impacts on National
Wildlife Refuges in Arkansas;
• Construction methods at waterbody
crossings; and
• Proximity to Texas Gas
Transmission’s Fayetteville-Greenville
Expansion Project, currently completing
construction.
Public Participation
You can make a difference by
providing us with your specific
comments or concerns about the
Fayetteville Express Pipeline 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 March 2,
2009.
For your convenience, there are three
methods in which you can use to submit
your comments to the Commission. In
VerDate Nov<24>2008
14:16 Feb 05, 2009
Jkt 217001
all instances please reference the project
docket number PF09–4–000 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 1, PJ11.1.
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
planned 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 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 FEP formally files its
application with the Commission, you
may want to become an ‘‘intervenor,’’
which is an official party to the
PO 00000
Frm 00018
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
6281
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 ‘‘eFiling’’
link on the Commission’s Web site.
Please note that you may not request
intervenor status at this time. You must
wait until a formal application is filed
with the Commission.
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.
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.
Finally, FEP has established an
Internet Web site for its project at
https://www.fepipeline.com. The site
includes a project overview, contact
information, regulatory overview, and
construction procedures. FEP will
continue to update its Web site with
information about the project. You can
also request additional information by
calling FEP directly, at 1–501–268–7300
or e-mailing
pipelineinfo@fepipeline.com.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. E9–2526 Filed 2–5–09; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717–01–P
E:\FR\FM\06FEN1.SGM
06FEN1
]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 24 (Friday, February 6, 2009)]
[Notices]
[Pages 6279-6281]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-2526]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
[Docket No. PF09-4-000]
Fayetteville Express Pipeline, LLC; Notice of Intent To Prepare
an Environmental Assessment for the Fayetteville Express Pipeline
Project, Request for Comments on Environmental Issues, and Notice of
Public Scoping Meetings
January 30, 2009.
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 Fayetteville Express Pipeline
Project (project) planned by Fayetteville Express Pipeline, LLC (FEP).
The project consists of about 185 miles of 42-inch-diameter pipeline
within the states of Arkansas and Mississippi.
This notice announces the opening of the scoping process used 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. The staff will also use the scoping process
to determine whether preparation of an environmental impact statement
is more appropriate for this project based on the anticipated level of
impacts. Please note that the scoping period will close on March 2,
2009.
Comments regarding this project may be submitted in written form or
verbally. Further details on how to submit written comments are
provided in the Public Participation section of this notice. In lieu of
or in addition to sending written comments, we invite you to attend the
public scoping meetings we have scheduled as follows:
[[Page 6280]]
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date and time Location
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Tuesday, February 17, 2009; 7 p.m...... Carmichael Community Center,
801 S. Elm St., Searcy, AR
72143.
Wednesday, February 18, 2009; 7 p.m.... Forrest City Civic Center, 1335
N. Washington, Forrest City,
AR 72335.
Thursday, February 19, 2009; 7 p.m..... Batesville Civic Center, 290
Civic Center Drive,
Batesville, MS 38606.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Interested groups and individuals are encouraged to attend the
meetings and to present comments on the environmental issues that they
believe should be addressed in the EA. A transcript of the meetings
will be generated so that your comments will be accurately recorded.
This Notice of Intent (NOI) 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 \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 FERC's Office of Energy Projects.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
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 planned 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, ``An Interstate Natural Gas
Facility on My Land? What Do I Need to Know?'' is available for viewing
on the FERC Web site (https://www.ferc.gov). This fact sheet addresses a
number of typically asked questions, including those focusing on the
use of eminent domain and how to participate in the FERC's proceedings.
Summary of the Planned Projects
The planned Fayetteville Express Pipeline Project would consist of
the following facilities:
About 185 miles of 42-inch-diameter pipeline in Conway,
Faulkner, Cleburne, White, Woodruff, Saint Francis, Lee, and Phillips
Counties in Arkansas; and Coahoma, Quitman, and Panola Counties in
Mississippi;
A new 72,000 horsepower (hp) compressor station in White
County, Arkansas;
18 metering and regulation (M&R) stations at planned
interconnections in Conway, Faulkner, White, and Cleburne Counties,
Arkansas; and Coahoma, Quitman, and Panola Counties, Mississippi;
18 mainline valves; and
Up to two pig \2\ launcher and receiver facilities at the
beginning and end of the pipeline, and a pig launcher and receiver
facility at the Natural Gas Pipeline Company of America (NGPL)
interconnection site in White County, Arkansas.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\2\ A pig is an internal tool that can be used to clean and dry
a pipeline and/or to inspect it for damage or corrosion.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Fayetteville Express Pipeline Project would provide FEP with
approximately 2,000,000 dekatherms per day of capacity to accommodate
new natural gas production from the Fayetteville Shale in north-central
Arkansas to markets served by NGPL, Texas Gas Transmission, LLC (TGT),
ANR Pipeline Company (ANR), and Trunkline Gas Company, LLC (Trunkline).
A general location map of FEP's planned facilities is provided in
Appendix 1.\3\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\3\ 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
Construction of FEP's planned facilities would require about 4,265
acres of land including aboveground facilities, pipeline, and access
roads. Following construction, about 1,216 acres would be used for
operation of the project's facilities. The remaining 3,049 acres of
land would be restored or allowed to revert to former use along the
pipeline right-of-way and aboveground facility sites.
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 NOI, 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 planned 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 planned project under these
general headings:
Geology and soils.
Land use.
Water resources, fisheries, and wetlands.
Cultural resources.
Vegetation and wildlife.
Air quality and noise.
Endangered and threatened species.
Safety and reliability.
Alternatives.
We will also evaluate possible alternatives to the planned project
or portions of the project, and make recommendations on how to lessen
or avoid impacts on the various resource areas.
Although no formal application has been filed, we have already
initiated our NEPA review under the Commission's Pre-filing Process.
The purpose of the Pre-filing Process is to encourage early involvement
of interested stakeholders and to identify and resolve issues before an
application is filed with the FERC. As part of our Pre-filing Process
review, we have begun to contact some federal and state agencies to
discuss their involvement in the scoping process and the preparation of
the EA. In addition, representatives from the FERC participated in
public open houses sponsored by FEP in the project area on December 2-4
and December 9-10, 2008, to explain the environmental review process to
interested stakeholders.
Our independent analysis of the issues will be in the EA. Depending
on
[[Page 6281]]
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 planned facilities and
the environmental information provided by FEP. This preliminary list of
issues may be changed based on your comments and our analysis.
Potential impacts on National Wildlife Refuges in
Arkansas;
Construction methods at waterbody crossings; and
Proximity to Texas Gas Transmission's Fayetteville-
Greenville Expansion Project, currently completing construction.
Public Participation
You can make a difference by providing us with your specific
comments or concerns about the Fayetteville Express Pipeline 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 March 2, 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 number PF09-4-000 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 1,
PJ11.1.
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 planned 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 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 FEP formally files its application 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 ``eFiling'' link on the Commission's Web site.
Please note that you may not request intervenor status at this time.
You must wait until a formal application is filed with the Commission.
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.
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.
Finally, FEP has established an Internet Web site for its project
at https://www.fepipeline.com. The site includes a project overview,
contact information, regulatory overview, and construction procedures.
FEP will continue to update its Web site with information about the
project. You can also request additional information by calling FEP
directly, at 1-501-268-7300 or e-mailing pipelineinfo@fepipeline.com.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. E9-2526 Filed 2-5-09; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P
